One would think that the main draw to A Taste of Olive would be olive oil. It is right there in the name, after all, and their product selection is mainly a wide variety of olive oils from around the world, many infused with different flavors. One would be wrong. The single most compelling reason to go to A Taste of Olive is for vinegar. Specifically, their 18-year aged balsamic vinegar.

This stuff is the elixir of the gods. Were talking sweet, don’t-even-need-oil-in-your-salad-dressing smooth. You-could-use-it-as-an-ice-cream-topping smooth. If you like your vinegar really acidic, of course, this is probably not the one for you. For the rest of us, get ready to never buy balsamic at the supermarket again.

Though this vinegar is the main reason to visit A Taste of Olive in either Ardmore or West Chester, it is not the only reason. They have lots of other oils and vinegars, both pure and infused with flavor. Aside from the aforementioned balsamic, there’s also espresso balsamic, and dark chocolate, and fig. And plenty of others. Want something lighter? Try the honey ginger vinegar, great in Asian salads.

There is, of course, a huge selection of olive oils as well. Many are infused with flavors like basil, lemon, chile, or truffles. Personally, however, I’m a purist. Infused oils are fun to try, but I would rather start with the straight-up, good stuff and add my own flavors as necessary. If I had one complaint, in fact, it would be that A Taste of Olive doesn’t have enough of a selection of different “plain” olive oils. Yes, they do have at least ten different varieties, ranging from smooth to spicy, fruity to earthy, and this is probably enough choice for most people. But not for me! I see a wall of these infused oil tanks and I dream instead of sections for Itlay, Spain and South American oils, showcasing the different regions and styles. I’ll readily admit that i am nitpicking here and saying this with a smirk on my face, but I am also quite serious about my oil. That said, whenever I’ve been in A Taste of Olive, the other customers always seem to be clustered around the infused oils, so I am sure the owners know more about what the public wants than I do.

Visiting A Taste of Olive is quite an experience. It is very similar to going to a wine tasting room, except you are sipping pure oil (or vinegar!) instead of tasty wine. For obsessivists such as myself, this straight shooting of many, many oils leaves a rather strange sensation in the throat. The experience would certainly be far better if they would put out little bites of bread to take the oil with (not to mention the fact that this would create a more similar experience to home consumption and thus more realistic tasting). Some of the oil stores I’ve been to in CA do this, but I suppose the owners of A Taste of Olive have their reasons for not. Perhaps they feel it would encourage browse-snacking instead of serious shopping (though I, for one, would shell out a couple bucks for tasting bread if it would be credited to any purchase). I wonder how they would react if I brought my own? Future food for thought.

In addition to oils and vinegar, A Taste of Olive also stocks a wide variety of gourmet treats and giftable items such as pastas, pestos & spreads, and spices. It would certainly make a great stop this holiday season for the food lover on your list. (Gift Certificates also available).

A Taste of Olive
http://www.atasteofolive.com/

22 W Lancaster Ave
Ardmore, PA
610.642.1123
Monday – Saturday (10am – 6pm)
Sunday (closed)

26 South High Str
West Chester, PA
610.429.0292
Monday – Saturday (10am – 6pm)
Sunday (11am – 4pm)

A “good” cup of coffee is relatively easy to find in our area. (Last summer, while driving through rural North Carolina, well, that was another story.) We’re lucky enough to have a few decent independent coffee shops, and even chains like Starbucks or Saxby’s will typically provide a reasonable cup. “Great” cups of coffee, on the other hand, are far more rare. Great coffee isn’t just tasty; it’s an experience that lingers for days, even years after the mere moments of consumption are past. Town Hall Coffee in Merion Station (Narberth) makes great coffee. In fact, they brew one of the finest two or three cups of coffee I’ve ever had.

After such a bold statement, I should qualify my coffee-drinking experience; if limited to Wawa and Waffle House, the assertion wouldn’t mean much. But that’s not the case. I’ve sipped while standing around the crowded bar at Sant’Eustachio in Rome, which was once called the “perfect espresso” by the New York Times (but has nothing on Town Hall). I’ve licked crema from the mug at Blue Bottle in San Francisco (which did live up to the hype). Town Hall is great enough to be mentioned with the best.

Espresso is my coffee drink of choice. Though rarer in this part of the world, for me, the best cups are always espresso. Even if you prefer the drip, or a milky latte, you’ll still love Town Hall. Espresso is the building block to coffee; if a coffee house does it well, they are sure to also excel at both drip coffee and espresso-based milk drinks. How can one be sure? It’s all in the preparation. The employees of Town Hall are obsessive (in a good way) about ingredients and conditions. Each step matters: picking the right beans, executing the proper grind, filtering the water and brewing at the correct temperature. They take it all very seriously, no matter what type of coffee is desired. Just ask one of the friendly baristas — they’ll be happy to tell you all about it.

