Delayed Until Beginning of July MOST LIKELY…. will keep you posted!

Exterior of El Limon

While the exterior of this soon to be Conshohocken taqueria and Mexican grocery store remain virtually unchanged, much improvement has been made inside in the time since we first told you about the opening.

Counter Area and Refrigeration

The installation of the counters on both the grocery side and the taqueria side had been partially installed as of these photos and were to be completed by this past weekend.

Kitchen Counter at taqueria

Closeup of side and counter top

Closeup of tile used throughout taqueria

The space will be small but as the tile indicates, the owners are looking to present an upscale, comfortable space with high quality products at low prices. And in case you missed the first post, the free margaritas for dining-in customers is still in the plans!

The menu is still being finalized and the opening date has been pushed back from 5/31 to somewhere in the neighborhood of 6/15, but we’ll keep you posted on both!

Previous Post

It looks like Conshohocken is getting it’s second Mexican restaurant.

Site of El Limon, Coming Soon

El Limon, is due to open at the end of this month at 103 Fayette Street. This is the old space of the soft pretzel store that recently closed.

Karina Vargas and Manuel Carbajal are hoping to open this combination taqueria/Mexican grocery store before June 1st.  Karina is a longtime Coyote Crossing alum and Manuel spent many years at Broad Axe’s Tamarindo’s. Construction is well underway at the location. The menu, although still in development will include traditional Mexican favorites, prepared in authentic Mexican fashion, and prices will be focused on affordability. The restaurant will be primarily take-out with limited seating available.

If you are lucky enough to score a seat, FREE margaritas will be offered to diners! What’s better than FREE?

Construction Photos

Taqueria dining area

Grocery Store

Tile work being used throughout

We will keep you posted on the progress of the construction!

Opening Day at Whole foods Market

The much anticipated opening of The Whole Foods in Plymouth Meeting has been the buzz of the community for well over 3 years. As the doors of the Austin, Texas based  grocer opened yesterday morning, crowds of people poured through to get a first glimpse at what proves to be the area’s most exciting new food store. With an enormous priced per pound ($7.99 per pound) prepared food section, burger station, sandwich counter, pizza oven, dessert and gelato counter and its own pub, Whole Food’s is not just a grocery store, but a new dining destination in this already eatery overloaded shopping center.

Pizza Counter in Whole Foods

Downstairs Cafe

This area of Eastern Montgomery County has been starved for more than just a central grocery merchant that offers mass produced products. The immediate area’s retail grocers include those such as Giant, Genuardi’s,  and Acme Markets, and giant box stores such as Costco and BJ’s Wholesale. With the addition of Whole foods comes the world’s largest retailer of natural and organic foods. Their focus is on locally grown products. They utilize point of purchase signage to indicate the distance products have traveled to reach this store.

Cereals and grains by weight

Sign indicating local product

The meat department offerings are extremely broad and a welcome additional to the area. Now that the Lancaster farms have packed it in and returned home for the winter, grass-fed beef has become scarce! Whole Foods offers a broad selection of steaks and roasts from a small organic certified farm in Georgia ranging in price from $9.99 to $27.99 per pound. This is definitely higher than the Lancaster farms that come to Chestnut Hill in the summer, but this beef is not frozen and the Lancaster farmers are not here in the winter.

Something you won’t see everyday are dry-aged steaks! Usually only found in the very best steak houses, you can now make them at home. I can’t wait to try my hand at cooking these on my grill. These start at $20.99 a pound. Boy, do they look gooooooood!

If you love sausage, a huge selection of house made sausages, including chicken and turkey sausage as well as pork, starting at $4.99 a pound, are offered. The selection of pork, veal and lamb is also extensive. The lamb prices look reasonable at $8.99 a pound for a whole leg up to $18.99 to a Frenched rack of lamb.

The seafood department was what left me somewhat befuddled. There was a nice selection of fish but not necessarily all sustainable, but I will leave this for a separate post. You cannot dispute the freshness however…..

A vendor filleting fish in Whole Foods

Now, let’s get back to the good stuff; the pub! Cold Point Pub, the first pub to be located in a grocery store in this area, as well as a first for the Whole Foods chain, was the immediate point, no pun intended, of interest at yesterday’s opening. It greets you as you walk into the store, as it is located immediately to your left. Also a surprise to most Pennsylvanians is the greeting by the towering display of  Hop Devil 6 packs at the entrance as local liquor laws once prevented grocers from selling beer and wine in this area, but alas, the times they are a changing….

In step with the rest of of the store, Cold Point Pub focuses on local products and the 6 draft beers are from local breweries such as Yards, Troegs, Dogfish, Victory, Flying Fish, and Yuengling. Drafts starts at just $1.99. They have a walk-in refrigerator with a nice assortment of craft beers to go as well.

