Ralph’s – South Philly

Ralph’s is my guilty pleasure, I admit it. Sometimes, I just get this hankering for Italian that the usual suspects in my neighborhood simply will not fill. So, I jump in the car, drive all the way to South Philly and partake in a meal that leaves me full and happy every time.

I have only had one meal at Ralph’s, the veal parmigiana. I’m sure the other dishes are excellent, but when I have found something I love, there is no reason to try anything else. The veal parm at Ralph’s is perfectly prepared. Its a thin and lean piece of veal, crispy and well done on the ends with lots of the warm sauce (gravy) and plenty of cheese. The piece of veal hangs over the plate, that is how large it is.

The service at Ralph’s is almost always excellent, they check in on you occasionally, the meals and drinks arrive promptly and the wine selected is usually pretty good.

The only complaints I have are fairly innocuous. Often, the wait for a table can be long. They only take cash, no credit cards. Finally, we had dinner there on a very hot day this weekend, we were both wearing shorts and shirts. The A/C must have been 65 degrees in the restaurant, quite cold a bit uncomfortable. So, if you are going in the summer, wear pants! But, certainly go, its one of the best Italian restaurants in the City.