A look at Osteria, open in Moorestown Mall

To the mall we go:

Monday, Nov. 18 is the projected opening of the Moorestown Mall branch of Osteria, a slightly smaller sibling of the Vetri Family-owned North Broad Street Italian fave.

It's on the Route 38 side between Sears and Boscov's - near a branch of Jose Garces' Distrito that is supposed to open in the spring. A Firebirds Wood-Fired Grill is under construction on the other side of the mall, with a mid-December target.

Moorestown's Osteria, which will seat about 120 inside plus 22 at the bar, plus a couple dozen outside, has a similar look to the original with old-fashioned lighting, brick walls and exterior windows that suggest a building within a building.

The bar, separated from the dining rooms, sits outside the open kitchen. Chef Mike Deganis (formerly of Vetri's Alla Spina) will cook a similar menu from Philly's.

Wine prices, incidentally, will be a few bucks cheaper than those across the river, a byproduct of New Jersey's alcohol system. And parking will be free.