Restaurant Review for The Crown 9-13-24
Location: 451 Wilmington-West Chester Pike (Rte. 202) in Glen Mills, south just past the Glen Eagle Square on the left
Owner: Not sure, but it is the same owner as when it was McKenzie’s
Telephone : 610-361-9800
Website: Crowninconcord.com
Ambiance: The restaurant has had a complete makeover from McKenzie’s Brew Pub, now with a very British feel and menu. There is a front reception area where you are greeted and seated, a huge bar sweeping all the way around one side of the restaurant and leading to another huge outdoor patio under cover where guests can have events. Happy Hours occur in the bar/lounge and on the patio. On the restaurant side, there is again plenty of space with booths and tables. All is elegantly appointed. In addition, there is a full downstairs venue for private events.
Service: Service has been excellent on all occasions we have been there, for private events, dinner, and Happy Hour.
Experience: We five ate hearty at great prices, turning the Happy Hour into a dinner. I had a half dozen oysters on the half shell, I split with my fellow diner the deviled eggs with crab on top, and a martini. Others tried the huge shrimp, burgers, calamari, baba ganoush and cosmos drinks. We ate on the patio on a nice evening and had great service.
Menu: Happy Hour is served Tuesday to Friday 4 to 6 pm, and on Sunday from 3-6 pm. They offer a limited ½-price drink menu of signature cocktails, craft beers, house wines, house martinis, Manhattans and cosmos at $5.00, and buck-a-shuck oysters. Large shrimp cocktail are $2.00 each. Other menu items are fried calamari ($8), Crown burgers ($10), wings (5 for $9), pork meatballs (8), baba ganoush with veggies and pita ($8), crab dip ($9), short rib nachos ($9), fried brussels sprouts ($8), parmesan truffle fries ($8),and deviled eggs topped with crab ($9). The full menu is loaded with British specialties such as fish and chips, bangers & Mash, curries, and Sunday-only prime rib dinner with a glass of wine or beer at a prix fixe price of $36.00
Total Bill: I lost track of the receipt, but prices were reasonable Anne Pounds, TheCheapEater.com, an affiliate of Welcome Neighbor.
Location: 451 Wilmington-West Chester Pike (Rte. 202) in Glen Mills, south just past the Glen Eagle Square on the left
Owner: Not sure, but it is the same owner as when it was McKenzie’s
Telephone : 610-361-9800
Website: Crowninconcord.com
Ambiance: The restaurant has had a complete makeover from McKenzie’s Brew Pub, now with a very British feel and menu. There is a front reception area where you are greeted and seated, a huge bar sweeping all the way around one side of the restaurant and leading to another huge outdoor patio under cover where guests can have events. Happy Hours occur in the bar/lounge and on the patio. On the restaurant side, there is again plenty of space with booths and tables. All is elegantly appointed. In addition, there is a full downstairs venue for private events.
Service: Service has been excellent on all occasions we have been there, for private events, dinner, and Happy Hour.
Experience: We five ate hearty at great prices, turning the Happy Hour into a dinner. I had a half dozen oysters on the half shell, I split with my fellow diner the deviled eggs with crab on top, and a martini. Others tried the huge shrimp, burgers, calamari, baba ganoush and cosmos drinks. We ate on the patio on a nice evening and had great service.
Menu: Happy Hour is served Tuesday to Friday 4 to 6 pm, and on Sunday from 3-6 pm. They offer a limited ½-price drink menu of signature cocktails, craft beers, house wines, house martinis, Manhattans and cosmos at $5.00, and buck-a-shuck oysters. Large shrimp cocktail are $2.00 each. Other menu items are fried calamari ($8), Crown burgers ($10), wings (5 for $9), pork meatballs (8), baba ganoush with veggies and pita ($8), crab dip ($9), short rib nachos ($9), fried brussels sprouts ($8), parmesan truffle fries ($8),and deviled eggs topped with crab ($9). The full menu is loaded with British specialties such as fish and chips, bangers & Mash, curries, and Sunday-only prime rib dinner with a glass of wine or beer at a prix fixe price of $36.00
Total Bill: I lost track of the receipt, but prices were reasonable Anne Pounds, TheCheapEater.com, an affiliate of Welcome Neighbor.
