Dinner at Melograno...

[Holly Moore]

Melograno is a relatively new Italian (Tuscan) BYO at 20th and Spruce. It is a small place that has quickly and deservedly acquired a large following.

Alas, they do not take reservations. A pet peeve of mine. Small restaurants unwilling to show the customer the hospitality of accepting reservations. Originally we were going to bow meekly and get there early on a Tuesday evening, hoping to avoid the typical hour or two wait. But that is not our way. Let the restaurant win? Not when Carman and I are part of the mix.

The solution - before dinner cocktails camped directly outside of Melograno in Carman's bright red pick-up truck whose rear bed has been converted into a table for eight (summer weekend outdoor seating at Carman's). In style, of course with cocktail shaker, martini and wine glasses and, of course, olives.

Originally Melograno had agreed to serve us on the truck, after cocktails. But duller minds prevailed and after about an hour we were escorted to the dining room. Not quite a standing ovation from the other diners, but most seemed to have accepted our antics in great humor.

For appetizers:

A wonderful Antipasto Rustico of prosciutto, salami, fresh mozzarella and crostini topped with pates.

My favorite dish of the evening - ravioli with wild mushrooms and truffle oil.

Prince Edward Mushrooms with white wine sauce

Entrees included:

A rack of lamb special with port and beet sauce

Pan Seared Pork Tenderloin with apple and vodka cream sauce

Pentolaccia alla Livornese - Shellfish and fish poached in white wine tomato broth.

Desserts

Apple tart. There were other wonderful desserts. But by then my hand was not all that steady. See below.

[KatieLoeb]

Holly:

What on earth do you mean we'll never be invited back??!?? We're the ideal customers. We snaked the rock star parking up front in the "No Parking" zone right by the fire hydrant (as is evidenced in the photos). We brought our own booze, our own seating, our own glassware and cocktail shakers, even our own ambiance with flowers on the table and the umbrella...we're so low maintenance. The fact that we were literally stopping traffic was not our fault. Folks were just too dazzled by our creativity and brilliance is all. Hmmpft.

Dinner was indeed spectacular, or at least what I remember of it after two large glasses of vodka on an empty stomach and then all manner of wine and stuff. But the photos do it far more justice than my clouded memory would. Everything was delicious and will definitely go back to Melograno another time and skip the pre-prandial cocktail hour in the truck so I remember it all better.

Since I was in charge of the wines I'll detail what we had with dinner. We started with the Argyle Vineyards Brut Rose 1997 from Oregon. There's nothing better than something pink and sparkly to start off a meal, I think, and this wine was a real winner. The delicacy of a sparkler with more guts. The Argyle folks make all their sparkling wines in true methode Champenoise so it really has the elegance and flavor one would expect from a true Champagne. $20.29 at PLCB Specialty stores.

For a white wine a brought Fazi Bataglia Verdicchio San Sisto Riserva 2000. An excellent standard Italian white. It's quite full bodied for a white wine with vibrant acidity that really compliments food. This was one of the PLCB "special buys" at $14.99.

For the red wine I brought (and must go run back to the store and buy up some more before it's all gone) Arrowood Syrah Saralee Vineyard 2000. Another PLCB "special buy" at $17.99. This wine is seriously jammy. It's like a melted Syrah flavored Jolly Rancher in the glass. Notes of cocoa, cassis, but mostly berries and concentrated cooked down fruit. Really silky and smooth and the finish lasts for an eternity. This stuff is quoted in the wine press at up to $48 so it's a serious steal at that price. Must. Go. Buy. More.

For dessert I thought I'd be geographically adventurous and picked out a Benjamin Tawny Port from Australia. I'd read about this but not had the chance to try it. It's quite tasty and a definite bargain for the quality at about $10! I think I might like this with certain cheeses too. Not overly assertive or spicy, but quite full flavored, particularly given the price point. Could easily become my house port for next winter.

[michaelklein]

Clever idea! You guys are lucky you didn't get nailed for an open container or public drunkenness.

[Holly Moore]

Clever idea! You guys are lucky you didn't get nailed for an open container or public drunkenness.

That would indeed have been the perfect end to the perfect evening. But my guess is that Carman and Katie would have enticed any constable who had happened by up on the truck to join us in a toast to the police commisioner.

[KatieLoeb]

No doubt!

And of course would have made certain to mix up said constable's favorite libation of choice!

[stephenc]

I wanna borrow that truck

[kosoffj]

that's about the greatest thing I've ever seen :) thank you for making my monday!

[herbacidal]

I wanna borrow that truck

Yea me too. I'll gladly trade mine.

