Dolce Vita: Try Some Real Italian Home Cooking

Inviting its customers to dine as if inviting friends into a private home, Dolce Vita is an Italian restaurant with all the charm and authenticity you could ask for. The gourmet food is all prepared from scratch and is based on family recipes to give that added punch of flavor. The menu features just about anything you could expect from across the Italian peninsula, including regional specialties and seasonal classics (order the prosciutto and melon if it’s available). There are added international options in the mix as well, like the surprisingly worthwhile mako shark ceviche and even fried tacos. Eclectic, yes, but at reasonable prices, the always enjoyable BYOB policy, and reliable quality it’s worth the decision-making challenge.

You may have seen Dolce Vita on NBC 10's "Let's Do Lunch" segment—check it out on the restaurant's website!

Dolce Vita
516 Dekalb Street
Bridgeport, PA 19405
(610) 279-1795‎
www.dolcevitarest.com

Ekta: Passage to India

The word 'authentic' gets thrown around a lot, but it's the only thing to say about the stunning Indian fare at Fishtown's Ekta. There's nothing Westernized about this family-run gem: the flavorful appetizers are served with mint and tamarind chutney. Add a side of made-to-order, oven-warm naan or other bread to sop up the sauces. There's a long list of veggie entrees, including saag aur paneer, Ekta dal, and Bhindi masala. Meat-eaters can select from a list of main courses ranging from lamb korma to shrimp tikki masala to chicken vindaloo. Ekta also prides itself on its traditional fare of slow-cooked Tandoori meat dishes and spicy Biryani rice dishes. BYOB if you're eating in, but Ekta offers free delivery to certain nearby neighborhoods. Check the website for details!

Ekta
250 E. Girard Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19125
(215) 426-2277

Corropolese Bakery & Deli: Your Go-To Bakery Nearby

Corropolese Bakery & Deli is practically synonymous with its famous tomato pies. Attracting a loyal clientele from throughout the region, this family-run Italian bakery prepares these thick-crusted sweet treat to perfection.  With everything baked right on the premises, bread specialties like Stromboli, Kaiser, split, and everything in between, savory deli sandwiches, and sugary indulgences (the cinnamon rolls are well spiced and gooey good), Corropolese’s allure comes from its carefully made dough and dedicated preparation. With three locations throughout the region, it’s easy to see why this business continues to expand its clientele and reach.

Corropolese Bakery & Deli
2014 Old Arch Road
Norristown, PA  19401
(610 275-6664
www.corropolesebakery.com

Coyote Crossing: Almost South of the Border

Put down that killer Margarita and look around. It’s a warm summer night, and you’re seated on a patio under the stars. Laughter is on the wind, a decorative fountain burbles in the courtyard, and busy servers carry heaping plates from a pretty adobe restaurant. Is this Juarez?  Is it even Houston?  No, it’s Conshohocken.  But take one bite of the Bistec Invierno—two petit filet mignons marinated in Mexican spices, grilled to order, covered with refried beans and topped with a trio of cheeses and green tomatillo sauce—and you’ll never think of the Schuykill Expressway again. Coyote Crossing's Chef Christopher Hora prepares authentic Mexican food, jazzed up with intense, exotic ingredients like chayote squash and almond queso butter. So you’ll pay a little more here, but it’s always cheaper than a plane ticket. Note: If you have a coupon, read the fine print. You may have to pay cash for it to be honored. Happy Hour is Monday through Friday from 5 – 7 p.m., and the restaurant is closed on Sundays during the winter.

Coyote Crossing
800 Spring Mill Avenue
Conshohocken, PA 19428
(610) 825-3000
www.coyotecrossing.com

Harvest Seasonal Grill: Farm Fresh Cuisine

The sign out front doesn’t lie. Short of driving an hour west into farm country, Harvest Seasonal Grill is the closest we metro-dwellers will get to a fresh, honest-to-goodness farm-to-table meal. Chef Brian Duffy sources his menu from 75 Pennsylvania farms; butternut squash and apples from Gettysburg, milk from Lancaster and cheese from Chester Springs, to name but a few. Dishes are upscale yet unfussy—the spring menu features Coriander Dusted Scallops, Vegetable Kebabs, and Sweet Pea Chicken. It’s all just a few days old, and you can taste the difference. (In the future, Duffy plans to grow his own vegetables just a mile down the road.) The commitment to freshness also means a focus on health. For example, Chef Duffy replaces refined sugar with agave nectar, which dramatically lowers calorie content. Picture it: eating a 400-calorie gourmet meal on a flower-kissed stone terrace, with a seasonal draft beer, boutique wine, or cocktail. Worth a trip, don’t you think?

