Gran Caffe L'Aquila

Gran Caffe L’Aquila opens pretty early daily and stays open all day, so it’s one of those rare places where you can have a pastry-heavy breakfast, sit down for a power lunch while tuning out your boss, and have a last-minute second dinner date with someone you really like. The Center City spot is identical to an Italian cafe that was Abruzzo, which means they actually had all the tile flooring, marble counters, and the wine rack wall shipped from Italy. They have handmade pastas like pappardelle al ragu, spaghetti vongole, and a good fire-roasted whole branzino. And while the pasta is the main attraction here, you definitely need to go for the gelato. The fluffy salted caramel will haunt your memories for weeks and will drive you to make some excuses for stopping by like there’s a  “g” in your hair stylist’s name and one in gelato.