Italian to Boot

Has Ambler become the new Main Street Manayunk? With the chic Dettera restaurant, the recent expansion of Bridget’s, and From the Boot right across the avenue from The Shanachie and the new BYOB Massa, it is starting to look and feel like it.  

From the Boot owners Nick, Marc and Nicole Ciaffone, and Bob Devine opened their first, much smaller restaurant of the same name in Lafayette Hill, which is still going strong after more than 10 years. The newer Ambler location, which opened two years ago, occupies the space that had housed Agave Grill. 

This Italian comfort food bistro is in my home turf, and my lovely dining companion and I have been there fairly often.

On our most recent visit, a Thursday night, I was amazed at the full-house turnout – this one has staying power! The 85 to 100-seat main dining room and bar is finished in soothing earthtones, with a huge map of the so-called “boot” of the Italian mainland, and of Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica. 

Our attentive server came over promptly after we were seated at the long community table which runs down the center of the space. She enthusiastically recited several specials, which were featured in addition to their large menu comprised of a panoply of Italian cuisine’s perennial faves.

For my main course I ordered a favorite Italian entrée, pasta and calamari in tomato sauce. I had ordered it on my first visit two years ago, and found the sauce boringly bland, and had to liven it up with a few shakes of the red pepper flakes on the table. This time, perhaps influenced by my earlier comments, the kitchen almost over-corrected, going rather far in spicing it generously with red pepper. Oddly, however, by the next day, when I had the leftovers for lunch, the sauce had mellowed out to just about right for me.

My dining companion hit the taste jackpot by going for the special, panseared salmon over linguini in a white wine marinara sauce. The salmon was perfectly cooked, as requested, not too well done, and the al dente pasta in a sauce redolent with fresh tomato, olives, and capers was similar to a classic puttanesca sauce.

On our earliest visit, we had ordered up a small order of bruschetta ($5), which a couple seated next to us were sharing. It looked so good we had to have one. A deep bowl with coarse chopped Roma tomatoes marinated in vinaigrette, garlic, and basil filling the bottom, and toasted Italian slices standing around the sides, proved quite excellent.

The house salad ($9) we shared next had very fresh Romaine, tomato, red onion and pitted olives (too few), and the highlight, a generous amount of an exceptionally mild gorgonzola, with a good creamy vinaigrette.

On another occasion, we went for happy hour and sat at the bar. After a glass of white for my dining companion and a Stella for me, we ordered as a snack the spinach and shrimp salad ($14), with portobello mushroom, plum tomato, prosciutto, shaved pecorino Romano, and olive oil. What an inspired combination of ingredients!! Each and everyone a favorite of mine, but rarely seen all together on one place. Fabulous! 

From the Boot’s wide-ranging, neighborhood-friendly menu also offers all the favorites of a local pizza and steak shop, so two can have a casual dinner – such as a pizza and soft drinks – for under $20, and in a much nicer ambiance. 

Overall rating: mmmm (out of 5 m’s) for the attractively refurbished ambiance and solid Italian food.

Location: 110 E. Butler Avenue, Ambler             

Phone: 215-646-0123

Website: www.​fromtheboot.​com/                      

Cuisine: Italian

Hours: Sunday - Thursday noon - 9 p.m.; Friday, Saturday, noon - 10:30 p.m.

Prices: Appetizers: $5-$9; salads: $4-$14; pastas: $12-$17; entrées: $12-$31

Credit cards: American Express, Diner's Club, Discover, MasterCard and Visa

Alcoholic beverages: Yes

Wheelchair access: Yes

To contact Mitch Davis, you can e-mail him.