Rating: 4 silver spoons out of 5

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Overview: 333 Belrose opened in 2000, a fine-dining destination hidden on tiny Belrose road away from Radnor’s busy Lancaster Avenue corridor. For a restaurant in such a concealed location to stay successful for so long (5 years is an eternity in the restaurant business), they must be doing something right. (Hint: It’s the innovative cuisine.)

Food: Inspired, eclectic American cuisine. Executive Chef Carlo deMarco and Chef de Cuisine Andrew Finch take a wide variety of fish and meat dishes and complete them with creative, fulfilling sides and sauces. The flavors that tie together each plate are what propel Belrose’s menu to the ranks of the best in the area.

Although the Zinfandel Glazed Venison was a bit overcooked (medium well as opposed to medium rare), the succulent, truffle-infused demi glace was able to compensate for the slight dryness of the meat. The plate was completed beautifully by an apple cider braised red cabbage and a yam & bacon hash.

The Pan Seared Ahi Tuna, on the other hand, was seared perfectly on the outside and a dazzling pink within. Served in thick slices on a long, thin plate, the overall presentation, with fresh organic wasabi, sweet soy sauce and broccoli-yellow pepper stir-fry, recalled a brilliant sushi dinner.

Ambiance: Belrose dining area is surprisingly large, but is separated into several different smaller rooms. The good news about the restaurant’s size is that it’s rarely difficult to get a table. On the other hand, emptiness can sometimes take away from the experience. Belrose also has a popular bar with outdoor seating in the summer.

Service: Consistent with a quality fine-dining destination, Belrose’s service is exemplary. Waitstaff is courteous and helpful.

Value: Although Belrose is definitely a fine dining experience, it is not outlandishly priced. Entrees all fall in the mid to upper 20s, and there are is a nice variety of wine in the $30-40 range. All in all, expect to pay around $60 per person, including tip.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 3
Reservations: Yes
Bar: Full Bar
Credit Cards

Rating: 4 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: Well-known chef Alison Barshak’s latest venture — an excellent contemporary American BYOB serving ambitious, creative fare.

Food: The menu at Alison, which is influenced mostly by Asian, Mediterranean and Southwestern cuisine, changes almost nightly and is consistently excellent. Some of Barshak’s more well-known dishes include the “Ginger Fried Squid with Wasabi Drizzle & Mango Slaw” and the “Chili Dusted Skate with Citrus Brown Butter, Cool Jicama & Avocado Salad”, but whatever you find on the menu should satisfy. The menu does have a slight focus on seafood, featuring specialties such as “Sauteed Halibut, Truffled Grits, Ramps & Hen Of The Woods Mushrooms” or “Wild Salmon, Asparagus, Mashed Potatoes & Bacon-Caper, Olive Vinaigrette”. Oh, and do save room for Amelia Dietrich’s desserts — perhaps the “Chocolate Torte with Peanut Butter Mousse” or the “Double Chocolate Brownie Sundae”?

Ambiance: Nice, bright room with an open kitchen. There are even a few seats (5) that the “bar” for a quick, casual meal. The 65-seat room can be a bit noisy and bustling at busy times, but is hardly overwhelming. It is located in an office park, which isn’t exactly in the center of things, but the seclusion has allowed them to recently open a patio for outdoor dining.

Service: The waitstaff has been helpful and very knowledgeable about the menu.

Value: Not cheap, but for the quality of food and the addition of BYOB, this is certainly worth the trip.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 2
Reservations: Yes - call early, they aren’t easy to come by
Payments: Cash
Bar: BYOB
Website: http://www.alisonatbluebell.com/

Last Updated: 6/2004

Rating: 3 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: Quaint, romantic neighborhood BYOB with an ambitious menu and solid delivery.

Food: Appetizers are customary of this type of place — i.e. the Portabella & Goat Cheese Tart and the Tuna Carpaccio. The tuna was a decent choice but was nothing super-special. For entrees, the Braised Veal Cheeks with Caramelized Root Vegetable Risotto ($27) is an interesting choice — it is actually the cheek of the veal, a tender meat that crumbles apart kind of like a pot roast after braising. While this plate was an opportunity to try something different, it wasn’t quite as exciting as I would have expected. The Rib Eye, served with Sautéed Spinach, Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes in a red wine sauce ($24), was expertly prepared and quite tasty. A seared snapper special was the best meal I’ve had there, exellently prepared with sweet roasted peppers.