Restaurant Review of The High Street Caffe-Vudu Lounge, July 2024:
Location: 322 South High Street, West Chester, PA, where we found a parking spot with NO meter!
Owner: Donny Syracuse, since 1996, who is both a musician and chef extraordinaire, though he has two chefs producing the fine food.
Telephone: 610-696-7435
Website: Highstreetcaffe.com
Ambiance: There is such a fun New Orleans vibe, lots of NOLA purple everywhere, including the fine cloth napkins. The restaurant is orderly and elegant, with tables and chairs, and outdoor dining available (for maybe someday when the heat wave passes).
Service: Great and personal service, with an attitude of friendliness and care. The owner was quite willing to discuss the food we ordered and the quality. I appreciated that. Example, the scallops are U-2 scallops, huge.
Experience: I had the most fabulous dinner last night at The High St. Caffe-VUDU Lounge. Since this lovely restaurant is also BYOB, we came prepared with red and white wines, which our server Julia immediately kept cold with an ice bucket as she opened our wines. The bread she quickly placed on the table was warm and came with an herbed butter that set the pace. I started with a large golden and red house-roasted beet salad with goat cheese, candied pecan bits and a luscious mango vinaigrette on spring greens. My entrée was a lobster ravioli dish in cream with a delicate outer rim of pesto around the very edge of the plate (so as not to be overbearing), and four giant scallops, wonderfully seasoned, seared and blackened, and so very tender on the inside. I found the dishes so rich and delicious, but it’s hard to pass up dessert, and my partner wasn’t splitting his Bourbon pecan pie with me. So I thought I’d order just a scoop of Bassett's vanilla ice cream to bring the meal to a perfect finish. Instead, three big scoops arrived, with fresh blueberries garnishing it. For the first time in history, I just couldn't finish a bowl of Bassett’s ice cream! PERFECT EXPERIENCE! Bob got beef short ribs in a lovely mushroom demiglace with fresh vegetable mélange and mashed potatoes. Every dish was just right, and so was the pricing! Fair and honest, no hyped-up pricing for “starters” such as truffled French fries for $17 and “specialty drinks” at another $17 or so. If we had wanted a cocktail, we could have brought that too, which highly qualifies The High Street Caffe as a CheapEater.com gold star award winner! And it’s why we came back to celebrate a bunch of birthdays and the publishing of my memoir just a week later with seven people, for another excellent meal all around.
Menu: The menu changes, but the mainstays are always available. It’s a good mix of Cajun, Creole and the finest New Orleans quality. You’ll find such dishes as alligator and lots of seafood. There are pork, beef and vegan and vegetarian dishes as well.
Total Bill: $102.00 plus tip of about $20. We will be back there with a group more than once!
Comments By E. Anne Pounds, July 2024
TheCheapEater.com, an affiliate of WelcomeNeighborPA.com
Location: 322 South High Street, West Chester, PA, where we found a parking spot with NO meter!
Owner: Donny Syracuse, since 1996, who is both a musician and chef extraordinaire, though he has two chefs producing the fine food.
Telephone: 610-696-7435
Website: Highstreetcaffe.com
Ambiance: There is such a fun New Orleans vibe, lots of NOLA purple everywhere, including the fine cloth napkins. The restaurant is orderly and elegant, with tables and chairs, and outdoor dining available (for maybe someday when the heat wave passes).
Service: Great and personal service, with an attitude of friendliness and care. The owner was quite willing to discuss the food we ordered and the quality. I appreciated that. Example, the scallops are U-2 scallops, huge.
