Now open: Giancarlo's Lounge
New, casual Italian is mere steps from the Kimmel Center.
Add this newcomer to the list of casual drop-in restaurants near the Kimmel Center/Academy of Music:
Giancarlo's Lounge, 1506 Spruce St., replacing a produce store. It's next to Giancarlo Frusone's sibling, Bella Cena Primadonna.
Menu (shared here) is a budget-friendly selection of hot and cold Italian small plates, such as beef, lamb, or pork meatballs, short ribs, eggplant parm, seafood salad, and octopus carpaccio. Atmosphere is more cafe than lounge, and there's a TV over the long bar.
The mostly Italian-and-California wine list's by-the-glass selection starts at $6.
Twist is that it serves continuously from noon to 1 a.m., meaning that if you're hungry before a 5 o'clock curtain, you can drop in at 3:55 and not be turned away.