Vge Cafe in Bryn Mawr

So, after months of driving by Vge in Bryn Mawr, I finally ventured inside for lunch. I have to say I am impressed. This cafe is 100% Vegan, which is no easy task. Vge opened last fall, and I have been anxious to try it out, since it's one of the only Vegan Cafes I know of on the Main Line. It was well after lunchtime, but there were quite a few customers inside, which was a good sign. Vge is really cute inside, and it has plenty of seating. There were a lot of items that looked good on the menu board, including the Vge salad, and the Roasted Vge Wrap with eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onions, mushrooms, kale, tomato on multigrain roll or wrap.

One of the great things about Vge is that there is no white bread or white wraps, but instead they use Multigrain rolls, and Whole Wheat wraps. And best of all? It's Le Bus bread! There's a juice machine that offers all kinds of juices and they serve Honest Tea, which I am a big fan of as well. In addition to the salads, soups, falafel, and veggie burger--all made in house--Vge also has a selection of baked tofu and seitan products.

I chose the Baked Falafel: falafel, cucumber,tomato, onion, greens, grilled veggies, hummus and tahini on a multigrain roll.  This was served with Kale Chips and those dried up pieces of kale were actually pretty tasty! How have I gone this long without ever trying a kale chip? I never missed the potato chips. The falafel was a fairly large portion and I wasn't able to finish it all because I was also sampling the

 

Vge Burger: Homemade lentil flax burger with sauteed greens, homemade veganaise and tomato on a whole wheat bun. I actually preferred the falafel burger, but the veggie burger wasn't bad either. I did get a little bored with the taste, though.  I also had a bowl of the soup special which was a deliciously creamy

 Cream of Kale. It was really tasty, and very green. I asked how they made the soup so creamy, and they told me that they used cashews to give it that smooth consistency. There were many Vegan desserts on the menu, and they all looked delicious, but I was too stuffed from my lunch. Everything tasted really good, and I would go back in a heartbeat for lunch if I was in the area. What a nice addition to downtown Bryn Mawr. I hope they do well.

Matador in Wayne

 

Matador opened its doors in Wayne about two years ago. Centrally located, and directly across the street from competitor Xilantro in Wayne, Matador serves up Spanish and Mexican fare, tapas style.  We visited early on a Sunday night and were seated on the lower level. The atmosphere and the ambiance of Matador is beautiful and welcoming. There's a fun statuette of a bull above the entrance to the main door, and the restaurant is decorated in splashes of deep reds and maroons, with dark cherry woodwork and magnificent floor to ceiling windows throughout.  We began our meal with cocktails. I ordered a Red Wine Sangria and my companion tried the Margarita over ice. I was happy enough with my drink, but the sangria clearly had just been mixed up, as the fruit looked as it has just been cut. I like my sangria loaded with wine drenched fruit, that has been sitting just long enough for the fruit to fall apart. This didn't quite cut it. The margarita was almost tasteless, which was unfortunate for a tequila bar. Xilantro across the street served a much better cocktail. The good news about the menu is that they offer an entire selection of vegetable tapas. There's the usual guacamole and salsa, and the Vegetable Quesadillas sounded great. What really intrigued me was the House Specialty, Paella Vegetariana. Made to order, and suitable for two, I had to do some sweet talking to convince my partner to bypass everything else and order this. We ordered a couple of salads and Nachos to tide us over while we waited a little longer for the House Special and sipped on our drinks.

My salad was the Ensalada Verde: farm greens, goat cheese, apple crisp, Seville orange vinaigrette. It was a fairly small portion, a little simple, but overall it was fair. Nothing too horribly spectacular, as it could have used a little more kick and a more generous portion. The Nachos: corn tortilla chips, beans, chihuahua cheese were surprisingly tasty. The black beans were cooked just right, and though the cheese was used sparingly, it worked. I am going to have to start looking for some of that Chihuahua cheese for my nachos at home. Fresh tortilla chips were loaded with guacamole, salsa, and a ribbon of sour cream laced the top. When finally, our Paella Vegetariana was  served, we were still quite hungry. The presentation was wonderful, and everything smelled delicious. Onions, bell peppers, lots of exotic mushrooms, peas, over a bed of rice, this was filling enough for us both, though somewhat lacking in taste. I really wanted to add salt, but there was none on the table I could not find my waitress until after we were finished. The paella special was $32, which I thought was a bit steep, for what it was. All in all, Matador has some potential.
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edgewood Cafe BYOB in Havertown

Edgewood Cafe opened five months ago in Havertown. This little-known gem is a  small cozy BYOB hidden on a back street, off the beaten path. Had it not been at my mother in law's recommendation, I would not have learned of its existence. The bright red awning and dim lighting from within welcomed me. At 5:30 on a Tuesday night, the place had only a few customers inside. With the hardwood floors, plush throw cushions at the booths, stained glass walls, and warmly lit ambiance, it looked almost like a friend's living room. The booth needed some adjustment, though. We had to lean forward too much to be sitting up to the table. A minor inconvenience, however. Our waiter was very friendly, and came over to tell us the specials for the evening. I loved how everything was seasonal, and I knew we were in for a treat. Unable to resist, I started with the soup du jour, a Butternut Squash Soup. Drizzled with light ribbons of cream, this had just the right flavor, texture and overall finish. Delectable. Complementary little baskets of bread and butter were set out before us in anticipation of our meal.

