February 18, 2008
By: Ken Alan
kalan@aroundphilly.com
Most every Saturday from September through May, my family and I will traverse from the very top of Chester County toward the bottom of Delaware County, then back again. Cheap dance lessons from my dance studio-owning mother-in-law for the kids (tap for my son, ballet for my daughter) means racking up major weekend mileage.
By the time we’re heading home, it’s about 2:22pm, and we are ravenous. “Okay, let’s do pizza” usually wins out and we’ll drive to our favorite on-the-way destination: Fresco in Newtown Square.
Open since August, 2005, Fresco has certainly lived up to its name. It’s a fresh and familiar restaurant set near the thriving crossroads of Route’s 3 and 252. The locals really dig it.
Sure, owner Tina Harras offers pizza. But Fresco’s signature stone-fired beauties are premium works of art made with natural ingredients, from-scratch tomato sauce and the freshest dough.
We usually order the margherita ($8.99 small/$12.99 large) though the selections are vast: chicken florentine pizza, Tuscany (Italian meats and cheeses), rustica (with Italian sausage and roasted peppers) and there’s the devilish diablo (jalepenos/hot peppers/spicy tomato sauce). Sometimes, my crew will go for the build-your-own Neopolitan pizza.
Yet Fresco is much more than a typical pizza shop. Harras calls hers “a casual gourmet BYOB”--not stark counters and fluorescent lit like Carmine’s, the storefront pizzeria that’s around the corner, nor as high-end as Roux 3, the ultra-modern fine dining restaurant just up the pike.
Between these two comparisons, Fresco leans toward the latter in style. It’s a very city-cool space with high ceilings and lots of natural light coming in; a place where walls are hand-painted in muted earth tones; large local artist’s prints create wide vistas--illustrations that coincide with Harras’s Greco-seaside roots, their hand-painted characters joined together in symbolism.
Rich swathes of burgundy drapery cascade down and cordon sections into smaller private alcoves. All the while, the eyes are drawn to the impressive glass-tiled mosaic wall that arches over shiny silver ovens just beyond the service counter by the open kitchen.
Very artistic and quite cool, Fresco has something for everyone (a family-friendly table to gather at or, on weekend nights especially, a cozy date spot or out-with-friends kind of find), providing simple yet delicious Mediterranean fare.
Fresco with the kids and we usually share an order of tender grilled calamari; the charred-tendril tips adding smoky flavor to drizzled olive oil, lemon and hints of garlic over a refreshing spring mix. My wife enjoys Tina’s classic Greek salad, though our favorite together is her spinach-bedded Caprese salad with fresh mozzarella cheese.
Paninis are present (Monte Cristo/Tuscany/Santa Fe chicken club--all served on ciabatta bread), as are wraps, specialty sandwiches and juicy Angus beef burgers. But it’s the stone-fired pizzas that really lure us in.
Fresco with friends and we’ll usually bring a fun and fruity bottle of wine, share a pizza pie and most likely, order a hearty pasta dish like the penne with di Parma prosciutto, Pecorino Romano, and fresh herbs in a vodka cream sauce, or, maybe the ouzo laced shrimp greco with mushrooms, garlic, and feta in a zesty marinara.
Fresco moves to a higher culinary level from their entrees as well; Kota Parminzana is lightly breaded chicken, eggplant, fresh cheeses and a side vegetable. Another signature dish is the Fresco filet of beef tenderloin and portobello mushrooms topped with gravy. Half high-end and half home style, Fresco is all-affordable.
Peek into the front counter to see the desserts; rich, chocolate-y cakes and fruity tortes that tempt, as do homemade cannoli, biscotti, and cookies.
Fresco’s highlights also include area delivery and catering. Lunches are served “half-cafeteria-style,” as Tina calls it. Walk up to the counter to order and a server will bring your food and replenish drinks and plates. Dinner is full service.
Those servers are usually young; some are green with the veterans of the group generally providing the more pronounced dining experience. I’ve been wowed by friendliness there in the past, as I’ve occasionally wished for refills and plates to be cleared. Harras sees this need for continuing uniformity. The full-time working mother of two teenage boys knows, I can tell, that her front-of-house is just as important as the back.
At around 4pm my family of four will grab any remaining goodies to bring home and pile back in the car for the rest of the drive home. Then we’ll do it all over again next Saturday.
