My intention with this list is to inspire you to visit a few of my favorite restaurants to help keep them alive through this crushing time for the restaurant industry. If I hear of any of these restaurants on this list going under, I will shed tears. 

 

Aside from buying food or gift cards at a restaurant, posting your review on Main Line Restaurant Reviews on Facebook, posting on the actual restaurant’s Facebook or Google Business page, Yelp or Open Tabl

 

e can make a huge difference to them. Take pictures of your food and their exterior set-up and this will take your review to the next level. I’ve included unusual categories such as Favorite Owners, Best Waffle and Best Outside Seating.

 

I have been living in the Philly suburbs the last 11 years. One of weekly highlights is the restaurant we go out to, although these days it has been more take-out.

 

In my mind, I am a restaurant critic of the NY Times. In the newspaper and in local magazines, I relish reading the restaurant review section first. I love poetic descriptions of food! Thoughtfully composed and imaginative dishes thrill me!

 

I am also an award-winning, Iron-Chef cook in my own mind, competing with Guy Fieri and Bobby Flay with my own restaurant empire. I think to truly appreciate a great restaurant you need to cook . . . then you know how hard it is to source ingredients, perfect techniques and use your sense of smell, taste and touch to know if a dish is ready.

 

I love the ambiance of a beautiful restaurant. I feel transported to another place and time with outstanding interiors (something that has been lost in Covid since I don’t dine inside and only eat outside… often in the tent of a parking lot).

 

Reading menus with creative and unheard of dishes gives me a slight rush . . . . duck mole, bibi-nyengmun (Korean sweet potato noodles in chili sauce) octopus tacos, cotton candy ice-cream, beer brisket enchiladas. saganaki (flaming greek cheese).

 

You learn so much about different cultures and lands through food. Some of my fondest travel memories involve food (I’ve traveled to 30 countries and lived in 4 different countries for a total of 4 years (Germany, Papua New Guina, Korea, Chile and Brazil). One of the main reasons I traveled to Vietnam, Thailand and India is because I love their cuisine!

 

There are some things I don’t eat – beef, pork, fois gras, cavier, raw onions, beets and beer. So no recommendations for steakhouses on here. I also don’t drink much so I don’t pay attention to BYOB status. I am just including my past reviews so you can just relive my experience of the food.

 

Here is my list of recommendations by category. You’ll notice that quite a few of them are in a couple of categories (Kid-friendly, Outside, Romantic, View, Mexican, etc )

 

Most of these reviews are pre-covid so not sure if all of these places are still in business. Since the restaurant industry is struggling so badly these days, If any of these are no longer around, please message me and will update my list.

 

Korean – H-Mart Food Court in Upper Darby.

 

I consider myself an expert on Korean food since I lived there for a year. I can read Korean letters and even know a tiny bit of conversation Korean. Korean food is almost always spicy with the same chili sauce and flavor profile on many dishes. One of the best things about eating in a Korean restaurant is all the free side dishes you get (panchan). Often a variety of pickled vegetables like Kimchi, bean sprouts in sesame oil and beans. You get anywhere from 4-8 little side dishes Then for your meal you usually get a side of rice included and sometimes a small bowl of broth. In winter, I love their spicy stews which can have seafood, tofu, pork, beef (sometimes a combo of 2 or 3 of these) in there.

 

A few of my favorite Korean dishes. Hwedobap – something like a sushi salad with …. chili sauce on top, Bibimbap (try saying it…. it’s fun to say!) vegetables with rice and chili sauce…. and my absolute favorite – Bibinyengmun – cold sweet potato noodles with a few slices of radish, beef (which I pick off and give to my hubby) and pear with…… spicy chili sauce! I’ve ordered this a few hundred times so I know this dish well. I love the chewy, purply noodles! I don’t eat beef but most people love Bulgogi – beef marinated in soy, garlic and ginger and barbequed. A really fun way to eat Korean food is to go to a restaurant which has the grills in the center of the table and you see your food cooked right in front of you. (I don’t recommend this with small children though)

 

Chinese – Sampan – Havertown and DanDan in Wayne. Sampan is our go-to for take-out Sushi, Japanese and Chinese food. Solid choice! DanDan has some outstanding options and love their beautiful interiors. Their lunch portions were extremely generous… I stopped ordering take-out from there when I worked nearby since I didn’t want to schlep the extra food home… and didn’t want to waste it…. I would just pig out.

