May 27-June 2, 2004

food

Kitchen Capers

LATEST CRAZE: Cucina Pazzo, meaning "crazy kitchen" in Italian, offers sensible favorites such as lemon herbed chicken, with artichoke hearts and rock shrimp. Photo By: Michael T. Regan

Cucina Pazzo aims for eccentricity.

by Elisa Ludwig

With so many Italian restaurants vying for the attention of pasta eaters in South Philly, it's become increasingly difficult to stand out from the pack, to proclaim individualism against what has become a traditional formula. At Cucina Pazzo, the BYO opened last February by former Pompeii chef Michael Moss, the distinct character is in the decor, which does not include lace curtains, funny tchotchkes or straw bottles of Chianti. With its dark wood ceiling beams and parquet floors contrasted by cream-colored stucco walls, Cucina Pazzo is tasteful and vaguely reminiscent of a Tudor castle or medieval chalet. Another good word is cozy. The front dining room, with its four-seater bar and vintage posters for Campari and other exotic Italian beverages, could almost be a foyer if the back dining room wasn't even smaller.

In such tight quarters, you want to feel friendly toward your fellow patrons and restaurant staff, and we did. We were greeted warmly, while the specials were recited with enthusiasm and personal testimonials. We sopped up the sun-dried tomato pesto with our bread and accepted a complimentary glass of wine, not having brought our own.

Cucina Pazzo is Italian for "crazy kitchen," but, truthfully, nothing that's listed on the menu is too surprising, too exotic. Taking a recommendation from our server, we ordered the special salad with grilled peaches, crumbled gorgonzola, chopped hazelnuts and truly jumbo grilled shrimp. But the salad did not live up to the effusive advertising -- the peaches were tart and unripe and the balsamic dressing was so thickly applied that it essentially killed the subtler flavors of nuts and cheese. The same heavy hand must have dressed the menu's mixed green salad, dousing its roasted peppers, olives and wedges of provolone cheese with a very vinegary red wine vinaigrette. Even the calamari appetizer, pearly grilled squid encircling a warm white bean salad, was just a little too salty, a little too lemony for its own good.

If the first course suffered from aggressive overseasoning, the second course demonstrated the benefits of restraint. Orecchiette, tiny scoops of pasta, tossed with ribbons of broccoli rabe, baby rock shrimp and littleneck clams in the shell, were fresh and pungent, the sharp greens harmonizing with the seafood and server-sprinkled Parmesan cheese. Spinach gnocchi were large and ribbed -- substantial, but soft and melting -- and their gorgonzola sauce with threads of chives was pleasantly sharp. The pastas can also be ordered as entrees, but the appetizer-size portion was just shy of gigantic, enough for three people. It should be noted, too, that the prices in general are extremely reasonable, with all entrees, including veal, priced under $20.

Most of the entrees here are simple South Philly classics: You got your marsala, you got your veal cutlet. Roasted chicken and sausage, one of the menu's most straightforward entrees, was also among the more enjoyable dishes we sampled. The chicken breast left on the bone, unskinned, was moist and tender, served over mashed potatoes and sauteed slices of summer squash and zucchini, and topped with a rich tomato ragu.

For the most part, though, nothing we ate really challenged the taste buds or our previously formed conceptions of South Philly Italian food. The lemon herbed chicken, which was presented with artichoke hearts and truly tiny rock shrimp, was acceptable but not exceptional. Veal braciole, pounded thin slices of meat rolled up with prosciutto, spinach and fontina cheese, had an admirably tender texture, but its sauce was slightly gluey, and about a few degrees away from total congealment.

The most interesting dish we had was the swordfish special with a Mediterranean stuffing of calamata olives, breadcrumbs, shallots and sun-dried tomatoes. This tasty bundle of fish came with an equally delicious sweet pea lemon risotto. We concluded that the culinary innovation at Cucina Pazzo hides out in the specials list.

The same cannot be said for the desserts, which are not homemade and come from the same Italian frozen dessert purveyor that outfits so many local restaurants with their sorbets and profiteroles. We tried them anyway, and enjoyed the ricotta cheesecake tinged with lemon and drizzled with chocolate sauce, as well as the tiramisu, which, as our server promised, was fluffy and utterly devoid of ladyfingers. But dessert was slightly less appetizing on one visit when our server allowed a plate of clamshells to sit on the table well after the cake arrived.

In all, the tiramisu, light and airy, was a good metaphor for these dining experiences. We were left with a mildly pleasant but fleeting impression, not unlike the residual taste of powdered cocoa on the lips. Physical charm goes a long way, and its atmosphere may distinguish Cucina Pazzo from its competition, but the cooking is far from extraordinary. In short, the kitchen could go a little crazier.

CUCINA PAZZO 1000 Wolf St. 215-755-5400

Tue.-Thu., 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri., 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sat., 5-11 p.m.; Sun., 4-9 p.m.

Appetizers, $6-$12; entrees, $14-$18

BYO (liquor license pending). Not wheelchair accessible. Smoking is permitted in the bar area. Visa and MasterCard accepted.