Recent Restaurant Experiences
In the past two weeks I have had two excellent restaurant experiences in the Philadelphia area. The first was a return engagement but a little different and the second was a completely new restaurant.
Last week my wife and I returned to the Dilworthtown Inn. It has been sometime since our last visit but this mainstay of dining in Chester county maintains its high standing year after year. This time we attended a “cooking class” dinner called the Inn Keepers Kitchen. The event was held in a small dining area in a separate building across the street from the main restaurant. The area seats about 40. Also in front of you is the food preparation area for the guest chef. In our case the chef was Chuck Berardi, executive chef at Wegmans Food Market (if you have never been to a Wegmans – go!, but that’s another story). Overhead there a cameras and tv monitors that give you a peak into his preparation techniques. The intimate setting gives you an opportunity to ask questions and during dinner the chef visits with most of the tables.
Here is the description of the dinner
We will catch Chef Berardi at the height of summer as he returns from his latest trip full of fresh ideas for the end of summer and the start of autumn. And, we’ll take a peek inside Wegman’s magazine “Menu” for ways to “make great meals easy.”
Bottomline – dinner was excellent and an interesting “different” dining experience.
Our second experience was earlier this week at the Bianca Restaurant in Bryn Mawr, PA. The restaurant is located on North Merion Ave, a small side street off the main drag (Rt. 30) in Bryn Mawr. Bianca is a relatively new restaurant but based on the mid-week, mid-summer crowd it has been found and deservedly so. Everything about Bianca is excellent. The menu has a good range of fish, and meat selections for everyone. I started with a soft shell crab appetizer special and and my wife had a crab salad. We both decided on the fresh black grouper main course. Though Chef Filoni is French trained his use of sauces is light and compliments the food very well. The wine list is also excellent with a wide price range. Bianca is not an inexpensive restaurant but is highly recommended for fine dining and especially a special occasion.
Both of these restaurants prove that fine dining is easily available without going into center city
Posted: June 30th, 2005 under General.