Family business and great food at Sovalo

For a restaurant owned and operated by a married couple, filled with repeat customers and imbued with a homey aura, Sovalo is appropriately named.

Joseph and Karey Scarpone opened the Northern Liberties establishment in February, combining their young kids' names, Sophia and Valentino, to form Sovalo, their first restaurant.

Cozy, quaint and Napa Valley-inspired, Sovalo offers delicious homemade pastas, an extensive by-the-glass wine selection and exquisitely simple dishes, all at a reasonable price.

Appetizers range from $6 to $9.50, pastas from $13.95 to $17.95 and entrees from $15.95 to $21.95.

With servers who speak personably to their customers -- "It's nice to see you again," Dan says to two older women at a nearby table -- and customers who speak appreciatively to their servers -- "Your recommendations were great," an older man noted to his waitress -- Sovalo boasts a pleasant ambience in a charming, upscale space.

Joseph and Karey spent nearly seven years working at Tre Vigne, Napa's famous neo-Italian establishment, before moving to Philadelphia. In that short span, Joseph rose from line cook to executive chef, and Karey moved from server to manager.

At Sovalo, Joseph mans the kitchen, while Karey manages the front of the restaurant.

Between the husband-wife team and the friendly service, Sovalo will likely become a staple in Northern Liberties.

The drive-through "NoLibs" -- the nickname for one of Philadelphia's fastest-growing neighborhoods -- is a visual roller coaster of sorts. Sovalo is located past the boarded storefronts, beyond the vacant lots, away from the hustle and bustle, on a quaint and quiet block that reveals how much the area has changed.

But beyond the management and the location, what makes Sovalo truly special is the food.

For starters, there is a farro and yellow corn soup with wild mushrooms and parmigiana ($6), that is more stew than soup, but still tasty. All of the pasta entrees are offered as half-portion appetizers, including the roasted lobster spaghettini ($17.95), which is a no-brainer for lobster lovers.

The most expensive entree on the menu is a fennel-spiced duck breast with butternut squash, farro and duck confit, priced at $22.95.

Joseph recommends cooking the duck medium-rare, and rightfully so. With a wide array of colors and beautiful presentation on the plate, the duck is as tasty as it is appealing to the eye. While the meat itself is succulent and juicy, be patient: The best part comes at the end, with crispy meat on the bottom of the plate.

Among the pasta entrees, the ricotta gnocchi stands out from the rest. It comes with black trumpet mushrooms, guanciale and parmigiana, and it's priced at just $15.25. It's a somewhat small portion, but when it's combined with an appetizer and a dessert, you'll leave more than satisfied.

To drink, there is an assortment of wines, as well as a full bar, replete with extravagant drinks, such as the Martillo ($9.75), which comes with blueberries, a generous amount of Stoli vanilla and white cranberry juice, and the Fragola ($10), a Ketel One strawberry concoction with a splash of Bafferts gin and a hint of basil.

And you simply cannot skip dessert.

All homemade and all mouthwateringly good, Sovalo's desserts may be the most savory part of the meal. The crostata di mele with applesauce and caramel gelato ($7) -- albeit a fancy name for apple pie -- is impossible to leave unfinished, and the vanilla panna costa comes highly recommended from chef Joseph.

While Sovalo's patrons are generally older, the jazzy music, energetic couple and intimate design create a perfect setting for a date or simply a nice dinner with a friend outside of traditional Center City establishments.

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