I ordered the  Eggplant Parmesan Napoleon: Ricotta, spinach, roasted peppers, mozzarella, and gnocchi marinara​. Simply delicous. The gnocchi were from local pasta company, P and S, which has a storefront around the corner on Brookline Blvd. Accompanied by a crispy piece of garlic toast, and buttons of gnocchi hidden underneath, the lightly breaded eggplant slices hit the spot. Feeling quite full from my splendid meal, I declined dessert. However, my dining companion ordered the Pumpkin Cheesecake with Spiced Wafer Crust.  Edgewood had me reeled in long before dessert came, but this cheesecake, which I ended up eating half of anyway, made me a true believer. With the perfect touch of pumpkin, spices, and incredibly tasty spiced wafer crust, this trumped any cheesecake or pumpkin pie I have tried. I attemped to get the Chef to share his recipe to no avail. I suppose I'll just have to return again to taste the pumpkin masterpiece. For five months into the restaurant biz, Edgewood blew me away. I will most certainly we back! I can't wait to see what they bring out for Spring.

Lunch at Harvest in Glen Mills

My first visit to Harvest was a year ago to the day, and I was even more impressed the second time around. Harvest is out near the Pennsylvania/Delaware border, close to the Brinton Lake shops, so it's a great choice for lunch when you are in the area. I love the concept of Harvest. A high quality farm fresh menu created with the healthiest ingredients local farmers have to offer. Some of the local farmers are listed across the top of the menu. Stepping inside, the atmosphere is upscale casual, with earthy tones, reclaimed wood flooring throughout and recycled glass tops in the bar. The indoor dining area is comfortable and inviting, but on a nice day, the outdoor patio can't be beat. The automatic sliding glass doors by the bar lead to an outdoor oasis, complete with water fountain, globe lighting, and rattan furniture.  

Outdoor dining area

The server mentioned that there would be a new Harvest opening in downtown Philly soon. Like Seasons 52, most of the items are 500 calories or less, and the desserts are all 250 calories. The menu is full of tasty vegetarian options, and the selections also change seasonally. The Vegetarian Flatbread sounded amazing, as did all the salads. I was considering a soup and salad, but the organic 3-bean soup had ham, so instead I chose the Ratatouille Grinder: Eggplant, Zucchini, Squash, Tomatoes, Housemade Mozzarella, Asiago Cheese and Toasted Baguette.  

Ratatouille Grinder

Hard to believe with all that cheese it could stay under 500 calories. Chock full of savory grilled vegetables, this sandwich hit the spot. On the side was a delicious side salad, topped with crunchy soybeans, and a tangy balsalmic vinaigrette. 

Veggie Burger

My friend ordered the Veggie Burger: Avocado, Tomato, Baby Greens, Caramelized Onion and Bean Sprouts. This was a fairly large sandwich, especially with all of the toppings. This also came out with a nice side salad. This was a terrific meal, and just filling enough to leave a little room for dessert. I ordered the Lemon Meringue, and each bite was simply delectable. The service was outstanding, the menu offered many choices, and nothing disappointed. I can't wait to see the Summer menu!

Lemon Meringue

Vge in Bryn Mawr Now Open!

http://www.vgecafe.com/home-2

I've heard rumors and seen signs of a new vegetarian place opening in Bryn Mawr, and now it looks to be open for business. According to their website, the mission at Vgë is to provide healthy, fresh, and fast food. Vgë chooses whole grains over refined ones, bakes instead of fries, and uses lots of dark leafy greens and natural sweeteners, and no canned vegetables. The entire menu is Vegan, with Zero cholesterol. Every menu item boasts fewer than 500 calories. It certainly sounds intriguing. It looks like it may be time for a trip to Bryn Mawr!

