Culinary Quest

In the heart of South Philadelphia’s Bella Vista sits Philadelphia’s oldest Italian restaurant, Dante & Luigi’s Corona di Ferro (Crown of Iron.)  Established in 1899 by Michael DiRocco and his family, this eatery has a long and storied history in the Italian-American community.  You see, the three floors above the restaurant were originally a rooming house that served as a way station for Italian immigrants.  These immigrants would get off of the boats in the port of Philadelphia with “Corona di Ferro” pinned to their lapels, directing them to a warm place to stay and a job, either in the restaurant or the nearby Italian Market.  In 1907, the restaurant moved to it's current location and added DiRocco's sons' names--Dante and Luigi, though Corona di Ferro is the restaurant's legal name.

With the coming of World War II, Italian Immigration was curtailed for fear of foreign spies.  This did not take Corona di Ferro out of the limelight, however.  In the 1940’s and 1950’s, the mob and the FBI both used the restaurant as a hangout where they could watch each others’ activities.  These were different times, though, and the two sides treated each other like gentlemen.  Among the famous (or infamous) names to have lorded over Corona di Ferro was the late Angelo Bruno.

When Michael and Connie LaRussa bought Corona di Ferro in 1996, they were faced with quite a dilemma.  The restaurant was in bad shape, so they gave themselves one year to revive the traditions associated with the eatery’s history.  They succeeded in spades.  They brought back the wonderful Old World feeling.  From the time you enter, you are surrounded by a relaxed atmosphere that feels like home.  The restaurant goes a step beyond, allowing no smoking.  And with seating for 150, the restaurant is able to accommodate parties of up to 50 should you like to take a group of friends or relatives there for a special occasion.  But then, any meal at Dante & Luigi’s Corona di Ferro is a special occasion.

But the couple did not approach the restaurant business blind.  Michael, from Sicily, had owned Quincy’s Pub on South, and Mangia on 15th and Oregon.  Prior to Corona di Ferro, Connie, from Philadelphia, had worked with diamonds so she had developed her hand as a business woman.  Together, they had a winning strategy from the get-go. 

Michael and Connie have collaborated to design the restaurant’s menu.  Most of the recipes are traditional recipes from Michael’s family, so you are sure to be eating authentic Sicilian/Italian fare when you dine at Dante & Luigi’s Corona di Ferro.  Connie assured me that “Everything is homemade--everything.  We even make our own gravy (tomato sauce.)  It cooks for seven to eight hours.”

Where Connie runs the restaurant, Michael runs the kitchen.  “We have four chefs.  Michael teaches them to make the recipes, and they can be as creative and wonderful as they want for the specials.  We have a head chef, a sauté chef, pasta chef, and an appetizer chef,” Connie informs me.  Although this may sound a bit odd at first, it guarantees a consistent menu and emphasizes the restaurant over the chefs.  If you enjoy the Rigatoni Carbonara today and would like to have that same magnificent flavor again next week, this method lets you know that you will enjoy the same flavors.  The specials are offered so that you can venture away from the menu on occasion.  But then, the menu is so very large, it seems unfathomable that you can ever tire of the selections offered.

The Corona di Ferro house specialties include their gravy (tomato sauce,) osso buco (a traditional Italian favorite,) ricotta gnocchi, mussels, and lasagna.  Indeed, the restaurant is so well known for its gravy and marinara that you are able to purchase jars of these two magnificent creations to take home with you.  (Guilty as charged!)

As  you can well imagine, this traditional Italian restaurant has a fine selection of wines from which to choose.  The wine list consists mostly of Italian wines, with a small selection of California wines.  Connie and Michael have chosen the wines with the diners in mind.  In other words, they have tried to satisfy a variety of tastes and price points; although their wine list is large enough to allow for a good food pairing, as well.

The desserts, as everything else, are made in house, and are sure to drive your taste buds wild.  Do try to save room for these delicacies.  If you can’t, take a doggy bag with  you.  These sweets are just too fabulous to say no to. 

My girlfriend and I arrive at Corona di Ferro 15 minutes before our reservation time so that we may take a look at the restaurant.  Inside the entrance and to the right, you will find a dining room occupied by the restaurant's full-service bar.  The bar is a marvelous piece of work.  The presentation is definitely designed to take you back to the mid-twentieth century during the restaurant's heyday.  The dining room is large and roomy, with high ceilings and black and white photographs adorning the walls, many having been taken at the restaurant in the 1940's and 1950's.  Other color photos are of the owners' family.  The windows provide plenty of natural light to increase the apparent size of the room.

