Bake 425, which opened in April 2011 at 1012 W. Lancaster Ave. in Bryn Mawr, is a take-out, bake-at-home pizza shop and the latest project from Pete Howey and Aaron Nocks, owners of Peace-A-Pizza. Elizabeth Comiskey of Phoenixville’s Farmers Market helps source the completely organic, seasonal ingredients. The menu is mostly pizza, ranging from simple plain or Margherita to more innovative combinations such as the “Southwest Sausage”, which features organic tomato sauce, locally made Italian sausage, mozzerella & fontinella cheeses, sliced poblano peppers, caramelized onions & fresh oregano. Other offerings include organic salads, apple crisp and “ginormous” cookies.

The store itself is bright and open; chalkboards & kitchy decor create a casual-meets-gourmet feeling. (The space will also be available for in-store events and catering services.) Staff are friendly and willing to answer questions about the menu or the cooking process. Especially appreciated is the “demo kitchen”, where customers are shown how to insert and remove ‘za from the oven. (It seems easy in theory, but you don’t want to lose a pizza on the bottom of your oven – trust me.)

On our initial visit, we couldn’t resist the “Nutty Chick”, a tantalizing combination that includes butternut squash puree, fontinella cheese, arugula, pancetta, herb-grilled chicken, shaved Parmesan & fresh rosemary. Though I recall reading that Bake 425 would offer a choice of gluten-free, vegan, whole wheat, and regular thin crust dough, these choices weren’t listed on the menu, so they either aren’t available yet or you have to ask. I meant to inquire about whole wheat, but it slipped my mind at ordering time.

Though the temperature 425 is an integral part of this store’s identity, directing customers to cook pizza at such a low temperature is a bit odd. Professional kitchens typically cook thin crusts at 800-900F; home ovens obviously don’t get that hot, but I typically aim for 475-500 when cooking my own ‘za. Bake 425′s pie isn’t all that thin, which is probably part of the reason the suggested temperature is lower. Still, these instructions might need tweaking. Though the outer crust got crisp quickly, the center was undercooked, and the top didn’t get bubbly as a great pizza should. I even resorted to pulling out the blowtorch to crisp the cheese, but that didn’t help much.

My personal preference is for the thinnest possible pizza crust; I’ll complain, for example, about the thickness of Neopolitan-style when coming from Rome’s paper-thin pizzerias. So, Bake 425′s crust, which falls somewhere between local Italian (thin) and Greek (thick) style pies, was disappointing. If you prefer it with a bit more heft, of course, this may be less of a concern.

Despite the crust complaint, the balance of flavors on the Nutty Chick was outstanding. Butternut squash sweetness perfectly offset the salty pancetta, woodsy fresh herbs and pungent flourishes of Parmesan. Though the menu explicitly listed rosemary, I detected a blast of sage as well — probably from the “herb-crusted” chicken. Interestingly, while the herbs on said chicken were essential, the chicken was probably extraneous. Restraint is crucial when it comes to pizza ingredients, and the chicken — although it certainly didn’t cause any flavor imbalance — may have weighed down the pie and contributed to the cooking troubles.

It was difficult to judge the doneness of the “ginormous” cookie, due to a lack of experience cooking such absurdly-sized treats. Alas, I believe I slightly overcooked it. Considering the ginormousness (this thing could easily satiate 6 adults after a meal of pizza), it seems that offering a choice of smaller cookies would be better for both cooking execution and portion control. Though the cookie was decent while hot, it didn’t hold up well the following evening (it became brittle and bland), thus I would have preferred to have extra uncooked dough for another fresh batch.

Price is certainly a consideration when ordering from Bake 425. For $17, a large Nutty Chick feeds 2-3 people (more likely 2). Considering the quality of fresh, organic ingredients, this is actually quite reasonable, but feeding a family will certainly cost more than a trip to the corner pizza shop.

