Elio-ments of Style

A sure bet for Italian classics and more

by David Snyder

Given this town's glut of Italian BYOBs, it's easy to see how a spot like Hostaria da Elio could get lost in the noise.

The flashiness of the South Street carnival eclipses the eatery's unassuming façade. The list of specials is cartoonishly long — I recently counted 20 different appetizers and entrées. The scratchy mix of standards piped into the front room grants the space a dated, soothing appeal. It doesn't get any more old-school than this.

Despite — or perhaps because of — its charming eccentricities, Hostaria has a nearly cultlike following among Queen Villagers. If you've ever sampled the stylings of chef and owner Elio Sgambati, you'll know why. Sgambati left Rome in 1984 to join his wife in Philadelphia. Before opening his own place in August 2001, he cooked in some of the area's finest Italian restaurants, including Ristorante Il Gallo Nero in the '80s.

Hostaria da Elio is a sure bet for Italian classics. But If Sgambati has a signature dish, it's his handmade gnocchi. The sweet potato variety in a basic spinach cream sauce is a must-have — the tender, ethereal morsels practically float from your fork to your tongue, where they melt into a warm, lasting memory.

Other simple plates also shine. For his baked eggplant appetizer, Sgambati uses a meat slicer to cut aubergines thinner than a MacBook Air. They're sautéed, layered with mascarpone and mozzarella and topped with a light marinara. My $14 house red, Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva 2003, paired wonderfully with this dish — the right body and acidity to match the marinara, its fine tannins evening out the mascarpone's richness. The flavorful grouper puttanesca is also outstanding, the anchovies and capers highlighting the refreshing salinity in my $13 Sella & Mosca La Cala Vermentino di Sardegna 2006.

On a sweeter note, Sgambati is the rare chef who can pull off dessert as deftly as dinner. His raspberry babarese, a baba cake filled with raspberry cream, is light and fresh. But his hazelnut cake is one of the best desserts around — the from-scratch cream filling is a faultless cloud of pristine roasted hazelnut, with only a whisper of sweetness.

Hostaria da Elio doesn't care about keeping up with the Joneses. And with rustic fare this good, it will never have to.

(david.snyder@citypaper.net)

Hostaria da Elio | 615 S. Third St., 215-925-0930

Sun. and Tue.-Thu., 5-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 5-11 p.m.; closed Mon.

Appetizers, $8-$10; Entrées: $10-$32

BYOB