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At Zagafen, a kosher approach to pizza and Italian food in Bala Cynwyd

The kosher wine bar on Montgomery Avenue melds the approach of consultant Greg Dodge’s Zavino and Tredici.

Saffron rigatoni at Zagafen.
Saffron rigatoni at Zagafen.Read moreCOURTESY ZAGAFEN

Zagafen?

It’s not a wonder drug. It’s a stylish, new Main Line kosher Italian restaurant with a wine focus and a full bar, at 370 Montgomery Ave. in Bala Cynwyd, developed by philanthropist David Magerman and consultant Greg Dodge in the space that long ago was Citron + Rose before its move down the street.

Zagafen melds the approach of Dodge’s Zavino and Tredici. The name is a play on hagafen (literally “the vine,” the end of the Hebrew prayer over wine), while it also borrows the Z from Zavino. (Zavino itself is a portmanteau of 'za, short for “pizza,” plus “vino.”)

The meatless menu is a mix of Zavino dishes (particularly the pizza) as well as some inspired by Tredici, and is heavy on fish.

Pizzas are $12 to $18. Entrees run in the $20s with occasional gusts into the $30s (poached cod in coconut curry is $24, for example, while the whole pan-roasted branzino with garlic spinach is $32). There also is a cholov Yisroel menu of dishes derived from milk that has been milked under the supervision of a religiously observant Jew.

Design is reminiscent of Zavino and Tredici: whitewashed brick walls, wooden slats on the ceilings and walls, and framed photos.

Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday.