OUT AND ABOUT
Passion on Passyunk Two neighborhood eateries hit all the right notes. By Michael and Cait Allen
Gnocchi, 613 E. Passyunk St.
C
Top: Chef-owner Missoum Khemici with a memento of Mama Frusone. Above: An Italian classic, mussels in red sauce.
QUEEN VILLAGE QUARTERLY CRIER \\ SUMMER 2021
hef-owner Missoum Khemici taught music in his home country before coming to the United States. He landed his first job at the legendary Ristorante San Carlo under the watchful eye of Mama Frusone. “I cleaned the pots,” Missoum says, “and the next day, people thought someone bought new ones! She was very impressed.” Because of her, he learned Italian along with English. Mama Frusone would come in early and make Gnocchi’s namesake dish. the pasta by hand. She liked when Missoum helped. Soon, the family invited him to work the dining room. “At first, I was terrified,” he says. “I was so shy and nervous, I stood in the corner.” But after taking the leap, he learned he loved his relationship with customers. “I want to know what makes you happy,” he says. “I want you to feel comfortable, like you are at a good friend’s house."
We ask for the chef’s tasting menu, which begins with a tart and lemony Caesar salad. It’s clean-plate addictive. Next, there are waves of primi courses: burrata, meatballs, mussels in red sauce, gnocchi in three styles. As we reflect on their perfect balance, Missoum compares music and cooking. “Food is delicate. One wrong note can ruin a composition, and one wrong flavor can ruin a dish.” True. With the meatballs, the seasoned meat and sauce do-si-do and bow to their partner. One never upstages the other. It’s a lot to ask of a meatball, but, son, it delivers! A 96-year-old Italian matriarch sits at a nearby table. Missoum tells us with a huge smile, “She just declared that my food is better than hers! I was wondering what she would think.” It feels like the finale of a symphony, and we are on our feet. Bravo, Missoum! No, bravissimo!
