Salento Is “Endearing”

Kirsten Henri may be suffering from Italian BYOB overload but there’s no denying Salento’s charms.

A special of homemade ravioli stuffed with ground veal is rich enough on its own, but you’ll need superhuman willpower to push away any of the accompanying truffled cream sauce. The same goes for that highly addictive ricotta gnocchi, lightly crisped from a quick trip to the saute pan and heavily doused with garlic and wild mushrooms. Ciceri e tria—a humble Salentine specialty of ribbons of pasta smeared with crushed chickpeas and garnished with fried pasta—is hearty and workingman-homey.

Gnocchi on Heaven’s Door [Philadelphia Weekly]