Experience: I had the most fabulous dinner last night at The High St. Caffe-VUDU Lounge. Since this lovely restaurant is also BYOB, we came prepared with red and white wines, which our server Julia immediately kept cold with an ice bucket as she opened our wines. The bread she quickly placed on the table was warm and came with an herbed butter that set the pace. I started with a large golden and red house-roasted beet salad with goat cheese, candied pecan bits and a luscious mango vinaigrette on spring greens. My entrée was a lobster ravioli dish in cream with a delicate outer rim of pesto around the very edge of the plate (so as not to be overbearing), and four giant scallops, wonderfully seasoned, seared and blackened, and so very tender on the inside. I found the dishes so rich and delicious, but it’s hard to pass up dessert, and my partner wasn’t splitting his Bourbon pecan pie with me. So I thought I’d order just a scoop of Bassett's vanilla ice cream to bring the meal to a perfect finish. Instead, three big scoops arrived, with fresh blueberries garnishing it. For the first time in history, I just couldn't finish a bowl of Bassett’s ice cream! PERFECT EXPERIENCE! Bob got beef short ribs in a lovely mushroom demiglace with fresh vegetable mélange and mashed potatoes. Every dish was just right, and so was the pricing! Fair and honest, no hyped-up pricing for “starters” such as truffled French fries for $17 and “specialty drinks” at another $17 or so. If we had wanted a cocktail, we could have brought that too, which highly qualifies The High Street Caffe as a CheapEater.com gold star award winner! And it’s why we came back to celebrate a bunch of birthdays and the publishing of my memoir just a week later with seven people, for another excellent meal all around.
Menu: The menu changes, but the mainstays are always available. It’s a good mix of Cajun, Creole and the finest New Orleans quality. You’ll find such dishes as alligator and lots of seafood. There are pork, beef and vegan and vegetarian dishes as well.
Total Bill: $102.00 plus tip of about $20. We will be back there with a group more than once!
Comments By E. Anne Pounds, July 2024
TheCheapEater.com, an affiliate of WelcomeNeighborPA.com
Restaurant Review: Moca Asian Cuisine
Location: 190 Lancaster Ave, Malvern, PA 19355
Telephone 610-708-9090
Website: MocaMalvern.com
Ambiance: This restaurant is in a strip center, but as you walk inside, the interior has an ethereal feel of beauty that made me so glad I was there. Everything I saw was beautiful, soothing, and welcoming.
Service: Service was impeccable, unobtrusive and fast! Every dish was well presented and removed quickly when we finished—we had quite a collection of dishes, and she kept up with keeping the table attractive.
Experience: We shared all we ordered, and each dish was spectacular and beautiful in presentation. The people sitting behind us ordered a dish so great looking that I had to get up and ask them what they ordered. Every dish was that good. Here are the dishes we enjoyed: Beef Negimaki, green onion wrapped in sliced beef, teriyaki glaze, $14 for a generous serving for 2, Shrimp Spring Roll, 2 pieces, at $6, same price for Vegetable spring rolls, and I ordered spicy scallop sushi at $9.50, and my friend Edie ordered Chicken Satay, grilled on a skewer served with Thai peanut sauce and cucumber salad, for $15, and a tempura sushi roll. We both got peach iced tea, but mine was Boba tea with giant tapioca balls ($6.50) to be sucked through a wide straw and munched on thoughtfully.
Menu: I recommend studying their menu online before going there, because there were probably at least 50 different sushis, sashamis, poke bowls, classical dishes, chef’s specials, and vegan and vegetarian options aplenty!
Total Bill: Our total, with tip was about $35 each, and it was well worth it. I believe it is a BYOB, but since we were headed for some serious thrift shop cruising, we sharepend our minds with tea, skipping the alcohol.
Additional Comments: This great find of a restaurant is a bit out of our everyday normal cruising range, but definitely worth the travel, which was only about 25 minutes from Chadds Ford. Also, the food selections are well priced for the high quality and atmosphere, and I want to go again—and again.
Anne Pounds, TheCheapEater.com, a Welcome Neighbor affiliate.
