The combination of fresh, local ingredients, creative, innovative Italian-American cuisine, comfortable-yet-refined ambiance and brilliant service make Restaurant Alba one of the most exceptional restaurant experiences in the western suburbs.

Food: Things kicked off with a complimentary amuse of sunchoke puree with extra virgin olive oil. This robust oil was also served next to crusty Italian bread.

We started out with the “Batsua” ($12) – a crispy fritter made from braised pig’s feet and belly, served with a mustard crema. These had a wonderfully “porky” flavor; though we expected it to be like bacon, it was closer to a smoked pork barbecue. Though frying this concoction seems excessive, it was certainly worth trying. We also sampled the Antipasto ($15pp – changes daily), a sampling of 5-6 “chef’s choice” appetizers. All were excellent — but our favorite was the goat cheese & grilled ramp bruschetta.

Wood Roasted Goat, served alongside grilled whole grain polenta and soffrito braised greens ($31), was tasty and savory. To make this dish, a whole goat is slow-cooked overnight on the dying embers of the previous night’s fire and then braised before a quick reheat on the grill. It’s a uniquely flavored meat — closest to lamb but not quite as gamey.

The Berkshire pork shoulder, served with crispy spaetzle & peas, charred fennel and a bit of Tupelo honey sauce ($26) is cooked in similar fashion to the goat, and the quick grilling just before serving gives it a texture almost like a crusty bread — crispy on the outside but light and fluffy inside. In contrast to the goat, the honey and cider jus gave this dish a subtle kick of sweetness.

A grilled rib-eye special was served with sea salt and fine tuscan olive oil alongside crispy potatoes and a mixed green salad. It was a simple dish — the “crispy” potatoes were really cold homemade chips, which was a bit disappointing — but the steak was well-cooked and quite tasty.

Alba also offers 4-5 pasta dishes such as Veal & Sweetbread Ravioli, Morel Mushroom & Vegetable Soffrito ($20) and several fish entrees like the Atlantic Tilefish with Nettle & Potato Gnocchetti, Grilled Meyer Lemon & Caper Brown Butter ($29). The menu changes seasonally.

For dessert, we tried the Chocolate Pot de Creme with Almond Torrone Whipped Cream ($8), which was light and slightly minty, creating a palate-cleansing feeling. It wasn’t spectacular, but we still cleaned the plate.

Bar: Once only a BYOB, Alba now offers a full bar. (BYOW is still allowed at $10/bottle.) A small list of beers focuses on local crafts from Victory. The wine list, on the other hand, culls mostly from Italy, with a large variety of hard-to-find small producers (or at least as many as you can get through the PLCB system). They also make house-infused grappa for those with fortified stomachs.

Service: Though the food is excellent, the attention to service at Alba is what truly sets this restaurant apart from others in the suburbs. Clearly the staff and management understand how to handle any issues and resolve them quickly and satisfyingly. Our very first dinner at Alba, shortly after they opened, showcased their attention to detail. A pork chop originally came from the kitchen extremely undercooked, so much so that it was inedible. A passing waiter (not our own) quickly noticed that I looked unhappy and offered to take the plate back to the kitchen. Never a good situation to have one plate of hot food on the table and not the other, our waitress quickly reappeared with a small appetizer to tide me over until they could fix up the chop. Obviously I was unhappy with the fact that my food was not prepared well at first, but the professional and caring way that the entire staff handled the incident was brilliant.

On a more recent visit, our waiter once again illustrated how seriously Alba takes service. There were no errors from the kitchen this time around, but our waiter answered every question we had about the menu (there were quite a few) with a level of knowledge and detail as if he would be personally preparing each entree. He had no hesitation to help us choose the entrees that would be suit our interests and needs.

Ambiance: Artsy and comfortable, bustling yet romantic. There are two rooms, the main one which features an open kitchen, and a more private side room. The main room is perhaps a bit more compelling because of the large wood oven in view, but there isn’t a huge difference.

