Tale of the Tape: Lo Spiedo

Marc Vetri’s seventh restaurant, Lo Spiedo officially opens today. Located just inside the gates at the Navy Yard in South Philadelphia, Lo Spiedo aims to be a lunch option for the Navy Yard’s 11,000 plus employees as well as a dinner destination for Philadelphia diners.

The Lo Spiedo Space

• Lo Spiedo is located in building 500, an old gatehouse, just inside the Broad Street gate of the Navy Yard.
• Designed by Michael Gruber Design, who previously designed Osteria, Amis and Alla Spina.
• Bi-level space:
  • Zinc-topped bar, somewhat open kitchen and some seating occupy the first floor.
    • Intricate tile floor impresses.
  • Second floor offers additional tables and a private room.
    • The second floor offers murals by the artist, Dave “Distort” Sol, who also did the graffiti at Alla Spina.
• A patio will offer seating for 60 come next spring.

Lo Spiedo: The Space

Lo Spiedo

The old building 500 is now Lo Spiedo.

Lo Spiedo

Upstairs Dining Room

Lo Spiedo

Murals by "Distort," the same artist who did the much more wild artwork at Alla Spina.

Lo Spiedo

Large light fixture at the top of the stairs.

Lo Spiedo

From the window of the upstairs dining room.

Lo Spiedo

Looking out at Lincoln Financial Field.

Lo Spiedo

Next spring, the restaurant will add a patio.

The Food at Lo Spiedo

• Lo Spiedo means “the spit” in Italian, much of the food cooks on the kitchen’s grill and rotisserie.
• Scott Calhoun, previously sous chef at Osteria, runs the kitchen.
• The grill is put to good use with the spiedini (skewers) and with the main courses including a really impressive rotisserie chicken that is slathered with lemon and olive oil.
• Dishes run from $1.25 for a grilled chicken wing to $120 for a 36-ounce Creekstone Fiorentina steak to share.
• A selection of five panini, will appeal to Navy Yard, lunchers range from $12 for the chopped pork shoulder sandwich to $15 for the “New England style” octopus roll.
• Only three pastas are on the menu.
• Opening food menu at Lo Spiedo.

Food at Lo Spiedo

Shaved Pumpkin Salad

This was an addictive salad that blew us away. Finally something pumpkin that you'll want to eat.

Half Chicken with lemon and olive oil

The chicken showcases the kitchen's rotisserie prowess.

Bucatini alla Gricia

What's a Vetri restaurant without pasta? Lo Spiedo does offer three options.

The Drinks at Lo Spiedo

• Beverage director Steve Wildy and bartender Stephen Warner have created a beverage program that will appeal to the happy hour crowd as well as those who might just want to have one drink at lunch.
• Lo Spiedo makes its own ginger beer and tonic.
  • The tonic is shown off in the gin and tonic, which is immediately among the city’s finest.
  • Drink the ginger beer for an invigorating lunchtime non-cocktail or combine it with the Bullfrog Brewery’s Blackberry Juju for a shandy that weighs in at about 2.5% ABV.
• Lo Spiedo offers three beers and two wines on tap.
• Full Drink menu at Lo Spiedo.

Lo Spiedo Drinks

Gin and Tonic

Made with Beefeater Gin, housemade tonic and topped with a dehydrated lime slice.

Ginger Shandy

Housemade ginger beer and beer. Weighs in at a doable 2.5% alcohol by volume.

Paloma Sgroppino

Campari, grapefruit granita, prosecco.

Lo Spiedo is open for lunch and dinner, Monday through Friday and for dinner on weekends.

Lo Spiedo [Foobooz]