Italy takes pride in its food the way birds take pride in their wings, fish take pride in their fins, and bears take pride in their ability to devour everyone else's pride. Use today's Groupon to pamper your proud palate: for $10, you get $20 worth of Italian cuisine from La Fourno Ristorante Trattoria, located on South Street in Center City.
Specializing in recipes from the Abruzzo, Umbria, and Tuscany regions of Italy, La Fourno's menus consist of authentic dishes prepared from fresh, locally purchased ingredients. Patrons can choose from traditional Italian favorites including pollo cacciatore —a dish of chicken with a troupe of mushrooms, roasted peppers, onions, and artichokes amalgamated in red sauce ($15.95)—or select a house favorite such as pizza la fourno, a brick-oven-baked disc of dough topped with homemade basil sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers and fresh garlic ($8.95 for 10"). Patrons can contemplate their plates in the casual main dining room or escape to the candlelit elegance of the private, second-floor eating arena, which is perfect for a romantic date or the drafting of an office-wide declaration of independence. La Fourno also boasts a full bar and offers a wine BYOB with no corking fee on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Reviews
Gayot calls the brick-oven pizzas at La Fourno Ristorante Trattoria "Probably the best pizza on a block of pizzerias." Citysearchers are wowed by the restaurant and include it in the list of the Best Philadelphia Italian Food and give it an average rating of five stars. Yelpers give La Fourno an average of four stars. Eighty-four percent of Urbanspooners dig the restaurant and TripAdvisors give it an average of 4.5 owl eyes.
- You can get a pizza with practically every other step on South Street, but this place has a wood-burning oven that gives a nice char, and a spacious back room to indulge. – Gayot
- Pizza is fantastic. If you like meat and heat, Fra Diavolo is a must, and a personal favorite. – Scott K., Yelp
La Fourno Ristorante Trattoria
La Fourno Ristorante Trattoria’s owner and chef, Al Grafstrom, draws upon flavors from Abruzzo, Umbria, and Tuscany as he and his culinary team craft Italian pasta, chicken, and seafood specialties. He also feeds a “wood-burning oven that gives a nice char” to pizzas, according to Gayot, which recommends the “first-rate shrimp scampi over cappellini.”
Al sends forth his toasty paninis and signature veal-parmesan special to the main dining room, where exposed brick and dark-wood chairs create a rustic, comfortable atmosphere for eating and conversing. Upstairs, white-draped tables await in the private dining room, where guests can mosey over to the bar for refreshments or practice eyebrow waggles in the ornate, vintage mirror.