Tre Scalini

[zeffer81]

I had never been to Tre Scalini, but it's long been on my (long) list of restaurants to visit. Having recently moved to the neighborhood, my boyfriend and I decided to go there for our annual nice, walking distance holiday dinner. Overall it was fine, however I just wasn't impressed. Hopefully we just went on a bad night, however...

When we walked in the door, we hovered awkwardly over other diners as we waited too long to be greeted. We were not even given a nod or "I'll be right with you." I tried to ignore it as we were eventually ushered upstairs to what seemed to me to be the equivalent of the children's table at a fancy dinner, away from everyone else. Although it was nice to have the quiet of being upstairs, the service definitely suffered. We had to ask for water refills and parmesan cheese. In fact, they had to take the parmesan off the adjacent diners' table for me. A bit tacky, I thought.

Usually I can take so-so service if the food makes up for it, but tre scalini left me dry. They started us of with complimentary bruschetta in which the onion flavor was way too pronounced and the tomatoes were mushy. The bread basket held cold, hard, burnt bread. Their soup special was a vegetarian split pea, which was definitely the highlight of my night. It was thick and creamy, although the amount of soup given was obscene. I def could have stuck with that and an app.

Luckily, our entrees took so long to come that I was a little less full. I didn't mind, although the table next to us was starting to get antsy. When our entree came (veal scallopini for him and capellini w/ jumbo lump crab meat for me,) we were entirely underwhelmed. Mine was drowned in tomato sauce such that I could barely eat it. I don't eat veal but my boyfriend said his was fine, ok, just not great. We finished with my weakness, tiramisu, which was again, just fine.

I'm a little disappointed. Can someone please tell me that we were just there on an off night? I obviously know to request a downstairs table next time I'm there, but what about the food? Help!

[mrbigjas]

i haven't been recently, but we were there a few times in a row a couple of years ago--remember when everyone was all over tre scalini?

i don't remember the pasta being oversauced... it had more on than pasta in italy did, but by no means as much as you usually think of when you think of oldschool red gravy places. and other stuff was always solid--a step above.

i wonder if they could be resting on their laurels? or maybe you just did hit an off night. i'll have to head back...

as far as the service issues, that's a pretty common complaint there; i would say they should address it, but it's always full, so why bother, i guess.

[serpentine]

zeffer, your experience matches mine (a few years ago) and several trustworthy friends (more recently) particularly on the service issue. Unattentive, condescending waitstaff. I remember our food being good, but not outstanding, with a very long wait for entrees and a bizarrely long wait for the check.

I give it a big meh. There's certainly plenty of good Italian nearby, and I've never had service issues like that anywhere else in the neighborhood.

[shacke]

zeffer, your experience matches mine (a few years ago) and several trustworthy friends (more recently) particularly on the service issue. Unattentive, condescending waitstaff. I remember our food being good, but not outstanding, with a very long wait for entrees and a bizarrely long wait for the check.

I give it a big meh. There's certainly plenty of good Italian nearby, and I've never had service issues like that anywhere else in the neighborhood.

←

While perhaps not the greatest italian food ever, we have always enjoyed Tre Scalini and we have always thought the best part about it was the friendly service. I am sad to hear of the poor experiences there with respect to the service.

My favorite item is the tiramisu.

We have never had a bad meal there and I have been there quite a few times!

Evan

[shacke]

What's up with this city? First Pif closes and now Tre Scalini is gone.

F dat. My number 1 and 2 places - both vanished.

[mrbigjas]

wait did something happen i didn't hear about? tre scalini isn't gone, they just moved. didn't they?

[philadining]

Shacke, step away from the window ledge, mrbig has it right, it just moved...

It's now at 1915 E Passyunk Ave, not far from Marra's - I walked by it just the other day and it was packed early on a sunday, so no worries, they're going strong!

[shacke]

OK OK. That's what I get for being aloof.

Coming back inside.... pulse slowing again.

Funny, I noticed the sign for rent on my way home from Marra's last night, on the way to Capogiro of course.