Criniti Ristorante Italiano

Think South Philly, think Italian — namely restaurants. But changes are taking place in the local restaurant scene, even among the genre of Italian restaurants. More refined menus are appearing in the community formerly defined by family-oriented red-gravy establishments.

Meanwhile, old-world standbys will always be appreciated, and the menu has changed little in 20 years at local favorite Criniti. I last reviewed the restaurant nine years ago, and now it has a new home just steps away from its original site.

Benito Criniti opened his place in 1985 and the neighborhood immediately supported him. His son, Massimo, now runs the still-bustling restaurant, which in November moved to a building at Broad and Moyamensing that previously housed a Presbyterian church.

Four of us waited about 20 minutes for a table in the large dining room and finally were shown to a comfortable banquette. Another party of four was next to us. When our waitress recited the specials, including prices (a practice I wish everyone would adopt), she spoke to all of us.

She then brought us a dish of marinated mushrooms and some average bread. The former BYOB’s new wine list offers drinkable Italian varieties in the $20-something range, and we picked a red from Sicily.

Our fried calamari ($7.25) consisted of deep-fried squid rings that were a bit on the greasy side, served with a tasty dipping sauce. Our mussels in red sauce ($9) were neither plump nor juicy like the Prince Edward Island or New Zealand variety, and a few were scrawny. The stuffed portabello mushrooms ($7.25) — two good-sized caps stuffed with broccoli rabe, sausage and roasted peppers — were baked in the oven and served warm, but the stuffing mix was dry and the meat overcooked.

The soup of the day was lentil, prepared with a light, flavorful broth of tomatoes, carrots, onions and celery and a surprising ingredient — elbow macaroni, which was a bit soggy.

House salads were a simple mix of iceberg, romaine and carrots served on a cool plate. Our server brought us cruets of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and red wine vinegar, which was a nice touch.

Our entrées fared better than our appetizers overall. My sister loved the veal parmesan ($13.50) — a large portion of good-quality veal that had been pounded thin and quickly fried, then topped with mozzarella and homemade red gravy and baked in the oven. I thought the dish was oversauced, but my sister liked it that way. The requisite side of spaghetti came with it.

My mother’s ravioli ($13.25) comprised a large portion of square pillows prepared with spinach. The ricotta cheese filling was light and airy and the pasta was cooked just right, topped with a tasty blush sauce. Again, I thought the dish was oversauced and that it could have been hotter, but Mom enjoyed it.

My husband’s flounder stuffed with crab meat ($18.75), another mainstay of Italian-American restaurants, was broiled and filled with medium-quality crab. This dish was on the bland side, but the fish was perfectly cooked. Edward enjoyed rigatoni on the side.

During the 1980s, Italian-American cooks invented a dish called chicken or veal Francese. When properly prepared, a Francese is done this way: Pounded boneless chicken breasts or escallops of veal are dipped in seasoned flour, then into beaten egg, then into breadcrumbs and sautéed until golden brown.

My veal Francese ($14.25) tasted like it was coated in scrambled eggs. I scraped away the soggy coating and found tasty escallops of veal underneath. The heavy sauce was prepared with butter — way too much for my taste — and lemon juice. A lighter lemon sauce would have been tastier. Our waitress advised that my side of spaghetti could be topped with the same sauce, and it did work well with the pasta.

We enjoyed desserts of spumoni and tartuffo ($4.50 each) — a good ending to a classic neighborhood meal.

Criniti offers typical Italian-American fare. Here you will find the food that made South Philly famous before the culinary enlightenment began, and the restaurant’s loyal patrons remain content with that.

One-and-a-half tips of the toque to Criniti.

Criniti Ristorante Italiano
2611 S. Broad St.
215-465-7750
Visa and MasterCard accepted
Wheelchair-accessible dining room
Banquet room upstairs
Open daily
No reservations taken