Monday, May 10, 2004
Girls' Night Out with Marnie Old
Valanni Restaurant
1229 Spruce Street in Philadelphia, PA
215-790-9494
Limited signup for The Major Grapes refresher, originally scheduled for this date, left us with just a few choices: cancel the whole thing, or find a great place to gather. Dedicated to our mission as we are, and not about to give up the opportunity to spend some time with our favorite Philly Wine Woman, Cencibel chose dinner instead.
Our next challenge: what restaurant is open on a Monday night? The few favorites yielded no results; even PIF, a fantastic Monday night option, was booked until 9:30 with a guest chef in residence that evening. Marnie pulled it out again however, referring Cencibel to a location new to us: Valanni.
Although not a BYOB (they have a nice list), Valanni's owner and manager graciously permitted Cencibel to bring our own wines. If you are planning to bring a wine group there, special dispensation may be granted if you speak with Darian Sutton, the Manager; anticipate that a corkage fee may be charged.
On to the good stuff: The menu here is creative and delicious, with dishes, flavours and tastes from throughout the Mediterranean that are simply great wine fare. Honestly, not one dish could we find fault with--not a one!--and we ordered nearly one of everything on the menu from appetizers to desserts. The place itself is trendy and hip, the space opens onto Spruce street in the front, with a couple of outdoor tables. Very welcoming, very Cencibel.
If you are in the city and looking for a place to check out, add this to your list!
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