Laurel
Pennsylvania
Laurel occupies an intimate dining room on East Passyunk Avenue in Philadelphia. Chef Nicholas Elmi's cooking takes a modern American direction with French influences, using a changing seasonal menu to give ingredients a distinctive treatment. Its small scale keeps the focus on the meal and the close relationship between kitchen and dining room. The restaurant now offers à la carte dining with a cocktail and wine bar. Its documented repertoire includes oysters with pickled serrano and gelée, boquerones on sourdough brioche, and ricotta gnocchi. A short, edited selection changes with the season, allowing a meal to develop through smaller plates and more substantial dishes.