Nonna: Open For Lunch On Fridays and Roasting Some Really Good Pork

By Scott Reitz Fri., Sep. 16 2011 at 4:12 PM

Categories: Eat This

Nonna's been serving stellar Italian since 2007, earning accolades from every critic that crosses the restaurant's threshold. Lunch service is, however, a somewhat more quiet affair, only available on Friday from 11 to 2. I stopped in to see if chef Julian Barsotti's daylight offerings matched up to the gushing reviews I've read about his dinner service.

The menu is pared down for lunch, and a little expensive for everyday eating, but accessible if you're used to Nonna's prices. The famous lobster-laden parcels of pasta are available ($12, $22 dinner), as are many of the evening dinner-menu items. Sandwiches, however, are only available at lunch.

Roast Pork ($12), a sandwich topped with brocolinni and aged provolone, is hardly a new concept. Though Philadelphia is much more known for its cheesesteak, many shops sell a version of this sandwich, touting tender slices of roasted porcine pleasure that sit in a porky broth. Nonna's sandwich stays true to those flavors, though I'm not a fan of the chicken stock that made its way into their au jus.

They also use a house-cooked ciabatta. The soft roll shares nothing with Philly's hard, sturdy, sesame studded breads, but that's OK. The fresh, soft and delicious roll makes for a compelling sandwich that begs to be followed by an afternoon nap.