Lastly, one surely can’t write about Bake 425 without a comparison to Mom’s Bake at Home Pizza, the torch-bearer for ready-to-cook pies on the Main Line since 1981 (who, incidentally, suggests cooking at 475 degrees). In reality, with Mom’s locations in Devon, Havertown and Newtown Square, there probably isn’t a great deal of direct competition for a shop in Bryn Mawr. If, however, they were located on the same block, Mom’s would be the easy winner, for their superior, thin crust and evenly-cooking pies. Don’t write off Bake 425 just yet, however. Though there were a few flaws in the execution, a knack for creative, tasty flavor combinations sets the foundation for success.

Bake 425's Nutty Chick, before

Bake 425's Ginormous Cookie, before

Bake 425's Ginormous Cookie, after

Bake 425
1012 West Lancaster Avenue
Bryn Mawr, PA
610-525-6425
http://www.bake425.com | Facebook | Menu

Pick-up and delivery is available 1:00pm – 8:00pm Sunday through Thursday and until 9:00pm Friday and Saturday.

Rating: 3 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: Located near the Bryn Mawr train station, Tango offers solid food and beautiful surroundings. During the warmer months, the outside deck is also a great place to have a few cocktails and appetizers.

Food: Contemporary American with Mexican influence and specialties, the menu also focuses on re-imagined  comfort foods, including broccoli rabé with white beans, veal meatloaf with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes, jambalaya (not, according to one of my dining companions, for the faint of heart) and chicken enchiladas. Tango also offers an extensive wine and cocktail list, including wines by the glass and bottle, house and fruit margaritas, and a variety of “mocktails,” non-alcoholic cocktails. Pitchers of either sangria or margaritas are always a favorite – especially on a warm evening, sitting out on the deck.

Both the dinner and drink menus are extensive, and having been to the restaurant a number of times, we have been able to try a variety of things. On our most recent visit, we started with gazpacho, the soup of the day, and Mexican chicken spring rolls. My dining partner let me have a quick bite of his gazpacho before he scraped the bowl clean and it was quite good: light, refreshing and with just the right amount of spicy zing. The chicken spring rolls were also tasty, with the mild queso fresco adding the perfect amount of creaminess to balance the spicy chicken. However, the dough was a bit undercooked and, as such, a few bites of the spring rolls were gummy.

In carnivorous moods, we both decided to order steak. I opted for the rib eye with mashed potatoes, sugar snap peas and (the real draw) gorgonzola-onions. While my steak was cooked well, I was disappointed by the gorgonzola onions. Though some were sweet, creamy, and flavorful, the rest were burnt and inedible.  My snap peas, however, were perfect: crisp, sweet, buttery, and happily cleaned of strings and stems. My dining partner chose the grilled New York strip steak with Dijon mustard and roasted garlic butter, steamed broccoli, and shoestring fries. This dish was by far the winning one: the perfectly cooked and seasoned steak was complimented by the rich, tangy and smoky-sweet sauce; the shoestring fries were crisp and salty; though under-seasoned, the broccoli fresh and tasty.

Though we were both too full for dessert, I couldn’t resist taking a peek at the menu: crème brulee, cheesecake, and the always decadent warm chocolate soufflé were very tempting. For those who do opt for dessert, I highly recommend the soufflé: rich, not too sweet, and oozing with warm chocolate, it’s always a favorite. Tango also offers good, strong coffee and delicious after dinner drinks.

Service: The staff at Tango is always friendly and helpful, though not as knowledgeable about the food and beverage selections as the staff at Nectar (also owned by Tango’s proprietor).

Ambiance: Housed in the former  Bryn Mawr train station, the restaurant is truly beautiful. Though the cozy main dining room with its warm color palette and stone fireplace is wonderful, my favorite area of the restaurant is the Train Room. With leather booths and velvet curtains, Tango creates the feel of being inside of a posh dining car, a feeling that is heightened by the trains speeding past the windows. Everyone I’ve taken to the restaurant is awed by the room.

Value: Appetizer range from $4.50 – $14.00, entrées from $13.00 – $27.00. Portion size is very generous, making Tango a very decent value.

