Tria Fitler Square Boasts Park Views and an Expanded Menu

by Caroline Russock in Bars & Restaurants

Philadelphia's premier destination for wine and cheese, Tria, recently opened the doors (and weather-permitting, windows) at a lovely location on Fitler Square. With park views and a sun-filled dining room (again, weather-permitting, outdoor seating), the new spot has the same meticulously chosen wine, beer and cheese menus that made its sister locations staples for fermentation fans. But the Fitler outpost has added another element to the well-loved fermentables formula.

With the addition of head chef Karen Nicolas, a veteran of New York’s Gramercy Tavern, another well-loved wine and cheese destination, Fitler has introduced a menu that makes for more of a serious dining destination.

Assistant general manager Ariel Carey says, “The major difference that you’ll see here is that our salads and sandwiches have been replaced by Karen’s seven composed dishes, or medium plates as they say on the menu.”

The space was previously occupied by Dmitri’s, a BYO Mediterranean small plates spot that was a big winner with the neighborhood.

“It’s really interesting to see as Dmitri’s was here previously and a lot of people expect that Dimitri’s feel. We kept a homage with the octopus dish on the menu. But it’s really nice to have the same feel.”

The octopus on the menu is chargrilled and served with a cool salad of orzo, raisins and chile and dressed with citrus yogurt. Nicolas’s menu also includes a handful of pastas like gnocchi with braised short ribs and burrata as well as hand-rolled ricotta cavatelli with hazelnut brown butter, asparagus and Castelvetrano olives.

Of course even with the same, ever-exciting and constantly rotating drinks and cheese menu, there are plenty of Tria staple snacks that stayed on. “You cannot do away with the truffled egg toast,” says Casey. “Or else there will be riots.”

The understated room boasts roomy bar seating with great views as well as sleek, Mid-Century lighting, repurposed wood from Pennsylvania and banquet seating accented with custom wallpaper designed by a Manayunk-based artist.

The wine menu has no less than 26 pours with everything from a Alsatian sparkler from Albert Mann to a rare Uruguayan Tannat, a bottle that the always fun to read menu describes as brooding but beautiful. And as far as beers go, this new Tria, like the previous three locations never disappoints. You’d be hard-pressed to find Del Ducato’s Brett Peat Daydream and locally brewed Bullfrog Smoked Cherry Stout on any other beer lists in town.

Tria Fitler Square; 2227 Pine St., 215-309-245

Photos by Steve Legato