Valanni

For a friend's birthday, we had a celebration at Valanni (1229 Spruce St.). The restaurant had a modern and fancy feel to it which I really dig.

Below are dishes we got that I could eat.

Medi-Latin Plate was an assortment of appetizers which included hummus and pita, calamari, beef kabobs, empanadas, bacon wrapped figs, spanakopita, warm feta and olives. I thought the hummus was somewhat light and creamy. Seasoning-wise nothing particularly stood out about the hummus and pita. The veggie empandas were good. See the next paragraph for more details. I didn't eat the beef kabobs or bacon wrapped figs. My friends did rave about the bacon wrapped figs, though. The spanakopita was soft in texture. It was rich in feta cheese and spinach. The calamari were good. It was well-seasoned, crispy on the outside, and tender and somewhat chewy in the inside. 

Medi-Latin Plate

Vegetable empanadas were filled with shitake mushroom, manchego, roasted peppers, caramelized onions and came with chipotle aloli. The empanda's skin was thick and crispy. The filling was delicious. The empanda went well with the creamy aloli sauce.  

Vegetable Empandas

Baked Brie had grand marnier- soaked the cranberries, pears, and hazelnuts in it. It was accompanied by toasted baguette. I think this was my favorite. It was nutty, cheesy, and sweet. and crispy with the toasted bread. I love all the combination of texture and favors. 

Baked Brie

Grilled octopus was cooked with braised fennel, sundried tomato remoulade, micro greens, and pesto. The sauce was somewhat creamy. The octopus was very tender. I feel like octopus is usually firmer than this and chewy. But this octopus kind of melts in your mouth. 

Grilled Octopus

The Crispy Brussel Sprouts' description says marcona almonds, granny smith apples, and aged balsamic. I thought we were going to get half or whole brussels but they were leaves of the sprouts. They were flakey and crispy. I didn't eat any almonds and apples, but I can definitely taste the sweetness from apple and balsamic.

Crispy Brussel Sprout