 

The Newtown Grill in Newtown Square

My family and I took ourselves out to brunch on Mother's Day to the Newtown Grill. I called well in advance for my large party. Reservations started at 10:30, which is when we arrived, and the place was already filling up fast. There was a long line of patrons waiting to be seated. Fortunately, the line moved quickly. We were seated in a quiet side room, which was quite comfortable. Our waiter brought us out some coffee and juice, and I ordered a mimosa.  After the rest of our party arrived, a few of us made our way out into the lobby to find a very long buffet line, filling the lobby area. There was just one line for food, and everyone was in it. Since we were the first reservations of the day, this line went relatively quickly, and we made it up to the buffet in about 10 minutes, though waiting in line wasn't really my idea of how to spend my Sunday. My sisters didn't make it up into the line for another ten minutes or so, and unfortunately, for them the line was now snaking back into the second dining room, and woven amidst the diners. They had to wait in line for forty five minutes. No kidding. 

The line in the dining room

Once you made it up to the buffet, the food was abundant, and replenished fairly quickly when depleted, but the wait time in line killed any enjoyment. There were actually quite a few dirty plates, which was very surprising, since no one else had used them yet. There were pancakes, french toast, bacon, potatoes, fish, antipasto, chicken entrees, and desserts galore. My kids really enjoyed the dessert table after they found a way to bypass the line by going in through the back with dessert plates. It was truly a shame, because the food was really very good, but the lobby was filled to capacity, and bursting at the seams.  Our little dining room didn't feel horribly crowded, but I don't think the diners in the other dining room could say the same, as they had throes of people standing in line over their shoulder while they were trying to eat. 

Buffet

I never went back to fill my plate a second time, as the line was just too long, and the patrons were understandably grumpy. The time slipped by and before I knew it, it was time to go, and we had been there for two hours. The buffet cost for adults was $27 per person, which was clearly not worth it, since I only was able to fill my plate once. Since I made the reservation, I felt bad for my sisters, who did not get to relax, and still had to shell out $100+ per family. I decided to call the Grill today and share my disappointment with them about my visit and give them a chance to explain themselves. The woman I spoke to on the phone was very polite and apologetic. She immediately offered me a $50 gift card, which was just emailed me moments ago. She let me know that they were working hard to improve their service and asked me to please give them another chance. The Newtown Grill has the potential to be a great spot. I remember back when it was Albertos, and I have been to many parties and receptions in the fabulous wine cellar. The food is always good, the atmosphere is great, but the service still needs a lot of work. This is one restaurant I really would like to see succeed in Newtown Square. I would like to return, and I hope that they find a way to fine tune before it's too late.


Diego's Cantina & Tequila Bar in Media

Diego's opened in April on State Street in Media. It's so new, there is not even a sign over the door yet. After having two recommendations from friends to visit for Cinco de Mayo, I secured a reservation well in advance. Diegos is owned by the same presence behind La Belle Epoque Wine Bar in Media. As you walk inside, the first thing you notice is the visually impressive pressed tin ceiling. The bar is lined with wooden bar stools, and as you walk further into the restaurant, there are cozy green booths along the wall.

We were seated immediately, right in front of the window looking out onto to the street. This place was really loud, and it only got louder as the night went on.  I ordered a Frozen Margarita, and our waiter brought out some homemade chips with some mild salsa. I decided on the Vegetable Fahitas for my meal. Also available on the menu were various taco and burrito choices: grilled vegetables, tilapia, shrimp or black beans. Tortillas were either Corn or Flour. Appetizer choices consisted of a bean soup, and a few green salads. My margarita was tasty to sip on, but it needed a little more lime, and a lot more kick to it. The frozen margarita comes from a machine. Maybe I should have tried it on the rocks instead, which is fresh squeezed. It's supposed to be more intense. The Vegetable Fahitas were served with a nice side of Black Beans and Brown Rice, three flour tortillas, some salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. They had a good flavor, but I ran out of tortillas long before I got halfway through my vegetables. The grilled peppers and onions were very spicy. I needed to ask for some water to put out the fire. Apparently, the chef uses a combination of cayenne pepper, black pepper and garlic to spice things up, and it certainly gets the job done. I have always heard that a great Mexican place must have great guacamole, and I must say --the guacamole and salsa were just average. I ordered a Sangria halfway through my meal hoping for a little more kick, but that drink also fell a little flat. I am not sure if I will be returning to Diego's. It's very loud, and the food is just average. The service was good, and things moved pretty seamless, considering they had only been open for business two weeks. Hopefully a little more time is all they need to work out the kinks.  

Seasons 52 Fresh Grill in King of Prussia

Plum Tomato Flatbread

I returned to Seasons 52 in time for the debut of the Spring Menu. Seasons 52 changes it menu four times a year with the changing seasons. We popped in for a leisurely lunch after a movie in King of Prussia. A cozy fire by the door greeted us as we came in from the rain. The restaurant is tastefully decorated in wooden and warm hues. This place seems to bring in a good crowd, especially for lunch. Though very crowded, we waited no more than a minute or two to be seated. I ordered a refreshing Steaz zero calorie Green tea with Lemonade and perused the menu. The thing I love about Seasons 52 is that every meal  item on the menu is under 500 calories, and servings are hearty. Desserts are under 400 calories, though I could easily eat two of the desserts! We started our meal with the Ripe Plum Tomato Flatbread with Fresh Basil, Roasted Garlic and Melted Parmesan Cheese. This was a fairly large serving, and perfectly sized for two to share. Delicious.