 

Sushi – HMart In Upper Darby, Herosame in Ardmore and Trader Vic’s in Rosemont.
Bluefin had some outstanding and imaginitive choices and i was so sorry that they didn’t make it through this Covid crisis. Trader Vic’s in Rosemont for take-out sushi was great!

 

Breakfast – Apple Walnut Cafe in Newtown Square, Tank N Libbys in Havertown and Founding Farmers in King of Prussia.

 

At home I tend to eat a boring bowl of my own home-made granola with chia seeds and frozen fruit (ok . . . maybe my own granola isn’t boring but I eat it almost every day.) I’m not hungry for breakfast and am not excited about pancakes, waffles and omelettes so not much point in eating it out. Also it’s hard to get excited about waffles, if I know I am going to gain 8 pounds after eating 1 of them.

 

Apple Walnut Cafe – Broomall – Loved how kid-friendly the it is. Highlights – Latkes Fries, “Impossible Burger and Sweet Potato Fries. Across the street is Nicholas Smith Trains which is my new favorite toy store….. MUCH more than just trains.

 

Founding Farmers – KOP – This is the most exciting breakfast (and probably all other meals as well) place that needs to be on your radar now. They had a nice tented set-up outside. Our group ordered the country basket with all kinds of exciting schmears (jalapeno cream cheese, blueberry cream cheese, PB, housemade strawberry jam, and other ones I forgot). Also a shimmery glazed donut that is still waiting to be devoured for a snack later. Fresh-squeezed orange juice! Chocolate chip pancakes with the perfect amount of fluffiness, goldenness and melty chocolate ooziness (is that a word?) nice touch with the homemade whipped cream (there is no reason to say housemade or home-made since EVERYTHING is made in house here… which is AWESOME!) Crab cakes on toasted English muffins…. nice and savory with no fillers and with bruleed Grapefruits. I think I had the roosbella tea… very elegant touch to let me have my own silver huge teapot. I also loved the contemporary creamers…. details matter so when they pay attention to small details like that you know the food is going to be five stars as well.
Great attention to Covid safety details – all staff masked, tables spaced and even the bathroom door had a sign on it that lets you open it without having to touch the door. (Bathroom door handles are VERY germy!) I can’t wait to go back to this place and eat inside since it had all kinds of whimsical contemporary farm-chic interiors and love the cozy and comfortable seating inside with sofas. Views from the 3rd floor were awesome too. We ate outside in the tent but went inside to use the bathroom and check out their awesome bakery cafe inside with lots of to-go goodies. (I was sad there no were no beignets though…. this is a chain and not all the locations have them. I was planning to bring some home). They had some very fun house-churned (what else?) ice-cream flavors as well – American Whiskey with Cornflakes and Black Sheep Vanilla…. who thinks of those things? Service was perfect! I rarely say that but there when we needed them without being intrusive.
Five star rating here and can’t wait to go back and try lunch and dinner here… or just ice-cream! But-gusting yumminess! https://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/location/king-of-prussia/?fbclid=IwAR0yT6FCQDZ3vMNaTt785z7NnyKNt6QN4vXvS1YDpVCKpbYfx5d3in1oSnE

 

Kid-Friendly – Tank n Libbys, Apple Walnut Cafe, Al Pastor and Stingers. Some folks might say Sabrina’s too though but we haven’t been there in a long time. See my reviews in other categories for a couple of these places.

 

Tank N Libbys – Havertown – People rave about the food here, but what I also love about them about how family-friendly they are. I always see lots of little ones and babies in carriers here. I love the library there with tons of kids books and how they have crayons at the table. For the fish tank they have a cute picture chart with fish names so shrunken humans can match the names in the tank. The Dutch Baby is more like an excuse to have dessert for breakfast…. carmelized apple souffle with cream on top in a skillet? I forced someone in our group to order it once. I had the shrimp over creamy cheesy grits…. it was good but not very memorable. I asked our server if she could make smiley-faced shaped scrambled eggs …… and YAY… they delivered… which made my shrunken human happy!

