Comments on: Alison at Blue Bell, Blue Bell http://mainlinedine.com/rest/alisonatbluebell.html Finally, a restaurant guide for Philadelphia's Main Line and suburbs Sun, 01 Aug 2010 01:57:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: cos82 http://mainlinedine.com/rest/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-9649 cos82 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:22:37 +0000 http://www.mainlinedine.com/rest1/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-9649 Fri night (4/18) dinner for 4 at 8:30. Restaurant packed, but table ready. Slowwwwwwwwwwwww service. Menus at 8:55. At 9:05, orders taken after asking busboy to find our server. Long wait for appetizer and entree. We didn't ask or complain, but at some point hostess apologized for the wait. We were in no hurry, just hungry. Handling added tables outside may have caused the staff to be overwhelmed. As usual, the food was worth the wait. Just great! Still one of my favorites and will glady return as often as possible. Some things are just worth waiting for. Fri night (4/18) dinner for 4 at 8:30. Restaurant packed, but table ready. Slowwwwwwwwwwwww service. Menus at 8:55. At 9:05, orders taken after asking busboy to find our server. Long wait for appetizer and entree. We didn’t ask or complain, but at some point hostess apologized for the wait. We were in no hurry, just hungry. Handling added tables outside may have caused the staff to be overwhelmed. As usual, the food was worth the wait. Just great! Still one of my favorites and will glady return as often as possible. Some things are just worth waiting for.

]]> By: elaine http://mainlinedine.com/rest/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-8651 elaine Sun, 09 Mar 2008 22:49:11 +0000 http://www.mainlinedine.com/rest1/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-8651 March 5th we again dined at Alison At Blue Bell. Menu is consistently revamped and interesting. Quality and presentation, excellent. Waitstaff, as always, knowledgeable and pleasant. Since this restaurant opened, we dine at Alison's easily once monthly and always look forward to returning. Entrees are ample and often one in our party finds no need to order appetizer. The pleasant 'hum' of background music is a nice plus and Alison most definitely stops to chat with her customers. When making a reservation, you're told of the liquor license and corkage fee. We like having the option to BYO or buy a glass of wine. March 5th we again dined at Alison At Blue Bell. Menu is consistently revamped and interesting. Quality and presentation, excellent. Waitstaff, as always, knowledgeable and pleasant. Since this restaurant opened, we dine at Alison’s easily once monthly and always look forward to returning. Entrees are ample and often one in our party finds no need to order appetizer. The pleasant ‘hum’ of background music is a nice plus and Alison most definitely stops to chat with her customers. When making a reservation, you’re told of the liquor license and corkage fee. We like having the option to BYO or buy a glass of wine.

]]> By: Robert http://mainlinedine.com/rest/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-8275 Robert Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:04:24 +0000 http://www.mainlinedine.com/rest1/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-8275 Returned to Alison's Sat. night with 3 couples. It's crowded, noisy, ugly and our table was not ready on time. I LOVED IT (as usual)! Why ? The food! Imaginative menu, and the best dinner I have had out in quite a while. Loved the swordfish. My wife raved about her dinner as did the others. How can one complain about $ 5.00 corkage after a restaurant gets a liquor license? Very fair. Bring better wine and you won't notice. Ranks with Gilmore's and Couchon with my best recent BYOB meals. Need to go out more often during the week, however, and avoid the Sat. night crush. 4 recent visits to Blackfish--2 on Sat(fair) and 2 on weeknights (very good) seem to prove the point. Returned to Alison’s Sat. night with 3 couples. It’s crowded, noisy, ugly and our table was not ready on time. I LOVED IT (as usual)! Why ? The food! Imaginative menu, and the best dinner I have had out in quite a while. Loved the swordfish. My wife raved about her dinner as did the others. How can one complain about $ 5.00 corkage after a restaurant gets a liquor license? Very fair. Bring better wine and you won’t notice. Ranks with Gilmore’s and Couchon with my best recent BYOB meals. Need to go out more often during the week, however, and avoid the Sat. night crush. 4 recent visits to Blackfish–2 on Sat(fair) and 2 on weeknights (very good) seem to prove the point.

