Cheese-obsessees, listen up. If there’s one thing you need to know about this 18th & Sansom haunt, it’s that their famed menu is fabulously cheese-laden.
Tria vividly believes in sharing one’s culinary experience — a reverse selfishness if you please — therefore they recommended that we order several dishes to share. Wonderful, we thought: the more, the merrier. But there was a slight catch that almost threatened to disturb our salivating palates. One of our dining companions was allergic to dairy. Expecting this to be a rather large issue concerning ordering options, we were pleasantly surprised when the waitress was very accommodating and scanned the menu with us, picking out the non-dairy items Tria offers.
We settled on ordering three dishes sans cheese to share between us, and three cheese-filled dishes to accompany them. Almost immediately after ordering, we were greeted with a rather extensive bread basket. We decided on the Italian spiced meat plate ($10.50) to start. Served with a somewhat unconventional variety of accompaniments — red peppers, caper berries and spicy garlic oil — the meats were sensational, with particular regards to the spiced chorizo. A definite must, if only because it leaves your palate scintillating with anticipatory gusto, ready for the cheese-centric meal ahead.
The four other plates we ordered arrived with sparkling synchronicity. The grilled artichoke, asparagus and white bean salad ($8) was delicious, if only just a smidgen too dry. The tomato-onion relish definitely added an exciting dimension to the flavorful combination, though. We also ordered a smoked duck and spinach salad ($10) which was an absolute treat.
But the real delight was the bruschetta. Now here’s where Tria’s magic really took center stage. Tired of the dairy-free portion of the meal, we ordered two different bruschetta. The first was a truffled mushroom and fontina cheese concoction ($4). The proportions were just right, avoiding the common mistake that most dining establishments seem to commit of overly truffling everything. Served warm, this bruschetta disappeared very, very fast.
The second was a pistachio herbed ricotta and sage honey bruschetta ($3.50). The mildly toasted bread allowed the honey to properly meld into the thick spattering of ricotta, leaving a wonderfully rich aftertaste. Definitely the favorite.
To top off a rather splendid meal, we decided to indulge in the banana, goat’s milk caramel and mascarpone panino ($6.50). I devoured the dish with rapturous glee, thankful that my companion was not in the mood for dessert.
Overall, Tria is the perfect place to while away an afternoon whilst getting your culinary fix, particularly because of the relaxing ambiance that surrounds your dining experience. It’s easy to be a bit hesitant upon walking into a restaurant where the lighting scheme consists of flickering candles and dimmed overheads, particularly when the outside world is swathed in daylight. In the case of Tria Café, however, the lighting only serves to accentuate the polished traits of the heavily cheese-accented menu and the delicate precision with which it has clearly been crafted.
Tria 123 S. 18th St. (215) 972-8742 Don’t Miss: The pistachio herbed ricotta and sage honey bruschetta, the Jamaican ginger beer Skip: The bread Bottom Line: Helpful service and a relaxing atmosphere complement the all-star menu.
