You may know it as the Vineyard and more recently as the Vineyard di Norma. The one-story stucco building on the corner of Cherokee and N. Fiot streets in Fountain Hill has been home to a number of restaurants over the years, but for the better part of three decades it was the Vineyard, and for many, a local institution in terms of Italian dining. That changed earlier this year.
Chef-owner Luke Prosseda is the man behind the switch from an Italian restaurant to Something Different; an eatery with an intimate, eclectic menu that better matches Prosseda’s culinary philosophy, which incorporates the use of local, farm-to-table food with Asian and other influences. Something Different opened in early February and is attracting attention for its inventive menu that still features Italian flavors, but places more emphasis on the local curation and thoughtful sourcing of ingredients.
“I don’t want to be tied to any cuisine,” Prosseda said in a recent interview. “I want to be tied to ingredients.”
Luke Prosseda, left, has created an eclectic menu at Something Different in Fountain Hill. The new eatery is the successor to the Vineyard di Norma, an Italian restaurant which Prosseda and his family operated from 2021 until late last year. Pictured at right is Luke’s sister, Rachael Prosseda, who is still involved with the restaurant on a limited basis. (Credit: Something Different)
Interested in cooking from an early age, he recalled that he was “always helping” his mom with food as a child. Prosseda said his paternal grandparents–who immigrated to the U.S. from Italy–were also influential in his development as a chef. They grew a large garden and would use its produce to make 50 to 100 gallons of tomato sauce; an annual activity he helped with.
“Food was a big deal,” he remembered.
A Tioga County native, Prosseda said growing up in an agriculturally rich environment also helped inform his sensibility as a chef. He began working in restaurants at the age of 17 and later trained formally at the Culinary Institute of America. Post-graduation from the CIA, he gained hands-on experience in some of Philadelphia’s high-end restaurant kitchens before relocating to the Lehigh Valley about 10 years ago and landing a position at the former 187 Rue Principale in Emmaus.
The drink menu at Something Different features a cocktail list created by Luke’s sister Rachael Prosseda and a 3-2-1 wine list.
Always interested in owning a restaurant of his own, Prosseda, his parents and his sister Rachael purchased the former Vineyard in 2021, renaming it the Vineyard di Norma and modernizing its traditional Italian menu.
“We bought it for the space,” he said, noting that the acquisition came after a nearly 10-year search.
In terms of the concept for the Vineyard di Norma, which featured an Italian menu that was less traditional than the original Vineyard’s had been, Prosseda admitted that “it never really worked for us.”
“What we were trying to do–I think we weren’t clear about it and it was confusing,” he said. “I was trying to bring my training and interests here, and that might not have been the right place for it.”
In tandem with making their decision to close Vineyard di Norma last year, Prosseda said he was initially planning to work for someone else, but after talking with his sister Rachael realized that he had everything in place to make his own vision a reality.
In terms of the restaurant’s development, Something Different is “much, much smaller” than Vineyard di Norma was. “We’re seeing what works right now,” he added.
The current menu features diverse entrees like Bronzino with romesco sauce and gigante beans; Iberico Frites featuring pork skirt steak, fries, romesco and chimi; and Banh We, which is Prosseda’s take on the Vietnamese sandwich known as banh mi.
The Banh We sandwich on Something Different’s menu is a take on the Vietnamese banh mi. It features pork belly, pickled veggies, “boatloads of cilantro” and kimchi mayo. (Credit: Something Different)
It also has an appetizer section, “Little Bites,” and a cocktail list curated by Rachael.
Something Different offers a happy hour Thursdays and Mondays from 5 to 6 p.m., with $10 eenie-weenie-tinis, $2 off wines and $4 valley wides, which Prosseda explained is a pony Miller Lite and a shot, and a localized name for a “city wide,” which is a Philly slang term for a shot and a beer. From 8 to 10 p.m. Thursdays and Mondays there is a separate happy hour featuring similar specials, and on Sundays Something Different offers Early Bird drink specials that include $9 bubbbles, $10 eenie-weenie-tinis and $2 off wines from their 3-2-1 wine list that features three reds, two whites and a sparkling wine.
The restaurant’s hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Monday, 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 to 8 p.m. Sundays. Reservations can be placed via Resy.
Some of Prosseda’s possible future plans for Something Different include painting murals on the outside of the building, which is located at 605 N. Fiot Street, where its white walls give little hint of its colorful, slightly mid-century modern interior.
Prosseda said he’s also looking forward to incorporating into his menu local produce from farms such as Liberty Gardens, Blackbird Farms, Wonder Garden and Pieri Farms, which operates several eateries in Philadelphia’s Manayunk neighborhood.
Right now, “it’s just fun,” Prosseda said with regard to turning his culinary vision into a reality. “We’re trying to keep it simple.”
For more information and to sign up for Something Different’s newsletter, visit Somethingdifferent.food. Customers can also keep up with Prosseda and the restaurant’s menus and specials by following Something Different on Instagram and Facebook.
Iberico Frites is one of the entrees on the menu at Something Different and features pork skirt steak and fries with romesco and chimi sauces. (Credit: Something Different)
The cozy interior of Something Different features vintage lighting and colorful wall art. Chef-owner Luke Prosseda said he is considering having murals painted on the outside of the building, which would add color to match its interior.
Located at 605 N. Fiot Street, Fountain Hill, Something Different offers an eclectic menu developed by Chef Luke Prosseda. The eatery replaced the Vineyard di Norma, which was owned and operated by Prosseda and his family until late last year.
Dining and Cooking