#93 Pietro's - Sam's synopsis

Pietro's is a pretty solid establishment in Philly - there's more than one location and the few times I've been to one of their locales I've always been satisfied. So I went into this outing hoping for a good meal with good friends, and I wasn't disappointed.

Erin and I caught the bus and arrived around 7:30 pm... before Sandya, of course, even though she lives 2 blocks away. We had a slightly awkward interaction with the hostess and then we were seated in the bar area. It was pretty dead for a Thursday night, as I think there were maybe 2 other tables and a handful of people at the bar. 

As we waited for Sandya, Erin and I ordered drinks and then realized when Sandya arrived that maybe we should have waited so we could order a bottle of wine. But no matter, as we ordered a bottle of wine anyways (sadly, or maybe responsibly, there was no double-fisting for me as I decided to finish my sangria before moving onto the wine). We also decided on the risotto balls and brussell sprouts for appetizers, to accompany the free bread and olive oil we received. A minor side rant, that maybe I've expressed in a previous entry over these past 4 years, is I really hate it when sit down restaurants don't give you some kind of item to nibble on while you peruse the menu and order. Maybe my expectations are too high, or I'm asking too much, but can you at least give us something to eat while we wait? Even if it's oyster crackers or saltines? So needless to say, I was happy with our bread, which was warm and crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. The risotto balls there are delicious - deep fried on the outside and creamy and salty on the inside. The brussell sprouts were fine too, they had some prosciutto pieces which were nice, but I found the balsamic glaze/sauce a bit too astringent for my liking.

For the main dish, I went with gemelli arugula pollo, which is described as chicken breast, garlic, arugula, and grape tomatoes in a white wine sauce. It was a good dish, although I felt like I couldn't really taste any garlic, and the flavors could have been better defined. I will say that I had a lot of leftovers (I guess the downside of free bread is that you always fill up too early...), and the dish was actually better the next day, because everything had time to soak in the sauce, and THEN the flavors were better defined. I was still pleased with my choice, and it was a good meal.

By the time we had finished eating, we still had some wine left, so of course we ordered dessert. The three of us split the tiramisu, which was simply to die for - one of the better pieces of tiramisu I've had in a long time. All in all, Pietro's is a great Philly establishment where you can get reliable meals.

Pietro's

121 South Street

Philadelphia, PA

(215) 733-0675