 

View – Stingers – Ridley Park. Great place if you want to be on the waterfront without the shore drive. Little ones will be entertained watching the boats on the harbor or planes taking off.  We had the baked clams, crab cakes, burger with crab on it and chicken fingers (what else do 4 year olds eat?) But the Exoctica Bomba was the Star Passion fruit mango and rasberry sorbet topped with white chocolate. Outstanding presentation!  I think this is probably a dog-friendly place too since there is both patio seating and outside seating.  Great place to watch a sports game with lots of big tvs at the huge bar.  This also wins for outside seating, seafood and kid-friendly.

 

Greek – Lourdes – Bryn Mawr. (I’ts been a while since I ate at Estia downtown but that was also amazing!) Lourdas Greek Restaurant, Bryn Mawr. Don’t be put off by the unappealing store-front. Inside an elegant greek feast awaits. For some reason, the Greeks I know seem to only complain about Greek restaurants (notice, my last name, I married Greek so I’m part of the clan now). The octopus and lentil salad was the most tender execution, I’ve ever had. No tentacles, no rubber. the words ” It tastes like chicken” came out of my mouth…. if you ever want to trick anyone (kids included) into trying (and loving!) octopus this is the way to do it.
http://lourdasgreekrestaurant.com/

 

Favorite Salad – Roasted hearts of palm with Ceaser dressing at Mom’s. Hearts of palm are a very unappreciated salad ingredient….. never seen them roasted anywhere else. Very big too! It’s fairly garlic-y so vampires beware!

 

Outside Seating – Stinger’s, Al Pastor, Coyote Crossing, Four Dogs Tavern, Firepoint Grill (not truly outside but very open covered patio) Autograph Brasserie, Tavola’s at Springfield Country Club. See my extensive reviews in other categories for first 4. 

 

Four Dogs Tavern – West Chester – This is the place to go if you want to either have scenic alfresco dining and/or want to bring your poochie to a welcoming place. There were dogs at all the tables near us which gave the place even more personality. Our group ordered the charred octopus, a Reuben, crab nachos, chicken fingers (how did shrunken humans ever survive without these things I’ll never know….) jerk chicken wings and for dessert the lemon meringue ice-cream pie. The plating and presentation for most of these was phenomenal! The crab nachos and jerk chicken wings were outstanding! The Reuben was good but forgettable. The lemon meringue ice-cream pie is a “game-changer” and that alone was worth the drive. If you are a lemon-meringue pie snob (I’m not) then this is the holy grail of places to go.  It had a candied grapefruit syrup on top. The outside dining was so lovely! Some of it tented and some just had umbrellas but there were trees that flowed into the dining area so it felt very forest-y inside. Service was great! About 15 minutes away is The American Helicopter Museum which hardly had anyone in it. You could also watch little plans take off on the runway there. That part makes for a great day out with the kiddos! Overall a delicious excursion in the country-side! https://www.instagram.com/fourdogstavern/

 

Firepoint Grill in Newtonwn Square. Outstanding patio seating… especially for a vampire girl like me that can’t take intense direct sunlight but doesn’t want to be locked up inside.  Peach Bellinnis, Short Rib Bennnies, Seafood Pasta and A Carrot Cake with candied pecans and salted caramel… big enough to feed 6 people to share. Kid- and DOG friendly!  A gem and a delight! https://www.firepointgrill.com/

 

Mexican – Coyote Crossing- Conshohocken. If I could marry a restaurant in the Philly Metro area this would be it! I went here a few weeks ago at night and it was enchanting outside with the lighting in the outside courtyard garden. It is equally as charming during the day, sunshine coming through the trees, colorful red umbrellas. Tequila incredibly smooth, no syrupy drink mix. This is the place to go if you are a margarita snob (I am). I had the Don Margarita (the best margarita that will ever pass your lips . . . if I didn’t have to drive back I would have ordered myself a pitcher) I had the smoked corn guacamole and then the seafood fajitas. I was so overwhelmed by that dish…. … the only word that comes to mind is FOODGASM! Soft shells crabs, a huge piece of octopus, nopales, asparagus, shrimp and mahi-mahi. It was a mountain of fajita seafood yumminess! Usually, when you get fajitas it’s a bunch of onions and bitter green peppers and a few pieces of meat or shrimp…NOT so here. Service was great of course too. I took most of it home since the portions were beyond generous and the salsas are like the 4th of July in my mouth! A stellar experience! This is the most beautiful, enchanting and delicious place you can go if you want to eat outside. https://coyotecrossing.com/

