Gioia Mia

I’ve become bored with the majority of dishes served in Italian restaurants. They all offer the same fare: fried calamari, Caesar salad, mussels red or white, gnocchi, seafood pescatore, veal or chicken picante – you get the idea.

There are a handful of Italian restaurants that always surprise me. Ristorante Paradiso, Panorama and Valentino on the Square come to mind. Now I can add Gioia Mia (Joy-ah Mee-ah) to that list.

The restaurant just opened at the site of the now-shuttered Cibucan at 2025 Sansom St., next door to the Roxy Theater.

My husband Edward, my mother Berthe and I arrived around 7:15 on a brutally hot evening and were greeted by a smiling woman and the right amount of air conditioning. There were a number of patrons enjoying dinner even though the place is brand new. The man in charge is executive chef Fabrizio Pace, a handsome Italian who has put together a menu that is anything but boring.

Two waiters, including Peter Kokalari, who owns Gioia Mia with Pace, and two assistant waiters took care of the diners. They poured our wine, filled our water glasses, crumbed the table between courses and replaced our flatware.

There are a few inexpensive wines by the bottle available. I spotted Sole di Puglia Rosso, Feudo di Santa Croce ($25), a red wine we had not sampled before. It was rich and fruity and would drink well with almost any dish.

The menu was the real star and is so tempting, I immediately got what my husband calls "big eyes."

For our antipasti, we tried salsicce con broccoli rabe ($9), vegetali grigliati ($8) and carpaccio di bronzino ($12).

For the salsicce, Pace sautéed a bunch of fresh, not-at-all-bitter broccoli rabe in the right mix of olive oil and garlic and built it into a mound on the center of the plate. He draped lengthwise slices of sweet Italian sausage around the vegetables and added the right touch of seasoning. Edward and I were not disappointed.

We tasted mom’s assorted grilled vegetables and each one was perfectly cooked. Her plate contained eggplant, fire-roasted sweet red peppers, wild mushrooms, sweet onions and zucchini dusted with fresh herbs. It was all lightly bathed in olive oil before hitting the grill. Here is an example of how something so simple can taste so good. Our waiter apologized to us as baby artichokes are usually included, but were not available that evening. No matter; it was delicious.

As soon as I saw carpaccio of bronzino I knew I had to have a taste. I have eaten beef carpaccio and tuna carpaccio in several restaurants. It never occurred to me a talented chef like Pace would use this light Mediterranean fish in a carpaccio. Pace marinates the fish with lemon juice and olive oil, much like ceviche is prepared in South America. He placed fresh spicy arugula leaves in the center of the plate, added the bronzino and sprinkled it with homemade caramelized walnuts and long shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano. It was outstanding.

All three starters were good sized and could easily be shared.

Pace has put together a fine list of pastas and risottos, including rigatoni all’Amatriciana ($10), which I have never seen on a menu. This is a classic Roman pasta, which contains few ingredients, but is first rate when prepared correctly. The sauce is a simple blend of crisp bacon, fresh tomatoes, pecorino cheese and a dash of pepperoncini – and this dish satisfies. All it required was a fresh grinding of pecorino, which was added at the table.

Another surprise was suprema di pollo ($16), a chicken dish I’ve enjoyed in Italian restaurants in London. Sometimes the chicken is stuffed with butter and garlic. Pace adds an unusual twist. He boned an entire chicken breast, but left the wing bone attached. He diced some potatoes, redolent of fresh herbs, particularly rosemary, and red peppers. They enjoyed a quick sauté before they were stuffed into the chicken breast. The dish was roasted, topped with natural pan juices and served with fresh green beans.

Mom’s ravioli all’aragosta ($16) was a large bowl of fresh lobster ravioli topped with jumbo shrimp and fresh asparagus in a tomato-cognac sauce laced with fresh sage. I did not care for the sauce. I felt it was too heavy for the delicate shellfish, but this is a matter of personal taste.

Pace looked to Sardinia when he prepared orata ($25), another light Mediterranean fish. The menu states the fish is baked in a basil-pecorino crust, but it was more like a topping. I don’t think cheese enhances fish, but Pace later told us Sardinian chefs prepare orata in this manner. The fish was a good-sized portion and was topped with chopped fresh tomato and fragrant basil.

From the dolce, we shared bachetta alla banana ($6.50), a delicious tart filled with a chocolate-like homemade pudding, topped with bananas and whipped cream with a hint of fresh mint.

Kokalari offered his patrons a complimentary limoncello or averna, a marvelous Italian digestif.

While we sipped our drinks, Pace made his way through the room, speaking with each guest. He told us he has ordered a pasta machine to make his own pasta and that he wants to bake bread at the restaurant.

At Gioia Mia, any entrée can be grilled. I love grilled food and believe more Italian restaurants should simply grill a piece of chicken or fish, add the right touch of seasonings and serve. Pace does this and he succeeds because he insists on top-quality ingredients. This restaurant is a marvelous find.

Three tips of the toque to Gioia Mia.

Gioia Mia
2025 Sansom St.
215-231-9895
Authentic Italian cucina
Open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday
Credit cards accepted
Not wheelchair-accessible