Philadelphia is getting a new taste of la dolce vita.<\/p>\n
Ellen Yin\u2019s Bar Cicci<\/a> opened Aug. 18 in Rittenhouse Square<\/a>, offering an all-day neighborhood caf\u00e9 and aperitivo bar inspired by Venice\u2019s convivial bacari (wine bars).<\/p>\n The name comes from ciccio, an Italian term for \u201clittle ones\u201d or \u201clittle bites,\u201d a nod to the restaurant\u2019s focus on small plates. To bring the concept to life, Yin \u2014 along with Christina McKeough, Culinary Director of High Street and The Bread Room<\/a>, and the High Street team \u2014 traveled through Milan and Venice.<\/p>\n They found inspiration in cicchetti \u2014 small, shareable snacks traditionally enjoyed alongside wine and aperitivi \u2014 to become the foundation of Bar Cicci\u2019s menu.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of my favorite parts of traveling through Italy is seeing how neighborhood cafes serve as the heartbeat of daily life,\u201d says Yin, founder of High Street Hospitality Group<\/a>. \u201cPeople stop in for espresso in the morning, return for a quick snack or lunch, and gather again in the evening over aperitivi and cicchetti. We wanted to bring that same sense of ritual and community to Philadelphia.\u201d<\/p>\n Helmed by Chef McKeough, the new venue is designed to be what Yin loved about her culinary travels overseas: An all-day destination through food and drink.<\/p>\n During the day, guests can expect rotating Northern Italian-inspired specialties, including Pizza Bianca sandwiches filled with combinations like prosciutto, pesto and burrata or eggplant, Calabrian chile paste, basil and radicchio.<\/p>\n The pastry case during the day has its own set of picks. Think olive-studded sfilatino, Roman maritozzi filled with whipped cream, and cornettis with flavors like pistachio, chocolate, lemon and mortadella. Other opening sweets here include a cannoli-inspired croissant bun filled with ricotta and mascarpone and a pistachio-topped orange-cardamom rice pudding tart.<\/p>\n As the sun goes down, Bar Cicci shifts into its aperitivo setting with wine, cocktails and a menu \u201cbuilt for lingering and sharing.\u201d The selection centers around roughly a dozen daily-changing cicchetti, featuring cheeses, cured meats, seasonal vegetables and fish served in groups of three. A flywheel slicer will also be used daily for freshly cut salumi, Wagyu beef carpaccio tonnato and a few other tasty selections.<\/p>\n Desserts here keep the Italian theme going, with treats like zabaglione served with seasonal fruit, house-made Campari sorbet (that can be topped with prosecco), classic tiramisu and an assortment of Italian biscotti. The selection also includes gluten-free Sardinian options.<\/p>\n The beverage program is just as integral to the experience. Wine is overseen by Frank Kinyon<\/a> (Wine Director for High Street Hospitality Group) and the cocktail program by Omy Bugazia (formerly of The Sergeantsville Inn and Detroit\u2019s award-winning Ladder 4 Wine Bar).\u00a0 Aperitivo classics at Bar Cicci include a Negroni, a sparkling Negroni Sbagliato and a Garibaldi, combining Campari with fresh-pressed orange juice. Guests can also order up sips like an Espresso Martini made with Onyx Eclipse espresso and vodka, as well as the Martini Sporco, a savory vodka mixture garnished with pickled onion and anchovy.<\/p>\n Bar Cicci (1620 Sansom St.) will be first-come, first-served, open for coffee and pastry at 8 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 9 a.m. on Saturday (Note: hours will be adjusted in the fall.) Bar Cicci will close at 9 p.m. weekdays and 10 p.m. weekends. For more information, visit barcicciphl.com<\/a><\/p>\n