Roasted Market Vegetable Sandwich

Farmers Market Vegetable Plate

Next up were the entrees. Though there were quite a few Vegetarian choices on the menu, I went with the Roasted Market Vegetable Sandwich with Three Cheeses and Tomato Basil Sauce on Grilled Ciabatta Bread. The vegetables were cooked to perfection. Crisp asparagus, caramelized red onions, and plump cherry tomatoes, topped with a light drizzle of cheese on top a ciabatta bun. A nice surprise that this came with a small side salad. All 500 calories, and I almost couldn't finish it all. I also sampled my mom's tasty looking plate. She ordered the Farmers Market Vegetable Plate: Spicy Snow Peas and Shiitake Mushrooms, Grilled Ponzu Tofu and Almond Tabbouleh. I've never tried a tabbouleh before, but it was fabulous. I have no idea how they cooked those vegetables to the point of glistening crunchy perfection without using a lot of fat, but they were amazing. Feeling quite satisfied, but not able to resist dessert, I had to order the Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse

The serving size was quite small, but it got the job done. Overall, Seasons 52 was a huge hit for lunch. I walked out feeling comfortably stuffed, and healthy. I must say that this might be my new go-to place in King of Prussia for lunch. It sure beats the crowds and unhealthy fare at the Cheesecake Factory! I must return this summer for the next seasonal offerings!

Fellini's Cafe in Newtown Square

With the opening of Trattoria Giuseppe in Edgmont, it had been years since I last visited Fellini's. I had faint memories of going there years ago and being packed in like sardines. Needless to say, it's close to home, and we had an hour to kill before picking up the kids, so we took our chances on a Friday night without a reservation and got right in. I was happily surprised to see that the tables were not nearly as close together as I remembered. It was still pretty early, so we got a prime seat and our server came over and opened our wine right away. That's one great thing about Fellini's---it's a BYOB. Another, is that it is very affordable. The server brought us our complementary  Bruschetta: a traditional topping of Roma tomatoes, fresh basil and extra-virgin olive oil served on freshly toasted Italian bread with fresh shaved Parmesan cheese. The waiter also brought out some bread and butter and we sipped our wine while we waited for our salads to come out. At Fellini's, what you see is what you get. There are no surprises, no seasonal menu changes. Just good old Italian food. It's certainly not gourmet, but it gets the job done. I ordered the Insalata Fellini--the salad special of the day, because it was loaded up with vegetables: Asparagus, artichokes, roasted red peppers, and romaine lettuce with a creamy balsamic vinaigrette on top. The salad was quite tasty. My entree was my usual go-to choice--Number 37, the  
Pasta Puttanesca: Tomato, garlic, capers, olives, anchovy, hot peppers. The Puttanesca did not disappoint. Yes, Fellini's still has the all white-pasta, and the all-white bread with butter (oh, the horror!) but for a two course meal for two and less than $50, I won't complain.

Paramour in Wayne

After spending a rainy day at Ame Salon getting pedicures in Wayne, a friend and I popped in next door at this new restaurant in the Wayne Hotel for a quick lunch. A bar and restaurant serving a "sophisticated" seasonal menu of American fare, Paramour opened in December 2011, replacing Tacquet in the Wayne Hotel. The decor was certainly a breath of fresh air from the wet and rainy outdoors. We were seated immediately, and after a few questions about the menu, I chose the Porcini Agnolottoi: truffle broth, salsify salad.
This was really my only option aside from a soup or salad, as much of the menu is meat-heavy. The Agnolotti was a small portion, with crispy little chips on top, and the salsify salad, as you can see, consisted of a small stem resting on top of my meal. My lunch had a good flavor, but it was certainly not a "light" meal by any means, and for $16, I left hungry. I'd like to see a little more selection on the menu. I did see that Paramour offers a Sunday brunch, which sounded intriguing. The Chop Chop salad with roasted wild turkey, carrots, baby green beans, roasted beets, chickpeas, dried cranberries, toasted almonds, champagne  vinaigrette sounded tasty. This salad could of course be ordered without the turkey, but at $18, I wouldn't call it very "affordable". I have been to quite a few newer restaurants in Wayne, and one thing I have noticed from White Dog Cafe, Ella's Bistro, and now with Paramour is that the decor is very similar. These new restaurants all offer more sophisticated dining, and similar menus serving something for the more sophisticated palate. Christopher's is still my favorite lunch spot in Wayne!