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.
