Moma Mediterranean Kitchen is scheduled to open next month at 24 E Glenside Avenue, the former site of Pinto Restaurant.
Owner Bredar Istrefi said the menu will feature dishes from specific countries, including Albania, Israel, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy.
“We will have small plates and most of the dishes will be seafood,” Istrefi said. “There are meat dishes, but not much pasta. That's not Italian food.”
Istrefi, who is Albanian, opened Trattoria Moma on Germantown Avenue in 2014 and Dua Mediterranean Kitchen in Bryn Mawr in 2019.
The idea to open a third eatery in Glenside came from the strong customer base of trattorias in Cheltenham, Jenkintown and Abington. The building was put up for sale after Pinto asked for construction to stop in February 2023, and Istrefi bought it.
“I pass by here every day to go to Trattoria Moma and there are a lot of customers from this area. That caught my attention,” he said. “When I found this place, I thought, 'Why not?'”
“We have all the approvals from the town. All inspections are done.”
Istrefi is treating the orifice.—Currently scheduled for Tuesday, April 16th.—Please work carefully to resolve service issues.
“It's going to be kind of a soft grand opening so it doesn't overwhelm the kitchen,” he said. “We don't want to let anyone down.”
Inside the building, Istrefi and his staff strive to create a more upscale atmosphere.
“We've changed the face of the restaurant. It looks completely different than before. It's more like a fine dining restaurant,” he said.
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Photo: Bredar Istrefi
