Dante & Luigi's

Dante & Luigi's
762 S 10th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 922-9501
http://www.danteandluigis.com/

This restaurant is billed as being one of the oldest Italian restaurants in the United States.  Established in 1899, this restaurant is made of two converted town homes.  Situated in the Italian market district of Philadelphia, arriving immigrants at the turn of the century would come with the restaurant name tacked to their lapels. The upstairs of the restaurant was made into lodging for the arriving immigrants and they were given work in the restaurant downstairs. The restaurant is a mix of "Old World" specialties with delicious daily specials and fresh seafood.

The interior of the restaurant has an Old World feel with chandeliers and old ornate wooden furniture and chairs. The service is on point but not obtrusive. The waitstaff is knowledgeable and friendly. The incandescent lighting has an old country feel, like a trip to grandmother's house.

Veal Bracciole (2) Traditional veal cutlet rolled & stuffed with proscuitto, provolone & peccorino romano cheeses with celery, egg & a touch of long hot peppers. Braised in Italian gravy.

Eggplant Rollantini Batter dipped & stuffed with Ricotta & Mozzarella cheeses.

Stuffed Portobello Mushroom with Crabmeat.  Delicious. The lemon balanced out the richness of the crabmeat while not covering up the flavor of the mushroom itself.  The mushroom was fresh and not gummy, Overall, a delicious starter to the meal, foreshadowing the many wonderful courses to come.

Chicken Sicilian Boneless breast of chicken with hot or sweet peppers, Sicilian olives, fresh tomato & capers.  I chose the sweet peppers which accompanied the dish quite nicely. The chicken jus was not overly salty which is a common mistake so I was happy to note that when I dug into this dish. The portion size was perfect and left just enough room for the dessert.

My main course was served with a side of rigatoni with marinara and fresh Parmesan cheese.

Veal Saltimbocca. Medallions of veal with fresh sage, proscuitto, mushrooms & provolone cheese in a sherry sauce.

Tira Misu Ours is a classic. Lady Fingers, Mascarpone cheese, creamy Egg Custard, flavored with Amoretto, Espresso & Kahlua.  The best tira misu I have had.  Hands down.

Hand Dipped Spumoni Traditional Italian, triple flavored ice cream. Spumoni  is a molded Italian ice cream made with layers of different colors and flavors, usually containing candied fruits and nuts. Typically it is of three flavors, with a fruit/nut layer between them.

One of the banquet areas.

A well stocked bar.

Clean bathroom facilities.

Toilet was unfortunately enclosed in a small stall like area at the end of the bathroom.  This would not be easily accessible if the restaurant patron were handicapped.