Rounding the corner of Spruce and 13th streets, I almost walked right past Valanni's humble exterior. Resembling a typical Philadelphia row house, the restaurant easily achieves its goal of "blending Mediterranean and Latin cuisines in a relaxed, inviting neighborhood atmosphere."
Inside, the decor oozes both trendy sophistication and cozy familiarity, with its sleek black tabletops juxtaposed against exposed brick walls.
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After much debate, we settled on the highly recommended Medi-Latin plate ($16 for two).
With crispy chicken empanadas, salty roasted feta, creamy hummus and tender adobo beef kabobs, it was hard to remember to save room for our main courses.
My guest, a self-proclaimed picky eater, settled on the grilled rib-eye steak ($24) for an entree. As a lover of seafood, I chose the pan-seared porcini-crusted scallops ($21).
The steak did not disappoint my guest, as she called it "not too tough and not too tender," and even devoured all of the garlic mashed potatoes served with the meat despite the fact that she usually dislikes mashed potatoes.
The scallops were cooked to perfection -- soft and buttery but not soggy -- and were complemented nicely by lump crab meat, shiitake mushrooms, watercress and garlic mashed potatoes.
Although we both were stuffed nearly to capacity, my guest and I decided to try dessert.
As a fan of both bananas and rum, I ordered the caramelized black rum bananas with vanilla bean ice cream and a crispy cinnamon phyllo cup ($7).
The ice cream melted smoothly into the bananas and caramel sauce, and the cinnamon shell added a crunchy kick to the dish.
My guest, a Brooklyn native, opted for the New York-style cheesecake with fresh berries, which she decided was "almost as good as Junior's cheesecake," referring to the famous New York restaurant.
All in all, Valanni is certainly worth the short trip east to Center City.
While the entrees and desserts are a bit on the pricey side for a lowly college student, the restaurant is a great place to splash out for a night with that special someone, or even just a friend who enjoys good food and a sophisticated atmosphere.
The restaurant also offers Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and a late-night tapas menu (dishes range from $4 to $16) from the end of dinner to 1 a.m.
Lastly, if you're looking for somewhere to imbibe besides Smoke's or Copa, Valanni offers an extensive wine list as well as cocktails -- such as caipirinhas, mojitos and cosmopolitans -- all under $8.
Whether you seek to indulge in fine Mediterranean cuisine, have an intimate Sunday brunch or simply expand your drink repertoire, Valanni's homey, trendy atmosphere will not disappoint.
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