Chain Gang | Italian Bistro, not quite a neighborhood joint

WHEN IT COMES to reviewing Italian fare, the Chain Gang usually has one basic dilemma: In our town, there are simply too many established neighborhood destinations. That makes it awfully tough for the chains to keep up. Some do a better job than others.

As proof, we offer the Italian Bistro at Welsh Road and the Boulevard in the greater Northeast. The Gang has been to many of its competitors, but this was the first trip to Italian Bistro. Chances are it won't be the last.

Was it the same as going to (fill in the name of your favorite neighborhood joint)? Probably not. Yet as far as reasonable facsimiles are concerned, it provided a pretty decent alternative.

We opted not to order drinks, but if we had, there were plenty of mixed concoctions to choose from.

There was no shortage of appetizer possibilities, either. Ditto soups and salads. But since we knew we'd be getting both soup and salad with our entrees, we decided to go easy, a decision we felt even better about once the assorted bread basket got plopped on the table.

The Bistro has a brick oven, so we shared a Margherita pizza ($8.99). Wise move. It had a thin crust, done just enough, with the the proper amount of sauce and cheese. Not to mention just the right size to leave a slice or two leftover to take home for the obligatory late-night snack.

The included soup of the day was a cup of chicken noodle, which turned out to be quite hearty. Or, for $3 extra, you could splurge for an entire bowl of the lobster bisque. It's worth the extra cost. As advertised, it was sweet and creamy, with bits of not only lobster, but shrimp and scallops as well. Be careful, though. It's filling.

The house salad was nothing special, but for $2 you can upgrade to a Caesar in which the dressing didn't overpower the lettuce and the croutons were seasoned/toasted perfectly.

For the main course, one Gang member went for the Shrimp Ravioli ($13.99) and was not disappointed. It's a nice portion of pasta, in a lobster brandy cream sauce covered with baby shrimp.

The Steak Blu ($18.99), from the wood-fired grill, was an 11-ounce angus strip, topped with Italian blue cheese and a light demi-glace reduction. The meat was tender, with very little fat, and cooked just the way it was requested (medium well, or a touch of pink inside).

The Chicken Cacciatore ($13.99) was a bit different from most. Instead of pieces of cut-up meat, this was two decent-sized breast portions, covered with a thick plum tomato/white wine sauce brimming with mushrooms, peppers and onions. Another winner.

For a veal dish, the Veal Riviera ($18.99) won out. The sauteed medallions came with a marsala wine reduction, topped with crab meat and sun-dried tomatoes. To us, only one thing matters with veal: Can you cut it with a fork? The Bistro easily passed the test. Not a chewy bite on the plate. And they didn't scrimp on the crab, which was mostly chunks of jumbo lump.

By the way, each entree (except for the ravioli) was accompanied by roasted potatoes and sauteed green beans, which we agreed was an OK change from the usual side of spaghetti.

We shared a couple of desserts ($4.95). One was a bowl of strawberries that had been soaked in banana and peach liquors, topped with whipped cream. They went down easy, especially for those who were already full from the main course. And the alcohol didn't overwhelm the fruit. The Tiramisu was pronounced a 9 on a scale of 10 by the Gangster who should know best. Even a Gangster who prefers almost anything else gave it a thumbs-up.

No, Italian Bistro is not South Philly. And we don't mean geographically. But the Italian Bistro more than manages to hold its own.

Chain:

The Italian Bistro, 2500 Welsh Road, 215-934-7700. Other locations on Route 38 in Cherry Hill (856-665-6900); at 211 S. Broad St. in Center City (215-731-0700); on Delsea Drive in Sewell, N.J. (856-589-8883); and on Kirkwood Highway in Wilmington (302-996-0700).

Reservations: Yes.

Parking: Free.

Price: Dinner for four with no drinks, an appetizer, two desserts and four entrees was $130 including a 20 percent tip.

Portions: You won't leave hungry.

Take-out: Yes. They also do all kinds of party trays.

Overall grade: Three links. You can't really go wrong with anything on the menu and the atmosphere's nearly as good as the cuisine. *