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Here you'll find new reviews every week of restaurants around the Main Line and Philadelphia. I am in search of restaurants with locally grown, organic food, and vegetarian options. There has been a surge of interest in organic and local farming and dining recently in the Philadelphia area. In September of 2010, I had the opportunity to see a pre-screening of the documentary 'Forks Over Knives' and the movie made such a profound impact on me, I have been vegetarian ever since. Finally we are becoming more conscious of where our food comes from. I know that there are restaurants and cafes out there that seek out local, organic, and sustainable farming, and I plan on visiting all of them, one at a time!







Wednesday, August 17, 2011

333 Belrose in Radnor


Belrose is a little off the beaten path in Radnor. Modern decor, bright colors, and a cute outdoor patio area make 333 Belrose very appealing. The food is contemporary American, and the chef strives to keep things fresh, often changing up items on menu with the changing seasons. With a storm brewing, we were seated inside, and it was a little loud, because this place was jammed with the Tuesday lunch crowd. I was right next to a vent and freezing but the waitress was nice enough to turn off the air conditioning for us.
While looking over the menu, I was disappointed to see only a few Vegetarian choices, and even fewer (if any) Vegan options. Sometimes restaurants will put an asterisk or "V" next to Vegan or Vegetarian dishes, but I was left guessing. A Black Bean Soup or Tomato Gazpacho were nice options to start, but I needed to save my appetite for dinner later, so I passed on the soup. Like most restaurants, every salad on the menu was listed with a meat or cheese. It would have been nice to see a salad loaded up with some other protein. Unfortunately, every one of the appetizer choices were laden with meat or fish. Nini's "Hippy Stack": Roasted portabellos, fresh mozzarella, basil pesto, hummus spread, arugula was my only option for lunch, and it fit the bill perfectly. It was quite a winning combination. The sandwich was a very good size, and I devoured it. The chips were an added bonus. I polished my sandwich off with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. After being informed that it was my birthday, the waitress brought out a slice of Bittersweet Flourless Chocolate Cake, Raspberry Sauce, Chantilly Cream, which was a nice touch. I was a little disappointed when the bill came and we had been charged $9. Especially since we didn't order dessert. Most places will give a complimentary dessert for a birthday. If given the chance to return for dinner, soup and salad would have been the only vegetarian option. Don't get me wrong--I love a nice soup and salad, but it gets tired having to order as an entree because nothing else is available. With ample offerings of fish, steak and chicken, pickings were slim for me at 333 Belrose.
333 Belrose Bar & Grill on Urbanspoon