Restaurant Review: Moca Asian Cuisine
Location: 190 Lancaster Ave, Malvern, PA 19355
Telephone 610-708-9090
Website: MocaMalvern.com
Ambiance: This restaurant is in a strip center, but as you walk inside, the interior has an ethereal feel of beauty that made me so glad I was there. Everything I saw was beautiful, soothing, and welcoming.
Service: Service was impeccable, unobtrusive and fast! Every dish was well presented and removed quickly when we finished—we had quite a collection of dishes, and she kept up with keeping the table attractive.
Experience: We shared all we ordered, and each dish was spectacular and beautiful in presentation. The people sitting behind us ordered a dish so great looking that I had to get up and ask them what they ordered. Every dish was that good. Here are the dishes we enjoyed: Beef Negimaki, green onion wrapped in sliced beef, teriyaki glaze, $14 for a generous serving for 2, Shrimp Spring Roll, 2 pieces, at $6, same price for Vegetable spring rolls, and I ordered spicy scallop sushi at $9.50, and my friend Edie ordered Chicken Satay, grilled on a skewer served with Thai peanut sauce and cucumber salad, for $15, and a tempura sushi roll. We both got peach iced tea, but mine was Boba tea with giant tapioca balls ($6.50) to be sucked through a wide straw and munched on thoughtfully.
Menu: I recommend studying their menu online before going there, because there were probably at least 50 different sushis, sashamis, poke bowls, classical dishes, chef’s specials, and vegan and vegetarian options aplenty!
Total Bill: Our total, with tip was about $35 each, and it was well worth it. I believe it is a BYOB, but since we were headed for some serious thrift shop cruising, we sharepend our minds with tea, skipping the alcohol.
Additional Comments: This great find of a restaurant is a bit out of our everyday normal cruising range, but definitely worth the travel, which was only about 25 minutes from Chadds Ford. Also, the food selections are well priced for the high quality and atmosphere, and I want to go again—and again.
Anne Pounds, TheCheapEater.com, a Welcome Neighbor affiliate.
Restaurant Review: Mercato
Location: 1216 Spruce Street, Center City Philadelphia, PA Partners: George and Valerie Anni
Telephone: 215-985-BYOB (2962)
Website: mercatobyob.com
Ambiance: Close, small, tightly spaced tables for about 40 in a corner property at Spruce and Camac Streets, between 12th and 13th Sts. In Philadelphia. The exterior is hardly noticeable, so we walked right past it, but there are tables with well-attended outside dining. We sat in front of a window and watched the happy revelers enjoying St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Inside, it was bright and cheerful and clean with an informal but caring atmosphere.
Service: The wait staff were informally dressed, friendly and very attentive. Food arrived fast and was well presented. The appetizer I ordered was preceded with a large stainless bowl, and I had to ask what it was for, since I hadn’t ordered mussels.
Experience: I ordered as an appetizer the grilled artichokes, imagining a plate of deep fried artichoke hearts, which I had enjoyed and never forgotten at a little place in New Hope called Amelia’s (also highly recommended and much like Mercato). What arrived were two large whole artichokes and a side of melted butter with lemon. I had never eaten or cooked a whole artichoke, and when I got my courage to ask about the big bowl, the server told me it was for “the leaves.” Then I remembered that you pull the leaves through your teeth after dipping a leaf in butter. It definitely was slow food! Enjoyable, and it took me a long time to get through those leaves! We had forgotten to bring the special wine I had planned, so we were stuck with “still” water. The experience was a night designated as a mental health break to do something different, and we had tickets to hear Emanual Ax play a Mozart piano concerto at the newly named Marian Anderson Hall, aka The Kimmel Center. Bob ordered a large meatball in red gravy for his appetizer, satisfying for him and not unique enough for me. He ordered a Caesar salad, beautifully presented; and I ordered the wild mushroom risotto. Mine was sublime! It was an “I-don’t-care-if-I-ever-eat-anything-else-again” meal, as luscious as it gets, and while it was listed as an appetizer, it was generous, rich and all I needed after the artichoke—at $11 for the risotto! We attacked a tiramisu dessert together like we were piranha fish.
