If you live with celiac disease, dinner out usually begins with a round of questions and ends with a short list of safe options. Two nights this fall, Le Virtù at 1927 E. Passyunk Ave. in South Philadelphia will skip that routine: every dish, drink and prep area will be gluten-free, so you can order anything on the menu.
What to expect on Nov. 5 and Nov. 19
The kitchen, bar and prep areas get a full deep clean after service on Wednesday night, the day before each event. Then Executive Chef Andrew Wood and his team serve a gluten-free version of the menu, from antipasti through dolci, built on the flavors of Abruzzo. Service runs 5 to 9 p.m. on both Thursdays.
The menu includes:
Pasta: buckwheat tortiglioni with octopus ragù and cuttlefish ink, spaghetti with tomato-braised goat ragù, green pea fusilli with porcini sugo, and rigatoni alla Vittoria with roasted butternut squash and saffron.
Secondi and sides: red wine-braised Peposo (beef shoulder), seared red snapper, bombette di Cisternino, grilled pumpkin alla Parmigiana and toasted gnocchi.
Dolci: Lu Parrozz’, a flourless almond cake with orange, saffron and dark chocolate ganache, plus ricotta cheesecake, a chocolate olive oil cake, gelati and sorbetti.
Dishes are à la carte and pay-as-you-go, and you don’t need a ticket. Reservations are open on Resy. Seating will be inside, in the restaurant’s several dining rooms and bar area. If the weather cooperates, the team may also open the patio and garden.
“The number one thing we hear from our friends is that being GF and having celiac can be all about what you can’t do,” Wood said. “We want to create a special night where we turn the ‘you can’t’ into ‘now you can.'” He said the restaurant already offers many gluten-free options and gets regular requests for more.
A growing gluten-free scene around Philly
Le Virtù’s nights fit a wider shift in the region. Dedicated gluten-free nights at Little Walter’s in Kensington have been selling out. South Jersey recently gained two all-gluten-free eateries, LesbiVeggies and Bleu Bear, and The Happy Mixer Gluten-Free Bakery has opened a new location in Royersford.
Le Virtù, which owners Francis Cratil-Cretarola and Catherine Lee have run since 2007 as a tribute to Abruzzo, is bringing the one-night model to East Passyunk’s Restaurant Row. For menu updates, check the restaurant’s website or follow @levirtu on Instagram.