]]> By: Paincustom.Com » Comment on Alison at Blue Bell, Blue Bell by john http://mainlinedine.com/rest/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-7534 Paincustom.Com » Comment on Alison at Blue Bell, Blue Bell by john Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:15:41 +0000 http://www.mainlinedine.com/rest1/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-7534 [...] jv.rajan wrote an interesting post today on Comment on Alison at Blue Bell, Blue Bell by johnHere’s a quick excerpt [...] [...] jv.rajan wrote an interesting post today on Comment on Alison at Blue Bell, Blue Bell by johnHere’s a quick excerpt [...]

]]> By: john http://mainlinedine.com/rest/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-7528 john Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:00:22 +0000 http://www.mainlinedine.com/rest1/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-7528 The thing about Alison's is that they are no longer a BYOB. They now have a liquor license. They allow you to still bring your own bottle as a service and an added bonus to their guests who have joined them in the past. I think a $5 corkage fee is a gift. People don't realize what an investment a liquor license is. You have the cost of the license itself, the inventory to stock the list, and all the insurance the state requires you to pay in case some idiot gets drunk at your restaurant, kills someone in a car crash on the way home and then sues you for letting them drink so much. (that's a whole other story about personal responsibility) The point is, it's a huge expense, which is why MOST restaurants don't even allow you to bring your own bottle if they sell wine. Every bottle you bring is one you don't buy from the restaurant, which basically causes them to lose revenue. They could sell your seat to someone who would buy wine from them. It's not about being greedy, it's about covering their costs and staying in business. And as far as a corkage fee at a true BYOB... if they have great stemware ie. proper glasses for red, white, champagne, and dessert wine... not to mention decanters, I don't mind paying a dollar or two. I've been to some restaurants where they serve all their wine in glasses bought for $2 each at IKEA. I don't want to drink my expensive wine out of a little dixe cup sized wine glass. Most people recognize this for the service it is and don't complain about it. What's a few extra dollars for a nice evening? People say restaurants are petty for charging a corkage... I say the people who gripe about it are cheap. It's a hard business with not much return for your work (traditionally 5% profit on a well run business). Lucky for all of us that there are many choices out there for everyone... those of us discriminating and those of us not. The thing about Alison’s is that they are no longer a BYOB. They now have a liquor license. They allow you to still bring your own bottle as a service and an added bonus to their guests who have joined them in the past. I think a $5 corkage fee is a gift. People don’t realize what an investment a liquor license is. You have the cost of the license itself, the inventory to stock the list, and all the insurance the state requires you to pay in case some idiot gets drunk at your restaurant, kills someone in a car crash on the way home and then sues you for letting them drink so much. (that’s a whole other story about personal responsibility) The point is, it’s a huge expense, which is why MOST restaurants don’t even allow you to bring your own bottle if they sell wine. Every bottle you bring is one you don’t buy from the restaurant, which basically causes them to lose revenue. They could sell your seat to someone who would buy wine from them. It’s not about being greedy, it’s about covering their costs and staying in business.

And as far as a corkage fee at a true BYOB… if they have great stemware ie. proper glasses for red, white, champagne, and dessert wine… not to mention decanters, I don’t mind paying a dollar or two. I’ve been to some restaurants where they serve all their wine in glasses bought for $2 each at IKEA. I don’t want to drink my expensive wine out of a little dixe cup sized wine glass. Most people recognize this for the service it is and don’t complain about it. What’s a few extra dollars for a nice evening? People say restaurants are petty for charging a corkage… I say the people who gripe about it are cheap. It’s a hard business with not much return for your work (traditionally 5% profit on a well run business). Lucky for all of us that there are many choices out there for everyone… those of us discriminating and those of us not.

]]> By: stormicans http://mainlinedine.com/rest/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-7504 stormicans Fri, 28 Dec 2007 22:51:21 +0000 http://www.mainlinedine.com/rest1/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-7504 I love BYOB's but I don't like corkage fees and rarely go to places that charge one--many places don't so I go there instead. Providing glasses, stemware, etc. is just part of the business, deal with it. I would rather put the money for corkage fees into well-prepared food. BTW, the portions are ridiculously small. Need to stop at Wawa after dinner to fill up. Give people good value and knock off the greedy fees and peopel will return. I love BYOB’s but I don’t like corkage fees and rarely go to places that charge one–many places don’t so I go there instead. Providing glasses, stemware, etc. is just part of the business, deal with it. I would rather put the money for corkage fees into well-prepared food. BTW, the portions are ridiculously small. Need to stop at Wawa after dinner to fill up. Give people good value and knock off the greedy fees and peopel will return.

