Havertown Sciarrino's: Italian Specialties and Masterpieces

is a cavernous Italian eatery on a busy stretch of West Chester Pike. I've actually driven by it many times without knowing it was there.

I went in to grab some food after the lunch rush. The place was empty but someone came to the counter within minutes to take my order. The menu is extensive to say the least but I managed to narrow it down to a spinach calzone, spaghetti  marinara and a TMB (tomato, mozzarella, provolone and basil panini).

The spinach calzone took up most of the space in a pizza box. Sprinkled with herbs on top, the calzone was stuffed with spinach, mozzarella, ricotta and some tomato sauce.

My own preference is for a spinach calzone to be made sans sauce and have it on the side instead. The tasty sauce inside was minimal. When I ate it at home, I heated up marinara sauce I had on hand for dipping. The crust was decent but the spinach was overcooked and army green in color. The ricotta was creamy and delicious though. As a whole the calzone was fairly good but not great.

The spaghetti marinara came with a nice side salad and plenty of garlic bread. There was about a half pound of cooked pasta (a bit overcooked for my taste but perfect for people who like their noodles on the softer side) and a generous portion of marinara sauce.

In addition there was a little bit of shredded mozzarella on top. The marinara sauce was a bit on the sweeter side but packed with tomato flavor. The garlic bread was soaked with butter/oil and garlic powder. I wished for more real garlic flavor.

The salad had plenty of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions and croutons. It was a much better salad than many others I've tried due to the variety of vegetables and freshness of the ingredients. 

The PMB stole the show. The crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside sesame crusted panini was delicious. The cheese melted perfectly and the tomatoes, basil and olive oil provided ideal counterparts to it.

Each bite had all these wonderful flavors and textures. I could eat this panini everyday. All panini come with chips and potato salad or cole slaw. The Herr's chips were fine as always and the potato salad was satisfactory. It didn't really add much to the combo and I could have done without it.

From pizzas to chargrilled specialties and hoagies, this place has everything under the sun. The service is casual but very friendly. The staff is young but more than willing to answer your questions and provide advice. I can't report on the waitstaff as I took my food to go but maybe I'll dine in at this BYOB another time.

The decor is typical of a casual restaurant with clean floors, bright lights, large windows and a counter area. The dining room has plenty of tables for groups large or small. There is a killer game machine by the register where you can try your hand at trivia while you wait for your order.

I should also mention the numerous framed prints of painted masterpieces of the 19th and 20th centuries. It was odd to see amazing Impressionist works throughout the restaurant. I assume that the owner is an art lover, in his/her own right.

For the record I too prefer the French Impressionists to let's say, a beer or vendor advertisement. In closing, stop in for some grub, art, trivia or all of the above. A truly unique experience awaits you in Havertown.