Trattoria San Nicola
By: Blake Montalto
Trattoria San Nicola in Paoli, PA, brings a real style of Bari, Italy—the coastal hometown of chef and proprietor Vito Giannandrea—to the Foremost Line. Perched alongside the Adriatic Sea, Bari’s delicacies is deeply related to the water, and that affect runs all through Chef Vito’s menu.
Chef Vito’s culinary journey started in 1976, when he break up his time between faculty within the winter and dealing in restaurant kitchens all through the summer time. That lifelong dedication to hospitality led him to open the unique Trattoria San Nicola in Berwyn in 1995, adopted by the Paoli location in 2004. Immediately, the restaurant appears like an open invitation to Italy, providing old-world appeal, a heat, welcoming environment, and timeless Italian cooking.
Meals typically start with comforting classics like Bruschetta al Pomodoro e Mozzarella, that includes toasted bread topped with ripe tomatoes, recent basil, and mozzarella, or Passato di Pomodoro con Carne di Granchio, a silky tomato soup enriched with candy crab meat—particularly satisfying on a cold day.
Seafood stays a centerpiece of the menu. The Ravioli di Aragosta showcases black ink pasta filled with ricotta and lobster, sautéed with garlic and spicy oil, then completed with crab meat and diced tomatoes. One other standout is Gamberoni e Cappe Sante Grigliati, grilled jumbo shrimp and sea scallops brushed with garlic, herbs, and recent lemon, served with penne pasta or blended greens. For a lighter coastal choice, the Trancia di Salmone alla Griglia pairs completely grilled salmon with salmoriglio, a shiny Italian lemon-herb sauce.
Dessert is rarely an afterthought at Trattoria San Nicola. From basic cannoli and tiramisu to Limoncello Tartufo, the choices are greatest loved alongside a cappuccino—or an espresso martini—for a real Italian end.
For diners in search of an genuine escape to the Italian coast with out leaving Pennsylvania, Trattoria San Nicola delivers custom, heat, and a deep respect for the ocean—one plate at a time.