Menu: the menu is fairly small but full of so many wonderful choices it was difficult to decide.
Total Bill: Because we did not order entrees, our total bill was only $63.00, with tip, as I remember! Since there is now a surcharge of 3.25% for using a credit card, we paid cash. And no bar bill sure helped!
Additional Comments: Mercato sure qualified as a place for cheap eaters, and I now want to go back. On the downside, we parked in a nearby parking garage for $25 for the night, rather than cruising around looking for a parking spot that might not last for our whole evening. On the upside, we sat next to an Asian man and his wife at Mercato and got in a conversation when they admired our dishes and then ordered the same dishes. They are both doctors at Penn. They seemed possibly a little older than us, but they asked why we weren’t retired😊. Later we exchanged cards and sent some emails back and forth. I invited them to come see us if they wandered out of the city to go to the Brandywine River Museum.
That night we had such an abundance of time (and money) before the orchestra began that we walked the two blocks to the corner of Spruce and Broad to find the Loch Bar, where we wandered in to find seats right in front of the raw bar, and we ordered old-fashioneds with bourbon. On Bob’s right was a young woman eating a dish of shrimp, and on my left was a well-polished man drinking a dry martini. Bob talked to his friend and found she was an adopted child from Ukraine who was now a center city lawyer, so they began exchanging lawyer jokes. David on my left and I discussed the evening’s program and the best English gins. When we were ready to leave, Bob’s friend said, “Allow me to buy your drinks,” and we accepted his gracious offer. Everyone we met that night was going to the same concert as we were. We felt so sophisticated and part of the city vibe for an evening. The conversations took us way beyond just enjoying the food and drink and music. We even made friends
Location: 1216 Spruce Street, Center City Philadelphia, PA Partners: George and Valerie Anni
Telephone: 215-985-BYOB (2962)
Website: mercatobyob.com
Ambiance: Close, small, tightly spaced tables for about 40 in a corner property at Spruce and Camac Streets, between 12th and 13th Sts. In Philadelphia. The exterior is hardly noticeable, so we walked right past it, but there are tables with well-attended outside dining. We sat in front of a window and watched the happy revelers enjoying St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Inside, it was bright and cheerful and clean with an informal but caring atmosphere.
Service: The wait staff were informally dressed, friendly and very attentive. Food arrived fast and was well presented. The appetizer I ordered was preceded with a large stainless bowl, and I had to ask what it was for, since I hadn’t ordered mussels.
Experience: I ordered as an appetizer the grilled artichokes, imagining a plate of deep fried artichoke hearts, which I had enjoyed and never forgotten at a little place in New Hope called Amelia’s (also highly recommended and much like Mercato). What arrived were two large whole artichokes and a side of melted butter with lemon. I had never eaten or cooked a whole artichoke, and when I got my courage to ask about the big bowl, the server told me it was for “the leaves.” Then I remembered that you pull the leaves through your teeth after dipping a leaf in butter. It definitely was slow food! Enjoyable, and it took me a long time to get through those leaves! We had forgotten to bring the special wine I had planned, so we were stuck with “still” water. The experience was a night designated as a mental health break to do something different, and we had tickets to hear Emanual Ax play a Mozart piano concerto at the newly named Marian Anderson Hall, aka The Kimmel Center. Bob ordered a large meatball in red gravy for his appetizer, satisfying for him and not unique enough for me. He ordered a Caesar salad, beautifully presented; and I ordered the wild mushroom risotto. Mine was sublime! It was an “I-don’t-care-if-I-ever-eat-anything-else-again” meal, as luscious as it gets, and while it was listed as an appetizer, it was generous, rich and all I needed after the artichoke—at $11 for the risotto! We attacked a tiramisu dessert together like we were piranha fish.
