Look Inside: Le Virtu

Strolling down East Passyunk the other day, doing some restaurant reconnaissance, imagine how embarrassed we were to be caught peering in the storefront window of soon-to-open Le Virtu by one of its co-owner, Frank, walking his terrier. Instead of calling the cops, he invited us inside for a tour. A complete gut-job, the space is now furnished with exposed brick columns, framed landscapes, buttercup-yellow walls, tables that look hewn from giant trees, a spacious sun-washed courtyard, and crisp emerald lawn. The lounge and bar, an antique wooden behemoth from an old-time soda shoppe, will showcase of interesting, affordable wines spanning Rome and south, and the taps will be dedicated to local beers. The dining room features an open-shelved bookcase stacked with Italian ceramics that allows glimpses into the stainless steel open kitchen, where chef Luciana Spurio will craft dishes like cocoa ravioli with rabbit and Amaretti cookies. We can’t wait to try what Frank only described as fried cream. We’ll only have to wait till the “beginning of October” for the soft opening, but for now, we’ll let the pictures do the talking.