Ambiance: Upscale but comfortable, The room creates a nice balance between fine dining and neighborhood dining. Outdoor seating is available during the summer on a lovely garden patio.

Service: Waitstaff very attentive and supportive.

Value: The prices at Avalon are not cheap, but consistent with similar BYOBs in the area. The overall value proposition is reasonable.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 2
Reservations: Yes - Recommended (available online)
Payments: Cards
Bar: BYOB
Website: http://www.avalonrestaurant.org

Rating: 3 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: Upscale bistro with Italian-inspired continental cuisine, a creative, ever-changing menu and a vibrant atmoshere. Run by the same folks who own Tango in Bryn Mawr and Nectar in Berwyn.

Food: A wide variety of pastas (wild mushroom ravioli), seafood (grilled wild Canadian salmon) and meats (sauteed veal medallions) make for an interesting, diverse menu. The specials menu changes daily (somtimes only with slight variation), offering 8-10 new entrees each visit. I was tempted to go with the special roasted pork loin with maple bbq sauce, dandelion greens, white beans and applewood smoked bacon, but I instead chose the pan seared salmon ($19), which came with fresh morel mushrooms, fiddlehead ferns whipped potatoes and a buerre blanc sauce. The fish was seared crispy on the outside but succulent and tender within, and the mushrooms and ferns added a nice variety of flavors to the potatoes. The buerre blanc was a tad abundant, but overall the dish was quite nice. My dining companion had the sauteed soft shell crabs ($25), which came over a bed of “tropical” mixed greens. The simple dish was full of flavor, highlighted by the sweet pineapple and strawberries and toasted cashews within the salad. (Still, a bit light for $25).

Bar: Surprisingly excellent selection of beers, including a variety of seasonal locals on tap from the likes of Troegs, Victory, etc. Nice variety of bottles as well, including Spaten, Pilsner Urquell and Anchor Steam. Large wine list with a solid selection of bottles for under $40 (such as Ruffino Classico Chianti for $29) and a few special occasion selections from the cellar (for example, a Cakebread Chardonnay for $80 or a Frog’s Leab Cab for $95). Overall, the bar prices are actually quite reasonable, especially compared to sister restaurants Tango and Nectar.

Ambiance: The main dining room is a large, open air room with lots of natural light. On busy nights, the room can be quite loud. Mostly, however, the bustling, fun crowd is a good thing.

Service: The hostess sat us promptly without a reservation, and even asked us if the table she chose was ok with us (Something that hardly ever happens in restaurants!) Our waiter — Elliot — however, was another story. He was rude, aloof and even downright strange. At times, it was surreal: the first words he said to us were “Do you want sparkling or tap water?” (No “Hi, Good Evening, Welcome”, nothing.) When I replied “tap”, he mumbled ok and walked away sullenly. This interaction continued throughout the night, as he seemed put out anytime we asked a question or asked for something additional. Even when we asked about the menu, he acted like we were being difficult. (Seriously, why become a waiter if you don’t like to help people?) He was also nowhere to be found whenever we needed anything. For example, we had ordered fresh glasses of wine well before our entrees arrived, yet we were still dry when the food arrived. The person who brought our food was clearly a manager of some kind, and showed more urgency in 5 seconds than Elliot showed all night. We asked him about wine and it arrived promptly. I doubt the service as Basil is typically this bad — everyone else we interacted with was plesant and helpful. Hopefully Elliot will be long gone by your next visit.

Value: Pizzas and pastas in the low to mid teens, entrees run from the high teens to the mid 20s. Generally, each dish is appropriately priced. Overall, with a few drinks, expect to pay anywhere from $35 to $55 per person, depending on how much food is ordered. For an upscale restaurant with bar, this is about even with expectations.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 3
Payments: Cards
Bar: Full
Site: http://www.basilbistro.com

** Bella Luna has closed permanently. Fans can visit Stella Blu in Conshohocken, Bella’s more expensive sister restaurant. **

Rating: 3 silver spoons (out of 5)

Overall: A very nice little neighborhood BYOB. Unfortunately the food can be inconsistent and the wait can be unbearable.

Food: The quality of the dining experience at BL often hinges on the specials available. One steak special, a butterflied sirloin on a bed of mushroom risotto was easily one of the best steak plates I’ve had in the last few years. If the specials are not to your liking however, there is little on the regular menu that excites, with mostly very basic chicken, veal and pasta selections.

Bread: Crunchy crust with light, airy middle. High Quality Olive Oil on the table.