Menu: the menu is fairly small but full of so many wonderful choices it was difficult to decide.
Total Bill: Because we did not order entrees, our total bill was only $63.00, with tip, as I remember! Since there is now a surcharge of 3.25% for using a credit card, we paid cash. And no bar bill sure helped!
Additional Comments: Mercato sure qualified as a place for cheap eaters, and I now want to go back. On the downside, we parked in a nearby parking garage for $25 for the night, rather than cruising around looking for a parking spot that might not last for our whole evening. On the upside, we sat next to an Asian man and his wife at Mercato and got in a conversation when they admired our dishes and then ordered the same dishes. They are both doctors at Penn. They seemed possibly a little older than us, but they asked why we weren’t retired😊. Later we exchanged cards and sent some emails back and forth. I invited them to come see us if they wandered out of the city to go to the Brandywine River Museum.
That night we had such an abundance of time (and money) before the orchestra began that we walked the two blocks to the corner of Spruce and Broad to find the Loch Bar, where we wandered in to find seats right in front of the raw bar, and we ordered old-fashioneds with bourbon. On Bob’s right was a young woman eating a dish of shrimp, and on my left was a well-polished man drinking a dry martini. Bob talked to his friend and found she was an adopted child from Ukraine who was now a center city lawyer, so they began exchanging lawyer jokes. David on my left and I discussed the evening’s program and the best English gins. When we were ready to leave, Bob’s friend said, “Allow me to buy your drinks,” and we accepted his gracious offer. Everyone we met that night was going to the same concert as we were. We felt so sophisticated and part of the city vibe for an evening. The conversations took us way beyond just enjoying the food and drink and music. We even made friends
Restaurant Review: Avenue Kitchen Brunch, 3-28-24
Location: Glen Eagle Square, 509 Wilmington-West Chester Pike,Glen Mills, PA 19342
Owner: Dana Farrell, who has been building and running top-brand restaurants for 30 years
Telephone 484-800-8070, reservations never hurt
Website: avenuekitchen.com, email [email protected]
Ambiance: Modern, sparkly, clean and elegant. There are booths, tables, and a beautiful bar that seats 11 easily. I saw many diners enjoying interesting cocktails at brunch and lunch, which separates Avenue from many breakfast/lunch venues. The restaurant was almost full on a Thursday around noon.
Service: Fast and efficient, even though there was a table of 11 women who had just asked for separate check AFTER eating their meal!
Experience: My willing dining partner Bob agreed to split several dishes so we could experience more tastes. I had learned from Dana, proprietor, that every sauce and every dish is home made from scratch, so we had anticipation. The hollandaise on Eggs Benedict (there are six varieties to choose from, including vegetarian, short rib, and crab) was lush, and the home fries were perfectly sauteed. The second dish, brioche caramel-apple French toast with stuffed with vanilla bean cream cheese and sliced apples on top was simply delicious. Fresh-squeezed orange juice was also shared, as was the La Colombe coffee. (How do think we qualify as cheap eaters, very important to us who like to dine out often?)
Menu: Brunch offers a big variety of Benedicts, custom omelettes that include home fries and toast, breakfast sandwiches, Lox and bagels, latkes, short rib hash, and avocado toast. The pancake and waffle offerings are decadent, even including fried chicken and waffles. Warning: the candied bacon and scones and biscuits are addictive. On a previous visit I was taken with the candied bacon and can’t get my mind off it!
Lunch diners will find a Million-Dollar burger with that candied bacon added to all the other fixings, fish/shrimp/short rib tacos, grilled cheese and short rib sandwiches on grilled sourdough, six different varieties of pizzas (including vegetarian and gluten-free, and unique and thoughtfully designed salads, to which you can add protein for a complete meal. Don’t miss the truffle fries, either.
Total Bill: About $45 with generous tip. As many restaurants now seem to be doing, there was a 3.5 percent charge for using a credit or debit card, so we paid cash. It’s not the cheapest place to be found, but what is these days? Top quality takes the sting out!
