27018647
Ristorante Pesto
1915 S. Broad St.
215-336-8380
Credit cards accepted
Wheelchair access on lower level and in restrooms
Lunch weekdays, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; dinner daily except Sundays, 5-10 p.m.
Reservations an absolute must
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Pesto, the heady raw sauce made with fragrant basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano, hails from Genoa, home of Christopher Columbus. Ristorante Pesto is the name Claudio Conigliaro and John Varallo (owner and chef of Io e Tu on South Ninth Street) have given their new BYOB on South Broad Street.
I will tell you straightaway that you must have a reservation — even on a Tuesday night.
The restaurant is bilevel with soft beige walls, tile floor, faux granite tabletops and cloth napkins. The staff is among the most congenial in town. You are welcomed with a smile, and service is so smooth that dinner lasts about an hour. Our waiter, who arrived from Italy in November, opened our wine and told us about the specials. We had to ask the price of each.
The menu is straightforward: mussels, fried calamari, tomato and mozzarella salad, house salad and Caesar salad; moderately priced pasta dishes; and chicken, veal and fish entr�es averaging about $15 — finally, true neighborhood trattoria prices.
A warm loaf of fresh, dense Italian bread arrived with a handful of tiny plastic tubs of butter. The complimentary antipasto was delicious — a good-sized portion of potato salad dressed in a light pesto with bits of sweet red onion and whole pine nuts.
Among the special antipasti was a large portabello mushroom ($9) with top-quality lump crabmeat bathed in a rich, slightly chunky homemade tomato sauce. I noticed several patrons enjoying it and asked our waiter what it was. The mushroom was meaty and the crabmeat slightly sweet, as fresh crab should be. The sauce was outstanding, and also made a fine topping on a piece of bread. It could have been hotter, however.
My husband ordered the Caesar salad ($5) and it was good, though the dressing wasn’t classic Caesar — typically a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, coddled egg, ground anchovies and Parmesan. The good-sized mound of bite-sized romaine lettuce he received was drizzled with a mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, homemade croutons and shards of Parmigiano-Reggiano. The lettuce was crisp and cool.
Now for the star of the evening. Since we savored perfect gnocchi last week at Cucina Forte, one bite of Pesto’s gnocchi made me think of Yogi Berra’s famous saying, "It’s d�j�-vu all over again." Gnocchi ($12) here are absolute perfection. They are made with potatoes and were so light and creamy, they melted in my mouth.
You can order these tasty dumplings with homemade tomato sauce, but Edward and I went for the signature pesto. Balsamella — the Italian white sauce made with milk, flour and butter — formed the base, and the right touch of Parmigiano-Reggiano enriched it. The pesto was redolent with heady basil and included whole pine nuts. It enhanced the gnocchi perfectly, and never curdled or separated on the plate.
This dish was a delicious bargain. The order, thoughtfully split in the kitchen, arrived the way I like it — so piping hot, I had to wait a minute before popping a gnocchi in my mouth.
Fresh baby artichokes are in season. I love chicken with artichokes and wanted to try Pesto’s rendition ($13). I received two large boneless, skinless chicken breasts that were pounded thin and saut�ed in a light white wine sauce. The artichokes apparently came from a can and added more mush than flavor, but the imported prosciutto di Parma — the best ham out there — imparted a slightly salty tang, while mild mozzarella provided contrast. A scattering of chopped tomatoes, which could have been more ripe, topped the chicken. Vegetables of the evening included oven-roasted potatoes and fresh escarole.
Ristorante Pesto offers three fish dishes on the menu, including a grilled salmon, shrimp scampi over linguine and a mixed grill. My husband ordered the mixed seafood grill ($16). Several shrimp, a piece of tuna and a piece of salmon were marinated in balsamic vinegar and charcoal-grilled. The fish, though tasty, arrived slightly overcooked on a bed of baby mixed greens and came with the side of vegetables.
A colleague’s visit to Pesto on a recent Saturday night yielded rave reviews for several other dishes, including antipasti of grigliata vegetale ($6) — a variety of grilled veggies perfectly marinated in extra-virgin olive oil and garlic; and classic calamari fritti ($7) with a side of marinara. A pasta special that evening consisted of plump, exquisite homemade tortelloni stuffed with portabello mushrooms and sundried tomatoes in the sublime pesto; the generous portion offered more than a sampling to a table of four. A homemade soup of the day is offered for $4.
The group also savored entr�es of linguini pescatora ($14), a deep dish brimming with large shrimp, mussels and clams in a choice of red or white; and specials that included a simple, tasty sea bass prepared in a lemon-caper sauce and a hearty stuffed steak. Also on offer are eight varieties of pizza — including the classic Margherita and, of course, a pesto-topped pie — from a wood-burning brick oven.
Ask for the dessert list, no matter how stuffed you are (and you will be stuffed); the evening’s offerings of tiramisu, cheesecake (a family recipe) and creamy limoncello sorbet (always in demand) proved worthwhile indulgences ($4.50 each).
Ristorante Pesto is a fine example of a neighborhood BYOB. Every table was booked on both occasions. Staff — including the delightful Gianna, who greets you at the door, checks your reservations, shows you to your table with a smile and gives you menus — are helpful and courteous, and know the menu. During the Tuesday dinner, Gianna made her way through the dining room, politely inquiring, "Are you enjoying your dinner?" I should tell you that Gianna is a 6-year-old student at St. Monica’s who enjoys helping her mother greet their guests.
Just savoring the gnocchi at this family place is worth a visit.
Two-and-a-half tips of the toque to Ristorante Pesto.
