27143512
Ten years ago, I discovered Trattoria La Costiera, a small BYOB on Oregon Avenue owned and operated by a family from Naples. I recall a delicious dish of orecchiette prepared with bits of slightly spicy sausage and broccoli rabe. It was the first time I tasted this now-classic pasta.
About a month ago, after Edward, Mom and I dug into a big pizza at Marra’s, 1734 E. Passyunk Ave., we drove down Passyunk and happened upon a pretty new corner restaurant: Trattoria La Costiera.
Soon after, on a brutally hot night, Mom, Edward, I and a bottle of red and white, headed over to see if it was as good as I remembered.
Cool gold and green granite tabletops are set with buttery yellow napkins with murals of the sea and Catholic saints adorning the walls.
"Here’s some caponata the chef just made," our server said, as she set a good-size helping of "Italian ratatouille" before us. It was uncommonly delicious, though it did require a bit of salt and pepper. Two warm loaves of bread from Cacia’s, 1526 W. Ritner St., arrived with top-quality extra-virgin olive oil. We requested some butter as well. I love Cacia’s bread; It’s my favorite.
From the "freddi" appetizers, we selected insalata ai fruitti di mare ($9.95) and from the "caldi," verdure alla griglia ($8.95). Regular readers know my husband detests zucchini. Our server understood (she does not care for it either) so the chef put together the warm appetizer without the squash.
The cool seafood salad was an absolute winner. The plate was filled with whole, tender baby squid — about the size of a quarter — tiny shrimp, tiny mussels without their shells, luscious scallops and squid rings. The immaculately cool, fresh seafood sat on a bed of baby greens. The fish was dressed in a mix of extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, the perfect touch of garlic and minced, fresh Italian parsley leaves. It was not ice cold, which is how this antipasto must be served. It was perfection on a plate.
Edward’s grilled vegetables proved a simple dish is always delicious when the ingredients are first-rate. There were slices of meaty portobellos, green peppers, strips of carrots and stalks of celery topped with extra-virgin olive oil and minced basil.
Pastas are prominent at Trattoria La Costiera, so we decided to share two appetizer portions of orecchiette alla tammaro ($7.50 appetizer, $15.95 entrée) and farfalle al salmone alla vodka ($7.50 appetizer, $14.95 entrée). I almost fell out of my seat when I saw how large the portions were and how beautifully they were presented.
The little ear pasta was prepared with broccoli rabe, sautéed shrimp and cannelloni. Since it was al dente and because of its distinctive shape, the pasta held the little shrimp and beans beautifully. We especially enjoyed the contrast of tastes and textures, as I have not had pasta and beans tossed together before. This dish, though, required a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
The bow-ties were uneven. Some were practically raw, while others fared well. The sauce, however, was outstanding. Vodka sauces became popular in the 1980s and you can now find it in supermarkets all over. The chef had a perfect touch with the cream — just enough to bind — and he used beautifully caramelized red onion bits to give it a slightly sweet taste. Small pieces of fresh salmon were scattered throughout.
I found it odd there were no fish among the "secondi piatti." In fact, there are only six entrées total. Our server told us salmon, tilapia and tuna were the specials. This makes no sense. There is nothing special about salmon, tuna or tilapia. Still, I ordered the salmon ($17). Mom wanted a simple grilled chicken ($13.95) and Edward asked if he could order a plain veal cutlet topped with dry arugula and Parmigianno-Reggiano shavings. Since the chef had the ingredients on hand, Edward looked forward to his favorite veal dish ($17.95).
The salmon comes with a sauce of cooked-down cherry tomatoes, but I asked if I could have it sautéed with olive oil and herbs. I received a beautiful piece of wild salmon prepared Mediterranean style, topped with capers and pitted Gaeta olives. I would have preferred the fish grilled rather than sautéed. Slightly warm sugar snap peas and tasteless cubes of roasted potatoes, that were gray not golden brown, came with dinner. They were cool and could have benefitted from oven-roasting with some rosemary.
Mom’s chicken was a bit on the dry side. It lacked flavor even though it was topped with bits of pink tomatoes and lots of herbs. Roast chicken would seem to fit the menu better than this flattened boneless breast. It just was not Italian.
Edward’s veal was disappointing. The bread-crumb coating was soggy and it was slightly overcooked. The arugula had seen better days, but the cheese shards were terrific.
Desserts ($6) were unappetizing to look at and not good at all. A cheese-filled cannoli was covered in cream and some kind of milk chocolate sauce. A lady finger fruit torte was nothing special.
I have found most Italian restaurants shine with appetizers and pastas and then lose momentum when it comes to entrées; Trattoria La Costiera is no exception.
Two tips of the toque to Trattoria La Costiera.
Trattoria La Costiera
769 E. Passyunk Ave.
267-861-4640
Visa and MasterCard accepted
Closed Monday
