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One of the most satisfying moments is discovering new and uniquely talented chefs. There are a lot of men in the city’s kitchens who turn out acceptable fare, but what is a bit surprising is the number of female chefs who are truly outstanding. Among them are Lynn Rinaldi at Paradiso, Sheri Waide of Southwark, Susanna Foo and now Luciana Spurio, who is in charge of the scrumptious cucina at Le Virtu.
Le Virtu opened last month on Passyunk Avenue. It was built from scratch by owners Francis Cretarola and his wife Cathy Lee. It’s a real family affair as Cretarola’s brother Fred is on board to ensure patrons enjoy a splendid meal.
Le Virtu is a restaurant and tavern. The informal bar area has tables, but Edward, Mom and I sat in the dining room, right near the warm, open kitchen. Sunny yellow is the color of choice for the walls, set off by warm terra-cotta flooring. Tables are covered with white linen. The china and serviceware were crafted in Italy and the flatware is oversized.
As we discussed the menu and wine list, I glanced inside the kitchen and saw a woman with a long thick braid cascading down the back of her crisp white chef’s jacket. Two young men worked side-by-side with her. That’s when I realized a woman was in charge.
Edward ordered a bottle of 2006 Sangiovese di Toscana ($28.50). Our server chatted away as she opened the wine and poured a bit for Edward. He looked at it, sniffed and sipped. "It’s bad," he said to me. "Look at the color and taste it."
The wine was off indeed. Our server made us feel like we didn’t know when a wine has gone bad.
"I will get the sommelier to come and help you," she said. Edward and I didn’t need help. In 26 years of marriage, we have experienced wines that have gone bad in some of the best restaurants. It is not the fault of the owners. The sommelier arrived with another bottle, but wanted to know if we would like to make a different selection.
"No," Edward said. "We’ll try this one." He poured some and there was an obvious difference.
"It’s perfect," I said.
The cucina is authentic Abruzzese. Spurio offers complimentary, savory fried dough, some filled with Taleggio. It was served on a platter lined with brown parchment paper, which added a rustic feel. It was crisp and free of grease. Our assistant waiter brought us some sliced bread and olive oil.
Le Virtu prints out its specials, called "Piatti del Giorno," with prices. Three tips of the toque for this practice.
From the antipasti we selected "spiedini di calamari" ($9) and "insacca d’anatra" ($10.50). "Spiedini" are wooden skewers threaded with any kind of ingredient and grilled. These antipasti are popular in Italy. We were surprised to see pieces of tender grilled squid bodies instead of the whole animal. These, however, were delicious — light with a smoky flavor and enhanced by lemon juice and olive oil. Some baby spinach leaves were included for color and flavor contrast.
Our second dish was so outstanding we wished there were more than four or five small slices of the crisp duck skin filled with a seasoned mixture of ground duck and liver, bread crumbs and herbs. I have never tasted this dish before and it was an instant hit. Duck and chicken livers often are used in the cucina of Abruzzo. Brava to Spurio for the courage to place this on her menu.
We received a freshly prepared order of an unusual pasta called "mezze maniche al cavolfiore" ($13) that consisted of small tubular macaroni tossed in a sauce of creamy cauliflower pur�e, saffron, toasted pine nuts, anchovies and Pecorino. The dish was a triumph of taste and texture. We portioned it out and enjoyed.
Next up were "fritto misto Ascolano" ($19), a dish from the town of Ascoli Piceno. It’s the Italian version of the English mixed grill only this was crisply fried. It consisted of a rabbit cutlet, a baby lamb chop, stuffed olives coated in bread crumbs and fried, cremini (fried cream) and seasonal vegetables such as asparagus and zucchini sticks. More rabbit, please! It was outrageously delicious and another first for me, as I have never had fried rabbit.
Edward’s "grigliata mista" ($24) was a mix of grilled seafood including shrimp, monkfish, salmon and calamari. His dinner came with vegetables.
Mom will be 93 in January. We asked our server if she could have an appetizer portion of pasta and were told "No." We were turned off by the inhospitality.
From the dolci ($7) we shared a dreamy homemade dense chocolate cake redolent with almonds and topped with rich caramel sauce. One bite and some of our anger melted away.
We wanted to meet the woman with hands of gold who had worked her magic in the kitchen. Spurio came over to us and we chatted.
"This is the food my mother taught me," she said. "There was always a passion about food in our house. I came here in 1990 for 10 days and I have stayed."
Fred came over to chat as well. It seems he, his brother, Spurio and I have a mutual friend. She is Anna Theresa Callen who lives in New York City but is from Abruzzo. Her book "Food and Memories of Abruzzo" is the only one published in English about the great cucina of the region.
Speaking with Spurio, I wanted to watch her in the kitchen. I can learn a lot from this talented woman.
Three extraordinary tips of the toque to Le Virtu.
Le Virtu
1927 E. Passyunk Ave.
215-271-5626
Credit cards accepted