Details:

# of times we’ve eaten there:  5+
Reservations:  Yes, by telephone
Hours:  Monday – Thursday: 11:30am – 9:30pm; Friday: 11:30am – 10:30pm; Saturday: 12pm – 10:30pm; Sunday: 11:30am – 8:30pm
Bar:  Yes
Payment:  Cards
Website:  http://www.tastetango.com/

Preview: We attended the soft launch of Verdad on Thursday, August 6, 2009 — a practice run for the staff before the big grand opening the following night. As a restaurant trend, tapas is not exactly the theme of the moment (burger bar anyone?), the Main Line has yet to spawn a successful tapas joint. (Places like Citron and Maia claimed to be tapas, but never really went for it.) Verdad, on the other hand, has truly built its menu around a nice variety of small plates, and seeks to finally create the tapas experience we’ve been wating for.

The setup is generally the same as other restaurants that have previously occupied this space — bar on the left side, with booths opposite, and small sitting areas in the front and back. The decor effectively portrays the Spanish and Latin themes of the menu, with earthy colors and old-world accents.

The menu is mostly small plates, ranging in price from $4 to $21. About 3 plates per person would be recommended for dinner, though this would obviously depend on which plates are chosen. Menu highlights include:

• a brie-stuffed mission fig that’s drizzled with balsamic glaze ($4) – warm, sweet and delicious
• the Cuban sandwich (berkshire pork, chorizo, swiss cheese, pickles, garlic aioli – $9) – a wonderful melding of different flavors, all held together with cheese.
• black truffle flatbread with confit chicken, goat cheese, pesto, sundried tomato & mushrooms ($11)
• seared lamb chops served with “patatas bravas” – a traditional crispy potato tapas dish that is topped with a fried egg ($21)
• Full Menu Here (PDF)

The bar features an extensive tequila menu (25+ choices), including 10 “flights” of three tequila choices each. (Note to self: take train to Verdad.) A small but interesting selection of Spanish and South American wines, including a red and white Sangria choice is also featured. The beer list is also small but varied, with some Mexican brews and local crafts sharing the spotlight.

Been to Verdad? Post your reviews below!

Dinner service:
Tuesday through Thursday 5:00 – 10:00pm
Friday and Saturday 5:00 – 11:00pm
Sunday 5:00 – 9:00pm
Lunch service: Tuesday through Saturday 11:30am – 2:00pm
Closed Mondays

Reservations: Yes, or OpenTable

Preview: On July 15^th, we attended the “friends & family” opening night of Azie on Main, the newest member of the Win Signature Restaurants group (others include Teikoku, Azie in Media and Mikado ThaiPepper). Located on the old Maia 2nd floor, Azie is truly beautiful: warm earth tones, fresh flowers and wood accents make the space both spacious and inviting. The décor is more subtle than places like Nectar or Blush, but is no less suited to a romantic evening or need-to-impress business lunch. Especially lovely is the long table located in front of the sushi bar – a shining wooden table that, when we were there, was simply set and had a long row of potted grass running down the middle.

Since it was a soft opening, we were given limited (though still rather ambitious) drink and food menus. For cocktails, I was torn between the Green Street which consisted of green tea infused gin, lime juice, Midori, and muddled cucumbers, and the Mojito Lichito, a mojito with lychee puree, mint leaves, lime, brown sugar, sake and rum. After highly recommending the mojito, our sever explained that the cocktails were created by a mixologist specially brought in by the restaurant to make drinks that would be delicious, complementary to the food and truly memorable. The mojito did not disappoint – I wouldn’t be surprised if it became one of their signature drinks.

The food offerings were just as creative as their cocktails. Fish clearly dominated the menu, both as sushi and as cooked entrées. Familiar dishes like oysters, shrimp tempura and pan roasted sea bass were placed alongside more innovative fare such as pan roasted halibut with lobster & cheese risotto and miso beurre blanc and a “New Philly roll” (shrimp, kobe beef, gruyere cheese and eel sauce). Don’t eat fish? There is still plenty to choose from, including lo mein with chicken, vegetables and tofu, chicken teriyaki and a truly delicious foie gras with fuji apple confit and honey balsamic sauce. (One word of advice for people who want to try the foie gras: ask for a fork! It’s almost impossible to eat with chopsticks.) All told, the Azie on Main menu is so diverse that everyone should be able to find something appealing.

