Pietramala — Restaurant in Philadelphia

Yesterday I had my second phenomenal meal at Pietramala. The first time I went with my daughter at the end of Summer and every dish was a like party in our mouths…a delicious blend of flavors and textures. The presentation of each plate was spectacular…neatly arranged array of colors that made us excited to taste! The theme of that first meal for me was: “Celebration”. I was so happy my daughter took me there.

Yesterday was a different savory experience. Of course I started with the focaccia (you must have the focaccia when you eat there!) This is not your typical heavy oily bread that other places serve. Pietramala focaccia is made to perfection…airy and moist on the inside and crispy on the outside. Oh! but perfection doesn’t end there. It is served on a tangy bed of tomato bagna cauda (who is the genius who developed this alternative recipe?!) that is an excellent compliment to the satisfying crispy topped delight.

Next I treated to myself to the Golden Beets with aioli and sour chard mixed with light crunchy chips. What an unexpectedly lovely creation…slightly piquant and sweet at the same time. My palate was pleased and my mind was spinning…how did they balance these flavors so evenly?, who ever thought of fermenting chard?, etc. Then I entered into the Chicken of the Woods dish with excitement! I could not wait to see what the chef would do with these meaty subtly lemon tasting treats. They were served lightly breaded and delicately fried with a zesty mandarin jelly (another perfect balance of flavors). They were ever so gratifying and I could have stopped there, but since I was enjoying a vegan meal I knew I could eat more without feeling bloated as if I had overeaten. Soooo, I finished the meal with the Fortune Plum Cake, which I admit when I first saw how rich it looked was daunting, but once I started to eat it my belly was pleasantly surprised. Yummy oat chocolate?! How did this tastiness come to be? It was the right choice along with a cup of lemon balm spearmint tea (even that was perfectly balanced!) to seal one of the most comforting meals I’ve ever had. Which brings me to the theme of that second meal at Pietramala: "Comfort Food". Exactly what I needed on a chilly, rainy Autumn day.

Before I left I took a moment to sit in my state of euphoria looking around at the hard working, focused staff, the satiated smiling guests and cozy intimate atmosphere and thought Pietramala got it right! I have been to most of the plant based restaurants in Philadelphia and many others around the country and even the world, but the quality and love put into the experience of Pietramala is unmatched. Oh! and I also want to add how much a I appreciated the Fennel sprigs throughout the meal, which added to the highly digestive aspect of it. Every detail is clearly well thought out. What a pleasure and rarity to eat at a place that takes the time to serve such thoughtfully executed delicacies presented in such an elegant way. Whether you are a plant based eater or not, you do not want to miss the opportunity to take part in this food magic. Book your table at Pietramala as soon as possible!!! Take your family and friends if you truly love them. It will prove to them...

greetings Pietramala is a lovely addition to Philly's restaurant landscape. This is a spot which everyone involved cares - from the door, to the table, and especially the open kitchen - there are no sour personalities - everyone is pleasant, helpful and attentive. Pietramala offers 2 salads featuring greens with the taste and texture of just-picked freshness - both accompanied by stellar freshly made in-house intoxicatingly delicious dressings. All of the mid and entree sized offerings are solid .... perfectly prepared sweet potato was interestingly made savory without the ubiquitous eternally safe pairing of cinnamon and / or maple. An heirloom polenta with wilted greens was fantastic - the polenta was clearly "as advertised" - this was no ordinary commerical restaurant polenta - the depth of polenta flavor (as well as its texture) was nothing previously offered in traditional Italian restaurants. I liked Pietramala's featuring of mushroom in 2 of its dishes (Lions Mane, Maitake), but my one below 5-Star comment goes to the maitake entree (Pietramala still receives 5 Stars from me). My semi-educated guesstimate is that the maitake was cut from an intact larger maitake block (often 1 or more pounds), for which the maitake retains its immeasurably greater woodsy smokiness - a depth of flavor completely lost when purchased in prepackaged single supermarket portions. The large crown of maitake sat atop smoked potatoe puree. The maitake was yet another perfectly cooked item that evidenced the skill and vigilance of a hyper-caring kitchen. My lone 'less than' comment is the sauce which bathed / drenched the maitake and smoked potato puree. This 'review' was not conceived before during or immediately after my dining experience at the restaurant, so I am without as much specificity as I would like. What I will venture to say is that the sauce for this entree was decidedly NOT complementary. The sauce had a distinct shadowy elemental flavor that belonged in the category of a BBQ sauce. In appearance, it was certainly lighter than any BBQ sauce, not as viscous, but the sauce's underlying BBQness' clashed and therefore detracted from the maitake experience. When one has a piece of fresh maitake, literally nothing is needed to enhance or draw-out the mushroom's delicious natural essence - with the maitake in particular - cook it carefully and GET OUT OF ITS WAY! Maitake is one of Mother Nature's masterpieces. The entree is otherwise well conceived - smoked potato puree certainly complements the natural smokiness of the maitake. With maitake - "less IS more", and (only because of the sauce) this particular maitake production was...

Collab with Little Owl (Timothy Dearing)

Dish 1: Tomato tart, pine nut, bamboo cheese, basil. A delicate flaky crust gives way to lovely tomatoes and a light cream, like a deconstructed gazpacho.

Dish 2: Banana pepper with charred corn. A subtle banana pepper unlike any I've had. Corn chowder on a crisp vegetable—so comforting, with a summery mint twist. This is a soapy yet spicy jawn, a new sensation I enjoyed.

Dish 3: Smoked eggplant, lettuce, plum gastrique, ranch. I mistakenly chopped it with the big spoon, not realizing the greens were meant to spread the ranch. Timothy sorted me out, and I enjoyed this super creative take on salad. Clearer instructions would help, but it could be a winner with various ingredients.

Dish 4: Melon, habanada, dried tomatoes. A tomato dream with spiced cream, salt, sweet, crunch, chew, and ooze. Sungold tomatoes dried and condensed—brilliant. The habanada pepper adds a sweet, tropical touch. This dish has immense beauty.

Dish 5: Nixtamalized roast sweet prince tomato, caramelized shio koji, dulse congee, coriander. Nice plating but poor lighting. This might be best served with a spoon. The amaranth popcorn is too subtle—I wanted more crunch. The dish has a meaty, savory quality, with the congee making me appreciate why it exists. Chefs should be experimental with veggies; it’s exciting to see grain processes applied to a hearty tomato.

Dish 6: Beans and broth. A medley of beans that felt unbalanced, leaning watery and spicy. The broth, though, is stunning and should have been the focus. The beans and other elements confuse the dish, but the broth alone is impressive.

Dish 7: Polenta cake. The bloody butcher grits have a nice toothiness, but the corn feels under-dressed. The XO sauce is outstanding—I wish I had a spoon for it.

Dish 8: Raviolo. The dried porcini dusting is stunning, but the dish lacks something, perhaps the sharp tang of Parmesan. The raviolo has a doughy taste not always associated with wheat pasta.

Dessert 2 (served first): Smoked plum with honeydew cream. Amazing depth, almost alcoholic in taste, with smoke imparted beautifully. The honeydew cream is convincingly vegan. A beautiful dish, though I wished for more crunch.

Dessert 1 (served second): Peach sherbet, burnt cake. The buttermilk is overpowered by fennel seed, which I love, but the burnt cake is slightly too sweet. The peach reads more like mango, with fig leaf oil as the perfect foil. The sour “buttermilk” sensation is impressive mimicry.

A splendid service,...