Jun 1, 2023 - Food and Drink

Elma is about to be Fishtown's toughest dinner reservation

Elma's scallop crudo. Photo: Shane Savitsky/Axios

I've got a dinner reservation you're going to want to snap up ASAP — because I can guarantee it's about to become much harder to get.

What's happening: I spent my Saturday evening at the first-look dinner for Elma, the brand-new, 12-seat Fishtown BYOB from chef James Nardone.

  • You might know Nardone from his time as a sous chef at Suraya or via his former pop-up Nardone Pasta Co., which put him on my radar from its stops at Northern Liberties' Ortlieb's and South Philly supper club Santé.

What to expect: Saturday's six-course prix fixe meal celebrated Elma's opening "as well as the spring harvest," and it showed from the scallop crudo starter all the way through to the blackberry-topped dessert.

  • But the highlight was, unsurprisingly, the pasta — specifically, an artichoke and ricotta-stuffed casoncelli.

The bottom line: This was one of the best dinners I've had in Philly in a long while. I almost don't want to tell you that, but I have a feeling the secret's gonna get out anyway.

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