La Locanda Del Ghiottone

In a rare mood Friday night, I suggested and Italian dinner. When I saw how excited Emily got, I couldn't turn it down. Somehow, La Locando wound up on my short list of places to try out, and so we were off.

La Locanda Del Ghiottone is a cozy little BYO in Olde City. It's a plus that there's a good wine store only a few blocks away at 2nd and Market. The atmosphere is the most noticeable aspect of dining. It's small, loud, and and inviting. The tables are crammed together in a fashion that if you don't talk to the people next to you at least politely at some point, it's more awkward than ignoring them. The servers all work together and are excellent and almost nonstop. The servers also like to joke around, give you a hard time, and yell at the top of their lungs. If you're not in the mood, it could be annoying, but it's really all in good fun. When taking too long to order, the waiter asked me if I was "waiting for the executioner to come."

We started out with mussels as the appetizer. They claim to use a "14 year old secret sauce." It's no secret that it could use some improvement. White wine is the best base for mussels, and although we were severed delicious mussels, the red tomato sauce just doesn't cut it. These were, however, well cooked and sizable. It was a good amount for $9.

A regiment of specials compliment the regular menu, and they seem to be a great place to start looking for dinner. I remember hearing that he gnocchi here was excellent, so I chose that with Gorgonzola tomato sauce. The gnocchi is made from ricotta, and it truly is probably the best gnocchi I've ever had. It's rich and creamy, and the sauce was excellent; it complimented the pasta without overpowering it. The portion was perfectly sized. Emily was excited about the spaghetti carbonara. She order it sans bacon, and her dish was also great. Well prepared and tasty with a good mix of the ingredients. By the end of the meal, we were too full to take on dessert. I did see it from the table next to us, and it looked great.

Bottom Line: This place is a lot of fun. The food here is great, too, so it's not like you're just coming for the atmosphere. You definitely have to be in a particular mood to enjoy dinner. It's a great little BYO, and it has excellent prices for where it's located in the city and what you get.

Essential:

130 N 3rd St (3rd and Race)

215-829-1465

Avg Ent: 14-20

Cash Only: Yes

Reservations: Required

BYOB: Yes, no cork fee