Moma Mediterranean Kitchen is set to open at 24 E Glenside Avenue, the former Pinto Restaurant location, next month.

The owner, Bledar Istrefi, says the menu will offer dishes from specific countries like Albania, Israel, Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Italy.

“We’re going to have small plates and most of our dishes will be seafood,” Istrefi said. “We’ll have meat dishes also, but not very much pasta. It won’t be Italian cuisine.”

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 Trattoria’s strong customer base in Cheltenham, Jenkintown, and Abington. The building went up for sale after Pinto called it quits in February 2023, and Istrefi snatched it up.

“I pass by here every day to go to Trattoria Moma, and a lot of customers come from this area. It got my attention,” he said. “When I found this place, I thought ‘Why not?'”

“We have all the approvals from the township. All the inspections are done,” he said.

Istrefi is treating the opening—currently scheduled for Tuesday, April 16—gently in order to iron out service hiccups.

“It’ll be more like a soft grand opening so we don’t overwhelm our kitchen,” he said. “We don’t want to disappoint anyone.”

Inside the building, Istrefi and staff have been working to create a more upscale atmosphere.

“I changed the face of the restaurant. It looks completely different than it was before. It’s more like fine dining,” he said.

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Photos: Bledar Istrefi