Value: As with many restaurants that move from BYOB status to bar status, the value proposition at Alba has gone down a bit. It’s nice that they offer a BYOW option, but the $10 corkage is quite steep. Wine bottles are not outlandishly priced (at least compared to other restaurants), and value can be found with some digging, but most bottles are at least $40. Entrees haven’t dropped in price since the bar was added, so expect to pay upper 20s or even low 30s. It is hard to complain when the quality of the food and experience is consistently excellent, but Alba is certainly no longer your neighborhood restaurant for a casual Friday night.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 4
Reservations: Yes (recommended even on weekdays) OpenTable
Bar: BYOB
Cards: MC/Visa
http://restaurantalba.com/
7 West King Street
Malvern, PA
610-644-4009

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

Rating: 5 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: Outsanding upscale bistro that can offer both a casual neighborhood meal of small plates, pizza and pasta, and an upscale special occasion dinner of wonderful modern American entrees. Worth the drive from the Main Line!

Food: To start things off, a complimentary amuse bouche of cool three potato soup and crème freche was immensely fresh and even featured hints of kennett mushrooms. After struggling to decide among a variety of attack plans, we opted for the Antipasto ($18), a collection of different small bite appetizers. The Mushroom & Truffle Grilled Cheese was, obviously, great, as are most things that feature bread and melted cheese, but the local mushroom flavor added just enough interest to make this stand out even more so. Another winner was the Fava Bean Crostini with Shaved Pecorino, which, when dipped in the olive oil provided with the complimentary bread was even nicer. It was great to see Fiddle Head Ferns featured (with Prosciutto Di Parma), as these hard-to-find veggies are always a nice treat in the Spring. Though perhaps not the intended way to eat it, spreading the Goat Cheese & Caramelized Onion Flan on a piece of fresh, crusty bread made for a great impromptu bruschetta. Lastly, the Fried Smelts with Anchovy Aioli were just ok, as the “fishy” flavor overwhelmed to some extent.

The Natural Free Range Chicken entrée, served on a bed of Butternut Squash, Johnny’s Mushrooms, Cous Cous “Mac & Cheese” and Chicken Jus ($26) was the big winner of the evening (and we rarely order chicken!). The French-cut bird was perfectly cooked, crispy skin on the outside but still tender within, and the creamy “cous cous”, which was a mix of all the above ingredients, was both rich and comforting. The other entrée we tried, Local Spinach and Feta Tortellini served in a Spring Garlic Broth with Grated Aged Goat Cheese ($25), offered more subtle flavors but was both light and satisfying. It tasted like Spring in a bowl!

For dessert, we opted for the Liquid Center Butterscotch Cake, served with Bourbon-Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Espresso Dust and a Cocoa Nib “Glass” ($9) — think a butterscotch version of the classic molten chocolate cake. This was a bit too sweet — perhaps a coffee ice cream to replace the vanilla would provide some bitterness to offset the vanilla sweetness — but nonetheless we cleaned the plate.

On another visit, we sampled several of the excellent pizzas for a more casual dinner. Though everything was good, the Butternut Squash pie (Grilled Butternut Squash, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Gorgonzola, Baby Arugula) was out of this world. The sweetness of the squash paired brilliantly with the salty bacon for a unique, wonderful treat.

Bar: We chose to bring our own wine (for a $5 corkage fee), but Sovana does offer a nice selection of wine and beer. The moderately-sized wine list offers reasonably priced bottles ($30-60), though watch out for the single glass prices. For beers, they offer some nice local craft brews, including a couple draft choices from Delaware’s Twin Lakes Brewery.

Ambiance: We’re partial to this kind of place — bustling, modern, and friendly, with lots of wood and natural light. Perhaps not a place for a quiet, romantic evening, but otherwise excellent. They also have some tables outside, both on the side (in a nice garden area) and out front (strip mall parking lot views).

