Little Nonna's

The Food & Drink

Open for lunch and dinner, Little Nonna’s  serves up the kind of food that could be habit-forming. Marcie Turney’s stylish take on what a grandmother would cook — if said grandmother stuffed her meatballs with fontina cheese — emphasizes abundance and contentment.

Even those diners who don’t have a Nonna to call their own will find a familiar comfort at this earthy eatery.

At lunchtime, there’s a chef spin on the Philly classic roast pork Italiano and chicken parmesan sandwiches (with horseradish aioli and heirloom tomatoes, respectively). A three-course tasting for $24 provides an excellent value.

Dinner starts with wild mushroom arancini or stracciatella with hand-pulled burrata and olives sourced nearby, followed by pastas with braised lamb or grilled branzino.

The Sunday gravy, served daily while supplies last, includes shortribs, meatballs and sausage over pasta.

On the beverage side, one might expect straw-bottomed bottles of chianti, but instead the wine list goes upmarket with eight selections by the glass, carafe and bottle — all Italian but wide-ranging in region and flavor profile. The bar offers a few Italian and Italian-inspired cocktails (aperol spritz; negroni). Desserts — tiramisu, hazelnut cannoli — continue to respectfully update the staples of lace-covered parlors.

The Layout

A red vinyl banquette runs the length of the dining room, and the wooden tables are topped with mismatched flea market dishware, evoking a “from the Old Country” aesthetic.

Wood-paneled walls and curio cabinets filled with vintage knickknacks call back to an earlier era, though the delicious smells emanating from the stainless steel open kitchen at the back of the room keep any reverie in the present moment.

Wood-paneled walls and curio cabinets filled with vintage knickknacks make up the aesthetic of the restaurant.   — Photo by E. Mencher for Visit Philadelphia

More

Safran Turney Hospitality has, over nearly two decades, helped revive Midtown Village with four high-rated eateries and three retail operations. Check out their other popular concepts:

• Lolita | Modern Mexican cooking
• Barbuzzo | Stylish Mediterranean wine bar
• Jamonera | Contemporary Spanish cuisine
• Bud & Marilyn’s | Retro American eatery

Marcie Turney, Valeria Safran and the 13th Street Restaurant Group dominates Midtown Village with four high-rated eateries and three retail operations.   — Photo by Visit Philadelphia

Behind the Eats: Little Nonna’s

“Behind the Eats: Philadelphia,” our eating-around-town video series produced in partnership with Bon Appétit, tells the stories of three distinct chefs — and dishes from their restaurants — in three vibrant Philadelphia neighborhoods. Here, Andrew Knowlton, a long-time editor of Bon Appétit, cooks and chats with owners Valerie Safran and chef Marcie Turney of Little Nonna’s in Midtown Village a.k.a. the Gayborhood.

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