I haven't been this excited about a new restaurant in a long time! The drive out to Kennett Square was far, but relaxing. Sovana is in what I consider farm country, and it has the cuisine to prove it. It was a perfect night for dining out under the lights on the patio. We were seated promptly on arrival, and guided out to a cozy little patio table with white tablecloth.
Phillip was our server and he was most accommodating. I don't recall where I heard about Sovana, but when I heard about this restaurant with its great online reviews, serving up local, healthy, seasonally inspired cuisine, I could not wait to try it out. Also, with a full bar serving up some of the finest--including Bell's Oberon from Michigan, Sovana is a BYOB as well, so you just can't go wrong here. So, on to the menu. 
It changes every 5-6 weeks. The left side has all this seasonally fabulous food, with little sketches of tomatoes and corn, and other bounty pictured. Down the right side is a column of all the food coming soon "just around the corner". Housemade pastas, pizzas, cheese plates....even Vegan choices like the Socca: Chickpea Crepe, Grilled Eggplant Relish, Lentil Puree,Oven Roasted Baby Brandywine Tomatoes....a girl could go crazy in a place like this. Seriously. Too. Many. Choices. As Phillip delivered a backet of house-made bread and bread sticks and gave us the daily specials, I could feel my mouth watering. 
The bread was light and fresh. Delicious.We had barely dipped into the bread basket when a little complementary plate came out with silver spoons of Sun Gold Tomatoes and Basil Spinach Remoulade in a balsamic glaze. Tiny little portions of heaven. Tomatoes that tasted like they had just been plucked off the vine. I love when restaurants have extra special touches like that. It makes it more personal. For a starter, I ordered the special:
Heirloom Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, Arugula, Red Onion, Balsamic Reduction, Avocado, House-Made Croutons and Fresh Basil. This salad was a highlight for me. I have never tasted anything so fresh put together so beautifully. It tasted like Summer. My husband ordered
theApple Salad: Arugula, Gorgonzola Cheese, Golden Raisins, Spiced Pecans, Cider-Lime Vinaigrette. The spiced pecans were perfect, the apple slices thin, with smaller apple shavings, and the vinaigrette light and tasty. And the presentation itself...How could you not be impressed? I loved my salad, but I loved his too, so we split half and half. My husband proclaimed his salad as the best he has ever had. He loved the razor think apple slices.
In between courses, we were served another delicious surprise from the Chef--a crispy little morsel with a kick.... Broccoli Fritter with Jalapeno Aioli and Goat Cheese. Quite scrumptious. Next, arrived our meals.
My husband ordered the Creek Stone Farms Hangar Steak: Potato Rosti, Burgundy Crema,Caramelized Onion, Arugula, Blue Cheese Vinaigrette.
He enjoyed his entree enough, but lately he seems to enjoy my choices better. I chose another of the daily specials--
Bucatini Pasta with Corn, Broccoli, Lima Beans.
The bucatini is a thick pasta, and it was delicious. The corn looked and tasted like it had been picked that day and just cut away from the cob. Whatever broth the pasta and vegetables were in was light and tasty. I would have never thought to pair lima beans with pasta but how wonderful they were!
On to dessert--
With a menu filled with seasonal Ice Creams, Sorbets, Peach Crisp and Creme Brulee, the decision was tough..until I saw the Warm Dark Chocolate Cake with Pistachio- Toffee Crunch Ice Cream. My husband did not get more than a spoonful. The taste of the salty pistachios with the sweet chocolate cake and the creamy toffee ice cream was absolutely divine. What an unforgettable dinner. 
I love how this restaurant uses local food from area farms. The attention to detail is unmistakable.
The weather was perfect for dining under the stars, the service was impeccable, and the dinner bill was about $100. I left very satisfied. I can't wait to return to Sovana! This is my new favorite restaurant.