 

Al Pastor – Exton – Al Pastor – one of my favorite outdoor seating restaurants. If it wasn’t Covid, I would say one of my favorite restaurants since I love the way the decor has so much festive Mexican personality and the food is consistently awesome! We ordered the pulled chicken tacos for the shrunken human which were kid and adult palate-pleasing! For drinks, we got the Pumpkin-Spice margarita which is almost like drinking a dessert…. and also the Cocolito – I think a mixture of fruit juice, coconut rum and maybe gin…… also quite tasty! Grown-ups got the shredded pork tacos and the mango-habanero burrito and the guacamole with chips. All just outstanding! There are also a bunch of heaters when it gets chilly and umbrellas when it gets too sunny. The tables next to us got the nachos…. the biggest, most obscene looking serving of nachos I have ever seen! (You know a portion like that has to be awesome!) Best ordered if you have a group of at least 5 people. I love the plating here as well – very composed and beautifully presented.
This is a great place if you have kids since it’s in the middle of Wellington Square so you can explore the trails that lead to the koi pond, little bridge and little waterfall. Also, older kids can just play in the middle of the grassy area while adults can see them and just relax and have their drinks.

 

As a corollary, it would also make for a very romantic date ( at night), I believe there is live music some nights. Food outstanding, outdoor dining with beautiful scenery and drinks that make your mouth happy! Service got too slow once we got our food but I tend to be more forgiving of service these days since the restaurant industry is going through such a tough time. My only major complaint about this place is it’s too far! If this place was 25 minutes away from me I would probably be here on a much more regular basis. Thanks to Marissa Baum for recommending this (I have worked my way through about half of your recs from your blog post a few years ago about best ML places)… all outstanding recs! https://www.eatalpastor.com/

 

Taqueria Amor (formerly Taqueria Feliz) and then Sugar Philly – Manayunk. My original plan of going to the Goat’s Beard was foiled since I didn’t know they weren’t open for lunch on weekdays…. WAAAAH. I’m not in Manayunk much these days even though when I taught yoga in the area years ago used to know the restaurants really well. Luckily Manayunk has about 37 great restaurants within a 15 minute walking distance. So went to one of my favorite ” haunts” I have a special weakness for places that put a lot of attention and resources into outstanding interior design….. ambiance matters! I love being transported through the decor and you feel like you are in a village in Mexico on a fiesta day with the Dia De Los Muertos and bright pink with yellow flowers that you are sitting on.They managed to make a cliche dish like Chicken Enchiladas exciting and memorable with their salsa rioja …..I also got a $5 middle of the day “Kombucharita” – Margarita with Kombucha that paired perfectly. I rarely drink… let alone the middle of the day but this just made my mouth so happy! I’ve eaten here many times over the years and it always hits the mark…. fantastically seasoned, party ambiance and friendly service. I was too full to eat their tempting dessert options so went across the street to Sugar Philly. Their ambiance was quite boring and someone should advise them to spruce up their walls… paint them pastel colors or put huge pics of yummy desserts on the walls. They had a bunch of macarons and ice-cream macarons. I wanted something with a bright and light flavor so got the Mango, Ginger Hibiscus ice-cream macaron. Someone should have warned me that ice-cream melts since my original plan was to eat the dessert hours later and I digested my lunch but realized right after I walked out that I had to eat it right away…. YUM….and STUFFED! https://www.taqueriaamor.com/

 

Barbeque – Sterling Pig and Sophie’s BBQ – DROOL WARNINGS for both of them! – If you get take-out from here, it will be a TOUGH drive home since the smoked and grilled meats will drive you batty. We’ve had the ribs, chicken and some awesome sides. https://www.instagram.com/sophies_bbq/

 

Sterling Pig, Media. This is the place to come to unleash your inner caveman (or woman). They don’t joke around about their meats… whether it’s the smoked brisket (what hubby got tonight), smoked wings ( I’ve ordered these before) or “backyard” chicken (that’s what I ate tonight). The “backyard chicken” they brine, smoke, then grill it.. and you devour it like a savage! We did takeout and our car was covered in my drool due to the intoxicating smell. Our shrunken human kept asking if we could eat our food in the car the smell was so amazing. My husband loved his chocolate- stout-y-beer. Very generous with the sides, we got mac n cheese, green beans, cornbread and coleslaw… ask for extra cornbread when you are here so you don’t end up arguing with your family about who gets the last slice. We did take-out but they have a nice outside set-up as well. I don’t drink beer but this place has won many local awards and quite a few accolades for their beer. https://sterlingpig.com/media/

 

Seafood – Stingers (under View see my extensive review on Stingers) and Clam Tavern.

