Dinner at La Porta

Since I had not seen much of Philadelphia and neither did I think much of it, Teddy decided to take me to the KOP Mall and then drive over to Grace Winery in the countryside and wrap up dinner at the lovely La Porta. I am not much of a Mall person, meaning I don't like to spend countless hours shopping. I would rather be out exploring new places and capturing them on my Nikon. 

La Porta is crowded on weekends, so getting there a little early, around 6.00pm is a good idea. The last time we were there, we had to wait for 40 minutes since T wanted to be seated at the bar because his height makes it difficult for him to be seated in smaller spaces by the table. 

This cozy Bar and Ristorante stole my heart. I think it was  the drive through the beautiful countryside that made my heart go weak. 

After a fantastic house Sangria (typical to Portugal, Spain and Argentina - red wine infused with lemonade and other fruity flavors) at Grace Winery, I decided to try the same at La Porta. It was not as appealing, so I switched to the white wine menu, which was good. For appetizers, we ordered the Bruschetta, which was deep fried bread topped with an avocado spread and salsa, while T ordered the fried cheese topped with a chunkier version of the tomatoes with vinaigrette. Though the bruschetta was a tad greasy, nevertheless it was mouth watering.

For the main course, I ordered the Gnocchi, somehow confusing it with the Tortellini I had in mind. Not to be disappointed, the dish was great. The potatoes were soft and cooked to perfection served on a lovely Tomato base. T ordered a pizza with your not so regular toppings that included egg, ham and Gorgonzola cheese. He devoured it.

We decided to skip the desserts after a  huge satisfying course of wine and enjoyable meal. I am clueless about the tab, but I will certainly recommend it for its excellent service and well cooked menu -- not to forget, this is a great choice for a rainy Saturday night.