The combination of fresh, local ingredients, creative, innovative Italian-American cuisine, comfortable-yet-refined ambiance and brilliant service make Restaurant Alba one of the most exceptional restaurant experiences in the western suburbs.

Food: Things kicked off with a complimentary amuse of sunchoke puree with extra virgin olive oil. This robust oil was also served next to crusty Italian bread.

We started out with the “Batsua” ($12) – a crispy fritter made from braised pig’s feet and belly, served with a mustard crema. These had a wonderfully “porky” flavor; though we expected it to be like bacon, it was closer to a smoked pork barbecue. Though frying this concoction seems excessive, it was certainly worth trying. We also sampled the Antipasto ($15pp – changes daily), a sampling of 5-6 “chef’s choice” appetizers. All were excellent — but our favorite was the goat cheese & grilled ramp bruschetta.

Wood Roasted Goat, served alongside grilled whole grain polenta and soffrito braised greens ($31), was tasty and savory. To make this dish, a whole goat is slow-cooked overnight on the dying embers of the previous night’s fire and then braised before a quick reheat on the grill. It’s a uniquely flavored meat — closest to lamb but not quite as gamey.

The Berkshire pork shoulder, served with crispy spaetzle & peas, charred fennel and a bit of Tupelo honey sauce ($26) is cooked in similar fashion to the goat, and the quick grilling just before serving gives it a texture almost like a crusty bread — crispy on the outside but light and fluffy inside. In contrast to the goat, the honey and cider jus gave this dish a subtle kick of sweetness.

A grilled rib-eye special was served with sea salt and fine tuscan olive oil alongside crispy potatoes and a mixed green salad. It was a simple dish — the “crispy” potatoes were really cold homemade chips, which was a bit disappointing — but the steak was well-cooked and quite tasty.

Alba also offers 4-5 pasta dishes such as Veal & Sweetbread Ravioli, Morel Mushroom & Vegetable Soffrito ($20) and several fish entrees like the Atlantic Tilefish with Nettle & Potato Gnocchetti, Grilled Meyer Lemon & Caper Brown Butter ($29). The menu changes seasonally.

For dessert, we tried the Chocolate Pot de Creme with Almond Torrone Whipped Cream ($8), which was light and slightly minty, creating a palate-cleansing feeling. It wasn’t spectacular, but we still cleaned the plate.

Bar: Once only a BYOB, Alba now offers a full bar. (BYOW is still allowed at $10/bottle.) A small list of beers focuses on local crafts from Victory. The wine list, on the other hand, culls mostly from Italy, with a large variety of hard-to-find small producers (or at least as many as you can get through the PLCB system). They also make house-infused grappa for those with fortified stomachs.

Service: Though the food is excellent, the attention to service at Alba is what truly sets this restaurant apart from others in the suburbs. Clearly the staff and management understand how to handle any issues and resolve them quickly and satisfyingly. Our very first dinner at Alba, shortly after they opened, showcased their attention to detail. A pork chop originally came from the kitchen extremely undercooked, so much so that it was inedible. A passing waiter (not our own) quickly noticed that I looked unhappy and offered to take the plate back to the kitchen. Never a good situation to have one plate of hot food on the table and not the other, our waitress quickly reappeared with a small appetizer to tide me over until they could fix up the chop. Obviously I was unhappy with the fact that my food was not prepared well at first, but the professional and caring way that the entire staff handled the incident was brilliant.

On a more recent visit, our waiter once again illustrated how seriously Alba takes service. There were no errors from the kitchen this time around, but our waiter answered every question we had about the menu (there were quite a few) with a level of knowledge and detail as if he would be personally preparing each entree. He had no hesitation to help us choose the entrees that would be suit our interests and needs.

Ambiance: Artsy and comfortable, bustling yet romantic. There are two rooms, the main one which features an open kitchen, and a more private side room. The main room is perhaps a bit more compelling because of the large wood oven in view, but there isn’t a huge difference.

