A taste of the Mediterranean

In Huntingdon Valley

Story by Mindy Toran

Photos By Jamie Stow

When you’re craving a home-cooked meal but don’t feel up to cooking it yourself, La Voglia in Huntingdon Valley is happy to oblige. The neighborhood bistro, serving locally sourced, made-to-order Mediterranean cuisine, opened in June 2021 in the space formerly occupied by Piero’s in the Woodmont development off of Byberry Road. With a warm and inviting open floor plan, lots of space and natural light, the BYOB is a great place for a family dinner, date night or a special occasion.

The restaurant is the second endeavor for partners Ermir Madani, Arber Mullai and Dave Marques, whose La Voglia Italian location in Warminster has become a staple in the local community. The Huntingdon Valley location aims to combine the best of Italy and Portugal with a flair for fresh seafood, pasta and meat using fresh, seasonal ingredients from local farmers’ markets and suppliers.

“We wanted to put together something a little bit different see page 11

Taste 19006

from page 8 from the traditional Italian dishes our Warminster location offers,” says Madani. “Our Mediterranean-inspired menu features a mix of Portuguese flavors, along with lots of seafood, specialty pastas and signature dishes that we make in-house that make our dishes stand out. We wanted to offer something different to our customers that would satisfy their palates and keep them coming back for more.”

The dining experience is particularly important to the partners, all of whom make a point to be on-site the majority of the time.

“The name of our restaurant, La Voglia, translates into ‘the desire,’ in Italian,” says Madani. “We expanded upon that to include ‘the desire that connects us while eating and being together.’ That’s something that’s very personal to me. When I sit down to a meal, I want it to be enjoyable for everyone at the table. We consider our customers part of our family and like to be able to socialize and sit and talk with them. We enjoy interacting with them, learning about what they like and evolving our menus based on their feedback.”

Marques, who currently serves as chef at the Huntingdon Valley location, draws upon his Portuguese heritage for many of the bistro’s signature dishes.

“I’m inspired by dishes from Portugal, Italy, France and Greece,” says Marques, who grew up in South Philadelphia and has been cooking since age 16. “I started out working at Dante & Luigi’s, attended college for a couple of years, moved to Europe and had my own restaurant over there for about four years. When I came back to the states I worked in various restaurants throughout the city, including the Striped Bass, where I learned a lot about cooking all types of seafood.”

Some of Marques’ signature dishes include a grilled seafood board with a mixture of calamari, jumbo shrimp, octopus, harissa, grilled winter vegetables, Mediterranean olives and radicchio arugula salad; lamb shank osso bucco, slow roasted with chick peas, apricots, fresh herbs, risotto and broccoli rabe; lobster ravioli with chopped jumbo shrimp, peeled cherry tomatoes and brandy cream sauce; and house-made black pepper pappardelle with wild mushrooms, sage, summer peas, porcini butter sauce, grana padano and white truffle drizzle.

The restaurant recently added a raw seafood bar, supplied daily, offering cold shrimp, oysters, clams and sea urchin. Guests who don’t bring their own spirits are invited to try a variety of mocktails, specially created by the owners. And all desserts are made in-house, with options changing every other day, including tiramisu, cannolis and baklava.

“This community has been very welcoming to us,” says Madani. “We’ve become very close with our customer base, many of whom we consider friends and part of our La Voglia family. Our goal is to exceed our customers’ expectations and provide them with a unique dining experience that keeps them coming back for years to come.” — 19006

La Voglia Mediterranean is located at 3500 Reading Way, Huntingdon Valley. Hours are Tuesdays through Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sundays, 1 to 9 p.m. The restaurant is available for private parties of 90 to 140 people. Call 215-420-7959 or visit lavogliahv.com