Zavino Hospitality Group owner Greg Dodge inspects six glistening slices of vivid ruby-hued tuna crudo. “Too thick,” he says to his young executive chef, Kristina Wisneski, who nods and quickly whisks the dish away.
This sort of constructive feedback is but one in a series of tasting assessments Dodge conducts on a regular basis at Enoteca Tredici, the strikingly beautiful restaurant and bar he opened this past June in upscale Bryn Mawr Village.
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With his vast experience heading up two Philly-based Zavino grills and two other Mediterranean-focused neighborhood-enoteca concepts—one in Philadelphia, the other in Washington, D.C.—Dodge melds these themes to create a vibrant environment. The 5,000-square-foot eating-and-drinking playground pops with globe light fixtures and unexpected enchantments, like two live ficus trees reaching toward airy skylights and rows of lazily spinning fans. Both the lounge and the main room are comprised of curved booths that create a series of intimate dining modules—some spacious, others a bit tight. Off to one side, there’s an attractive semiprivate space leading to a sunroom, which features accordion windows.
In the open kitchen, 28-year-old Wisneski orchestrates a symphony of simple, rustic dishes like savory mushroom toast, Moroccan-style spare ribs, and flatbread pizzas. Try the Stache, lovingly layered with pistachio pesto, mozzarella, Parmesan and lemony arugula. Among the creative pastas, an squid-ink tonarelli comes embellished with delicate cockles in a white-wine garlic cream sauce. The chicken parm—a unique deep-dish-pizza-looking version—is accompanied by a jar of chili-flecked honey. Wisneski’s abbreviated dessert offerings include a devil’s food cake filled with milk-chocolate mousse.
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Arctic char atop eggplant caponata. |
Tuna crudo. |
On my first visit, a few dishes missed their mark. But, as Dodge would later remind me, “We’re not perfect, but we know we’re capable of coming close.”
Still, as Instagram-able as the inky pasta appeared, it was gummy—though it was perfect the second time around. The baby back ribs were exceedingly tender, but the creamy Moroccan sauce could’ve used a more pungent spice profile.
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The Stache flatbread, with pistachio pesto, mozzarella, |
Veal meatballs with ricotta. |
The juicy double-patty Tredici burger—a brioche-bunned take on the classic In-N-Out burger—was a whopping $23. That bit of sticker shock was smoothed over by a visit to the 18-seat Carrara-marble-topped bar, where you’ll find legendary mixologist Pablo “Papi” Hurtado of Lacroix at the Rittenhouse and Savona fame. His namesake Papi Collins—with Revivalist gin, thyme, simple syrup and prosecco—goes down like a limey cucumber dream.
Enoteca Tredici is still quite new, and there’s a lot to improve upon. But with the committed team Dodge has assembled, it should be fast to find its form.
915 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr, (267) 625-3477, www.tredicibm.com.