The evening was run very much like a dress rehearsal in a play: it was meant to prepare the kitchens, waiters/waitresses, other restaurant staff and diners for a real dinner service. Our server, though clearly nervous, was excellent. He was attentive, able to answer any questions we had about the food or drinks and was able to make quick and tasty recommendations. For example, they didn’t have a type of wine that my dining partner usually drinks, but he was able to recommend one that was very similar and just as enjoyable.

Overall, the night went very well: the food was beautifully presented and tasty, everyone was attentive and helpful and the atmosphere was lovely and comfortable. As can be expected on an opening night, there were a few small hiccups related to food execution and service — but these were minor issues that should be ironed out with time. Personally, I can’t wait to go back soon to see the “real thing”!

Details:
Website: http://www.azieonmain.com
Meals served: Lunch (Monday – Friday), Dinner (Monday – Sunday), Brunch (Sunday)
Cards: Yes
Reservations: Yes via phone or on OpenTable

Quick Take: Yangming’s 15+ year reign at the corner of Conestoga and Haverford in Bryn Mawr speaks enough to its popularity and consistency. Serving elegant, well-prepared traditional Chinese cuisine, Yangming is a great place for eat-in or take-out. It’ll cost a bit more than the corner take-out shop, but the quality is well worth it.

[Official Website]

Feel free to view reader comments or add your own review.

Rating: 3 silver spoons out of 5

Overall: A cute little BYOB in the heart of Bryn Mawr; offers simple, reasonably-priced, well-prepared Persian cuisine.

Food: Although technically considered Persian, Mediterranean Grill’s menu is similar to a traditional Greek place, featuring a variety of appetizers, kabobs and other specialities. First, we were served warm, savory pita bread that was quite good, although desperately called out for some olive oil on the side. We tried a couple appetizers, first the hummus, which although a tad dry was solid. Far more interesting was the tahdig, literally “bottom of the pot”, a crispy rice (from the bottom of the pot) that was almost like crackling pork skin. Choose the herb sauce and this is a can’t miss dish.

For entrees, I decided to try one of the more adventerous items on the menu — Fessenjan, which is Persian meatballs with pomegranite and walnut paste. This dish was way too powdery and starchy, and was generally strange. In addition, the meat to sauce ratio was way too low and thus really wasn’t a satisfying meal. As fun as it is to try new things, I’d stay away from this one.

Thankfully, I was able to try some of the other meals we ordered, which were simplier but also much tastier. Both the filet strips and the lamb kabob featured tender, flavorful meat on a bed of light, fluffy saffron rice. I would highly recommend either — simple but incredibly tasty.

Ambiance: Very small, open room right on the street. The only problem with this place is that there really isn’t a waiting area; some tables are right next to the door.

Value: This is solid, simple fare and is priced accordingly, a reasonable value at around $20 for entrees. Comparatively, the food and prices are pretty similiar to nearby Lourdas, and this is a fair match. The other Mediterranean restaurant in town, Cafe Fresko, is a bit pricer but also offers more interesting, consistent cuisine.

Rating: 4 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: A casually elegant neighborhood BYOB that focuses on seasonal menus and impeccable service.

Food: Contemporary American with European influences, the regular menu ranges from appetizers to mid-sized plates to regular entrée portions. The meal began with an amuse bouche of smoked eel paired with soy sauce and a cucumber and tomato relish.  While I found the eel a bit fishy and overpowering, my dining partner found that its smokiness paired nicely with the fresh crunch of the relish. For our appetizers, we chose the Spot Prawns with gold and purple fingerling potato salad and grilled scallion aioli, and the white corn and lobster bisque with poached lobster, radish, and lemon oil.  The prawns, one of the evening’s specials, were perfectly cooked with a subtle smoky flavor which was offset nicely by the light and flavorful potato salad.  However, it was the scallion aioli that was the real star of the dish; it’s charred, mild onion flavor complimented each bite. The corn and lobster bisque, poured tableside, was wonderful – I practically licked the bowl!  The bisque was silky and well spiced, with large chunks of lobster and a few whole baby radishes.  It was also deceptively light, due in large part to the lemon oil that cut through the richness of the other ingredients.

