Albert Murraku estimates the idea and name for La Sera Italiana have been stuck in his head since “probably forever.”
Raised in Tirana, Albania, the 27-year-old told Billy Penn a combination of working at his father’s traditional Albanian restaurant, and his mother’s Italian-influenced home cooking, helped shape an early urge to “open and manage my own place.”
He’s made it happen with a 40-seat bistro at 1608 South Street—previously home to Entrée BYOB, which vacated the location late February. Open daily, the restaurant offers separate lunch and dinner menus, closing in between from 3 to 4 p.m.
Except for its gluten-free options, La Sera Italiana’s pastas are made from scratch, with Murraku pointing out the seafood-heavy spaghetti capesante and linguini pescatore as personal preferences, along with the shrimp-mushroom-and-pea risotto scampi, served in a creamy rose sauce.
It’s not all pescatarian—marsala, parmigiana, Milanese, and picatta are among the standards rounded up in the menu’s chicken and veal section; a goat cheese-mushroom-shallot-topped ribeye is also available.
For vegetarian dishes, the namesake gnocchi, baked with fresh mozzarella, is another highlight Murraku said. The Genovese version is served with walnuts and a rich pesto sauce. A half dozen salads are also listed.
It’s all bookended by the expected appetizers—bruschetta, calamari fritti and antipasto platters are featured—and a dessert lineup of tiramisu, panna cotta, strawberry cheesecake, chocolate mousse, and crème brûlée.
Available daily till 3 p.m., La Sera Italiana’s lunch menu cuts back on the pastas in favor of sandwiches (caprese, sausage, or chicken) and toasts (smoked salmon or veggie), and a house burger—a blue cheese-topped 9 oz angus beef patty in a 12-inch house-made bun. All are served with salad or fries.
On the beverage side: smoothies, lemonade, and hot and iced teas, with Motta coffee used for fresh brews, espressos, and cappuccinos—La Sera Italiana is BYO.
Besides aiming for broad appeal, Murraku, who came to Philly in 2015, said his menu is informed by the nine years spent transitioning from cook to manager at Italian bistro La Viola on S 16th Street, a few blocks from the apartment he’s lived in throughout, as well as the storefront he’d eventually claim.
He left La Viola at the start of the year, shortly after discovering 1608 South Street’s availability through a Facebook Marketplace listing and reaching out to its owners.
“When I saw that place,” Murraku said, “I saw a place where I [was] going to do something for myself.”
A turnkey deal that included Entrée’s appliances, equipment, and silverware helped speed up La Sera Italiana’s opening; the 1,200 sq ft space required only minor refurbishments. A staff of four was hired, with two cooks to assist Murraku in the kitchen.
Three weeks in, things have been going smoothly enough that Murraku is already considering a second restaurant. It’s a far cry from when he first moved to Philly, he said.
“Coming here was difficult,” he said, with no connections and a rudimentary grasp of the English language. Additionally, “the culture was completely different.”
Now? “I’ve been in the city for so long,” Murraku said, citing the relationships he’s built after almost a decade in the local restaurant scene. “I knew that they would support me, so that was a nice feeling to have, knowing that people know you and will come out for you.”
1608 South Street | 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 4 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 4 to 10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday | (267) 930-7805 | laseraitaliana.com | BYO | $9-$35
