Aperto Opening June 4 in Narberth
As reported in April, Clark Gilbert and Gemelli have packed up in Narberth, looking towards a summer opening in Manayunk. In the meantime, former Sola boss John Wolferth has been preparing Aperto, which will open on June 4th in the same space. The moderately-priced menu features items such as Seared Salmon with Ginger-Carrot Miso, Fingerling Potato & Wilted Greens ($22) and Braised Veal Cheeks with Mushroom Ragu, Cauliflower Puree & Ricotta Gnocci ($24)
In addition, Aperto’s website promises to soon offer wine pairing suggestions based on current PLCB Chairman’s Selections and other commonly available shelf wines. (What a great idea — almost makes up for the awful flash-based design!)
Aperto
232 Woodbine Ave
Narberth, PA
610-660-0160
http://www.apertobyob.com
June 6, 2011 @ 9:10 pm
Why would you come at John and Aperto for a website? I’m pretty sure that a restaurant thrives on its service, food and the experience it offers. Come on.
June 6, 2011 @ 10:50 pm
A restaurant’s website is part of the experience it provides. Of course if the in-person experience is great, a bad website isn’t going to stop you from going there, but that doesn’t mean it should be overlooked, especially for a new restaurant that needs to get potential customers excited about going there. Aperto’s idea to show wine pairings on the site is illustrative of the fact that they understand the importance of the website as an extension of the brand (and a great idea, as we stated). Unfortunately, the site is dreadful to use and thus portrays the business poorly.
In case you are wondering, here are the major flaws with ApertoBYOB.com:
1) It is designed with flash, which is not accessible via iPhones or iPads, and will be very awkward on any other smartphones, essentially preventing a large portion of the potential audience from viewing the site on their chosen device. (Using flash, btw, doesn’t actually add anything to the site other than useless animation.)
2) On the menu page, the customer is forced to scroll in 3 different places. This makes it impossible to scan through the entire menu easily! Would a restaurant’s printed menu only show two appetizers per page? Very frustrating!
3) The overall design aesthetic is sloppy. I’m sure there was great care put into table settings, lighting, decor, etc., but often times a customer’s first impression of a restaurant is through the website, not the dining room. This is not a good first impression.
I truly do hope that this is DIY job and that Aperto didn’t pay some designer for this site, because if so they ought to demand their money back. Even if it was DIY, it’s clear they need to bring in someone who knows what they are doing to drive new business at the most crucial time for a new restaurant.
June 7, 2011 @ 5:18 pm
I 110% agree with you mld. The website is awful! I think they made it on http://www.wix.com.
June 6, 2011 @ 11:38 pm
I really think it’s a moot point about the website. John Wolferth may be a nice guy, but he is a less than talented chef. No restaurant has worked in that space for years. The best chance we had was with Clark Gilbert. He lasted a little more than a year and a half in Narberth. I hate to see any business not survive, but I’ve eaten John’s food at La Parisienne, The Wooden Iron and Sola. All those restaurants have gone the way of the dodo bird (with the exception of Sola under the direction of a different chef/owner for 6 years now). I’m not hopeful for Aperto. The website is the least of their problems.
June 9, 2011 @ 6:28 am
I see a lot of whining about the website and no mention of the food. We thoroughly enjoyed John’s specials for the last two months of Gemelli as he took over from Clark, and were waiting to see his vision for the restaurant. We had our first meal there last night and it was wonderful! A delicate farm salad with the contrast between the crunch of the greens, sweetness of the beets, creamy goat cheese and a burst of flavor from smoked panchetta. The Lobster and Crab was rich, but not too rich, and the Salmon was excellent. We were regulars at Gemelli and will be at Aperto.
June 25, 2011 @ 10:18 pm
Dined with very particular partner last night and totally enjoyed our meal. Cornmeal coated fried oyster appetizer was a melt in your mouth treat. Florida grouper fish dish had a fresh caught, beautifully seasoned flavor. Sauteed chicken was moist and presented over a medley of fresh vegetables into a tasty sauce. Expresso mousse desert was light in texture and flavorful. Definitely will return to try other dishes, particularly the seafood pasta and short ribs.