[davidbdesilva]

Alfresco dining at its best! What a fun idea to do with friends on a warm evening. The food looked excellent, I'll have to get there sometime soon. And by the way Katie, I love Benjamin Tawny Port and it is one of THE best deals out there for about $10. It is consistently rated in the high 80's to 90 points in the trade mags. You guys have too much fun, it's the only way to enjoy life!

[gbredben]

That was awesome. I wish I would have been there for all the fun. I need to go back there ASAP.

[KatieLoeb]

Alfresco dining at its best! What a fun idea to do with friends on a warm evening. The food looked excellent, I'll have to get there sometime soon. And by the way Katie, I love Benjamin Tawny Port and it is one of THE best deals out there for about $10. It is consistently rated in the high 80's to 90 points in the trade mags. You guys have too much fun, it's the only way to enjoy life!

Hi David:

Yeah - this one will go down in the annals of "Nutty Stuff I've Done", for sure. But it was a blast and the jealous stares of the onlookers only confirmed that we were definitely on to something!

The Benjamin port was totally delicious! I had also read the high marks in the trade press and wondered what all the fuss was, and also how a port in that price range could possibly be any good. But it IS! One of the reviews I read about it said "Benjamin Port should be bought by the case and shared liberally with friends." Sounds like good advice to me!

[OrmIrian]

That is hilarious. What does it say on the door of the truck? The food looked terrific!

[stephenc]

I see that South Philly parking rules were in effect. No parking zone AND blocking the hydrant

[Mabelline]

Spectacular spectacle done up in eGullet style!!! Food looks greatly munchable, too!! Youall have made my day!

[Holly Moore]

I see that South Philly parking rules were in effect. No parking zone AND blocking the hydrant

When I first moved to Philadelphia I referred to such areas as "Out Of State Parking"

[philadining]

Not having a super-cool mobile lounge to illegally park outside, I've found a different tactic that seems to work for getting a table at Melograno: stroll in at 9:30 on a weeknight. This has worked for me three times now. No wait, and pleasant service even though it's clear that they are looking forward to going home (and you get to see what the staff eats...)

Everything is pretty strong here, but jeeze, that pork tenderloin with apples and olives is really amazing! The truffle/mushroom/walnut parpardelle is worth a special trip too.

What's most amazing though is that even with only one other table occupied, the place was still incredibly loud. If they'd just take reservations and do a little sound treatment, they'd be almost ideal.

Until then I'll try to find some earplugs and a cool pick-up truck.

[philadining]

Dropped by Melograno late-ish tonight, and grabbed a table with no wait. Once again, everything was really enjoyable.

We started with that classic roasted artichoke with scallops, some nice garlicky mussels, and an arugula salad with prosciutto and parmesan.

Then an old fave, the Papardelle with wild mushrooms, walnuts and truffle oil, which was rich, earthy and delicious as always. Penne with pancetta in a spicy tomato sauce transcended its conventional form by being perfectly executed. And a special "Rack of Pork" was just crazy good. A huge, two-rib rack was roasted to a crunchy brown exterior, with a tender, juicy, just barely pink interior, a deep, earthy jus pooling beneath it. Some crusty roasted potatoes, and sauerkraut-ish cabbage completed the plate.

The pastas and fish are so good here it's easy to forget that the kitchen is truly gifted with meats as well. Their steak with white beans and the pork tenderloin with apples are among my favorite dishes in the city. And now the rack of pork, if they run it as a special more often...

A Bottle of Wrongo Dongo served us well throughout... appropriately full-bodied yet light-hearted. It's made from Monastrell (Mourvedre) grapes, and had low tannins, but a serious big flavor. And cheap cheap cheap... at your local State Store... Good summer wine.

They have tables out on the sidewalk now which, even if road construction were underway, would probably be quieter than inside. But I don't care, I'll damage my hearing for this food.

Edited June 16, 2005 by philadining (log)

[clam crab cockle cowrie]

i wish i was that cool. but i said that when i first saw carmen's business card as well.

another option to circumvent the no-reservations issue:

when i have gone to melograno, i have put in our name, given our cellphone number, and walked one block or so to doobies where everyone is very nice and drinks can be had while waiting for the call that a table is ready.

[katbert]

Went to Melograno on Friday night early prime time ~6pm with a 15min wait. While we were waiting, someone biked up and picked up an order for take out.

Starters of PEI mussels and the lemony calamari and shrimp w/ beans were well executed and generous. Mains of the mixed seafood (shrimp, squid and scallops?) on a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes and my beet and marscarpone ravioli were terrific. I don't think I've ever bought beets and I have relatively little exposure to them, but they provided a sweet delicate flavor complemented by the browned butter sauce.

Service was fine, be aware that it can get a little tight spacewise, and I'm going to reiterate that the dining room can be very loud. There were two tables with well behaved kids, and the kids could have been screaming and you wouldn't have noticed. Still, yummy and well worth it.

