I have an admission to make: My "fine dining" experiences here at Penn have largely ignored restaurants close to campus. What can I say? I'm an adventurous kind of guy.
Not that there aren't great restaurants nearby. Penne's subdued setting below the Inn at Penn and mature clientele don't exactly endear it to the BYO-fanatic student crowd. But those willing to pay for a great meal served by an extremely knowledgeable staff are truly overlooking a gem.
My date and I were seated by restaurant manager Marco Avigo, who is genuinely passionate about his Italian cuisine.
I started the meal with a classic Caesar salad ($8) - no surprises there - while my date had the Calamari Fritti ($10), which she thoroughly enjoyed. We dove in slowly, spending more time talking than taking bites.
The restaurant's cozy, intimate atmosphere and patient servers were very accommodating to our lazy discussion, which meandered from current events to big life questions.
For my entree, I had the salmon ($19), which is served with creme fraiche and chive mashed potato, Haricot Vert and lemon olive oil sauce. It was beautifully presented and hit my palate perfectly, even though I generally don't prefer my salmon sauteed.
She had the la viande du jour, double-cut pork chops, cooked "just right" and "generously" served. Marco encouraged us to try the colvatelli - not your typical gnocchi - as well, so we shared a plate. I expected the same pasta dish I've had dozens of times before at other Italians restaurants but was pleasantly surprised with Penne's take.
Our night came to a close with two delectable desserts. I ordered the golden pineapple - an elegantly simple sorbet with fresh fruit. My date, who has far more refined tastes, went for the pistachio creme brulee.
Finally, a dinner at Penne would be incomplete without sampling wine from its superb collection. We had the rosee - a 100-percent pinot noir - and the prosecco, which, as Marco explained, is made in northern Italy near Verona and Venice.
A connoisseur of fine Italian cuisine I certainly am not but I was very much pleased with my dinner.
And if you're looking for a special place to impress that special someone, Penne will not disappoint.
