La Stanza

Renovations have been taking place at La Stanza, chef-owner Frank DeCotis’ restaurant at 20th Street and Oregon Avenue.

Although I reviewed La Stanza exactly six years ago, I felt a return visit was in order. I wanted to try the new menu. And what a delightful, refined menu it is. Meanwhile, the menu also has been renovated.

Gone are the ugly outdoor stilts with parking under the building. The fa�ade is painted light green and peach, and pretty planters are placed at the entrance. You still have to climb two short flights of steps to the dining room, but this will change once the renovations are complete.

Bartender-waiter Bill Young showed us to a roomy table. My sister Sandy and mother Berthe joined Edward and me for dinner.

Three toques straightaway because La Stanza has no specials. The menu is comprised of dishes you would enjoy in Italy. Well-mixed, good-sized cocktails are $7, which is a good value.

Bill brought us two loaves of Sarcone’s sesame-seeded bread, along with a large, round ramekin of softened butter.

We ordered three appetizers, two salads and four entr�es. Luckily for me, I got to sample them all.

Mussels � la Positano ($7.95) consisted of a big bowl of squeaky-clean Prince Edward Island mussels, saut�ed in a white wine broth and enhanced by bits of spinach, chopped grape tomatoes and fresh herbs. They were uncommonly well prepared, and we enjoyed dipping bread into the sauce.

Oysters Calabrese ($8.95) were the best fried oysters I have savored in recent memory. DeCotis lightly coated six quarter-sized oysters with seasoned flour and deep-fried them to perfection. They might have been Olympia oysters from Washington because they were so sweet. They were crisp and grease-free. DeCotis presented them on a bed of shredded radicchio, along with half-moons of cucumber with the seeds removed. The aioli for dipping was an unusual mix of honey mustard and horseradish.

Berthe loves eggplant, so she ordered eggplant Montania ($6.95), which was a large portion of the vegetable battered in egg and lightly fried, then layered with sliced ripe tomatoes and roasted red peppers. The eggplant was topped with fresh melted mozzarella and served on a pool of fragrant homemade marinara. We all helped Mom finish this dish.

Arugula and endive salad ($5.95) featured top-quality arugula leaves mixed with slices of Belgian endive. DeCotis tossed the greens in a light lemon-honey vinaigrette and topped the salad with shavings of sharp provolone. Sandy and I shared the large salad, which was thoughtfully split in the kitchen.

Tri-Colore di Casa ($4.50) makes use of crisp romaine leaves, radicchio and Belgian endive, representing the colors of the Italian flag. It is pretty to look at and delicious to eat. DeCotis added wedges of red ripe tomatoes and cucumbers to the salad before tossing it in an herb vinaigrette.

Since we do not eat veal often, we wanted to sample four veal dishes. Sandy wanted veal picante ($16.95), Edward opted for veal cacciatore ($17.95), Mom looked forward to osso bucco ($22.95) and I selected the veal roast ($19.95). As we enjoyed our antipasti, Bill advised there was only one order of pounded veal left in the kitchen. "You have it," Edward said to Sandy. "I’ll order the veal chop." Bill took the order, came back and announced, with the proper apology, that DeCotis was out of veal chops as well.

Edward looked over the menu again and decided on the 12-ounce rib eye ($20.95).

The wine list is moderately priced with a number of bottles from Italy. Edward selected a drinkable Montepulciano ($20).

DeCotis uses top-quality veal in all his dishes. The picante was pounded thin and simply saut�ed with mushrooms and capers in a white wine sauce. We liked the contrast of meaty, heady mushrooms with slightly salty capers.

With the veal shanks, DeCotis takes a bit of culinary license. He does not serve his osso bucco with risotto and adds a handful of peas to finish the dish. The veal was succulent and tender, easily falling off the bone.

The veal roast was also outstanding. The boneless meat, which came from the leg, was pounded and layered with prosciutto, spinach and provolone, rolled up and roasted in the oven. I received two hefty slices, which looked like colorful pinwheels on the plate. The prosciutto was very salty, however, and sliced too thick. I doubt it was authentic prosciutto di Parma. Still, I enjoyed my selection.

The rib eye was grilled rare as ordered and topped with saut�ed roasted red peppers, mushrooms and caramelized onions. Simple is always delicious. All of us received good-sized side dishes of fresh, perfectly cooked haricots verts, fresh carrot slices and the best roasted rosemary potato wedges I have ever enjoyed in a restaurant.

As soon as our platters were before us, Bill brought us a surprise.

"Chef wants you to enjoy his broccoli rabe because he was out of the veal and veal chop," he said. These not-at-all-bitter greens were saut�ed with olive oil and garlic and topped with bits of sausage.

Our dinner at La Stanza was so authentically Italian, so well prepared, so delicious, that my sister Sandy insisted we return soon so she can try the scampi.

Three tips of the toque to La Stanza.

La Stanza
2001 Oregon Ave.
215-271-0801
Credit cards accepted
Bathrooms up two short flights of stairs
Reservations a good idea