[philadining]

All this Vetri talk in another topic reminded me that I'd failed to post about a recent Melograno meal that totally rocked.

Sorry, I didn't have the good camera with me, I feel like I'm letting you all down... Darn, guess I'll have to go back!

Chicken Livers

These were really great, crunchy, creamy, with some nice acid from the accompaniments.

Arugula-Prosciutto salad

Simple, straightforward, perfectly fresh, delicious.

Pappardelle with mushrooms and pancetta

I'm not even sure this is on the menu, but man it was good, that pasta has the perfect texture. Love the version with mushrooms and truffles too.

I somehow managed to not get a good photo of an unexpected concoction my dining partner made from two entrees combined: seafood and beans mixed with penne. Not sure I would have thought of it, but it was really tasty.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina

Yeah, I know, why order a steak at a place like this?!? Because it might be the most delicious one in the whole damn city. Seriously. It's tender, assertively herby, and nicely complimented by the beans it sits on. It's not especially thick, but plenty big, at least for me. LaBan raved about it in his review a few years ago, and his description intrigued me, and sure enough, it's really good. I've ordered it a few times now, and my dining partners always look at me like I'm crazy, but change their expression when they get a taste!

All in all an excellent meal, and thanks to some sound treatment on the ceiling, not as punishingly loud as it used to be. It's still pretty noisy, but at least my ears weren't ringing when I left. Kudos to the owners for at least trying.

Edited October 4, 2006 by philadining (log)

[Jeff L]

Jeff, that steak is the real deal. Is it always on the menu? I love this place, we went recently after Cirque du Soleil and had a fabulous meal.

[philadining]

Yep, the steak is a regular menu item. For better or worse, the menu stays pretty much the same. This is OK with me because there are several things that I'm happy to get again and again, and there are usually a couple of specials if one gets bored with the usual.

The only reason I'm not at this place all the time is that it's so freaking hard to park around there, and that on weekend nights, the waits are pretty brutal if you don't get there right at opening. So I don't go as much as I'd like, but I think my visits are in the double-digits, and I've enjoyed every meal I've had there.

[Jeff L]

Yep, the steak is a regular menu item. For better or worse, the menu stays pretty much the same.  This is OK with me because there are several things that I'm happy to get again and again, and there are usually a couple of specials if one gets bored with the usual.

The only reason I'm not at this place all the time is that it's so freaking hard to park around there, and that on weekend nights, the waits are pretty brutal if you don't get there right at opening. So I don't go as much as I'd like, but I think my visits are in the double-digits, and I've enjoyed every meal I've had there.

←

Agreed, I've been there only 3 times but each time was really quite good. I always liked the idea of a visible kitchen too. Parking is indeed dicey. I've been lucky in that I got parking spots right on Spruce nearby. I really would love to be in Carman's truck however

[Capaneus]

Yep, the steak is a regular menu item. For better or worse, the menu stays pretty much the same.  This is OK with me because there are several things that I'm happy to get again and again, and there are usually a couple of specials if one gets bored with the usual.

The only reason I'm not at this place all the time is that it's so freaking hard to park around there, and that on weekend nights, the waits are pretty brutal if you don't get there right at opening. So I don't go as much as I'd like, but I think my visits are in the double-digits, and I've enjoyed every meal I've had there.

←

Agreed, I've been there only 3 times but each time was really quite good. I always liked the idea of a visible kitchen too. Parking is indeed dicey. I've been lucky in that I got parking spots right on Spruce nearby. I really would love to be in Carman's truck however

←

Whereas I can roll out of bed, scratch a couple of unseemly spots, and amble there in a leisurely six minutes.

Heh.

I'm curious about that papardelle: the truffled version is perhaps my favorite pasta dish in the city, but I've never encountered the pancetta of which you speak. Special?

The other dish of theirs I love is the chicken liver bruschetta. Which your livers did not resemble. C'mon, Philadining (may I call you Phil?)! We want details.

And we also require further details of your friend's mixology. I once knew someone fond of that sort of recombination...

Edited October 4, 2006 by Capaneus (log)

[Jeff L]

...Bumping this thread up as we've not heard of Melograno lately.

My business partner and I had an early dinner here last night and it is still pretty awesome. There were just a few tables occupied when we arrived around 6:00 but within an hour the place was jammed with people waiting outside.

We both had an appetizer of portobello mushrooms with goat cheese and pine nuts and some type of balsamic glaze. For entrees my partner had the mixed seafood grill which included lovely chargrilled salmon, a few shrimp and some calamari which was very nicely done. I had the bronzino which could not have been better. it was served over garlic mashed potatoes and had a nice light lemon wine sauce. Perfect, even better than when La Veranda was on top of their game.

We skipped dessert for the mandatory trip to Capogiro.