The very successful queens of Midtown Village, Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran, have recently opened their newest restaurant last week on the ground floor of the Independent Hotel. The highly anticipated Italian restaurant, Little Nonna’s, was welcomed with rave reviews, and we knew we had to go ASAP.
Upon hearing about their backyard garden, we made a reservation requesting a table outside. While the inside is just as quaint and adorable as grandma’s kitchen, the patio has a secluded backyard feel. Wooden beams overhead help to shield you from the city, and while you’re there, you forget that you’re in the middle of a bustling Philadelphia. Adorned with sparkling strings of lights, an abundance of foliage and a fully-propped laundry line, it’s easy to feel right at home here.
Unable to resist an antipasto board, we opted for that to start our meal. Honestly, it could be a meal itself… it’s loaded! The two cheeses were perfect selections: a dolce gorgonzola and 30-day aged pecorino, which were accompanied by breadstick and garlic focaccia. The cured meats included sopressata, prosciutto, and an incredibly flavorful pepperoni from San Francisco. Then there was a pile of fresh vegetables that included sweet corn, roasted red peppers, beets and oranges topped with a bunch of arugula.
Knowing the antipasto board might be a bit heavy, we shared two pastas instead of opting for larger protein plates. We couldn’t pass up the chance to try the spaghetti with B+V+P meatballs and the cavatelli nero – black-dyed pasta with two minute calamari, blistered baby tomatoes, and broccoli rabe. The meatballs are the star of the show, which explains why they’re offered as an appetizer and as a pasta. The well-blended meatballs are stuffed with gooey fontina cheese that go perfect with nonna’s sunday gravy. The cavatelli is interesting to look with its black wormlike pasta, but it’s even more interesting to eat. The bitterness of broccoli rabe is balanced with the sweetness of the tomatoes, and the pickled fresno chiles add a whole other dimension of flavor.
With these three picks, we were too stuffed to even attempt dessert. But that gives us more reason to return for more cozy Italian comfort food.