Additional Comments: If you go for dinner, it is served only on Friday and Saturdays from 4-8 pm., Happy Hour 4-8 on the same evenings.
Anne Pounds
TheCheapEater.com, an affiliate of WelcomeNeighborPA.com
Location: Glen Eagle Square, 509 Wilmington-West Chester Pike,Glen Mills, PA 19342
Owner: Dana Farrell, who has been building and running top-brand restaurants for 30 years
Telephone 484-800-8070, reservations never hurt
Website: avenuekitchen.com, email [email protected]
Ambiance: Modern, sparkly, clean and elegant. There are booths, tables, and a beautiful bar that seats 11 easily. I saw many diners enjoying interesting cocktails at brunch and lunch, which separates Avenue from many breakfast/lunch venues. The restaurant was almost full on a Thursday around noon.
Service: Fast and efficient, even though there was a table of 11 women who had just asked for separate check AFTER eating their meal!
Experience: My willing dining partner Bob agreed to split several dishes so we could experience more tastes. I had learned from Dana, proprietor, that every sauce and every dish is home made from scratch, so we had anticipation. The hollandaise on Eggs Benedict (there are six varieties to choose from, including vegetarian, short rib, and crab) was lush, and the home fries were perfectly sauteed. The second dish, brioche caramel-apple French toast with stuffed with vanilla bean cream cheese and sliced apples on top was simply delicious. Fresh-squeezed orange juice was also shared, as was the La Colombe coffee. (How do think we qualify as cheap eaters, very important to us who like to dine out often?)
Menu: Brunch offers a big variety of Benedicts, custom omelettes that include home fries and toast, breakfast sandwiches, Lox and bagels, latkes, short rib hash, and avocado toast. The pancake and waffle offerings are decadent, even including fried chicken and waffles. Warning: the candied bacon and scones and biscuits are addictive. On a previous visit I was taken with the candied bacon and can’t get my mind off it!
Lunch diners will find a Million-Dollar burger with that candied bacon added to all the other fixings, fish/shrimp/short rib tacos, grilled cheese and short rib sandwiches on grilled sourdough, six different varieties of pizzas (including vegetarian and gluten-free, and unique and thoughtfully designed salads, to which you can add protein for a complete meal. Don’t miss the truffle fries, either.
Total Bill: About $45 with generous tip. As many restaurants now seem to be doing, there was a 3.5 percent charge for using a credit or debit card, so we paid cash. It’s not the cheapest place to be found, but what is these days? Top quality takes the sting out!
Additional Comments: If you go for dinner, it is served only on Friday and Saturdays from 4-8 pm., Happy Hour 4-8 on the same evenings.
Anne Pounds
TheCheapEater.com, an affiliate of WelcomeNeighborPA.com
Restaurant Review
Location: Jennersville Shopping Center, 49 Jenners Village, West Grove, PA 19390
Owner: Chef Mike Stiglitz and partners
Telephone: 610-345-5689
Website: Two Stones Pub
Ambiance: Friendly, with a long bar stretching in front of diners on entry, with high-top tables, booths and bar seats on the right, and some cozy nook seating on the left. It was crowded in mid-afternoon Sunday.
Service: We were seated right away and brought menus and water. We asked questions about the beers so we could find our favorite IPA’s. I like cloudy and citrusy; he likes his more hoppy. The server brought us teeny-tiny samples to find what we liked, very nice (but small). We both found good beers we liked, at reasonable prices of $6 and $8.00.
Experience: Since it was mid-afternoon, we were going to eat light. My fellow diner Bob ordered loaded potato soup, which was hearty and delicious at $6.95. We shared the brussels sprouts with siracha aoli, and in fairness to the $13.95 price, it was a nice serving for 2. I ordered the Kennett Square mussels at $14.95, which were described as having shitake, cremini and oyster mushrooms with onion and fresh herbs in a Madiera cream. Yum! However, the mussels were just barely cooked and kind of stringy and unappetizing, so I could not finish them. And quite honestly, the Madeira cream was more like thin milk with no real Madeira flavor. I was disappointed, as I am a mussels lover and often make Vietnamese mussels with kefir lime leaf, cilantro, and Thai basil in a cream sauce instead of the traditional red or white wine and garlic. On a high note, the bread served with both the soup and the mussels is outstanding!
