Italian Steakhouse Palladino's Debuts on East Passyunk

After a few nights of limited soft-open runs, Palladino's officially launches tonight at Passyunk and Broad. It's chef-owner Luke Palladino's first restaurant in Philadelphia, though his name is already widely familiar thanks to his presence at the Jersey shore. The new opening shows off a massive renovation to the building that most recently held Columbo's restaurant, which was damaged by a fire in 2012.

The Italian menu is sizable, including numerous starter and pasta options, as well as wood-grilled meat and seafood entrees served steakhouse style with various side and sauce options. A separate bar menu offers some casual choices, including heaps of potato skins and a burger. (See all the opening menus below.)

The dining room. [Photo: Palladino's]

The restaurant seats 80, but with outdoor seating planned, that will expand to about 120 in nicer weather. A full bar matches the Italian emphasis across beer (there's a brief draft list of four selections), wine, and liquor selections.

For now, the restaurant will be open for dinner and bar service, with late-night hours; lunch and brunch will roll out in the coming weeks. Hours are 5 p.m. to midnight, Sunday through Thursday, and 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. (kitchen open until 1 a.m.) on Friday and Saturday. Reservations are live on OpenTable here. (As previously noted in our holiday dining guide, the restaurant will be closed on Christmas Day, but open for dinner on Christmas Eve.)

Palladino's dinner, dessert, and bar menus