Atmosphere: A brilliant little place with quirky nighttime sky motif. The tables are all private enough to feel secluded but the space bustles enough to feel like you’re someplace important. It doesn’t get much better.

Service: The waitstaff is always knowledgeable and friendly.

Intangibles: I’d visit BL much more frequently if not for the absurd wait on weekends. Twice recently I’ve shown up after 9pm on a Friday or Saturday and been told that the wait is approximately 45 minutes. That’s to be expected at 730 or 8, but at 915? Come on.

Value: As always, the BYOB offers the best value. BL always offers an affordable meal.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 5-10
Reservations: None. Huge weekend waits.
Payments: Cash Only
Bar: BYOB

Rating: 3 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: Bianca, which recently replaced long-time Bryn Mawr restaurant Toscana, has outgrown some early service flaws and blossomed into a solid, if slightly expensive restaurant. The diverse menu is interesting and well-prepared, and the setting is quite romantic.

Food: Chef/owners Dominique and Sabine Filoni’s concept is “home cooking” or what they might prepare if friends came to dinner. Basically, this is a way to say that the menu is creative and varied.

For starters, we tried the goat cheese mousse stuffed zucchini blossoms, fresh herbs, citrus emulsion, which was very tasty — the key being that the goat cheese did not overwhelm the dish (as goat cheese can do). The shaved fennel and mushroom over baby arugula in a lemon vinaigrette was decent, but a bit too one dimensional — perhaps the vinaigrette could have offered more flavor.

I sampled a variety of entrees over two visits, and all were very nice. Perhaps my favorite was the roasted wild Alaskan halibut, potato leek puree, broccoli rabe, sauce vierge — as described it seemed quite simple — halibut with fresh herbs and oil — but in actuality it was a wonderfully paired dish, all the pieces came together brilliantly, fueled by the great puree. A special one evening, the plancha (basically a Spanish sauté pan) seared scallops with cauliflower puree and roasted cauliflower was excellent, highlighted by the uniquely fabulous puree — a creamy, succulent change of pace from your average mashed potato. Another favorite among my companions was the horseradish-crusted Maine salmon, potato roesti, leek and zucchini spaghetti, pancetta, warm citrus emulsion. The fresh horseradish crust is not spicy at all, and the spaghetti-shaped zucchini makes an excellent bed for the fish. Also nice to see was Chef Filoni improving this dish over time, replacing some underwhelming cannellini beans with the better leek and zucchini side. The grilled yellowfin tuna, julienne carrots, baby bok choy, shiitake, ginger, scallions, warm sesame soy sauce is nothing new — practically every fine restaurant offers some kind of Asian-inspired tuna dish, but this one was ably done. Although I was unable to taste it, I was disappointed by the presentation of the grilled Black Angus filet mignon, Barolo reduction, with choice of truffled yukon gold potato puree or braised asparagus — it was basically a steak on a plate with a side dish on another plate. A heralded chef like Filoni should be able to come up with a better, more integrated setup for what looked like a very nice filet. Lastly, I’m not sure why the menu also offers side dishes — they are not necessary.

For dessert, the bittersweet Valrhona chocolate mousse with fresh berries was clearly the standout — we fought over the decadent last bite. The orange scented flourless chocolate cake: honey poached orange, passion fruit coulis was not as popular — the citrus just didn’t match well with the chocolate flavors. We also tried the roasted peach tart with strawberry gelato, which was ok but not worth the calories.

Ambiance: Basically the same room as Toscana before it — a rustic, moderately charming dining area. They also offer some outdoor tables when the weather permits it. Don’t miss the awesome wine room when you step off to the restroom upstairs.

Service: When Bianca first opened, the waitstaff was clearly undertrained and misguided — mistakes abounded. Lately, however, the staff is courteous and helpful. There were a few minor oversights — some of which may hold Bianca back from true greatness, but overall it was a solid improvement.

Bar: I would love to see Bianca offer more reasonably priced wines at lower prices — espeically with all the BYOB competition they have in the area. A Smoking Loon Pinot Noir at $30 was palatable, but nothing to write home about. In addition, one of the biggest gripes we had with Bianca was the wine by the glass service — the portions were painstakingly small. Ordering wine by the glass is never cheap, but if you want to try different wines it sometimes becomes essential. Bianca’s “glasses” were more like a few sips, hardly helping the poor service that we were already experiencing.