Across the hallway, you will find a second dining room.  Here, the feeling is more formal.  We see casual diners, but they seem out of place with the waiters in white shirts and ties.  Again, the large windows brighten the room and increase the apparent size of the room.  The restaurant is quite busy, but the noise level is subdued.  As we walk back to the hallway, we notice a short stairway to our left.  Up the stairs and to our right, we find a large banquet room that is ornately furnished.  We are only able to glance inside briefly as there is a large party inside.  We return to the front foyer so that we may be seated.

We are led to a table in the second dining room by a hostess (who turns out to be the owner, Connie LaRussa.)  She hands us our menus and a wine list.  The menus are quite voluminous, so I expect to be faced with some difficulty in choosing my meal tonight.  A young man approaches the table and takes our water order.  While he hurries off to get the water, our waiter comes to the table with a basket of bread.  He proceeds to tell us about tonight's specials.  Each one sounds tastier than the last. 

After some discussion, my girlfriend and I decide to share an order of the Stuffed Whole Calamari as our appetizer.  I choose to follow this with an order of Broccoli Rabe sautéed in olive oil and garlic.  For my entree, I select the Seafood Cioppino.  We place our orders with the waiter and anxiously await the calamari.  The bread that has been served to us is fresh and hot.  There is olive oil and balsamic vinegar in which to dip the bread, making for a terrific taste treat.

I get the waiter's attention and ask him to serve me a wine that will pair with my entree, having returned the wine list without giving it a moment's thought.

The Stuffed Calamari is served in a large bowl.  A single whole calamari, stuffed with crabmeat, rests in the center of the bowl, surrounded by a pool of marinara seafood sauce.  The calamari is large enough for us to share, so that does not present a problem.  The zesty marinara is full of calamari rings, as well, adding to the substance of the dish.  I, however, would have sacrificed some of the rings for a second crab filled calamari, having found it so delicious and much more interesting a flavor combination than the plain calamari.

With the bowl cleared from the table, my waiter serves the broccoli rabe, a personal favorite.  The fragrance of the garlic is marvelous in combination with the bitter greens.  The chef has sautéed the dish perfectly, retaining both the bright green and the texture of the broccoli rabe, and not burning the garlic or the olive oil.  The flavors meld together marvelously.  This appetizer is also available with sausage.  On my next visit, I may have to try the Ziti with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage entree.

For those of you unfamiliar with the vegetable, broccoli rabe, or rapini, is a green leafy vegetable frequently eaten in Southern Italy.  It has a slightly bitter taste and is often steamed or lightly sautéed in olive oil.  Though it resembles broccoli florets, the two are different vegetables.  Nevertheless, they are genetically related. 

After removing my empty plate, the waiter serves me a glass of Vendange Cabernet Sauvignon to accompany the Seafood Cioppino.  This is a bit surprising since a Cab is such a bold wine, usually better suited for beef or a spicy lamb.  Perhaps the marinara used to make the cioppino is spicier than I expect?  This wine has some very interesting notes of black and red cherries with a touch of oak.  There is a hint of berry, as well.  The wine fills the mouth, having good body and fruit character.  It has medium tannins and a dry finish. 

The Seafood Cioppino is a beautiful sight to behold.  The elements have been so perfectly arranged that you just know a chef's hands have been all over the dish.  (And I mean that in a good way.)  There is a cornucopia of seafood--a multitude of mussels, clams, shrimp, calamari, and lobster tail layered atop a pile of linguini, and served in a spicy marinara.  I am not sure that I will be able to eat everything in front of me!  (But I'm sure going to try.)  The waiter places a bowl for my empty shells beside me before leaving the table.

The first thing I notice is that all of the shellfish are open.  This is a great sign that the chef (A) steams the shellfish for an adequate amount of time before serving them; (B) pays attention to the presentation; and (C) takes pride in his work and the image that he presents for the restaurant.  

I try a mussel.  The marinara is spicy, but not overly so.  The mussel comes out of the shell easily, and is sweet and soft, obviously having been given time to cook in the sauce.  Next, I try a clam next.  The clam comes out of the shell without a fight.  It has not lost its clam flavor despite the fact that it has been simmering in the delicious marinara for who knows how long.  My next victim is one of the giant shrimp in the bowl.  The shrimp's sweet meat against the spice of the marinara is a magical combination.  The shrimp is tender after having cooked for so long.  I am in heaven!