Service: Competent service — nothing outstanding to report.

Value: Hard to say what a meal for two will cost due to the abundant options for meals and drinks, but prices are available on the website. Though the entrée prices can head into the $30s, the food is excellent and likely worth the price. Having a BYOB option, despite the $5 corkage (which is quite reasonable considering the license), is also great. And, if you want to try Sovana without breaking the bank, a meal could quite easily be made of appetizers and pizza.

Details:
# VISITS: 2
Cards: Yes
Bar: Yes / BYOW $5
Site: http://www.sovanabistro.com/
Reservations: OpenTable

Review: 3 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: The more casual sister of the acclaimed Dilworthtown Inn, the restaurant features an eclectic, seasonal bistro menu with great bar snacks, a superb wine list and a relaxed atmosphere.

Food: Having already enjoyed the Dilworthtown Inn, we were intrigued by the menu and concept of the Blue Pear Bistro. The menu, consisting of small and medium sized plates (though, all but one of our medium plates were typical entrée portions), contains modern bistro fare, where classics like steak frites are offered alongside eclectic selections such as skate wing and French toast napoleon. We started the meal with cocktails and bar snacks. Though the strawberry mojito was much too strong, my drink, called Fig Thyme, was absolutely delicious – the earthy, fragrant thyme was the perfect complement to the sweetness of the figs. For our snacks, we chose the deviled eggs and white truffle popcorn. While the deviled eggs were quite good, it was the popcorn that took center stage – none of us could stop eating it!  It was warm and crisp and covered with just the right amount of salt and truffle oil; for me, it was one of the highlights of the meal.

Appetizers consisted of shigoku oysters, fried calamari and jalapeño rings, and the bacon and egg salad.  The oysters were lovely: sweet, creamy, and mildly briny. They were especially delicious when topped with the accompanying mignonette and a refreshing ginger concoction that was reminiscent of a good granita.  The bacon and egg salad was also very good, though the egg was coated in a greasy batter that didn’t stick to the egg. Luckily, when removed, the egg turned out to be well cooked with a proper runny yolk.  Though the fried jalapeño rings were enjoyable and offered just the right amount of heat, the calamari itself was rubbery and rather tasteless.

For my entrée, I had the barbecue beef short ribs with creamy grits and watercress salad. The short ribs were cooked very well – they were melt-in-your-mouth tender – and well-seasoned. However, the barbecue sauce was overwhelming and took away from the flavor of the meat. The creamy grits were true to their description and full of rich, buttery flavor. Although I enjoyed them at first, by the end I almost felt as though I was eating mouthfuls of whipped butter. One of my dining partners tried the skate wing with citrus beurre blanc, a special of the evening, and was very pleased with it. The meat itself was tender and delicately flavored and went very well with the tangy sweetness of the citrus sauce. Another member of the group had the seared scallops with English and sugar snap peas and a subtle but rich lobster saffron sauce.  The scallops were tender, perfectly cooked, and lightly caramelized. The scallop dish was the smallest of the entrees – seemingly the only one that actually lived up to the “medium plates” label.

Though the meal so far had been very enjoyable, dessert was rather disappointing. Despite an enticing menu, including French toast napoleon, lemon-maple sorbet, and profiteroles, both desserts that we ordered were underwhelming at best. The French toast napoleon was cloyingly sweet, and I could only eat a few bites of it. Not even the accompanying lemon-maple sorbet and tart blueberries could offset the sweetness.  The other dessert, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and crispy carrots, was far too spicy.

Service: Having already experienced the fantastic service at Dilworthtown Inn, I had high hopes for the Blue Pear. However, the service was adequate at best. When asked about the flavor of dishes on the menu, our robotic waitress had to check with the kitchen, making it very clear that she had never tasted them. Worse yet, on a number of occasions she cleared plates off the table when people were still eating! Initially, she took the popcorn as someone was reaching in for another handful (we were too stunned to say anything), and later proceeded to do the same with my appetizer and another person’s entrée.