My entrée was a grilled veal loin with Italian eggplant caponata, fregola sarda, chanterelle mushrooms, rosemary salt, and sherry jus.  The veal was pink and moist, and well-seasoned.  However, the charring on a few of the bites was a bit overpowering.  Though my first bite of caponata seemed too sweet, subsequent bites were wonderful and earthy.  The fregola with chanterelles was my favorite part of the dish – nutty and perfectly cooked.  My dining partner had the grilled Australian Rack of Lamb (a staple of Sola’s menu), served with braised fennel puree, ratatouille vegetables, and mango chutney. Luckily, I managed to taste a bit everything before the plate was scraped clean: the lamb was cooked to a perfect medium rare; the fennel puree was smooth and delicately flavored; the ratatouille was rich and buttery.

We finished with dessert and cappuccino/espresso. I had the white chocolate hazelnut mousse with dark chocolate cake and valrhona chocolate ganache.  Though absolutely delicious, the portion was huge and I was only able to eat half.  My dining partner ordered a fruity and refreshing mango sorbet which was served with fresh raspberries and raspberry syrup. Additionally, the often overlooked art of espresso making is obviously not lost to Sola, as the espresso and cappuccino were strong, flavorful, and most importantly, not bitter.

Service: The service was top-notch, the waiters neither absent nor overbearing.  It’s always nice to go to a restaurant where the staff appears truly comfortable, is knowledgeable about the food, and isn’t afraid to get to know and joke with the customers.

Ambiance: Warm and cozy, Sola can accommodate larger groups (a birthday party of 8 was just leaving when we arrived) and is the perfect spot for an intimate dinner for two.

Value: Mid-sized plates and entrees range from $18 – $32, a pretty standard range for BYOs on the Mainline.  However, the caliber of food makes this a great value.  There is also a $35 prix fixe menu, served Tuesday – Thursday. The one small inconvenience is that there is a $2 corkage fee.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 5+
Reservations: By telephone or online via OpenTable
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 5:30pm – 10:00pm
Bar: BYOB
Cards: Yes
Website: http://www.solabyob.com

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(!) Rumors abound that The Grog will be opening additional locations in Garrett Hill and Wayne.

Rating: 3 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: Upscale bar with food to match. Don’t expect fine dining at The Grog, but do expect a comfortable atmosphere with some of the area’s best bar food.

Food: Sure, you can get a pretty good burger at The Grog, but why not try the filet mignon sandwich instead? Or, try some of the traditional English pub fare such as chicken pot pie, shepherd’s pie or fish & chips.

Bar: Full bar with a wide selection of international beer and liquor.

Service: This is, after all, a bar. Nonetheless, service is fine.

Ambiance: Upstairs is nonsmoking until 9 or 10. Small, laid-back bar with lots of wood.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 5+
Reservations: No
Payments: Cards
Bar: Full

Rating: 3 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: Quaint little BYOB serving simple, consistent Greek food.

Food: Many traditional Greek dishes such as souvlaki (filet, lamb or chicken skewers on a bed of rice), gyros, and fish prepared Greek-style (oil, tomatoes, peppers). While the food at Lourdas won’t ever astonish, it is unvaryingly a solid meal.

Bread: Warmed Pita with Hummus — different and great.

Ambiance: A small, very bright room that is both casual and comfortable. Decorated with lots of white and blue — a strong Greek motif.

Service: Staff is young, energetic and enthusiastic.

Value: BYOB with very reasonable prices.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 5
Reservations: Yes
Payments: Cards
Bar: BYOB