]]> By: Ed Kessler http://mainlinedine.com/rest/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-3117 Ed Kessler Mon, 24 Sep 2007 19:56:54 +0000 http://www.mainlinedine.com/rest1/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-3117 Didn't know they had gotten a liquor license. In that case foreget the keg of beer. If they are providing wine and beer they have a right to charge a corkage fee; however, I must agree that $5.00 on a $2.00 bottle of beer seems a bit high. Don't foreget to add a bit extra to the tip since the staff is not getting anything on the $40.00 wine you didn't order and probably gets none of the corkage fee even though they have to serve the wine. Didn’t know they had gotten a liquor license. In that case foreget the keg of beer. If they are providing wine and beer they have a right to charge a corkage fee; however, I must agree that $5.00 on a $2.00 bottle of beer seems a bit high. Don’t foreget to add a bit extra to the tip since the staff is not getting anything on the $40.00 wine you didn’t order and probably gets none of the corkage fee even though they have to serve the wine.

]]> By: Mike http://mainlinedine.com/rest/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-3101 Mike Mon, 24 Sep 2007 17:48:13 +0000 http://www.mainlinedine.com/rest1/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-3101 The BYOB culture in this area has made corkage fees rare in most restaurants that allow BYO. In other cities, this is not the case obviously, but in Philadelphia requiring this is sure to turn diners away because there are plenty of places to go without corkage fees. The original poster Lin fails to mention that this corkage fee is because AaBB now has a liquor license! That makes a huge difference, because paying $5 for a bottle of wine instead of restaurant markup is a great deal, and the food at Alison makes it worthwhile. $5 for each beer is a bit excessive though -- perhaps they should change that to per 6 pack. The BYOB culture in this area has made corkage fees rare in most restaurants that allow BYO. In other cities, this is not the case obviously, but in Philadelphia requiring this is sure to turn diners away because there are plenty of places to go without corkage fees.

The original poster Lin fails to mention that this corkage fee is because AaBB now has a liquor license! That makes a huge difference, because paying $5 for a bottle of wine instead of restaurant markup is a great deal, and the food at Alison makes it worthwhile.

$5 for each beer is a bit excessive though — perhaps they should change that to per 6 pack.

]]> By: Deborah Reast http://mainlinedine.com/rest/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-3092 Deborah Reast Mon, 24 Sep 2007 17:11:32 +0000 http://www.mainlinedine.com/rest1/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-3092 I have been a member of an area Wine Tasting Group since 1979. Several times a year I visit an area BYOB. Each and every one of the restaurants we visit charges us a corkage fee. We have paid corkage fees since the 70's! We expect a fee, because that has always been our experience. I am not sure why this corkage fee seems to be such a surprise to many of the diners posting reviews here. Perhaps it's because Alison at Blue Bell never charged a fee previously? What human being likes change, right? I appreciate the fact that since Alison at Blue Bell now has a liquor license, we continue to have the freedom of choice...the choice between bringing our own wine and making a selection from the unique collection of wine and beer now offered there. I certainly prefer to pay a small corkage fee when I want to enjoy my own wine, than to have that choice (and fee) taken away completely! I have been a member of an area Wine Tasting Group since 1979. Several times a year I visit an area BYOB. Each and every one of the restaurants we visit charges us a corkage fee. We have paid corkage fees since the 70’s! We expect a fee, because that has always been our experience. I am not sure why this corkage fee seems to be such a surprise to many of the diners posting reviews here. Perhaps it’s because Alison at Blue Bell never charged a fee previously? What human being likes change, right? I appreciate the fact that since Alison at Blue Bell now has a liquor license, we continue to have the freedom of choice…the choice between bringing our own wine and making a selection from the unique collection of wine and beer now offered there. I certainly prefer to pay a small corkage fee when I want to enjoy my own wine, than to have that choice (and fee) taken away completely!

]]> By: Ed Kessler http://mainlinedine.com/rest/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-3041 Ed Kessler Sun, 23 Sep 2007 22:05:48 +0000 http://www.mainlinedine.com/rest1/alisonatbluebell.html#comment-3041 Next time you go bring one of those small kegs of beer -- that should show them. A large jug of wine might also make it. Next time you go bring one of those small kegs of beer — that should show them. A large jug of wine might also make it.

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