Harvest Seasonal Grill
549 Wilmington Pike
Glen Mills, PA 19342-1252
(610) 358-1005
www.harvestseasonalgrill.com

Modo Mio: A Gustatory Ride

Great Italian food isn’t hard to find in Philadelphia – the City of Brotherly Love has long embraced the cuisine, and locals argue ferociously about the best in town. One serious contender would have to be Modo Mio. Step in the door and you’ll be transported to a family dining room in Sicily. Modo Mio's dining room is small and homey and you won’t be able to avoid overhearing the conversations at adjoining tables. It’s a testament to the stellar quality of the food that you won’t mind – this place gets it all right. The menu is extensive and easy to browse, with a number of standout entrees garnering raves from diners. The bucatini Amatrician with pancetta in a spicy tomato sauce is excellent, the veal Parmigiano elevates the Italian standard to a new level, and the veal ravioli in sage butter melts in your mouth. Modo Mio is a real find that any eater would be pleased to check out.

Modo Mio
161 West Girard Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19123
(215) 203-8707
www.modomiorestaurant.com/home

Nectar: Interior Elegance and Inspired French and Asian Fusion

Nectar is the design brainchild of New York’s David Rockwell with an imaginative, inspired menu created by star chef Patrick Feury. The restaurant offers a complete French and Asian-infused dining experience, with dishes made only from the freshest ingredients, like pumpkin soup with crispy goat cheese and grilled calamari salad with chorizo sausage to start. Entrees are arranged by sea, land and spicy, and feature favorites like rich, poached Nova Scotia lobster and grilled day boat scallops served with shrimp and lobster stuffed zucchini, and wok Amish chicken and gulf shrimp in a Vietnamese lime basil sauce. Sushi lovers have a complete sushi and sashimi menu at their disposal, and dessert lovers can devour childhood-inspired treats like hot fresh mini donuts with cinnamon sugar and three sauces. With a diverse wine and cocktail menu to please every taste and preference, dining at Nectar is a dining experience you won’t soon forget.

Nectar
1091 Lancaster Ave.
Berwyn, PA 19312
(610) 725-9000
www.tastenectar.com

Kitchen Bar: The Best Happy Hour in Town

This vibrant, brazen, in your face kitsch restaurant exudes a highly cosmopolitan, stylish atmosphere with dazzling colors, trendy accessories and modern furniture. Kitchen Bar’s vast menu (comprising a range of appetizers as well as sandwiches, salads, burgers, and steaks,) emphasizes both traditionally passed down family recipes and contemporary American cuisine with international twists. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Kitchen Bar also offers a special after hours menu for delicious and inexpensive late-night dining. The restaurant’s relaxed lounge, serving a superb collection of cocktails, draughts, and weekly specials, is the perfect spot to relax with friends on a weekend night or during a big game. Watch out for Kitchen bar’s weekly happy hour—on Mondays from 9 – 11 p.m. you can chow down on 20 cent wings, and Tuesday – Friday, from 5 – 7 p.m. drinks are $1 off and appetizers are $5. 

Kitchen Bar
1482 Old York Road
Abington, PA 19001
(215) 576-9766   
www.kitchenbar.net

Olympia Pizzeria & Restaurant: Pizza Any Way You Like It

Olympia Pizzeria & Restaurant combines Greek and Italian cuisines with a Philadelphia flair in a casual take-out establishment. The restaurant serves everything from deep, greasy pizza slices to cheesesteaks, hoagies, and gyros. This eclectic combination may not be much of a local novelty, but Olympia’s standards of freshness and cleanliness (not a sticky tabletop in sight) sets it apart from the pack. Add to that a friendly staff and a range of beverages (including birch beer). And if you’re not in the mood to schlep downtown, you can always call for a pizza delivery or order conveniently online and have dinner brought straight to your doorstep.

Olympia Pizzeria & Restaurant
209 West Germantown Pike
Norristown, PA 19401
(610) 279-5881‎
www.olympiapizzaonline.com

Vetri: An Acclaimed Dining Experience With Intimate Italian Pleasures

Philadelphia is a city with a boatload of history and various hailed “institutions,” but it also has plenty of room for a deserving newcomer. Compared to some of the city’s other Italian mainstays, Vetri is a veritable baby—opening in 1998, it’s barely out of its first decade. And yet, the quality of the food and service has earned the restaurant raves from chefs like Mario Batali, a man who knows Italian food when he eats it. Vetri is different from the instant you walk in; instead of a sprawling dining hall, it’s an intimate space that only seats a handful of diners. Chef Marc Vetri has become famous for his handmade pastas, which are wonderfully fresh and tender to the tooth. The other offerings on the menu are equally delicious, with spectacular meat, fish, and vegetarian offerings. Wise eaters go on Friday and Saturday nights for his tasting menus, which are paired with carefully chosen wines to create a meal of unimaginable deliciousness.

Vetri
1312 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 732-3478
www.vetriristorante.com

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