Value: As with many restaurants that move from BYOB status to bar status, the value proposition at Alba has gone down a bit. It’s nice that they offer a BYOW option, but the $10 corkage is quite steep. Wine bottles are not outlandishly priced (at least compared to other restaurants), and value can be found with some digging, but most bottles are at least $40. Entrees haven’t dropped in price since the bar was added, so expect to pay upper 20s or even low 30s. It is hard to complain when the quality of the food and experience is consistently excellent, but Alba is certainly no longer your neighborhood restaurant for a casual Friday night.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 4
Reservations: Yes (recommended even on weekdays) OpenTable
Bar: BYOB
Cards: MC/Visa
http://restaurantalba.com/
7 West King Street
Malvern, PA
610-644-4009

Mom’s Bake at Home Pizza has been around for many years, but it wasn’t until recently that I was first persuaded to give it a try. Isn’t the point of getting pizza that you DON’T have to cook?

I was intrigued, however, when I heard that Mom’s offered whole wheat crusts – something one doesn’t exactly find at every corner ‘za joint. Looking into it further, I was amazed at the variety of dough options (oat bran! multi-grain! boardwalk-style ultra thin!) and toppings (artichoke hearts! eggplant! turkey pepperoni!). For those of us who love pizza, but don’t love the guilt that comes with eating and serving our loved ones the greasy, sodium-laden stuff that most pizza has become, Mom’s is a desperately welcome option for healthier indulgence.

Our go-to pie has become whole wheat with white sauce (oil, garlic and spices), grilled chicken and zucchini (pictured). Though it can dry out more quickly, the crust adds a rustic flavor that white flour simply cannot offer. Thinly-sliced zucchini is perhaps the perfect pizza topping – easy to layer, flavorful and healthy – but somehow it is a rarity on pie in the states. (We first fell in love with the idea in Rome, and include it in almost all of our homemade pies.)

Though we prefer to build our own combo out of the myriad of traditional and non-so-traditional toppings, Mom’s also offers all kinds of pre-built suggestions, such as “Positively Pesto” – Pesto Sauce, Grilled Chicken, Feta, Red Onions & Sundried Tomatoes, “Chicken Fajita” – Grilled Chicken, Red Onions, Green Peppers, Long Hot Peppers & Plum Tomatoes, and many other wild options. Stromboli, wings, pastas, salads and cookie dough are also available.

All in all, moms is a great option to have for pizza lovers looking for a fun, healthier option. Expect to pay a bit more for the high-quality, fresh ingredients (our pie is close to $19), but isn’t it worth it to avoid the guilt?

Mom’s Bake at Home Pizza
896 Lancaster Avenue, Devon PA
Next to BMW – Parking in Rear
(610) 254-0580
Hours: Sun-Thurs 3-8, Fri 12-9, Sat 2-8
http://momspizzadevon.com
(they have online ordering but it does not appear to be working)

Before:

After:

Italian BYOB on West Chester Pike in Edgemont. A recent review by “The Dining Duo” (in the Trend) suggests that it is a Fellini Cafe-type joint, with simple, inexpensive Italian fare. I didn’t get the feeling that the Duo was overly impressed, but then again it seems like a popular spot already.

If “The Carnivore” wants to jump in here, feel free… ;o)

Rating: 2 silver spoons out of five

Overall: San Nicola serves traditional Italian food that is well-prepared but lacks creativity. It is absolutely a reasonable neighborhood restaurant for a weekday meal, or someplace to take a larger group where everyone will be satisfied. For a special night, however, the lack of ingenuity falls short, especially for the adventurous eater.

Food: Standard Italian fare, simple but well-executed. Start out with the Cheese & Pepper plate, served family style ($3 per person), to enjoy homemade sweet roasted red peppers and a variety of excellent Italian cheeses. The grilled red snapper fillet served with a white wine cream sauce, roasted peppers and toasted almonds ($17.50) was a nice dish, if a tad bland. We also tried the beef filet ($21.50), grilled a perfect medium rare and served with a red wine demiglace and garnished with whole roasted garlic and fresh rosemary. The Misto di Carne ($19) offers a nice variety of sauteed sausage, chicken breast and veal tenderloin topped with a cream sauce of peas and carrots, but again is a pretty boring dish. The best dish we’ve had is the grilled salmon filet ($18) served with salmoriglio sauce (olive oil, lemon and garlic) — the salmon was perfectly crispy on the outside and tender within, and the simple sauce brought out the fish’s flavor.

