Porcini — Restaurant in Philadelphia

I was able to score a same day rez at this tiny Italian BYOB we discovered well over 20 years ago & that we liked very much at the time, yet somehow had never gone back —perhaps we’d been too eager to explore new places.

Every table in the small room was occupied, which we took for a good sign. We shouldn’t have.

The bread basket was accompanied by a little dipping jar with ricotta marinated in olive oil with garlic and herbs, which was a nice touch. We split the garlicky, buttery mussels — probz the highlight of the meal, as well as a highly unremarkable Caesar with ‘homemade’ dressing that was barely there.

As for the pasta, I ordered the fresh linguine with imported porcini jus (sic!) and cream*, figuring it had to be the star of the menu, being the namesake of the place and all, and my dining companion got the rigatoni with sweet sausage and rustic tomato sauce.

Perhaps the phrasing / description of my pasta dish should’ve already given me pause, bc what arrived was a tangle of about ½ pound of linguine drowning in a watery ‘sauce’ with barely detectable porcini flavor. Adding insult to injury, there wasn’t a SINGLE porcini mushroom — just regular ole button mushrooms (about 4-5 pieces), yet the place has the audacity to charge a whopping $30 for the plate 😱

My partner's rigatoni were just alright. He was hungry. The best part of the meal was the Josh rosé we brought. Meh.

I wish I’d read all the negative reviews here on the place, most of which are countered by the owner in a highly unprofessional manner. Looking forward to his comments on mine 😂

*On their takeout/delivery page, the same dish is described as “fresh pasta, imported porcini mushrooms, and jus cream sauce.”

Lies. 1/10. Best to...

The only reason I hesitate to review Porcini with 5-stars is because I don't want more people to know about it!!! Porcini is an amazing restaurant. It is essentially like walking right into a native Italian's home and receiving absolutely 5-star care and 10-star cuisine. The space is small and intimate, housing probably about 15-20 customers total depending on the table layout for the night. The wait staff are all extremely quick, kind, and knowledgeable about the menu. They check-in on you frequently enough to ensure you're having a great meal, but they don't bother you constantly asking questions. It is a perfect balance here with the service. The owner is almost always in the restaurant and he drops in to your table to refill waters and ask about your dining experience. He is charming as well. This place is welcoming from the moment you step foot inside. Once you order your food (custom orders are also accepted graciously for a certain type of pasta or a change in sauce) and it gets brought out, you can tell from the moment you see it that the pasta is HOME. MADE. There are very few places you can eat anymore with both excellent care and homemade MELT IN YOUR MOUTH pasta and sauces. The dining here is exquisite and the prices are absolutely reasonable. I first dropped into Porcini on a date 6 years ago and I have been bringing friends here ever since. It is an amazing restaurant all-around, highly recommend!!! (Make...

"Porcini: A Cozy House Party in Restaurant Form"

Walking into Porcini’s is like walking into someone’s home. With two bottles of wine in tow (BYOB, of course) the housewarming feeling was already in full swing.

Everybody there including us was celebrating something, if only in spirit. At one point, the lights dimmed and we joined the room in a rousing Happy Birthday dirge, a sharp contrast to the Euro-pop soundtrack playing moments before.

Two wanderers, fresh from the cold, had no idea what they were stepping into. They brought nothing to drink. Having enjoyed our own wine, my sister, ever the Samaritan, ducked out to the nearby beer shop. She returned with a $10 bottle of lukewarm white wine for them—just in time for tiramisu.

The night began with a bean bruschetta and artichoke concoction. The house-gnocchi special was great—softly textured and gently creamy—a fitting addition to the flush of the wine and bittersweet communion of shared meals...