Overall: Trendy, creative Conshohocken BYOB with loads of potential. Unfortunately, the cuisine and execution at Blackfish are too inconsistent to rate it among the area’s finest.

Food: Creative Modern American fare with a focus on seafood. Everything started brilliantly during our first visit to Blackfish. Wonderful whole wheat rolls paired beautifully with extra virgin olive oil and whole olives. The Risotto of the day — Arancini, a Sicilian favorite of breaded, fried rice balls, paired with a red wine reduction dipping sauce ($9) — was excellent. We also tried the Parmesan “panna cotta” (a custard-like substance) with pickled ramps and roasted ruby beets ($9), which was a bit different but also quite tasty. Veal agnolotti, served in a crispy sage brown butter sauce with a wonderfully pungent Parmesan cheese topping ($12), however, was the starter that caused fork fights to the very last bite at our table.

By now, we could not wait to recieve our entrees; we had selected the wild striped bass with asparagus and trumpet mushrooms in a curry emulsion ($28) and a strip steak special served with sweet shallots and trumpet mushrooms in a bordelaise sauce ($36). Disappointingly, the second course could not nearly hold up to the previous one; not only did the dishes suffer from uninspiring flavor, every one delivered to our table was poorly executed. My fish was completely raw in the middle (I enjoy sushi, but this bass was so tough it could not be cut with a fork), so I sent it back. Others at my table who ordered the same dish were met with a similar fate, as the fish was neither cooked evenly nor completely. Even once I received a fully cooked filet, the dish itself did not inspire. The supposed curry emulsion offered no addition to the dish’s flavor, and the veggies were simple but boring. The steak, amazingly enough, was also undercooked (ordered medium rare). We’re not afraid of a nice red steak, but this was pushing the boundaries of rare. (Interestingly, a friend who visited Blackfish on a seperate occasion complained of the duck being badly undercooked before hearing our story… hmmm.) The steak otherwise was a fine dish, but was hardly worth the steep price tag.

The appetizers were good enough to convince us of dessert, so we tried the Vanilla Beignets with Spiced Anglaise ($7) and the Warm Molten Chocolate Cake ($7). Both were quite rich and tasty. (Although we prefer chocolate, the gleefully warm beignets were the winner that night.)

Ambiance: Far brighter than the previous Maya Bella, Blackfish ironically features stark white walls throughout. It is a busy, loud room, like any main street hot spot should be.

Service: The waitstaff was extremely friendly and helpful dispite the inadequacies of the kitchen. The chef did insist on re-cooking my entire dish (some at the table were finished eating when it arrived).

Value: The trend for upscale area BYOB is for the entrees to venture into the upper 20s and low 30s, and Blackfish certainly aims to live within that scale. The execution, however, needs to improve greatly to justify charging $36 for any entree. Creative, tantalizing menu descriptions are one thing, but true value only comes with the delivery of a well-created entree.

Details:
#of times we’ve eaten there: 1
Cards: Yes
Reservations: Yes, must reserve early (OpenTable)
Bar: BYOB
website: http://www.blackfishrestaurant.com/

Rating: 5 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: Hidden deep in the neighborhoods of Conshohocken lies the best restaurant in the Suburban Philadelphia Area, Totaro’s. An unassuming local tavern from the outside, Totaro’s is fine dining of staggering quality — and of staggering prices. While not for the faint of wallet, Totaro’s is worthy of the splurge, featuring amazingly creative takes on traditional Italian dishes and a unique variety of game options. It should be noted that we have not eaten at Totaro’s in quite some time, and recent reports from other patrons suggest a downhill trend.

Food: The kitchen specializes in game dishes — expect to see Wild Boar, Venison, Elk, and the like on the specials menu. If you’re not as adventurous, the regular menu features more traditional Veal, Steak and Fish options. (And while I’ve never had the Osso Bucco, it is said to be the house specialty.) Each entree served at Totaro’s is an assault of flavor and complexity. In contrast to the corporate steak house — steak on a plate with a side of potatoes and vegetables for example — the food here shines specifically because of the kitchen’s ability to pair each ingredient in such a way that it is not always possible to decipher what completes each bite. The thing I love most about Totaro’s is when I take a hearty forkful, and although I could never list every ingredient on that fork, it simply tastes phenomenal. On a recent visit, one special was a juniper glazed venison double chop with smashed rutabaga, roasted butternut squash, smoked duck potato hash, sweet slaw all in a reduction sauce. It was sweet, hearty, succulent, and flat out awesome.