Ambiance: Housed in a renovated 18^th century general store, Blue Pear is warm and inviting, with a number of different styled sections – a porch, bar area, lounge, and regular dining room. This cozy feeling is enhanced when people are sipping wine on the porch and/or talking and enjoying snacks at the bar.

Value: Prices for the small and medium plates range from about $7.00 – $24.50, with bar snacks and side dishes ranging from about $2.50 – $6.50.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 1
Reservations: Yes, by telephone
Hours: Monday – Saturday 4:00pm – midnight (bar service begins at 4:00pm, dinner at 5:00pm)
Bar: Yes
Cards: Yes
Website: http://www.bluepearbistro.com/

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: 2 silver spoons out of 5

Overall: The main attraction at Places! Bistro, the restaurant attached to the People’s Light & Theatre in Malvern, is the nice outdoor garden area, a rarity in this area. The food is creative but inconsistent, making this a fine place to go but nothing spectacular.

Food: Creative American fare with a variety of seafood, poultry and meats. An appetizer portion of the exotic mushroom gnocchi was easily the best thing we had, as the creamy, woodsy sauce was rich but not too heavy and matched nicely with the mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, spinach and pillowy gnocchi. My “Duck Duo”, grilled duck breast with a thigh confit-phyllo tower, cinnamon farro and swiss chard, was somewhat disappointing; the grilled breast had a deep smoky flavor which I didn’t love (and wasn’t mentioned on the menu), and even worse the meat was too fatty to really be chewable. The phyllo tower was better, but a bit dry. The cinnamon farro was very interesting however, as the cinnamon flavor was very light and complimented the whole grain nicely. (It should be mentioned that a number of dishes had whole grain starches, always good thing to see.) The steak frites, served with a cream sauce, bleu cheese, creamed spinach and chili aoli, was better, but it didn’t knock my socks off. The steak was also a tad overcooked (ordered med-rare, served med) and tough, but the sauce was flavorful. The fries were nothing special, although the aoli gave them a spicy kick.

Bar: Places does allow BYOB, but they do charge an $8 corkage. Normally this incences me to no end, but considering they have full bar, the nominal fee is actually somewhat reasonable. (Especially when you consider that a bottle of something like Cline or Smoking Loon that retails for about $10 goes for around $30 at the bar — if you bring your own, you’ll pay $18).

Service: I would consider the service to be very European — friendly but slow. I really liked the team of folks that served us, and the head waiter even stopped by to chat about wines for a bit, something he surely didn’t have to do. My only complaint is that it took a while to serve us drinks when we got there, a pet peeve of mine. As long as I have a full glass of wine, I’m happy to wait; without it I get impatient rather quickly.

Ambiance: A nice patio/garden area out front — one of the best outdoor spots in the area. Bring bug spray after dark though — I got eaten alive. It should be noted that there was a wedding reception going on while we ate dinner — we didn’t mind the cheesy wedding songs playing constantly in the background, but those looking for a quiet, peaceful retreat may want to keep that in mind on Saturdays (I don’t know if this is a regular occurance or not).

Value: Appetizers $8-12, entrees in the mid $20’s. The entrees were a bit overpiced for the quality, although if they could perfect them a bit, the idea behind each entree certainly warrants the pricetag. If you choose to purchase alcohol, the value proposition goes down further.

Details:
Visits: 1
Bar: Full (or BYOW for $8)
Cards: Yes
Reservations: Yes, OpenTable
Website: placesbistro.com

Granola Pancakes w/ Sliced Bananas

Rating: 3 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: After a long period of “growing pains”, Meridith’s has evolved into a consistent spot for casual, creative cuisine, be it brunch on the weekends or dinner.

