Also this issue: Local Couleur A neighborhood joint with friendly French flair. -Maxine Keyser

December 25-31, 2002

food

foodpick

Vincenzo's

by Elisa Ludwig

You never know where your next meal might come from, but these days, hanging out in a bar increases your chances of getting fed. A friend and I ate well at South Philly's Vincenzo's, which specializes in Rat Pack memorabilia and Italian homestyle cooking. Unlike the recent spate of self-identifying bars that serve upscale cuisine, Vincenzo's might more aptly be described as a restaurant blossoming out of its watering-hole origins.

As it stands, the small, casual dining room with its booths and mounted televisions is a neighborhood hangout. An extensive menu (clearly governed by the same philosophy that has stocked the bar with 42 different vodkas) allows the bar crowd to subsist on a diet of fried appetizers (ravioli, zucchini and calamari) and the dining crowd to enjoy the more refined charms of clams casino.

The recipes come courtesy of owner Vincent DiDonato's 70-year-old mother, and there are some surprises like tortalacci: oversized pink tortellini stuffed with minced shrimp, crabmeat and lobster, and blessed by a buttery wine sauce. Another specialty is chopped steak Italiano, a hamburger glorified by melted provolone cheese and marinara sauce and encircled with a ring of sauteed spinach. Specials might include mussels in red sauce and a fresh fish of the day. Around this time of year, Mrs. DiDonato prepares some seasonal treats like fried smelts and rice pudding.

Vincenzo's is definitely a work in progress. DiDonato plans to expand his friendly enterprise into the building next door with a larger dining room, converting his current set of booths into a lounge area -- a project he expects will be completed by spring.

There are some kinks to work out before true restaurant status sets in: iffy timing from the kitchen, over-dressed salads and awkward presentation. (The respective plates around our delicious homemade tiramisu and cannoli were inexplicably swirled with green apple and raspberry syrups.) Rather than appeal to some pseudo-gourmet standard, Vincenzo's might do better as it evolves to let its own homey appeal shine through. A cannoli like that can speak for itself.