 

Clam Tavern – Clifton Heights – We got take-out from here. We were all quite happy with our dishes – crab cakes , shrimp scampi angel hair pasta and for my shrunken human….. chicken fingers. There is no outside seating and we wanted to eat at home anyway so take-out was just fine. Next time will order the crab topped potato skins! http://clamtavern.net/

 

30 Main in Berwyn. I’m ok eating in a tent in a parking lot, but the food better knock it out of the park … and it did at 30 Main in Berwyn today. We got there at lunch and had an entire tent to ourselves which was great! Our group got the crab cakes, eggs benedict with canadian bacon and plain buttered pasta …. all of which were outstanding. Beautiful plating as well. The owner, Mike D showed up to make sure we were warm enough and turned on some special heaters for us. For dessert, we had the Limoncello cake and when my teeth sunk into it all I could think was “Sublime.. Ethereal”. . . . . Our server, Wils, added much needed levity and comedy to our meal since my shrunken human was having a hard time behaving. I really love how welcomed we felt there. There were a ton of heat sources in the tents. At night, I believe they have live music and an enchanting light set-up. https://www.30mainbistro.com/

 

 Gastropub – Teresa’s, Royal Cafe of Narberth and McKenzie’s Brewpub

 

Teresa’s – Wayne. This place is consistently outstanding. For take-out, we got the Crispy Artichokes,  Duck Salad, Cubano Sandwich, Plain Cheese Pizza and  Eggplant Tower. When my husband bit into his Cubano Sandwich and big “MMMMMMMM” escaped out of his mouth.  Very outstanding cocktails and wine selection too.  Ideal for wine and beers snobs (27 beers on tap). I really loved the duck salad…. not fatty at all… just flavorful. https://teresas-cafe.com/cafe-food/

Royal Cafe of Narberth – Our group got the shroom burger,  Mac N Cheese, and Lobster on a Brioche roll.  The lobster roll was the most generous serving of Lobster I’ve had in my lobster-seeking life….  I asked the staff and they told me it was 10 ounces. The dressing on it was perfection… not too mayonnaisey but very light and just highlighted the fresh seafood taste.   You need two hands to eat it since it is teeming with lobster! The buttery brioche roll was the perfect complement to it.  Mac n Cheese is so often just a waste of carbs and stomach space and something that is suitable for a picky kid’s palate and not a discerning adult’s palate…. not so here either!  This was delicious and loved how it was plated on a small skillet and came out sizzling!  My hubby loved his shroom burger too!  They have a solid outdoor setup.  Heat lamps, things well spaced and all the staff was masked up.  The wait staff was very friendly too!   We didn’t eat inside but loved the eclectic, contemporary cozy casual ambiance inside.   https://www.royalcafenarberth.com/menu 

 

McKenzie’s – Chaddsford ( another location in Wayne) – Outstanding Beer and Cocktail selection. I’ve had the buddha bowl and nachos here. Someone in ML Restaurant Reviews recommended this when I asked where “Nacho Snobs” should go… and it was awesome and memerable!

 

Italian/Mediterranean – Enoteca Tredici in Bryn Mawr, Savona in Gulph Mills and Sontuosa in Bryn Mawr.

 

I don’t go to Italian restaurants on a regular basis, (I love pasta and bread but they don’t love me back). Peca’s is our occasional choice because they are close by but I’m sure there are better options out there. I rarely order pasta when I eat out. At home, I like to cook the non-flour based pastas to avoid carbs.

 

Romantic – Melting Pot, Coyote Crossing, Al Pastor, Stingers. (The latter two have reviews in other categories).

 

Melting Pot – King of Prussia. Where else can your entire meal be centered around fondue? Cheese fondues, veggie fondues, meat fondues and most importantly… chocolate fondues. Very fun, romantic and memorable!

