As youngsters working behind the scenes at the Dilworthtown Inn, Anthony Mastroianni and Stephen Delaney often talked of the dream restaurant they might someday open together. A wine bar, perhaps, with a dedication to good food. Something on their home turf of the far-western suburbs.
It took more than a decade to come to fruition, not to mention a few jobs in between and a cross-country move for the chef, but their planned collaboration has finally become a reality at Cosimo in Malvern.
Owner Mastroianni (whose parents are also partners) named this sprawling, modern restaurant on Lancaster Avenue after Cosimo de' Medici, the Tuscan "Duke of Wine." And while that reference is a bit misleading as regards Cosimo's cuisine - a wide-ranging New American offering rather than Italian - the wine reference is certainly apt.
Cosimo's large horseshoe bar in the front room sports a 40-bottle wine preservation system that allows the restaurant to open high-quality (and often pricey) bottles without worrying about them souring before they're sold.
I don't know how many people are going for a 3-ounce pour of Penfolds Grange or 2004 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild for $42 to go with their strip steak, but for the oenologically curious, that pour may be tempting for a sneak-peek sip of a bottle that retails in Pennsylvania for $210.
Cosimo's cellar is quality through and through, but isn't exclusively high-end. There are numerous selections under $10 a glass, as wine director Jason Whiteside has done a great job putting together a smart international collection of wines at all ranges and varieties, available in 3- or 5-ounce pours as well as smaller three-glass tastings. An exotic Vinoptima gewurtztraminer from New Zealand, a bracing La Roche Chablis, and the lush and earthy Oregon pinot noir from Domaine Serene were among the many interesting selections.
But what distinguishes Cosimo from many other wine bars, whose kitchens tend to focus more on simple, bistrolike nibbles to accompany the drink, is that Delaney's cooking is worthy of a good wine.
A Johnson & Wales grad who has spent much of his career in Florida since leaving West Chester (where he also opened Cafe Chicane), Delaney delivers modern plates built on good ingredients and careful preparations.