Menu: It is a gastropub menu that I know the owners are highly committed to making unique, and it does have many unique offerings. Any menu that features pork belly rings my bell as a make of my own pork belly bacon. And there are Asian flavorings and traditional and vegetarian dishes and great salads. As a cheap eater, though, I can’t warm up to a salad priced at $15.95, not matter how many cranberries and pumpkins seeds and red onion are in it. Know what I mean? On a good note, the entrees are complete meals, which gets high marks with me. I saw another restaurant’s menu recently that charged $7.95 for a side of “biscuits.” Help!
Total Bill: $52.00, with tip $62.00. I wouldn’t say the snacks qualified for a top Cheap Eater spot, but I think we will go back again, being the gluttons for punishment and good food (and good beer) that we are.
Additional Comments: Gastropubs sometimes go over the top in comfort food, meaning “come here and overeat,” which is not what us Americans need more of. So they do a good job of keeping balance in the menu.
Anne Pounds
TheCheapEater.com, an affiliate of WelcomeNeighborPA.com
Location: Jennersville Shopping Center, 49 Jenners Village, West Grove, PA 19390
Owner: Chef Mike Stiglitz and partners
Telephone: 610-345-5689
Website: Two Stones Pub
Ambiance: Friendly, with a long bar stretching in front of diners on entry, with high-top tables, booths and bar seats on the right, and some cozy nook seating on the left. It was crowded in mid-afternoon Sunday.
Service: We were seated right away and brought menus and water. We asked questions about the beers so we could find our favorite IPA’s. I like cloudy and citrusy; he likes his more hoppy. The server brought us teeny-tiny samples to find what we liked, very nice (but small). We both found good beers we liked, at reasonable prices of $6 and $8.00.
Experience: Since it was mid-afternoon, we were going to eat light. My fellow diner Bob ordered loaded potato soup, which was hearty and delicious at $6.95. We shared the brussels sprouts with siracha aoli, and in fairness to the $13.95 price, it was a nice serving for 2. I ordered the Kennett Square mussels at $14.95, which were described as having shitake, cremini and oyster mushrooms with onion and fresh herbs in a Madiera cream. Yum! However, the mussels were just barely cooked and kind of stringy and unappetizing, so I could not finish them. And quite honestly, the Madeira cream was more like thin milk with no real Madeira flavor. I was disappointed, as I am a mussels lover and often make Vietnamese mussels with kefir lime leaf, cilantro, and Thai basil in a cream sauce instead of the traditional red or white wine and garlic. On a high note, the bread served with both the soup and the mussels is outstanding!
Menu: It is a gastropub menu that I know the owners are highly committed to making unique, and it does have many unique offerings. Any menu that features pork belly rings my bell as a make of my own pork belly bacon. And there are Asian flavorings and traditional and vegetarian dishes and great salads. As a cheap eater, though, I can’t warm up to a salad priced at $15.95, not matter how many cranberries and pumpkins seeds and red onion are in it. Know what I mean? On a good note, the entrees are complete meals, which gets high marks with me. I saw another restaurant’s menu recently that charged $7.95 for a side of “biscuits.” Help!
Total Bill: $52.00, with tip $62.00. I wouldn’t say the snacks qualified for a top Cheap Eater spot, but I think we will go back again, being the gluttons for punishment and good food (and good beer) that we are.
Additional Comments: Gastropubs sometimes go over the top in comfort food, meaning “come here and overeat,” which is not what us Americans need more of. So they do a good job of keeping balance in the menu.
Anne Pounds
TheCheapEater.com, an affiliate of WelcomeNeighborPA.com