One of the most common questions a Town Hall barista gets is about their hand-brewed method for making drip coffee. Instead of using a fancy machine, they have a small rack that holds a few small cones. For each cup of coffee, they ground the right amount of beans (measured by weight instead of volume, for consistency), then pour hot water over them through the cone. It’s a simple, old-time way to brew that allows each cup to receive a special amount of attention. (And, from the reaction of those drinking it near me, it appears to be worth every extra second.)

Town Hall doesn’t roast it’s own coffee beans, but it carries a wide variety of fair-trade, sustainable beans from roasters like Counter Culture, Ritual and Novo. At around $15 for 12oz, it’s not cheap, but it is high-quality stuff. They also offer a small selection of homemade pastries like scones, cookies and croissants.

There are lots of great coffee shops, but fewer great coffee makers. Town Hall offers both; it’s a great neighborhood spot that is welcoming and relaxing, and they just happen to brew world-class coffee.

Town Hall Coffee
358 Montgomery Ave
Merion Station, PA
(484) 270-8041
http://www.townhallcoffee.com

Rating: 3 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: A small, bustling local restaurant with solid diner fare, great brunch menu and really good, strong coffee.

Food: Located across from the Ardmore train station, above the Peace a Pizza, the Ardmore Station Café is clearly a neighborhood staple, attracting everyone from businesspeople to families with small children to college students. The menu is filled with typical diner fare; huge, customizable omelets, burgers and pancakes are just a few of the selections. Weekend brunch offers a whole new page of choices, including eggs benedict (and several varieties such as smoked salmon and crab benedicts), a variety of stuffed French toasts and specialty omelets. While my dining partner can’t get enough of the veggie omelet with a side of sausage, on the weekends I usually get eggs benedict, a Greek omelet, or pancakes. I would especially recommend the pancakes – they’ve been voted “Best pancakes on the Main Line” numerous times. Light and fluffy, with a delicate vanilla flavor, they are among the best I’ve had, and can either be ordered plain or with additions like bananas, strawberries or coconut.

While the food is generally good, I’ve experienced a number of missteps. On a few occasions, the poached eggs in the eggs benedict were overcooked and, once, I received eggs that were so undercooked that I had to send them back. During busy times (most notably weekend brunch), the wait staff will occasionally forget to bring out side dishes or honor special requests. However, any time this happens, the oversight is swiftly rectified.

Ambiance: Though small and sparsely decorated, everyone is made to feel welcome and, even during the busiest times, I’ve never felt rushed. Be warned: during peak times, the place can get very loud. However, I’ve never found the noise to be unbearable or to preclude conversation.

Service: Though they can be a bit overwhelmed during peak times, the wait staff is always friendly and helpful.

Value: Diner prices with large portions and more than decent food.  A solid value.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 5+
Reservations: No – wait times can be quite long during weekend brunch.
Hours: Monday – Friday: 7am – 3pm; Saturday and Sunday Brunch: 7am – 2pm
Payment: Cards

Rating: 2 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: The notion behind Plate is reasonably priced, comfort food — something that isn’t really available on the Main Line today. Unfortunately, this idea falls a bit flat due to uninspired food and inconsistent service.

Food: The menu at Plate looks to capitalize on the current comfort food craze, serving up hearty, homestyle fare. Organic chicken, skirt steak, pork tenderloin, and crab cakes all come with some type of potatoes and a sweet or spicy sauce. Although these dishes sound appealing enough, their execution is surprisingly bland and lifeless. Slow-cooked beef brisket had potential, but was far too dried out. Cedar-plank salmon lacked flavor, and the buerre blanc sauce it came with was a poor match for the herb crusted fish. The angus burger was large and eye-catching, but came overcooked, medium-well instead of medium rare. The organic chicken was the best of the three, but was far from exciting.
Ambiance: The big appeal of Plate is the great terrace available during nice weather. In addition, the large picture windows at the front of Plate, by the bar, open as well.

Service: Our first visit to Plate brought little issue with the service — on a busy night the waitress was helpful and prompt. A second visit, however, was a complete disaster. Several people in our party received their entrees a good five minutes before others — an unacceptable oversight by the kitchen. To make matters worse, the waitress failed to keep our table updated on the progress of the missing meals. When they finally arrived, one dish was not even cooked all the way through, basically raw in the middle. The manager did finally offer to take some money off the bill, but not until we went out of our way to complain. When service is this bad, the restaurant should be pre-emptive, not force the customer to make a stink.

(Another pet peeve: We were offered a free dessert as an apology, which really had no appeal after a poorly executed meal. Offering free dessert to make up for bad service and/or food is really worthless to a consumer who just wants to leave as quickly as possible. Want to make customers feel better? Comp something they’ve already ordered, and help them bring a swift and painless end to the evening. Dessert isn’t going to turn things around.)

Value: Most entrees range from $15-19, but too many sneak into the $20s, where price no longer corresponds to quality. Perhaps the biggest turn-on about Plate is the “20 under 30”, 20 bottles of wine priced at $30 or under — a trend that is very comforting indeed. Unfortunately, it is too little to late for Plate.

Details
# of times we’ve eaten there: 3
Reservations: Yes
Bar: Full
Cards: Yes
Website: www.platerestaurant.com