Value: The entrees are reasonably priced — high teens and low 20s. As mentioned above, the paltry glasses of wine are way overpriced for the amount of wine that they give you. As I mentioned above, Bianca is fighting against BYOB kitchens that serve food of close to the same caliber, which hurts its overall value. Clearly Filoni is trying to be a “city dining” destination in the ‘burbs, with prices to match. He’s on his way, but not quite there yet.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 3
Reservations: Yes
Bar: Full Bar
Credit Cards

We do find it shocking that a place striving to offer fine food and dining still allows smoking at all. Although it is only allowed at the bar, the room is open enough that it can be a problem for diners as well, which surely gets in the way of food enjoyment. We don’t see how The BE can even receive consideration as a top-rated dining experience until they step up and ban all smoking.

Feel free to view reader comments or add your own review.

Overall: Trendy, creative Conshohocken BYOB with loads of potential. Unfortunately, the cuisine and execution at Blackfish are too inconsistent to rate it among the area’s finest.

Food: Creative Modern American fare with a focus on seafood. Everything started brilliantly during our first visit to Blackfish. Wonderful whole wheat rolls paired beautifully with extra virgin olive oil and whole olives. The Risotto of the day — Arancini, a Sicilian favorite of breaded, fried rice balls, paired with a red wine reduction dipping sauce ($9) — was excellent. We also tried the Parmesan “panna cotta” (a custard-like substance) with pickled ramps and roasted ruby beets ($9), which was a bit different but also quite tasty. Veal agnolotti, served in a crispy sage brown butter sauce with a wonderfully pungent Parmesan cheese topping ($12), however, was the starter that caused fork fights to the very last bite at our table.

By now, we could not wait to recieve our entrees; we had selected the wild striped bass with asparagus and trumpet mushrooms in a curry emulsion ($28) and a strip steak special served with sweet shallots and trumpet mushrooms in a bordelaise sauce ($36). Disappointingly, the second course could not nearly hold up to the previous one; not only did the dishes suffer from uninspiring flavor, every one delivered to our table was poorly executed. My fish was completely raw in the middle (I enjoy sushi, but this bass was so tough it could not be cut with a fork), so I sent it back. Others at my table who ordered the same dish were met with a similar fate, as the fish was neither cooked evenly nor completely. Even once I received a fully cooked filet, the dish itself did not inspire. The supposed curry emulsion offered no addition to the dish’s flavor, and the veggies were simple but boring. The steak, amazingly enough, was also undercooked (ordered medium rare). We’re not afraid of a nice red steak, but this was pushing the boundaries of rare. (Interestingly, a friend who visited Blackfish on a seperate occasion complained of the duck being badly undercooked before hearing our story… hmmm.) The steak otherwise was a fine dish, but was hardly worth the steep price tag.

The appetizers were good enough to convince us of dessert, so we tried the Vanilla Beignets with Spiced Anglaise ($7) and the Warm Molten Chocolate Cake ($7). Both were quite rich and tasty. (Although we prefer chocolate, the gleefully warm beignets were the winner that night.)

Ambiance: Far brighter than the previous Maya Bella, Blackfish ironically features stark white walls throughout. It is a busy, loud room, like any main street hot spot should be.

Service: The waitstaff was extremely friendly and helpful dispite the inadequacies of the kitchen. The chef did insist on re-cooking my entire dish (some at the table were finished eating when it arrived).

Value: The trend for upscale area BYOB is for the entrees to venture into the upper 20s and low 30s, and Blackfish certainly aims to live within that scale. The execution, however, needs to improve greatly to justify charging $36 for any entree. Creative, tantalizing menu descriptions are one thing, but true value only comes with the delivery of a well-created entree.

Details:
#of times we’ve eaten there: 1
Cards: Yes
Reservations: Yes, must reserve early (OpenTable)
Bar: BYOB
website: http://www.blackfishrestaurant.com/

Rating: 2 silver spoons out of 5

Overview: Another tenant behind the firehouse in Bryn Mawr, another uneven experience. Blush certainly has the potential to be decent, but a first look shows flawed cuisine and service.

Food: A surprisingly large, varied continental menu that offers a little something for everyone. For appetizers, we tried the Sweet Potato stuffed Ravioli ($8) served with Prosciutto and Sage Cream Sauce then topped with Brown Butter, which wasn’t bad but failed to overwhelm. It was tasty, but the sauce was a bit too heavy. The Duck Quesadilla ($10) was also palatable, although I think I enjoyed the one I had recently at World Cafe Live more (which shouldn’t be at Blush’s level).