TSN recently started offering a side of vegetables instead of the longtime tradition of a pasta side, perhaps in part because of the suggestion on this very page.

Ambiance: Several small rooms, decorated Tuscan-style, with windows surrounding the entire building. Because the rooms are small, it can get very loud, which can either make it seem like a hot spot or cause a headache, depending on one’s mood. There is also a small, smoke-free bar area for a quick drink and meal. The Paoli location is nicer than the Berwyn location.

Service: Pleasant and competent. A few blemishes — had to wait for a table with a reservation on a weeknight, even though there were several open tables, and one request for a minor plate change (from the menu) was not handled correctly. A few years ago at the Berwyn location, we had to wait 45 minutes for a table with reservation.

Value: The prices seem a tad high for the quality of food, especially considering the fact that they sell alcohol. One nice feature is the BYO policy — although they do have a full bar, they allow BYOW for a $10 corkage fee. Granted, corkage fees are generally evil, but when faced with paying restaurant markup or bringing a nice bottle from home and dropping an additional few bucks for the privelage, this seems to create a good value proposition.

Details:
#of times we’ve eaten there: 3
Cards: Yes
Reservations: Yes (you still may wait at busy times)
Bar: Full, BYOW with $10 corkage
website: http://www.tsannicola.com

NOTE: The Paoli location has closed. There are several other Fellini Cafes in the area, though not all are the same ownership group.

Rating: 2 spoons out of 5

Overview: A micro-chain also located in Berwyn and Ardmore, Fellini is a wildly popular Italian BYOB. The buzz about Fellini in the general population is great, and the wait on a weekend night would seem to confirm this fact. Those who truly appreciate fine food, however, will quickly understand that Fellini’s success comes from offering a wide variety and huge portions (creating the semblance of value), not necessarily from putting excellent food on the table.

Food: The vast menu offers 119 different Italian dishes, 50 of which are pasta and 20 of which are pizza. Unfortunately, the best dishes on Fellini’s menu also tend to be the most unhealthy; cream sauces, cheese and butter abound. The portions are HUGE (almost every table takes home a doggy bag), meaning that not only is the food unhealthy, but most diners will eat far more than normal.

There are, of course, some lighter options, but from experience these are pretty uninteresting. At a recent visit, I tried the Penne dello Chef (Sausage, broccoli & sundried tomatoes in an olive oil garlic sauce… $11.95), but it was on of the blandest pasta dishes I’ve ever had (except for the sausage which was excellent). On the otherhand, the potato gnocchi in a creamy pesto sauce was absolutely delicious, but it left us with lead stomachs.

There are daily fish specials, a couple salmon dishes on the regular menu and plenty of salads, and while it would take years to try everything here, after one visit I feel confident saying that the fat-laden dishes are where the flavor is at, creating a difficult dilemma for any Fellini diner concerned with their health.

Ambiance: Over the top tuscan decor, but kitchy and casual.

Service: A lot of young kids serving tables here, but our waiter was well-trained and earnest, appropriate for this type of establishment.

Value: Many Americans equate value with the amount of food served — from this standpoint, Fellini is an astonishing value — two people can stuff themselves for less than $30. On the other hand, those of us who put more emphasis on the quality of food will find Fellini’s cost to be about appropriate for what it is — a cheap, casual meal.

Details:

#of times we’ve eaten there: 1
Reservations: Yes, although be prepared to wait
Bar: BYOB
Cards: Yes
Takeout: Yes
Site: http://fellini-cafe.com

Rating: 5 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: Hidden deep in the neighborhoods of Conshohocken lies the best restaurant in the Suburban Philadelphia Area, Totaro’s. An unassuming local tavern from the outside, Totaro’s is fine dining of staggering quality — and of staggering prices. While not for the faint of wallet, Totaro’s is worthy of the splurge, featuring amazingly creative takes on traditional Italian dishes and a unique variety of game options. It should be noted that we have not eaten at Totaro’s in quite some time, and recent reports from other patrons suggest a downhill trend.

