Little Nonna’s to Open This Summer

Philadelphia will boast another authentic Italian restaurant this summer. Little Nonna’s, which will be located on 1234 Locust Street, will feature an all-Italian wine list, handcrafted cocktails, and traditional Italian fare. Chef Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran, owners of the renowned Jamonera, Barbuzzo, and Lolita, cannot wait to add another restaurant to their repertoire.

In creating the menu, Chef Turney “immersed [herself] in the strong family traditions of Italian-American cooking—asking friends and fellow cooks what was on their table growing up, then adding [her] own style.” In so doing, the menu contains not only classic Italian family dishes, such as “Sunday gravy” and home-made meatballs, but also innovative twists, such as House Stretched Mozzarella made with pickeled pepperoni and grilled Liscio’s seeded bread.

Other sure-to-be favorite dishes include “Big Mama’s Metballs,” served with polenta or red gravy, Crabs and Spaghetti, and Seafood Salad, made with heirloom tomato and cherry bomb peppers in “crazy water.” Ideal for sharing, dishes will vary in price from $8 to $25.

The menu, however, is by no means set. Strategically placed on each table, recipe cards will be available for guests to write down their very own recipes. Chef Turney hopes to choose some of these recipes to include in her menu.

Beverage Manager Terence Lewis has created an all-Italian wine list and playful cocktail menu to complement Chef Turney’s dishes. The menu will include the signature Negroni, Italian-Inspired Cocktails, and non-alcoholic mixers.

The 37-seat restaurant hopes to be reminiscent of an “Italian grandmother’s living room;” there will be vintage lace framing the windows, copper pots accenting the walls, and oak wood table tops complementing vintage chairs. As they dine beneath scintillating “stars,” guests also may feel as though they’ve entered a quaint alleyway in “Little Italy.” The open kitchen, with its hanging meats and cheeses, is meant to be evocative of an Italian market. In addition, the restaurant will feature a beautiful patio with outdoor seating.

Little Nonna’s will no doubt live up to Chef Turney and general manager Safran’s other famed restaurants in Midtown Village. The duo has received rave reviews for not only their restaurants but also for their gourmet prepared food market and lifestyle boutiques. Their restaurants have been featured in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, and the New York Times. It is thus with great anticipation that Philadelphia awaits the opening of their new Italian eatery.

Little Nonna’s will be open for dinner every night of the week.