Restaurant Week at Gran Caffe L’Aquila

Julee and I have been frequenting Restaurant Week for a long time but this particular restaurant out did them all. The food was complex in flavor, but didn't lose that wholesome Italian food feel we all love. Gran Caffe L’Aquila takes you from Center City Philadelphia and transports you to Italy . From the pasta to the gelato, the espresso to the wine, it is all unforgettable. From the minute we walked in we were relaxed and excited for the food to come. Mike, our server, was fun and prompt.

We always had what we needed before we got it.

Restaurant week in Center City works like this. From September 11-16 and 18-23, you get get a three course meal for $20 per person for lunch and $35 per person for dinner. Alcohol is not included but if you bring a lot of people like us then a bottle of wine at Grand Caffe L'Aquila is reasonably priced.

Here is the story: The chefs, Stefano Biasini (Gelato Champion of Italy) and Michele Morelli (Award winning Italian Coffee Roaster) met Local restaurateur Riccardo Longo (Award winning regional Italian food and wine director) which led to the rebirth of one of Italy’s most beloved cafes in Philadelphia. They are known for taking savory tastes and making it into gelato like truffle or bacon this creates really wonderful gelato that tests your palette. When your order comes with a dish with gelato, try it - trust me you won't regret it.

First Course

I ordered the Buffalo Burrata Mozzarella Caprese Testing. It was just delectable. The cheese melted in my mouth plus the fresh tomato with a savory pesto sauce enhanced the flavor to give it a nice basil taste. It was a great start to a great meal. Julee got the same thing because we are both cheese lovers!

(Sorry for the blurry image!)

Second Course

I ordered Polipo (grilled puglian octopus) because I wanted to eat something I would never normally order. I was pleasantly surprised by this light dish. As you can see, the octopus is very lightly grilled with lettuce a great sauce to give it some kick. Julee ordered the Arancini which is a Sicilian rice ball with ragu sauce and fresh mozzarella. It was so good! Why? Because right in the middle was a creamy ball of cheese that melted in your mouth.

Third Course

This was when things got tough mainly because we were two courses and a glass of wine (Don’t worry, I will get to this later) in and we were getting very full but we struggled through because every mouthful was amazing. Julee ordered the best dish ever! Agnoletti: Homemade ravioli stuffed with veal, pork, onion and aromatic herbs, topped with a butter sage sauce and a gastronomic black and white truffle gelato. I know what you are wondering what is gelato doing on ravioli?

For my third course, I had Braciole which is a dilicious pasta with tomatoe sauce with veal and a lot of CHEESE! It was so good. The cheese and meat were so tasty plus the pasta was cooked perfectly.

Gelato!

This speaks for itself. I actually spent many years of my childhood in Italy and consider it a second home so I know what I am taking about with authentic Italian food. This gelato is so good that I thought I was in Italy. With the Restaurant Week menu you get to choose two types so I picked Fondonte (70% chocolate) which was so rich and delicious. I like Fondonte because it is not as sweet as regular chocolate and usually a deeper taste. My second choice was Fior di Latte which translate to Flower of Milk. This is the Italian version of Vanilla. I like it better because it is more creamy and light then vanilla.

PS: You can now get Gran Caffe L'Aquila'a award winning Gelato delivered!

Julee order Creme Caramel and Cannolo (aka cannoli). She said, 'They were both so sweet and the Cannolo flavor had bits of the shell in it.' I would suggest this if you really like sweet flavors. Pick mine if you like more deeper and less sweet tastes.

Wine

We ordered 2 bottles of wine for about $35 per bottle. The first was a Montepulcino medium bodied red wine that complimented our first two courses well. I would say it pairs very well with the octopus especially.

The second bottle was Moma a a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. This was my favorite especially because it was a light red wine which paired well with my third course.

I hope everyone gets to experience this wonderful restaurant, if you feel it's usually out of your price range then go before the 23rd. This restaurant made us feel so at home and comfortable with homey fun Italian decor. We ended up spending most of the night laughing and enjoy each other (not to mention the food and wine)! Buon Appetito!!!