Le Virtù

Joe Cicala's East Passyunk restaurant has been Philadelphia's most serious Abruzzese destination since 2007 — a James Beard semifinalist running a menu rooted in the rural cooking of central Italy's mountain region. Handmade pastas, slow-braised meats, a wine list deep in Abruzzese producers most American restaurants ignore. Less famous than Vetri but with the same level of regional Italian conviction. For Italian dining that goes beyond Tuscan-Roman familiarity into a truly specific tradition.