The under construction Whole Foods in Plymouth Meeting has a liquor license application at the site and is expected to carry beer. We can only hope there will be  a growler filling station like this New York city Whole Foods.

It will be the first Whole Foods in Pennsylvania with a liquor license and is aiming for an early 2010 opening.

Alison Barshak dropped us this cryptic note this morning about lobsters and Alison two.

We would like to take a moment to talk to you about something very serious. Packs of stray lobsters are trying to take over our kitchen. We have managed to keep them at bay and temporarily contain them.
Please help us by adopting a FREE lobster Thursday, July 30Th, and we will show our appreciation by preparing them with butter, lemon, and lots of love for all who come out to enjoy.
For reservations, call 215.591.0200.

Free??? We await confirmation on just what this means but felt it better to let you know immediately in case Alison is cut off from the computer and phone by packs of lobster ruffians.

Alison two [Official Site]

Blackfish, which had stopped lunch service in April is bringing the afternoon delight back. Among the pluses for suburban office dwellers, it means the “big burb burger” is back.

Check out the full lunch menu after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

Coyote Crossing’s Conshohocken courtyard is one of the best places to dine outside in the area and now there are several incentives to get you there.

Coyote Fajitas, Chile Abuelita, Poblano Rellenos and Grilled Chicken Mole entrees are all priced under $20.

After 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays late-night specials are available at the outdoor lounge. Margaritas and glasses of wine are $5 and Mexican beers are available for $3. Plus there are also complimentary hors d’oeuvres.

Save another wayby going to the Latest Dish blog and printing out a coupon good for a free margarita.

Coyote Crossing [Official Site]
Dine Under the Stars for Under $20 at Coyote Crossing [The Latest Dish]

Each Monday Blackfish chef and owner Chip Roman has been creating a 4-course chef’s tasting menu focusing on a single ingredient. So far the $45 menus have featured beets, radish, watercress and peas. But starting this Monday and going forward the special ingredient that is included in each course becomes a lot more interesting .

• April 27: Lobster
• May 4: Scallops
• May 11: Crab
• May 18: Fruits de mer

Blackfish [Official Site]

Craig LaBan heads out Rt-422 for some real Szechuan food at Han Dynasty in Royersford.

There was a platter of the most intensely smoky tea-smoked duck I’ve ever eaten. The elaborately prepared meat (marinated, dried, smoked, braised, and then flash-fried to order) exuded a spice box of star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, and fennel wrapped inside smoky wisps of jasmine tea and cedar. The “dry pot” of delicate flounder fillets, meanwhile, served in a mini-wok over a blue flame, blazed across my palate in an ethereal whoosh of peppercorns, chiles, and hot bean paste that obviously turned me into a beet-colored, smoke-blowing cartoon.

Also of note to suburb fearing urbanites, owner Han Chiang is talking of a branch in West Philadelphia. 

Two Bells – Very Good

Han Dynasty [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Han Dynasty [Official Site]

Craig LaBan’s biggest objection to Ardmore’s A La Maison may be that it isn’t more than a solid B.

There’s really nothing so wrong with A la Maison. But it’s not especially exciting, either. And there is perhaps no praise more faint or more damning than this French expression for “not bad.” But it certainly speaks to the cooking at A la Maison. There’s little here a true Francophile hasn’t tasted elsewhere, where it probably was more inspired. But true bistros are more about satisfying local regulars than showing off for destination diners. And this food is consistently cooked well enough (a solid B) to hold a hungry crowd’s attention. Considering they’ve flocked to what was once an Indian eatery so quiet you could fling a dosa through the room without hitting a soul, Ardmore has responded warmly in kind.

Two Bells – Very Good

A la Maison [Philadelphia Inquirer]
A La Maison Bistro [Official Site]

Joy Manning reviews Alison two and has a very different take than Craig LaBan.

It’s the food that sets Alison Two so far ahead of the local curve. Barshak’s style has been shaped by her work experience and extensive world travels: A shrimp papri chat salad was inspired by street food in Singapore’s Indian district, and seared tuna, joined with tender oxtail morsels and pho-style rice noodles in a savory broth, is based on the flavors of her sojourn in Vietnam. Barshak’s talent lies in her ability to draw on these disparate influences without rendering her dishes fussy or fusion-y. Her personal culinary style — a delicate hand and an understanding of seafood — combined with her international prowess unifies the diverse and impressively large menu.

Food: A
Service: A
Vibe: B+

Twice As Nice [Philadelphia Magazine]
Alison two [Official Site]

Oof, Craig LaBan likes the bar scene and bites at Alison two but struggles to find praise elsewhere.

Alison two, in general, is not quite what I’d hoped for from Barshak, who’s had more ups and downs in her career than a ride at Wildwood. Over the course of that roller coaster, though, from her splashy rise at Striped Bass, to the flop of Venus and the Cowboy, to her bright resurgence in Blue Bell, long one of my favorite suburban BYOBs, I’ve grown to appreciate her culinary aesthetic – a knack for pairing great ingredients with focused, inventive dishes inspired by her international travels.

But Barshak isn’t cooking here, having ceded the kitchen to another chef for the broader responsibilities of managing the big Alison expansion picture. (Blue Bell, which now has a liquor license, has been closed for renovations but is scheduled to reopen soon.) And it’s too obvious in the lack of finesse and consistency here that this otherwise appealing menu is missing a steady hand.

One Bell – Hit or Miss

Alison two [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Alison two [Official Site]

… On such a winter’s day.

We immediately thought of  the Mamas and the Papas” California Dreaming” when we heard that Capone’s was pouring 15 different California beers today. I Am Beer Wise thought Soundgarden. but no matter what your internal soundtrack, consider the sojourn to Norristown to drink beers from Stone, Russian River, Green Flash, Left Coast and more.

Thursday is Beer Night CA Style [I Am Beer Wise]