A bit of Venice visits Rittenhouse

Ever since the bagel shop closed many years ago, this tiny boutique of a space just south of Rittenhouse Square has struggled to find an enduring tenant. How about the small-plate appeal of Venetian cichetti and a wine bar?

Former gondolier Andrea Luca Rossi, also a veteran of Girasole and numerous Boston restaurants, is giving the concept from his native town a try - and I like the early vibe. Out with the fussy white leather couches and marble of the old Italian wine bar. In with more rustic woods and casual buzz of the small-plate cantina. The cooking hasn't yet quite caught up to the menu's ambitions - struggling with a lack of basic seasoning, not to mention nailing risotto. But when the kitchen hits with the simple pleasures of a carpaccio, or big sauteed shrimp with caper berries, or an addictive spaghetti resplendently briny with tiny cockles and a fun glass of unusual vino (try the citrusy Sicilian greganico), I taste the real possibilities of a new neighborhood haunt.

- Craig LaBan
Spaghetti with cockles, $15, a glass of greganico, $8, at Cichetteria 19, 267 South 19th St., 215-545-0441 www.cichetteria19.com.