ML Does Gluten-Free: Pasta at Giorgio on Pine
I never thought much of Georgio on Pine when I passed by, it just looked generic, but after reading a glowing review from South Philly Review, I looked at the menu. I noticed they did in fact offer lunch as well as a gluten friendly menu. I knew I had to bring my recently diagnosed gluten intolerant friend. I liked that I could still get my gluten filled lunch, while she could finally get some decent pasta.
One of the benefits of dining with a glutenless person is that you get to have the bread basket all to yourself mwahhaha. The crusty bread was served with a dish of garlic in olive oil. I behaved myself and did not eat the entire basket.
Since all of the pastas are $12 or $13 dollars, I stuck to the panini menu. Though the chicken cutlet and eggplant parm sounded good, I ordered the roast pork with provolone ($10). That same crusty bread was slathered in herby olive oil and almost overshadowed the chunks of pork. On the side, I enjoyed the smartly dressed mixed green salad.
Georgio’s is really flexible with the gluten free pasta. They can make you whatever sauce you want. I sampled my friend’s ziti in a vodka sauce. While I could definitely sense the gluten-freeness of the pasta- it tasted very al dente- the sauce was exceptional. It was creamy, without making you feel too gluttonous (glutinous?) and there was a distinct tomato flavor. I can only imagine how delicious the regular pasta is here.
The owner was so sweet and really seemed to want everything to be perfect for us ( I guess it didn’t hurt that we were the only ones in the entire restaurant). I think it is awesome that Georgio’s cares about providing pasta and pizza to a group that can’t often enjoy it.
THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)
- Cute little getaway spot to sit and enjoy your Italian food
- Gluten free pizza, pasta, and desserts
- Great crusty bread
- Friendly owner really wants to make your dining experience perfect
THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)
- Most of the menu items are above $10
Georgio’s on Pine, 1328 Pine Ave (@ Juniper St), 215 545-6265
Posted by Jamie at 1:09 pm, October 18th, 2010 under gluten free, Italian, pork, sandwiches.
2 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
ADVERTISEMENT
2 Comments
-
-
As the spouse of a Celiac, I can tell you that gluten free pasta, prepared correctly and sourced from the right grains, really shouldn’t taste much different from wheat-based pasta. (Breads are another matter.) Gluten free pasta is somewhat stickier in the cooking process, but the end result should be nearly indistinguishable, particularly when covered in a creamy sauce. It isn’t inherently more “al dente” in my experience. Maybe they just undercooked it.
Couldn’t agree more! Definitely a nice spot for us Celiac-ers to dine with the rest of the population without having to order lettuce and grilled chicken, and the menu is cleared market with the GF options (including pizza). The owner literally wants to be your best friend, and will speak to you in Italian making your experience feel authentic. :)