Editor enjoys fine Italian cuisine at Paradiso

By Frank Visco
Collegian Editor
February 20, 2007

As fun and rewarding as a meal at Chili’s may be, it’s not exactly high class eats. Nine times out of 10, that’s not going to be a problem—who among us doesn’t love those adorable mini-burgers and bow at the altar of the awesome blossom—but every so often, upgrades are warranted. If you’re one for Italian, you can’t go wrong with Paradiso. 

Located on East Passyunk Avenue near Tasker Street, Paradiso has a modern elegance, but the helpful wait staff instantly quells any sense of intimidation. My girlfriend and I stumbled upon the place when we were looking for a romantic night out and, by all accounts, we got one. 

Things started off nicely with a great seat right by the window, and a complimentary serving of bread to start. Some people overlook the goodness of breadbaskets, but, as I see it, they’re often the highlight of Italian dining.  

That being said, Paradiso takes breadbaskets to the next level. In fact, it’s almost a disservice to call what they offer a breadbasket; it’s more like a bread platter. The reason: along with the typical endless supply of bread, the platter comes with an array of tasty dips, including basil pesto, white bean purée and sun dried tomato relish. It may sound a bit hoity-toity, but believe me, it’s delicious.

  As far as the meals are concerned, Paradiso offers plenty of room to experiment with exotic choices (rabbit, boar, octopus), but there are also plenty of standbys for the less-daring. The menu outlines a traditional three-course Italian dining experience, so if you’re really hungry, there are some great possible combinations. However, that would get awfully pricey, so I’d recommend getting a threebie to split.

That’s exactly what the lady and I did. Feeling adventurous, she ordered the fresh fettuccine with wild boar ragu. Since neither of us had ever tried boar, we were a little nervous about the selection. However, our apprehension proved to be unfounded. Sweet and tender, boar didn’t taste like pork or steak (as I’d expected), but instead was something all its own. I know it’s often scary to try new meats (I’ve been doing the chicken, cow, pig thing for years), but boar’s good stuff. 

I stayed a little more within our realm of understanding and ordered the braised short rib with roasted root vegetables and garlic chips. The presentation of the meal was notable, with the garlic chips and vegetables gracefully decorated around a meat lollipop of sorts (the bone stuck straight up in the air with the rib meat wrapped around the bottom end). 

Chewy in a good way, the rib packed quite a bit of flavor. Although the garlic chips were too strong for our taste, the roasted root vegetables were unbelievable. I’m no vegetable hater, but when I walk away from a meal thinking the vegetables were the best aspect, you know they must’ve been seasoned to perfection (or the meat was bad, but the meat wasn’t bad, so, yeah). 

With our third choice we took caution, safely selecting the House Made Potato Gnocchi. A soft and scrumptious selection, the gnocchi proved to be an excellent way to cap off our fine Italian meal.

Overall, Paradiso comes highly recommended by this guy right here. Any couple (or group of friends) looking to class up their next night on the town would be well-served to check it out.

viscof1@lasalle.edu