The Subtle Vegetarian

Another highly-recommended restaurant in Philadelphia was D’Angelo’s Ristorante Italiano on 20th street. A traditional Italian restaurant in an updated town house near Rittenhouse Square, D’Angelo’s food was excellent but the staff and environment left something to be desired.

Typically for an Italian place, there were quite a few vegetarian options to be had, including capellini and linguine, ravioli and tortellini, but I had to go for the gnocchi. I always get gnocchi if it’s offered – it’s one of those dishes that is very easy to screw up and very hard to get right!

We started off with an unusual bruschetta that had been baked with the tomatoes on it, yielding a tasty but not hand-held appetizer. The bleu cheese salad was just OK – they used a strong vinaigrette that overwhelmed the piles of cheese bits.

Although the only sauce options were marinara or “tomato” (a sweeter, calmer marinara), the gnocchi were excellent! Extremely tender, not at all pasty or mealy. And the subtle marinara was a good match, though I would have liked something with a little more variety…

The traditional interior (on three levels) was brightly lit but not very fancy. And the brusque ladies waiting on the tables did not set a new standard for welcoming… But the place filled up before our eyes, so Philadelphians must love it!

D’Angelo’s Ristorante Italiano, 256 S 20th St., Philadelphia, PA (http://www.dangeloristorante.com)