La Trattoria — Restaurant in Philadelphia

We had a reservation for 7 people and they seated us promptly. It's a very small restaurant and all of us found it so noisy and extremely difficult to hear, so that was a problem that lasted throughout our meal. The service (Jenny) was wonderful and she was so pleasant. The food was amazing but two major flaws . . . the dinner portions were very very small, especially for the price. I wish I took pictures, but I can say that while my branzino was delicious and the piece of fish was adequate, the sides (quinoa and vegetables) were extremely sparse. I think there were 3 bite sized pieces of zucchini and very little quinoa - both of these are inexpensive ingredients so we can't understand why they wouldn't have much larger portions for all the side dishes that came with our entrees, or at least average size portions. Our friend ordered the scallops and there were 4 small scallops that he stretched into two bites each and they were over risotto, and the risotto portion was very small - he was very disappointed (and I think it was $36, so not inexpensive). The two main dishes of pasta were ok in size (although still small) but very good. All seven of us left hungry. Lastly, one diner in our party received his entree 10 minutes after everyone else. The same exact thing happened at their new sister restaurant in Glenside (Moma Mediterranean) where an entree was delivered well after everyone else - that diminishes an experience for all. So, while delicious, it was a disappointing experience when you factor in the noise level, the price point for very small sized entrees, and the entree that came so much later than everyone else's food. For these reasons, we won't be...

We came on a Saturday night for a birthday celebration. This place did not disappoint!

We started with Carciofo Ripieno (artichoke with jumbo crab meat, sundried tomatoes, bread crumbs, fresh herbs) and the Mozzarella di Bufala (fresh mozzarella, grilled eggplant over tomatoes, roasted peppers, basil oil, fig balsamic). They were both delicious albeit a bit tough to share. I liked the Mozzarella di Bufala the best- the eggplant was marinated beautifully.

My parents both had the Spaghetti Adriatico (mussels, clams, jumbo shrimp, bay scallops & Italian zucchini with a choice of white, red or fra diavolo sauce). They said the seafood was cooked to perfection and the homemade pasta was al dente. I had the Orecchiette (home-made sweet fennel chicken sausage, broccoli rabe, cherry tomato). The chicken sausage was juicy with a slight sweetness, there was the perfect amount of rabe and tomato and sauce was garlicky and tangy.

We grabbed a growler of beer from Earth Bread + Brewery across the street to enjoy with our meal- it was super convenient as we forgot to bring the wine! Overall this was a lovely, intimate setting to enjoy a birthday meal. Our servers were attentive and friendly and the food was reasonably priced. Great...

Once again, we had an amazing meal. If anything, Chef Istrefi has stepped up his game. As always, our waitress Jen was friendly, professional, and helpful with recommendations. She got us a wine chiller for our Prosecco and brought complimentary bread with a white bean spread and olive oil for dipping. For an appetizer, I ordered the special: grilled Caesar salad. Oh my god, this dish! Almost an entire head of romaine grilled with garlicky Caesar dressing and a drizzle of balsamic. Each bite was savory and smoky perfection. For my entree I got my standby, the branzino, grilled with tomatoes, capers, calamata olives and served alongside the most velvety lemon fettuccine. To top it all off, this night they offered us complimentary homemade limoncello after our meal. We did not even need dessert. My only minor criticism is the noise level. The restaurant was packed, which I am so happy to see! But this makes for quite a din in the dining room. It’s difficult to have a conversation, but I understand this on a busy Saturday night. Overall an outstanding meal! There is nowhere else outside of center city where you can get food that is this consistently flavorful...