One of the Cutest Italian Caffe's in PHL

From the location, interior, management, to the food Dolce Caffe in Northern Liberties is such a gem. This restaurant right on 2nd street is filled with the cutest decor and is a real neighborhood favorite. During my dinner in the restaurant I saw a dozen people come in and out ALL who really grew a personal relationship with the owner + management. And who loved the food so much. That speaks volumes, at least to me. 

What we got:

 

Caprese Bruschetta - tomato, mozzarella, basil, balsamic. This was my favorite thing!!! Mainly because I just have a major love for bruschetta, but the ingredients were all so fresh and blended perfectly together. 

Agata Salad - spinach, strawberries, almonds, walnuts, gorgonzola. Talk about beautiful! This salad looked like a piece of art when it arrived to the table. The gorgonzola cheese was incredibly delicious and the balsamic drizzle was the cherry on top! 

Palermo Panini - lox, fontina, tomato, argula, red onion. SO GOOD. I know that's not exactly descriptive, but just trust me on this, this panini was so delicious. The fontina cheese had such rich, bold flavors I was in heaven. And lox anything - I'm in! 

Parma Panini - prosciutto, mozzarella, arguta, tomato, pesto, olive oil. I did not get to taste this (#KosherProbs), but luckily I brought a friend along who could! My friend Lori loved every bite of this panini and said this was her personal favorite of all that we tried! In her words the pesto was perfect and the mozzarella was melted wonderfully. 

Nutella Crepe + Gelato - the crepe was filled with Nutella and topped with THREE flavors of gelato, mini cannoli shells, alongside whipped cream. On top were scoops of strawberry, pistachio, and hazelnut (my fave!). There's nothing to "review" about this other than eat it quickly because 1) it melts and becomes messy quickly and 2) the crepe will become hard from the gelato if you wait too long to eat it! This whole concoction was my favorite of the two desserts. 

Cannoli - regular size stuffed with ricotta filling. Lori preferred this dessert and was in total bliss every bite! It's extremely rich and decadent so plan on just eating half and saving the rest for a midnight craving! 

If you haven't already tried Dolce do yourself a favor and get there! You won't be disappointed. If you have already eaten there, comment below what you loved most! 

Something I thought was so CUTE was a bowl of imperfect cannoli shells on top of the gelato cooler. It kinda reminded me of when Cosi has their bowl of bread ends that people can dip into before their food order is ready. Unique touch! 

What we didn't try, but it all looked amazing was their frozen drinks, like a mocha frappe. And don't forget they have a full cappuccino bar with alllllll the caffeine, coffee-based beverages you could ever think of on the menu!

Dolce & Caffe is opened every day at either 7 or 8am and closes every night at either 8pm, 9pm, or 11pm. Check their site for specifics! And if you're lazy AF and just don't feel like heading to their storefront you're in luck! They deliver via UberEats, Caviar, and Grubhub. 

I can't wait to go again and try out their breakfast menu. The Mediterranean Style omelet sounds right up my alley. Yum!