Nomming at Little Nonna’s

Welcome to Little Nonna’s, Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran’s newest venture.   Situated on 13th and Locust, the charming casual Italian-American eatery has just 37 seats indoors and 40 more seats tucked-away in the garden courtyard.

Waiters whisked in and out of the open kitchen, while the chefs busily prepared the food.  In the far right-hand corner, the pastry chef diligently compiled the desserts.  Forget about people watching.  Little Nonna’s has kitchen watching.

Vintage lace in the windows and string lights hung from the ceiling complement the long, burgundy-hued banquette seated next to rustic reclaimed wood tables. Mismatched dinnerware, kitschy faux flowers on tabletops, and knickknacks straight out of an Italian grandmother’s living room make the dining environment ultra cozy.

Stracciatella ($10): pulled fresh mozzarella, olive oil, sea salt, grilled italian loaf. While the amount of bread given with the cheese was a bit stingy, the bread itself paired perfectly with the cheese immersed in fragrant olive oil.

B+V+P Meatballs ($11): soft polenta, san marzano gravy, fontina. By far the favorite of the night–and so far in reviews of Little Nonna’s across the board–these meatballs are not to be missed. The polenta and gravy pair perfectly with the meatballs, which are stuffed and covered in generous portions of cheese.

Cavatelli Nero ($12): two minute calamari, blistered baby tomatoes, broccoli rabe, pickled fresno chile, mint. Slightly spicy and squid ink pasta, what’s not to be liked?

Grilled Swordfish Oreganata ($22): cauliflower picata, lemon bread crumbs, oregano. The swordfish comes with perfect grill marks, broccolflower, capers, and raisins.

Nonni’s Stuffed Shell ($15): sheep milk ricotta, roasted celery root stuffing, lamb neck gravy, mint pesto. The shell was beautifully al dente and the ricotta creamy as ever. Comfort in a nut stuffed shell.

Wild Mushroom Arancini ($8): crispy risotto, buffalo mozzarella, truffle aioli. This dish was a true surprise. A crispy, golden exterior gave way to earthy, flavorful risotto, followed by a hit of melty mozzarella tucked in the middle. The touch of truffle aioli brought this dish home.

Spumoni ($10): roasted bing cherry, pistachio-olive oil, dark chocolate pizzelle praline crumble. The boozy cherry, subtle pistachio, and chocolate wed well in this cool concoction.

Our conclusion? Go for the meatballs: You won’t be disappointed.

— Katie Behrman, Byrne Fahey, Chelsea Goldinger, & Nicole Woon