Porcini
(215) 751-1175
2048 Sansom St
Philadelphia,
PA
19103
39.9512
-75.1747
Neighborhoods: Center City, Center City West
What People Are Saying About Porcini
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
In Short
White tablecloths, off-white walls with original art and subtle opera fills the space. The hospitable owner spends most of his time patrolling the dining room and kissing regular customers on their way in and out. The chef occasionally peeks his head out of the closet-size kitchen to ee who the owner is schmoozing. Classic Italian: carpaccio, Caesar salad, mussels in plum tomato sauce, pappardelle alla porcini, grilled chicken in a balsamic vinegar sauce.
User Reviews
YourAverageCustomer
May 13, 2009
I made reservations for 10 people at 7:00 on a tuesday. Apparently the gentleman on the phone was more than happy to accommodate us for the dinner. Due to some traffic, I called ahead to apologize and to let them know that we were going to be 10 minutes late. Still, the gentleman on the phone seemed happy and told us not to worry about anything. As soon as we were seated by the nice waiter, a guy came bursting out of the kitchen with rage, screaming his head off at us "Nobody makes a fool of me!" He walked up to us pretty close and personal, screaming at us in front of everyone in that restaurant. This was clearly one of the worst dining experience I have ever had. My point is AVOID THIS PLACE AT ANY COST!!! definitely not worth the trouble. There are way too many nice Italian restaurants out in this city who would treat their customers with respect and courtesy.
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imlisi
December 13, 2008
My wife and I came to Philadelphia from Arizona to see the city for the first time. A college student from Penn recommended this place to us as the good little italian place where the college students go. Not quite knowing what we were going to find in the city and concerned how we were going to navigate the cold, we took off to find Porcini dressed in blue jeans and layers of sweaters. We took a short metro ride down market street and exited the 15th St. station. We then walked for about 10 minutes over to Porcini. When we arrived, we were afraid that we might be underdressed. We stepped through the door to ask the host/hostess...but there wasn't one. Instead, the owner of the restaurant opened the door for us as he reached out the door to wave goodbye to some of his guests. When we asked him if we were underdressed, he gave us a warm smile and said that we looked like good people and that was enough. He escorted us through a narrow walkway through the handful of tables in the restaurant to a little table in the back. I was most appreciative of the atmosphere. The people there seemed to love being there. The food was very good. A little pricey, but reasonable. We had some pesto bruschetta, and some pasta dishes along with a couple bottles of pelligrino. When I asked about wines, the owner explained that this is a restaurant where people bring their own. I've never heard of a restaurant like that before. He then grinned and said he thought he had something in the back...then returned with a couple glasses of white wine. All in all, I think the place is very charming. If I was a local to Philadelphia, I'd put this on my list of favorites.
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fillyfran
December 12, 2008
I went to this restaurant last night as it was a horrible, rainy night and was close to the Adrienne where we had tickets for a show later on. My girlfriend and I walked into this tiny space and the owner was on the phone in the middle of the room booking a party for someone and speaking very loudly on the phone. After what seemed like forever, i gently asked him if he could lower his voice. He said he'd be off shortly. When he did hang up, however, he became hostile with us, saying "i can talk as loud as I want in my restaurant. You are so rude", etc. My friend and I felt we had no choice but to leave and got up to put on our coats. He wasn't satisfied with that, however, and continued to harass us, even to the point of standing in the doorway as we were getting soaked, forgetting our umbrella. This guy is nuts and does not deserve anyone's business, particularly when there are so many nice and accomodating restaurant owners hungry for business these days. By the way, we ended up at the newly relocated Melograno a few doors down, and had a delicious meal with normal staff.
read full reviewThe Details on Porcini
What To Drink:
B.Y.O. bottle or else you'll be forced to rely on the kindness of your neighbors.
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Cash, Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Local Favorite, B.Y.O.B., Theater District Dining, Hidden Find
Cuisine:
Smoking Permitted:
No