Food: The kitchen specializes in game dishes — expect to see Wild Boar, Venison, Elk, and the like on the specials menu. If you’re not as adventurous, the regular menu features more traditional Veal, Steak and Fish options. (And while I’ve never had the Osso Bucco, it is said to be the house specialty.) Each entree served at Totaro’s is an assault of flavor and complexity. In contrast to the corporate steak house — steak on a plate with a side of potatoes and vegetables for example — the food here shines specifically because of the kitchen’s ability to pair each ingredient in such a way that it is not always possible to decipher what completes each bite. The thing I love most about Totaro’s is when I take a hearty forkful, and although I could never list every ingredient on that fork, it simply tastes phenomenal. On a recent visit, one special was a juniper glazed venison double chop with smashed rutabaga, roasted butternut squash, smoked duck potato hash, sweet slaw all in a reduction sauce. It was sweet, hearty, succulent, and flat out awesome.

Perhaps Totaro’s finest moment comes at dessert, which usually includes a extraordinary brownie which is served warm, covered in oozing molten chocolate, housed inside golden phyllo pastry. Go ahead, read it again. No, it won’t help any dieters out there, but it is sooo worth it.

Ambiance: The best way to describe Totaro’s is that it seems like an old school mob hangout. There is a small, cozy dining room adjacent to a bar with some additional seating areas.

Service: Everyone at Totaro’s is gracious and helpful. On one visit we had to wait a while, even with a reservation, but the staff did their best to keep us happy while we waited.

Value: When you come here, value should be the last thing on your mind. Entrees regularly hover in the mid $30s, and can even approach $50 for specialties (a Kobe Steak on one visit). While a trip to Totaro’s may cost as much as two trips to your favorite restaurant, for my money it is worth staying home once to eat here, especially for a special occasion.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 3
Reservations: Yes
Payments: Cards
Bar: Full
http://www.totaros.com

Rating: 4 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: Possibly the perfect neighborhood restaurant – good food, great service, nice people. Highly Recommended.

Food: Italian bistro fare, with pastas, pizzas, and a solid selection of meat entrees. The pastas are uniformly excellent and the highlight of the menu. Teresa’s creamy, unique pesto sauce is probably the best I’ve had this side of Italy — its so good that I have hard time ordering anything else. The “Fusili Emiliani”, squiggly pasta with pan seared mushrooms and proscuitto is the top pesto dish, but there are several others to choose from. Good news — the Ravioli al Burro is back, a fabulous roasted red pepper ravioli dish with a browned butter, sage and toasted walnut sauce.

I can’t remember exactly when Teresa’s opened (early-mid 90s?), but for the majority of the restaurant’s life, the menu stayed pretty stagnant. Although I liked pretty much everything they offered, I often wondered why it was never updated. In the past two years, however, the menu has changed several times, so much so that I haven’t even been able to try everything (and we go to Teresa’s a lot). The changes are a great development, however, as they seem to have stimulated the chef’s creativity. Currently there is an excellent pork medallion dish with a wild blueberry-sage sauce over asparagus risotto, served with broccoli rabe. Dishes like this are a primary reason why I now order meat entrees almost exclusively (despite what is written in the last paragraph). There’s also an excellent Osso Bucco, and one can never go wrong with the Tuna or Salmon.

Finally, I’ve never actually had the pizza, but it looks delicious.

Bread: Outstanding olive oil & spices mixture with complimentary Italian bread. Probably the best bread/oil combo in the area.

Ambiance: Just a wonderful local bistro, located smack in the middle of the little village of Wayne. The decor is quaint, modern, and bustling all at the same time. Its loud, but in a good way — you always feel as if you are part of something. The one complaint I hear most often is that the tables for two along the right side of the dining room are too close together — so much so that you are closer to the person next to you (at the next table) than you are to your dining companion. This has never bothered me personally, but its the most common complaint I get from other Teresa’s diners.

Service: The service is top notch. Requests are always fulfilled in a timely manner, and the waitstaff could not be nicer.

Value: Great Value! It’s BYOB, so two can eat dinner for under $40, sometimes under $30 depending on what is ordered.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: countless
Reservations: None. Can be a long wait during peak weekend hours.
Payments: Cards
Bar: BYOB