Brunch: Creative omelets and pancake/french toast selections for breakfast, paired with interesting salad and sandwich options at lunch — all prepared with fresh, quality ingredients. Omelets — whether it be an old classic like bacon & cheese, or something extraordinary like crab & asparagus, are excellent. Perhaps stealing the show, however, are the breakfast potatoes, sauteed with peppers, onions, and a variety of spices. In the pancakes and french toast section, enjoy some creative and healthy (multi-grain) choices, all adorned with fabulous cinnamon butter.

Dinner: Meridith’s latest menu is a big improvement over the original. A recent steak special with a brown sugar marinade was excellent, though on the expensive side. Other options on the seasonal menu, like Hawaiian butterfish and pan-roasted duck, entice the appetite.

On a previous visit, the orange ginger salmon with red pepper risotto & sugar snap peas in a citrus reduction was clearly the standout entree. I was slightly concerned that the citrus flavor might overwhelm the fish, but in actuality the creamy sauce was just sweet enough and perfectly connected the fish, red pepper risotto and peas.

After dinner, an order of chocolate molten cake in a raspberry sauce was as good as it sounds — save room! Other desserts, the cheesecake with blueberry sauce and the triple chocolate cake, were solid but not nearly as good as the molten cake.

Ambiance: Nicely decorated room with a hip take on country cottage decor. Very stylish tables & chairs and artwork. They also have a few tables outside on their patio. One of the nicer features of Meridith’s is the bar available for those waiting for a table — If you get there early or don’t have a reservation, you can grab a seat at the bar (if there’s one available) and open your wine.

Service: Though the service was a major sore point of Meridith’s for some time, they seem to have finally worked out the kinks. Our last two visits were enhanced by prompt, informed and pleasant servers.

Value: Dinner came to around $30 per person, including tip, an nice value for the quality of food Meridith’s has to offer. Brunch is also very reasonably priced. A recent attempt for a liquor license has been withdrawn, keeping them BYOB.

Details:
575 Lancaster Ave.
Berwyn, PA 19312
610.251.9600
# of times we’ve eaten there: 5+
Reservations: Yes, for dinner
http://meridiths.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: 4 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: 333 Belrose opened in 2000, a fine-dining destination hidden on tiny Belrose road away from Radnor’s busy Lancaster Avenue corridor. For a restaurant in such a concealed location to stay successful for so long (5 years is an eternity in the restaurant business), they must be doing something right. (Hint: It’s the innovative cuisine.)

Food: Inspired, eclectic American cuisine. Executive Chef Carlo deMarco and Chef de Cuisine Andrew Finch take a wide variety of fish and meat dishes and complete them with creative, fulfilling sides and sauces. The flavors that tie together each plate are what propel Belrose’s menu to the ranks of the best in the area.

Although the Zinfandel Glazed Venison was a bit overcooked (medium well as opposed to medium rare), the succulent, truffle-infused demi glace was able to compensate for the slight dryness of the meat. The plate was completed beautifully by an apple cider braised red cabbage and a yam & bacon hash.

The Pan Seared Ahi Tuna, on the other hand, was seared perfectly on the outside and a dazzling pink within. Served in thick slices on a long, thin plate, the overall presentation, with fresh organic wasabi, sweet soy sauce and broccoli-yellow pepper stir-fry, recalled a brilliant sushi dinner.

Ambiance: Belrose dining area is surprisingly large, but is separated into several different smaller rooms. The good news about the restaurant’s size is that it’s rarely difficult to get a table. On the other hand, emptiness can sometimes take away from the experience. Belrose also has a popular bar with outdoor seating in the summer.

Service: Consistent with a quality fine-dining destination, Belrose’s service is exemplary. Waitstaff is courteous and helpful.

Value: Although Belrose is definitely a fine dining experience, it is not outlandishly priced. Entrees all fall in the mid to upper 20s, and there is a nice variety of wine in the $30-40 range. All in all, expect to pay around $60 per person, including tip.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 3
Reservations: Yes
Bar: Full Bar
Credit Cards