Ernesto's 1521 Cafe

1521 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102

Phone: 215-546-1521

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With its cream-colored walls and minimalist paintings in a roomy townhouse setting, Ernesto’s has of-the-moment polish, plus an inherently Italian warmth. Ernesto himself, the all-American Ernie Salandria, greets you at the door, looking happily proprietary as he watches over his cashmere-clad, Kimmel Center-bound diners. His amped-up trattoria menu includes an appetizer of two homemade butternut squash-stuffed ravioli in brown butter sauce—delicate, nutty and sweet, its paper-thin squares of pasta as wide as its plate. A veal chop special was beautifully grilled and came with classic white beans and bitter greens (which weren’t overly bitter or garlicky).