• Craig LaBan braves the Jersey Shore’s “disconcertingly gray landscape in winter” to check out the “crisped arancini rice balls with hearts that oozed truffled Sottocenere cheese” and the “meltingly tender fried squid” at Luke Palladino Seasonal Italian Cooking, which he deems “the best Italian restaurants in the entire region.” [Inquirer]
• At Villari’s, Adam Erace proclaims the escarole soup “might just be the best thing” he ever ate, the crab cakes “one of the better versions of the classic I’ve had,” and the veal saltimbocca “a fair riff” on the classic. [Courier-Post]
• Penn Appetit pops its pork belly cherry at Han Dynasty, and finds it a “bit too adventurous,” but the comped dan dan noodles are “exceptional.” [Penn Appetit]
• Kennett’s kale salad was “a bit unbalanced” for Two Eat Philly, but the brunch pizza was “simple but oh-so-amazing.” [Two Eat Philly]