Perhaps Totaro’s finest moment comes at dessert, which usually includes a extraordinary brownie which is served warm, covered in oozing molten chocolate, housed inside golden phyllo pastry. Go ahead, read it again. No, it won’t help any dieters out there, but it is sooo worth it.

Ambiance: The best way to describe Totaro’s is that it seems like an old school mob hangout. There is a small, cozy dining room adjacent to a bar with some additional seating areas.

Service: Everyone at Totaro’s is gracious and helpful. On one visit we had to wait a while, even with a reservation, but the staff did their best to keep us happy while we waited.

Value: When you come here, value should be the last thing on your mind. Entrees regularly hover in the mid $30s, and can even approach $50 for specialties (a Kobe Steak on one visit). While a trip to Totaro’s may cost as much as two trips to your favorite restaurant, for my money it is worth staying home once to eat here, especially for a special occasion.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 3
Reservations: Yes
Payments: Cards
Bar: Full
http://www.totaros.com

Rating: 3 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: Stylish neighborhood bar/restaurant with creative American cuisine. The Gypsy Saloon is run by the same people as Stella Blu in Conshy (former owners of Bella Luna in Bryn Mawr). The saloon delivers a solid meal in a fun, comfortable atmosphere.

Food: The Gypsy Saloon recently retooled their menu in an attempt to attract a more upscale clientele. It now features a wide variety of inventive American cuisine, with several each of beef, chicken, seafood and pasta dishes. Even simple fare — such as a skirt steak frites — comes with a twist, in this case a 48-hour marinated steak with sweet potato fries and spicy mustard aoli. Sushi grade tuna is seared rare with a chinese spice rub, served with chili fries and an interesting pineapple sauce. The excellent red snapper is served on a bed of creamy butternut squash risotto. In general, the food is interesting and solid.

Ambiance: A relatively small space that is comfortable but bustling, the saloon also features a small bar area that is a great atmosphere for a drink or two with friends before dinner. Gypsy is now completely smoke-free, which fixes one of it’s biggest problems, especially for tables near the bar.
Value: Dinner for two, including one appetizer, two entrees, one dessert and a bottle of wine cost just about $100 (before tip). With so many quality BYOBs in the area, it is difficult to justify paying this much for a meal that is equivalent to a BYOB meal available for $30-40 less. This is not to say the visit was not satisfying — just not the greatest value in town.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 1
Reservations: Yes
Bar: Full Bar
http://gypsysaloon.com
Credit Cards

Rating: 3 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: A nice neighborhood BYOB with occasionally good but inconsistent food. The menu is highly ambitious, but never quite reaches the heights the menu descriptions suggest. The menu is a 3-course prix fixe, but is reasonably priced ($28.50 per person).

Food: Eclectic American cuisine. For starters, there was a salmon cake special that sounded great but came out bland and dry. A dining companion had the “Honey Almond Baked Brie in Phyllo with a Raspberry Sauce” which was deliciously sweet and succulent, but obviously not the lightest appetizer in history. For main courses, the “Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Butter Pecan Sauce, served over Vanilla Sweet Potato Mousse” was a bit oversweet and lacked complexity. The “Filet Mignon with Red Onion Jam and Bordelaise Sauce on a Bed of Roasted Garlic Potato Mousse” sounded great on paper but failed to overwhelm anyone who ordered it. The desserts change nightly and are easily the best course.

Ambiance: Small, neighborhood place. Very nice.

Service: Service was good. Not much else to say here.

Value: $28.50 for three courses, BYOB… I’d say this is a good value. Personally, however, I rarely order three courses, so that makes me question the value a bit. Still, a solid value.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 2
Reservations: Yes
Payments: Cards
Bar: BYOB