For entrees, the Ancho chili crusted rib eye ($30), served atop avocado rice with sautéed sofrito vegetables and finished with a chipolte demi glace, was pretty disappointing. The steak was tough and less flavorful than I would have hoped, and neither the ancho chili or chipolte added much flavor (nor did the bland rice). For the price I would have expected something better. The Plancha seared halibut ($27) served with a fried shirimp & zucchini blossom over veggie risotto in a melted tomato sauce was decent, but it was not served as described on the menu (or by the waitress), creating a poor experience for us.

Our favorite entree was the Pan seared sesame crusted tuna ($25), served with sun-dried tomato mashed potatoes, marinated portabella mushroom and finished with cilantro cream and a chile aioli. The mushroom was kind of thrown on the plate haphazardly, but otherwise this was a tasty dish.

We ordered the Slow Roasted Salmon as well, but for some reason another Tuna was served to the person who ordered it.

Service: Our experience with Blush’s service was flat out poor. As I just mentioned, one member of our table was not even served the entree that he ordered. The waitress was barely apologetic when we pointed out this mistake. Earlier, my inquiry about what “melted” tomato sauce was was laughed off by the server (perhaps she was unable to describe it properly?), as if my seriousness about the food was ingenuine. We were in good spirits that night, celebrating and laughing (at least at the beginning), but I take my food seriously and expect serious answers when I ask about the makeup of an entree, especially at these prices.

One of the entrees was not described correctly on the menu or by the waitress, creating a problem for one of the people in our party. It is unacceptable to leave ingredients off the menu and not describe plates as they come to the table. (It should be noted that we did not pay for this item).

Of course, we were offered free dessert after this comedy of errors. And of course, we didn’t want dessert — we wanted to go home! I will never understand the customer service decision to prolong a bad experience for people. Just admit your mistake and offer to comp the offending meals! Making me stay is only going to make me dislike your restaurant even more!

Bar: Like everything else at Blush, wine is not cheap, but they had a few reasonable values. I’d recommend the Cline Zinfandel for $30 as a nice low-range selection.

Ambiance: Housed in the same room/layout as Bianca, the one thing Blush has going for it is a very nice veranda upstairs. The view is just the parking lot, but the area has a tuscan feel and is one of the better outdoor spaces in the area.

Value: Blush is pretty darn expensive, with entrees in the upper 20s and low 30s. Normally for that price, especially at a restaurant with a full bar, one might expect some pretty spectacular food. At Blush, however, the food is merely decent and the service is poor… hardly a good value.

Details:
# of times we’ve eaten there: 1
Reservations: Yes (OpenTable)
Bar: Full
Cards: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Hours: Lunch: Monday - Saturday: 11:30am - 3:00pm
Dinner: Monday - Thursday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm, Friday - Saturday: 5:00pm - 11:00pm, Sunday: 4:00pm - 9:00pm
Sunday Brunch: 10:30am – 2:30pm
Site: dineatblush.com

Overall: Creative, modern American BYOs aren’t that hard to find in this area these days, and Butterfish is certainly one of them. This restaurant, however, creates separation with a diverse menu, great execution and a vibrant atmosphere.

Food: Innovative, new American fare, as mentioned above. The signature dish is a sauteed Hawaiian butterfish in a ginger buerre blanc and a macadamia green apple salad. As you can imagine, this dish is quite popular and good, though perhaps our least favorite of all the dishes, which says something. The filet with a Cabernet demi, shallots and smashed yukon golds was simple, but very tasty and perfectly cooked. A pork “porterhouse” special, served with a smoky mushroom & pepper sauce and mashed sweet potatoes, was probably the true highlight of the meal. (The moral here: don’t be afraid to get something besides fish!) For appetizers, we tried the blue corn nachos (huge portion!) and the polenta with smoked tomato sauce, and both were scarfed down in no time. Lastly, be sure to save room for dessert. We were in a chocolate frenzy, ordering (if I remember correctly) a flourless cake with raspberry sauce, a chocolate pecan pie or tart, and lastly a oatmeal chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich. My personal favorite was the latter, but there was much arguing over which was the best during the few seconds we were eating them.

Atmosphere: Bustling, open and bright room creates a very welcoming atmosphere; I’d even venture to say better than most in this class.

Service: Solid — attentive and helpful.

Value: Obviously the BYOB factor immediately creates value. Entrees are generally in the mid 20s, which is about right considering the quality of food and lack of wine markup.

Details:
Bar: BYOB
Reservations: Yes
Cards: Yes
# of Visits: 1
http://butterfishrestaurant.com