 

Vietnamese – Hanoi Pho in Havertown and Pho Street in Springfield – We’ve mostly gotten take out from both of these places during and before Covid. Both of them have been consistently great. Pre-covid, we ate inside and Hanoi Pho has a nicer atmostphere. Pho Street (Spingfield location) has a more spartan and institutional feel. We typically order the fresh spring rolls, a bowl of beef pho, chicken satay, shrimp on a stick and when inside sizzling rice (which doesn’t travel well.)

 

Thai Food – Thai Food – Bala Thai in Bala Cynwd and Sugar and Spice in Havertown

 

I don’t go out to Thai food often since my family members can’t/won’t eat spicy food even though it is one of my favorite kinds of restaurant.

 

Sugar and Spice in Havertown – A Thai Gem in Havertown that you’ve never heard of! Don’t run away from the cheerless entrance. This is a teeny-tiny, intimate space which I really loved. The comfy and cozy chairs and couches let you just melt into them. Ambience-wise this is a perfect place to have a quasi-private meal or Thai Iced coffee and macarons…. ideal for a first date or small business meeting if you don’t want to be in a loud chaotic place or with someone that needs to sit in an extremely comfortable chair. Only 6-8 customers will fit into this place at the tables. They said they do mostly take-out. I just loved how generous my lunch special ($12.95 !!) was with a huge choice of options – soups, sates, Currys. I got the soup and chicken sate with peanut sauce as the apps and entree tofu green curry. The curry flavors were a bit dull but my request for a lime to brighten it up was swiftly met and then it perked right up although I would have liked the chili flavor to be a bit bolder (but I asked for medium spicy)! The highlight – the 8 flavors of macarons that change on a regular basis.Here is what I can remember we had, chocolate, chocolate-mint, peanut butter, pina colada, strawberry cheesecake, Rasberry, Panang (a Thai green leaf flavor)… I know that’s 7 but I can’t remember the other one. My gang is quite picky about their macarons and these scored some serious Yums! and Ooohs when I brought these back home for an after-dinner treat. They all scored a 10 out of 10 on the taste-o-meter! They also had Tiramisu and Creme Brulee but will have to have a taste of these one day too. The staff was personable, welcoming and friendly….. I have a feeling I will be coming here on a regular basis (or just ordering take-out) and just fall in love with them! https://sugarandspicetfam.com/

 

Bala Thai Bistro in Bala Cynwd – Don’t be scared by the cheerless entrance (makes them look like they are closed or out of business) I came in here for a weekday lunch. I ordered the tofu green curry with Jasmine rice . I wish I could add smell-o-vision to this post …. the heady frangrance from my dish was intoxicating. had the right notes of spicy, savory and a hint of floral. It also came with a delicious side soup of lemongrass and chili flavors. I think my total bill was $14 with tax and 20% tip. … such a great deal.

 

Dim Sum – Dim Sum Palace in University City and Tom’s Dim Sum.

 

Pre-covid, we made a great kid outing by taking the trolley to Media, having a fantastic meal at Tom’s Dim Sum and then down the street for ice-cream and waffles… leading to my next recommendation about waffles after this.

 

Tom’s Dim’s Sum in Media – What makes a 5-year-old happy? Trolleys and Dim-Sum…… so begins our story. Our shrunken human has quite the obsession with public transit, trolleys, Septa buses and trains so we took the Trolley to Media and the first part of our journey began with Tom’s Dim Sum. Quite a lively place with a funky neon lined Chinese print with sleek wood paneling. Our gang ordered the Pork-Crab Meat Dumplings (Thank you Amy Abolafia for recommending these), Edamame, Sesame Balls, shrimp shumai and the Brisket Noodle Soup. My hubby and shrunken human just LOVED the Pork-Crab Meat Dumpings, I loved the Shrimp Sumai ( wish I ordered more) Sesame Balls had a sweet red bean paste which are more like dessert… nutty, bean-y and sweet! The star of the show was by far the Brisket Soup…. just such a deep and bone-warming flavor that was so comforting for a cold day.

