Posted on Thu, Oct. 23, 2008
With this first snap of fall comes the homey Novita Bistro, a budget-priced, storefront BYOB open a couple of weeks near 16th and South Streets. In his Philadelphia cooking debut, chef Hassan Zanzoul, Moroccan-born and trained at the French Culinary Institute, offers an Italian-oriented Mediterranean menu, suitably hearty for the season. Follow a sublime gnocchi or mushroom-ravioli appetizer with Galletto al Mattone, a boneless Cornish hen, butterflied and pan-roasted, and served atop escarole, white beans and sliced garlic.
Galletto al Mattone ($17) at Novita Bistro, 1608 South St., 215-545-4665. Cash only.
- Michael Klein
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