Modo Mio

Listen carefully beneath the joyous din that vibrates through the wood-floored confines of Modo Mio, and you may hear the staccato song of hand-waving Italians at a neighboring table arguing literature over homemade tagliatelle and politics over grilled spicy frog legs with green apples.

On the other side of this narrow, 40-seat room, where an antique buffet holds a tall glass decanter of complimentary sambuca steeping with rosemary and lemon peels, you are more likely to hear the hunger-inducing crunch of slices being sheared off an enormous 20-pound loaf of homemade Umbrian country bread. Along with plates of olive oil dolloped with ricotta cheese, they're whisked off to welcome yet another table of arriving guests.

And they've been coming in droves since Peter McAndrews opened his homey BYOB homage to Italy this spring. It's not just the local Italo-philes who lend this hot spot its stamp of authenticity, but also a surprising number of Main Liners in bright golf pants, Boyds shirts, and big jewelry, whose unlikely trek to Girard Avenue in Kensington (just west of Fishtown, just north of Northern Liberties) confirms that this pleasant corner has acquired bona fide destination buzz.

It's little wonder. The rustic flavors here are just as genuine and inviting as the sounds that fill the room. And they're presented with a simplicity and affordability (four courses for $30!) that feels true to the spirit of Italy's neighborhood osterias, which are smaller, more quirky, and a shade more homey than a trattoria.

I already knew McAndrews had a passion for Italian food, as evidenced by the thin-crusted pizzas he brought to his most recent post at Rembrandt's. But the full range of his year-long training in Italy (six months in Piedmont; six months in Molise) is reflected in this menu of small plates. They can be eaten a la carte, but were designed with the four-course turista menu in mind - a taste of antipasti followed by pasta, a meat or fish, and a homespun dolce.