 

Waffles – Scoops in Media. It’s odd that an ice-cream place wins this. My shrunken human got the blackberry chip cone (just because it was purple…. brightly colored flavors win every time for him ) but it was pretty outstanding. I got the caramel-apple and chocolate and my hubby ordered a Belgian waffle. So which do you think was the star here? The Belgian waffle. I told the owner, who was so personable and charming that the other business owners in the area actually refer to him as “The Mayor” showed me how their dough is imported from Belgian with beet sugar crystals studded into the dough. I asked if I could buy the dough but since we don’t have the right kind of heavy-duty waffle iron it wouldn’t come out right with the one we have. The waffle was buttery, with the right amount of caramelization and crisp… no need to add anything extra (syrup, butter or any toppings) lest you taint the purity and sanctity of it….. Waffle snobs – your Waffle quest has ended… ironically at anice-cream place .
All this yummy goodness sedated the of us into a deep food coma and we woke up from our nap 1.5 hours later…. still feel satiated. No syrup, butter or anything else is needed on it. Sublime! 

Brunch – Enoteca Tredici Bryn Mawr. We came to today for lunch in Bryn Mawr and this is the only place to go if you want a brunch to impress! WOW! OUTSTANDING! STUNNING! GRACIOUS…. are words that come to mind. Some of the dishes – house-made coconut yogurt with chia seeds and chocolate sauce with fresh berries. Freshly squeezed tangerine, grapefruit and orange juice. A Prime Rib carving station, overly big shrimp cocktail, ruby-red lox, ricotta pancakes, crab frittata, bacon, sausage eggs, pineapple, raspberries, blackberries, prosciutto…. shall I go on? Yes? OK… for dessert, miniature macarons (vanilla, chocolate, lemon, raspberry etc) Butterscotch pudding, donut holes with lemon curd to dip them in… I forgot the other desserts since by this time I was in pain from over-eating. Steve, the manager came by to check on us… the staff seemed so happy that we were so happy and they were so gracious, attentive. The staff and management exuded happiness…. and this alone make me want to keep coming back. This was an Easter brunch that our family remember for decades! https://www.facebook.com/TrediciEnoteca/

 

Ice-cream – Crave Creamery and Village Treats. FYI. When I was in Florence when I was traveling through Italy in college, I went to 3 gelato places in one day (and ended up with a horrible stomach ache…..…) So I consider myself a well-deserved ice-cream and gelato snob.

 

Crave Creamery in Springfield – For kids get the Cotton Candy flavor. I love most of their gelatos!) Artisanal gelato, ice cream and water- ice. Our group had the Belgian Dark Chocolate, Sea Salt Caramel and Rasberry Sorbet.
https://www.trycravecreamery.com/

 

Village Treats – My son and I love getting the mango sorbet, then we eat our ice cream at the Narberth train station. We love it so much that we haven’t tried many other flavors.

 

Pizza – Acropolis, Felicias, Anthonys Coal Fired.

 

If I could ever get a slot at Pizza Jawn they would cetainly be on here too…. but after a month I gave up. Acropolis is your plain, no-frills pizza joint. In a write-up in Philadelphia magazine, they were recommended in their top 100 pizza places and we have been hooked ever since. This is our go-to for pizza delivery. It’s simple, yet awesome! Felicia’s can be harder to order from since they often sell out a few hours in advance. http://www.acropolispizza-drexelhill.com/

 

Anthonys Coal Fired Pizza in Wynnewood – Cauliflower Pizza, HUGE Meatballs and you get to KEEP the pot , Lovely Moscato, Great Outside Dining, Friendly prompt service and foccacia with fresh ricotta is served complimentary with your meal. Everything DELISH!!!! If you have little ones with energy to burn then there is a little ramp outside they can run up and down till the grub gets to the table. https://acfp.com/location/wynnewood/

 

Pastries – A La Mousse, Aux Petit Delices and Le Petit Metron. It’s been awhile since I went to the last two but remember they were outstanding.

 

A La Mousse – Narberth. I went to A La Mousse the other day for Christmas treats. We got the mango mousse, something with chocolate and caramel, chocolate reindeer macarons, chocolate eclair and another chocolate mousse delicacy. I love all the decor inside which are feminine and French. The cherry blossom lattes are quite imaginitive.

 

Baker – My masterpiece birthday cake was created by none other than the ridiculously talented Julia Durbin Izenberg at Izenbergs. The personable and warm customer service, was awesome. They made sure the cake was transported so it wouldn’t get messed up in transport.  She even sent an extra little tub of chocolate buttercream (since the cake could only be made in rainbow pastel colors if vanilla was the base).

