Far from the Island of Cyprus, Kanella — a new BYOB located on 10th and Spruce — brings a breath of fresh air to Philadelphia’s Mediterranean offerings. Kanella, which means cinnamon in Greek, offers a combination of dishes from Cyprus and the Greek Isles. Konstantinos Pitsillides, chef and owner of the restaurant, creates a wide range of appetizers and main courses that draw on the traditional Cypriot ingredients and simple cooking methods of his native culture.
Kanella is a sophisticated restaurant, both in range of flavors and in décor, yet it maintains a casual, summery vibe you might expect by the seaside in Greece. Whitewashed stucco walls accented with blue doors, exposed brick, rustic wooden tables and maps and artifacts from Cyprus decorate the interior, adding to this bright atmosphere.
Items on the menu range from the traditional Greek staples — dolmades, mousaka, lamb, grilled octopus, haloumi cheese — to unusual meats and fish harder to come by in Philadelphia. The evening of our visit, specials included whole roasted pidgeon, lamb liver and an appetizer of grilled Pacu fish, a South American river fish related to the piranha.
The Pacu, rubbed with spices and served along fresh tomatoes and a caper dressing, was wonderfully meaty. The waiter even encouraged us to eat fish ribs with our hands, bringing along a finger bowl for when things got messy.
We began our meal with the trio of dips served with warm, freshly grilled pita bread ($7). The dips vary every day, and go far beyond the standard hummus and baba ganoush you might expect. On our visit, we sampled purée of lentils and anchovies, white bean dip and skordalia — a thick garlic and potato spread. To start, we also ordered the bureki, a triangle of phyllo dough pastry stuffed with crumbled feta and thyme and served alongside roasted beets ($7). The flaky dough was drizzled with thyme honey, in perfect balance with the salty feta filling.
For one main course, we tried the whole fish of the day — roasted Dorado stuffed with a bundle of thyme and lemon slices. With its crispy skin and fragrant interior wrapped in grape leaves, the simple preparation highlighted the freshness of the fish itself.
Katsiki, our other entrée of goat stew with fried okra, carrots, celery and wheat berries ($25), was a wonderful surprise, as previous experiences with goat had never gotten beyond the meat’s tough texture. On the contrary, this stewed meat was incredibly tender, suffused with a spicy, rich sauce and accented by hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.
The Glika (sweets) menu offers an assortment of Cypriot pastries, but we opted for the trio of ice creams — fresh mint, rum raisin and coffee — made in house ($7). Perfectly creamy, they provided a light ending to a meal of substantial portions and rich flavors. Along with the dessert, Kanella offers soumada (a warm almond drink that could be considered dessert in itself), a wide selection of herbal teas, individual French coffee presses in various sizes and a heavily spiced Greek coffee.
Every aspect of the restaurant, from the menu’s Hellenic font to the white starfish and seashells in the restrooms, transports dinners beyond the corner BYOB to an isle in the Mediterranean.
