Chef Luke Palladino announces the debut of late spring and early summer dishes at Palladino's on Passyunk (1934 East Passyunk). Eighteen new offerings will place the spotlight on vegetables and meats at the prime of their season and freshness.
Highlights will include Sweet Pea Tortelli (filled with ricotta, peas and mint, brown butter, shaved parmigiano), Black Spaghetti (made with cuttlefish ink, sautéed ramps, shrimp, bottarga, toasted bread crumbs), Pollo in Porchetta (poussin chicken stuffed with pancetta, garlic, sage, rosemary, fennel pollen, served over cannellini bean puree, broccoli rabe pesto, slow roasted tomatoes and Mixed Grill Spiedino (skewered shrimp, fish, Barnegat scallops, oregano-scented breadcrumbs, salmoriglio sauce).
Additionally, chef will debut one of his personal favorite spring antipasti's, NJ Asparagus Two Ways (savory asparagus flan, truffled egg salad, shaved asparagus, lemon, Ligurian oil, shaved parmigiano). "The dish has two 'faces' that compliment and play off of one another. We combine raw and cooked asparagus in a presentation that features the smooth and sexy textures of the 'sformato' (un-moulded Italian custard) with flavorful and crunchy textures of the 'crudo' (asparagus shaved with a vegetable peeler tossed with lemon vinaigrette)."
NJ Asparagus Two Ways also is an example of Chef's dedication to sourcing local. "I will only feature asparagus in April and May because I can buy direct from New Jersey farmers. Asparagus is available other times of year, but the ingredients wouldn't be local."
In addition to the above highlights, Chef will also expand his focaccia menu by adding two new varieties of flatbreads. "When we opened, I wanted us to master the technique by staying true to traditional variations," said Palladino. "After developing our skills and confidence, we are ready to add fun innovations like "Mortadella," which is focaccia topped with thinly sliced mortadella and pistachio pesto when it come out of the oven piping hot. The other new focaccia is the "Carciofi," which involves stuffing the focaccia with baby artichokes and finishing with shaved Bottarga (salted fish roe) and parsley when it comes out of the oven."
For a sweet ending, Chef will supplement Luke's Cannoli and Affogato with three new dessert offerings, including Ricotta Zeppole, Cheesecake and Fallen Chocolate Torta.
Chef's spring menu changes mark the the first major transition of the menu since the restaurant opened in December of 2014. Going forward, Chef will debut new seasonal dishes two to three times each season. Look for other summer dishes to debut just in time for squash blossom season in two to three weeks.
All mentioned new dishes are available starting this week. Descriptions and pricing, along with a link to photos and final menus, are listed below. Please let me know if you need any additional information. Thank you for considering!
