By Frank Quattrone
It was music to their ears! Yes, when Arpeggio—the celebrated Spring House restaurant—reopened on June 22 after being closed for six weeks of intensive renovations—there rose a collective sigh of relief. It was not just longtime co-owners and business partners Mary Gigliotti Cullom and Executive Chef Ahmed “Hamdy” Khalil, champing at the bit to return to what they love best, but also their loyal customers, who have enjoyed Arpeggio’s fine pizzas, pastas, and Mediterranean fare for more than 21 years. Obviously, everyone is grateful that the more-than-yearlong renovation of the shopping center is virtually over. For Arpeggio, that means a new location, not far from its previous site; a much bigger seating area, now accommodating 120 patrons, plus 45 more on the soon-to-be-opened patio; and a brand-new open kitchen with seats around the counter, much to the delight of Hamdy, who loves talking with his guests. Customers can now enjoy their meals in a bright, airy environment, under a high vaulted ceiling with an Old World ceiling fan and drum lighting fixtures, and with attractive repainted wooden panels carved in Holland. Mary Cullom credits DAS Architects for the beautiful work. She says, “It was truly gratifying seeing it come together. It was really something putting in16 days during the renovations. It was more like opening a new restaurant than simple renovations. But we retained our entire staff. They’re all here to enjoy it again. And there was a deluge of longtime guests who really missed the restaurant. They love the new space and just to hang out with us. We’re a big part of the community and we’re glad to be back.” What they missed most, of course, was Hamdy’s delectable Mediterranean cuisine. Egyptian-born, with an Italian mother who inspired his passion for cooking, Hamdy has fashioned an affordable menu with high-quality products, featuring authentic touches of Italy, North Africa, the Middle East, even India. But he and Mary have also expanded the offerings to include more gluten-free (GL), dairy-free (DF), healthy choice (♥) and vegetarian (V) items, all indicated with clearly marked symbols. But Arpeggio’s core items, bolstered by popular recurrent specials, remain, all organized neatly in convenient subsets, such as Appetizers, Mediterranean Appetizers, Entrées, Mediterranean Entrées, Pizzas, Thin Crust Pizzas, White Pizzas, Salads, Sides, Pasta Specialties, Lunch Specials, Children’s Menu, and Burgers, which are available anytime. The afternoon of our most recent visit, Eve and I, as always, trusted Hamdy to order for us. First we had one of Hamdy’s huge puffy pitas, fresh from the oven—the biggest we’ve ever seen and available to every table. It was an especially apt complement to our Mediterranean Combo Platter, a generous sampling of humus, baba ganush, tabbouleh, falafel, stuffed grape leaves, and feta. We also enjoyed the Eggplant Rollantini. From Arpeggio’s wood-burning oven, it was an exceptional baked eggplant stuffed with ricotta, topped with mozzarella, and smothered with homemade marinara sauce. And we couldn’t leave without tasting Arpeggio’s legendary Bella, a signature thin crust pizza topped with zesty San Marzano tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella with a touch of extra-virgin olive oil. For another visit, for starters, we look forward to trying the Heart Smart Quesadillas, whole wheat tortilla filled with chicken, spinach, roasted red peppers, and a touch of feta; the heart-smart and dairy-free Arpeggio Salad of crisp romaine lettuce topped with oven-roasted eggplant, roasted red peppers, and artichoke hearts, served with a balsamic vinaigrette; and a side of Nutty Brussels Sprouts topped with toasted pecans and drizzled with balsamic reduction. Among the entrées, we can recommend the Veal Pizzaiola, tender veal in marinara sauce topped with melted mozzarella over penne; Chicken Taouk, tender grilled juicy chicken skewers marinated in Mediterranean-style yogurt and served with rice, grilled vegetables, and toum, a delicious emulsified garlic sauce; Shrimp & Crab Curry, tossed with penne, broccoli, and sun-dried tomatoes; and Pesto Del Mare, linguine tossed in pesto sauce with jumbo shrimp, scallops, and sun-dried tomatoes. One day 27 Indian guests were delighted to find not only curry dishes on the menu but also a significant number of vegetarian items. Besides the food, Arpeggio’s patrons love the way they are treated. That’s not only because Hamdy cooks from the heart and everyone notices, but it’s the small touches as well. When the restaurant was full the Friday night before our last visit, Hamdy and Mary personally brought slices of pizza to guests waiting on the patio to get in. Why has Arpeggio made so many friends for the past 21 years? “We still care about people,” Mary says. “It’s that, plus continuity and consistency, as well as the highest-quality food we can find. Our kitchen staff and serving staff have been stable forever. And we still love what we do. Word of mouth since we reopened has been phenomenal, and that’s music to our ears.” Arpeggio BYOB is located at 1101 North Bethlehem Pike, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477; 215-646-5055; www.arpeggiobyob.com. Open for lunch Monday – Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; for dinner, Monday – Thursday, 4 – 9:30 p.m.; Friday, 4 – 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. Reservations requested for parties of six or more. Available for takeout, catering, and private parties.
