jake
Google
I met one of the owners of Sorrentino at the East Falls Farmers Market and was easily sold on their pasta fresca. After enjoying that, I knew I had to visit their brick & mortar shop at some point. Seeing their menu for Easter weekend, a friend and I decided to bike to Ambler from Philly to check it out. The ride was beautiful, as was the weather, so we sat outside with a nice view of the main street.
We got the dishes split, so that we could each try a good portion. The pasta did not disappoint, of course, and each dish was well made, and reasonably priced for being such high quality ingredients. The semolina is imported from Italy, so it is wheat that meets Italian standards. This is the only reason I can eat it, being intolerant of glyphosate. In the US, organic wheat tends to have factors more glyphosate residue than normal Italian wheat. And I am told the flour and pasta bought in U.S. grocery stores with labels "made in Italy" etc., are often just U.S. (and other) wheats that are processed on Italian machinery and packaged exclusively for the U.S. market. I have thus far had no problems with Sorrentino's food - that's not to say that you won't if you suffer from something similar, but, for me, it's a real gift to have access to well-thought out and skillfully prepared foods that I can actually enjoy.
The focaccia is amazing: light and fluffy on the inside, and crisp (but not hard, nor too chewy) on the outside. It was perfect for scarpetta. The cannoli are fresh and crisp, and the espresso is very nice - unlike most cafes' espressos. The gelato is not special to me (I got an affogato), but, after all, they're not a gelateria! I will have to try the tiramisu, but I fear it won't be able to compete with my Sardinian mother-in-law's single-layer made with Sardinian savoiardi, which are about 3x the size of typical ladyfingers. I digress...
Everyone working at Sorrentino was very friendly and helpful, whether it was busy or calm. Excellent customer service, no question.
In the deli, they had such wonders as scamorza (a strangled and smoked mozzarella), 'nduja (spicy spreadable salami), and chinotto (a sort of orange soda that is bitter-sweet). And, of course, their pastas!
Peruse, and sample what draws you!