 

The actual cost of the cake was extremely reasonable. I love the follow up to make sure we enjoyed the cake. We actually had to cut the cake in half, the top and the bottom since it was so tall. We are going to attack the top layer tonight so we’ll see what colors the top is. Last year, I contacted her a month in advance and she was all booked up. This year I contacted her about 2 months in advance.  Thank you so much for a beautiful and delicious birthday cake!
https://www.izenbergs.net/

 

I also had an outstanding unicorn, glitter, chocolate ganache layer cake made by Marla of Viva Honey Cakes last year.

 

Best Drink – Habanero Margarita at Brick N Brew – Likc the 4th of July in your mouth! I’ve heard Enoteca Tredici has one of the best mixologists but never had drinks there.

 

Vegan – Aneu in Bryn Mawr, Gangster Vegan in Media and Sunset Moon in Bryn Mawr.

 

Gangster Organics in Media – A lot of spicy options here. No frills environment.

 

Sunset Moon Wellness – Bryn Mawr – I can’t remember the details but I loved this small, beautiful place. I want to say they had yoga classes there at the time. I love their juices, tonics and teas! Gluten-free, organic and vegan.

 

Aneu in Rosemont. A delightful nook of a juicery and cafe with a charming outside small garden area hidden behinds MOMS Market. Mostly vegetarian and a few vegan options but their chicken salad on a croissant is their best seller. Our group had the vegan tuna casserole, grilled cheese, wholesome peanut chocolate chip balls for dessert, one of their purifying green juices that was sweet and not at all bitter and a beef risotto cake. Great find!  http://aneucatering.com

 

Vegetarian – True Food Kitchen – King of Prussia.  They actually have some carnivore options too but their menu is very plant-centric! We had the charred cauliflower which was scrumptious and the teriyaki tempeh with chicken… also mucho YUM-YUM.  For dessert, flourless chocolate cake with coconut ice-cream and cacao nibs – delicious but the cake was a bit on the dry side. Service was extremely fast and attentive but not intrusive. I really love all the  snake plants (probably 173 of them).  Outstanding patio seating – you are out side but protected from the elements. Kid-friendly and I’m guessing pet-friendly….. very ADA accessible as well. Overall, nourishing and healthy does not mean deprived. Plenty of outstanding options whether you are vegan, gluten-free or a carnivore. https://www.truefoodkitchen.com/truestory

 

Best Place for a girly celebration – Painted Tea Cup, Upper Darby. I’ve been to many events here over the years, my own baby showers included. This is the ideal place to have a small shower. I was at a shower and we were offered “Royal Wedding”  black tea or cranberry apple herbal tea.  Cucumber sandwiches, scones,  turkey cranberry sandwich, shortbread and for dessert chocolate buttercream cupcake and mini peach pie with ice -cream. Portions are dainty but so many things that you leave feeling stuffed. Staff is so gracious and accommodating.. they also have vegan and vegetarian options.  The entire place is very elegant, girly and really transports you to high-tea in London.  https://thepaintedteacup.com

 

Owners and Managers that I love – Mike Dee of 30 Main, Steve Khuu of the Refectory and Enoteca Tredici, Carlos Melendez of Coyote Crossing, Julie Durbin Izengerbs of Izenbergs and Conshy Steaks and Hoagies, Kim Strengari of Gypsy Crossing (I haven’t met you in person but love seeing you engage with others on Main Line Restaurant Reviews. When I come to a place, what makes them really stand out is feeling welcomed… and valued….. and this makes me want to come back just as much as awesome food.

 

Places on my radar that I plan to visit in the near future – Silk’s, New Leaf, Coco Thai, Main and Vine, Terrain. Boardwalk Vegan, Ox’s way, Kuma Sushi & Asian Fusion.

 

Bucket List Places post-pandemic – Andiaro. The Choice. Morimoto. Vetri and Vernick Fish and Pizza Jawn.

 

If you made it this far then let me know if you make it to any of the places and what you thought. Better yet….. if you had a great experience post it on social media, send an email to your friends about it … let’s keep these culinary gems shining!

 

Happy Eating!
Jasmine Kaloudis