Mimosa

Nearly eight years ago I reviewed Girasole, a charming trattoria just steps away from the Academy of Music. The restaurant looked like a place you would find in Tuscany and the meal was spectacular.

The Iovino family from Girasole (which means "sunflower") also owns Mimosa, just off the corner of Ninth and South streets, only this one is a BYOB.

We arrived early and, although the place was empty, were shown to a table for two in the back of the dining room, which was quite dark. The hostess set down menus and walked away. The table for two by the window afforded more light, so we waited a minute or so before we walked over to the brighter table.

Our server greeted us with a smile, and placed red and white wineglasses on the table and opened the Pinot Grigio we brought, which she kept on ice in the back of the restaurant.

Two complimentary bruschette arrived as soon as I took a sip of wine. One piece of bread was burnt, but the chopped tomato and basil topping was tasty. A warm loaf of crusty semolina bread — seemingly homemade — was set before us along with a flat dish of olive oil studded with hot pepper flakes.

Prices at Mimosa are reasonable in comparison with many BYOB places that jack up the numbers because the proprietors don’t have a liquor license.

"Insalata di mare" ($7.50) was a cool seafood salad containing three mussels and three littleneck clams in their shells and a handful of frozen sliced calamari rings. The mollusks sat on a bed of very bitter radicchio that had been bathed in a light vinaigrette.

The mussels were rather scrawny, neither Prince Edward Island nor the New Zealand variety. If the chef had tasted the radicchio, he would have known it to be bitter and would not have used it. Tiny whole baby squid would have fared better in this antipasto.

The "polpettine a pomodoro" ($6), on the other hand, were scrumptious. A nice-sized portion of homemade tiny meatballs sat in a pool of rich homemade tomato sauce. These meatballs were nice and creamy inside, and they just melted in my mouth. They were seasoned just right. All they required was a bit of fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano, which the hostess hand-grated onto the dish. (She also came over with a large pepper mill whenever a course arrived, but we told her we didn’t need fresh ground pepper on anything.) This was an inspiringly tasty antipasto.

Ten pastas are included on the bill of fare at Mimosa. They range from $11-$14, which is a bargain. My husband and I could not decide which one to try because they all sounded so good.

After much discussion, we ordered "bucatini alla matriciana" ($11) — a great choice, as it turned out. Bucatini are thick spaghetti that should be served al dente with the proper sauce. This pasta, which arrived piping hot, was tossed with tomatoes, saut�ed onions and pancetta, the unsmoked bacon from Italy. The flavorful sauce was light and refreshing.

I sometimes get a craving for good old-fashioned Italian-American fare. The chicken Parmesan I recently enjoyed at Mick Daniel’s Saloon was so tasty, I decided to try Mimosa’s version ($13).

I received a large portion of pounded chicken breast that had been coated in crumbs and saut�ed. It was cool and the crust was greasy. It sat in a pool of water because the chef placed some spaghetti (which also was cool) on the plate and topped it with a runny tomato sauce. Our understanding server whisked it away and removed the price from our bill.

The "dentice Mediterraneo" ($16) was delicious. Dentice is a European fish similar to our snapper. The plate contained about 4 ounces of fish, properly cooked and juicy. The dish also contained a few mussels and littleneck clams. Fresh green beans, carrots and whipped potatoes came with the fish, though I would have preferred my veggies on a side dish.

After we paid the bill, Edward and I met owner Franco Iovino. He told us his whole family is in the business with him. His elder daughter runs the Girasole in Margate but, he said, "after Miss America, she wants to come home." His wife is in charge of the kitchen at Mimosa, but she wasn’t there that night. The couple lives with their young daughter in Girard Estate.

We did not introduce ourselves, so he did not know my identity. We had a lively chat about restaurants and his menu. I told him I remembered the delicious meal I enjoyed at Girasole and was wondering why certain dishes, especially the carpaccio, were not featured at Mimosa.

"Didn’t my daughter tell you about the specials, and the carpaccio?" he asked.

"No," I said politely. "I wish she did."

Two tips of the toque to Mimosa.

Mimosa
901 South St. (entrance on Ninth Street)
215-238-0144
Credit cards accepted
Wheelchair-accessible