Sovalo (Philadelphia, PA)

Italian Gem

Due to the critical acclaim that it has been receiving recently, I have been quite eager to dine at Sovalo. Rob and my need for a post Philadelphia Auto Show dinner was the perfect backdrop for a visit to Northern Liberties and thus I made a reservation since Rob had spoken so highly of Sovalo, having enjoyed several prior meals. Sovalo is small and assuming from the outside with only a single small sign identifying the restaurant. Upon entering the small dining room, we were immediately seated by the window in the nearly empty restaurant by two gracious (and cute) hostesses.

Our meal began with bread accompanied by a fantastic olive puree spread. The spread was creamy with a noticeable but not overpowering olive flavoring. After a brief wait, our first courses arrived. We each decided to order a glass of red wine; Rob opted for a Beringer Merlot while I choose a Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon since I was impressed with the Mondavi Winery when I last visited Napa Valley. We each ordered an appetizer, pasta dish, and entrée and settled into our seats.

Rob ordered the mussels with roasted peppers, lemon and Calabrian sausage. The portion that he received was very generous. In general, our portions were very generous throughout the meal. The mussels were fresh, plump, and tasty. The sausage and roasted peppers added weight to the dish and were excellent compliments to the mussels. I thoroughly enjoyed my sweet breads and hedgehogs with apple mantecato and pomegranate sauce. The sweet breads were very palatable and extremely tender. The apple and pomegranate sauce added a strong, sweet fruit flavor to the dish which nicely offset the savory taste of the veal.

During the middle of our meal, we received a gracious tableside visit by Karey Scarpone (the co‑owner of Sovalo along with her husband and executive chef Joe) after Rob mentioned that he was a former roommate of Joe’s brother Mike. We spoke with her for several minutes before our pasta course arrived.

Rob enjoyed his ricotta gnocchi with shitake, butternut squash and duck ragu. My bartlett pear, onion and fontina filled ravioli with sage butter was strongly flavored with fresh mint and other herbs. I was slightly disappointed with flavor balance since the pear flavor was overpowered by the fontina and sage butter. However, I still enjoyed the dish due to the light, homemade ravioli shells.

After quickly finishing our pasta dishes, we received our main courses, monkish “Scallopini” with lentils, cotichino and dandelion greens and a grilled hanger steak, purple masers, pepperoni in padella. Rob’s hanger steak was excellent, with perfectly cooked medium temperature meat. The mashed potatoes had a beautiful purple color to them and a creamy texture. The dish was very hearty and the pepperoni provided some added depth to the dish. I was extremely happy with my fresh and perfectly cooked monkfish. The lentil and dandelion green bed gave the dish an earthiness that worked well with the fish.

When it came time for dessert, I could not resist the house made chocolate and Meyer lemon-pine nut gelato. It seems to be getting harder and harder to find homemade gelato given the recent proliferation of Capogiro across many Philadelphia restaurants. I am a big fan of their gelato but prefer restaurants that prepare their dishes in house. The gelato was simply delightful: dense, strongly flavored, and extremely fresh. The lemon-pine nut scoop was particularly interesting with its combination of tartness and crunchiness. The Illy coffee, a dark Italian brand, was an excellent capstone to the evening.

Overall, I highly recommend Sovalo. Its relaxed yet romantic setting and attentive service makes for an enjoyable experience. The kitchen’s dedication to high quality ingredients excellently prepared shines through many of the dishes. Finally, the reasonable prices and generous portions make for a very satisfying meal. I heartily agree with Craig LaBan from the Philadelphia Inquirer that this is easily the best Italian Restaurant to open since Vetri in 1998. In the continuously exploding culinary landscape that has become Northern Liberties, Sovalo easily shines as one of its brightest new additions.

The Facts:
Name: Sovalo
Address:
702 North 2^nd Street Philadelphia, PA 19123
Phone: 215-413-7770
Cuisine: Italian
Cost: Antipasti ($6.50-$10.50), Pasta ($13.95-$16.95), Secondi ($15.25-$21.95), Dolci ($5.50-$7.00)