The best news of all for beer lovers everywhere is the ability to purchase growlers to take draft beer home! 32oz glass growlers with a swing-top cap are $3.99 and the 64oz with standard cap are $2.99. The swing-top cap on the 32oz size keeps the beer fresher for longer. Just a heads up, this does not include the cost of the beer.

64oz growlers

The pub also offers 3 small purveyors of wine.  An Austrian white selection is from Terry Theise who won the 2008 James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional.

It’s not a large spot, but certainly has a cozy appeal and seems like a great place to sit and watch the world go by. There a few bar tables and chairs as well as living room style seating and pub fair such as burgers and fries and small plates are served. The only thing missing is the TV…….

If you are planning to check out Whole Foods be prepared for crowds. Tonight there will be rooftop hot chocolate reception from 5PM -7PM on the store’s outdoor rooftop cafe. Light refreshments will also be served.

Whole Foods

500 W. Germantown Pike

Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462

In the words of the Governator ” I’ll be Back!”

South Ocean has opening in the Acme Shopping Center on Bethlehem Pike in Flourtown, PA. Early reviews are mostly positive. While the sashimi pictured above was sliced too thick for our liking, the yellow tail roll, on the other hand was fresh and flavorful.

The sushi rolls passed our “comp pricing standards’ of $6-$8 per roll for classic rolls, such as spicy tuna and unagi rolls.

The tempura (this plate was half eaten before the picture could be snapped) was light and crisp. We highly recommend, as this is a perfect execution.

This is the So Special Duck. It is crispy boneless duck over top of jumbo shrimp, chicken, roasted pork and beef cooked in house special Peking sauce with vegetables. My children are addicted to this dish and have ordered it multiple times in the 3 weeks that the restaurant has been open. As some of our toughest critics, I would say, that is a big statement on this dish. Although, I will warn that the crispy skin is far less crispy in a take out order than when dining in the restaurant.

Our full review will be forthcoming. This restaurant has received reviews in comments of previous blogs.

This beautiful Victorian in Ambler was scheduled to become Amy’s on Main this month. However, some construction snafus have pushed the opening back several months. Once opened this BYO will serve breakfast, lunch and early take-out dinners.

Chef/Owner Amy Lutz is hoping for an early January opening. Until then Catering by Amy is ready to cater your next party or event!

 Could this be the star that steals the show?

 If you follow us on Twitter, by now you have had a peek at the burger that has stolen the hearts of the early visitors to Conshohocken’s newest gastropub. The creation of Executive Chef Jason Lipnicki, The StoneRose Burger features the very same beef  the now infamous, Square Burger.

Jason credit’s Geechee Rice Girl’s Chef/Owner Valerie Erwin with teaching him the technique behind The StoneRose’s signature StoneRose Burger, which has been a best seller since the restaurant opened just a week ago. The burger is seared on a salt bed in a dry, hot, cast iron skillet allowing the salt to cook into the burger creating a salty exterior without over saturating the Premium Gold Angus.

Sauteed chopped Cipollini Onions are combined with diced Bacon to create a hearty relish of sorts, offering the burger intense flavor, while making it easier to eat than a standard burger which may have strips of bacon and large strands of sauteed onions. The cheese is Cooper Sharp. The burger tops an Artisan Challah Roll from Wild Flower Bakery. Fries are thick cut and made with Kennebec Potatoes. They are served with a savory mayo based remoulade. The StoneRose Burger and Fries $11.

 Since this is the 2ND post regarding a burger in the past 2 weeks. We feel a disclaimer is in order! It is a coincidence that in the brief month that our blog has been live that The Whiskey King and The StoneRose Burger would garner so much attention. While burgers are an important category amongst our 160+ search features, and we do review them for our site, we also respect the experts in this city! In no way are we trying to be The Burger Baroness, or Burgatory!

We look forward to reading many more blog posts on this burger and see if others agree that this is a mighty tasty burger!

Preview the entire StoneRose menu here.

The Grand Opening is scheduled for tomorrow night!

Meet The Chef Of The New StoneRose Restaurant

Jason Lipnicki

The executive chef at the helm of The StoneRose Restaurant, that we have been profiling this month, is Jason Lipnicki. Jason is no stranger to the Philadelphia area, as he has worked at some of the area’s finest restaurants. His most recent stop? Mt Airy’s own Geechee Girl Rice Cafe.

Prior to Geechee Girl, Jason also made his mark on other great Philadelphia institutions, such as The Four Seasons, Caribou Cafe and Standard Tap. With StoneRose, Jason has designed a menu that will provide a broad range of options to please all types of people from Vegetarians to Carnivores, to hearty appetites and those looking for a lite snack. Most of all, the goal of Lipnicki’s menu is to make you feel comfortable with the food and keep you coming back for more! A Grand Opening is scheduled for this weekend followed by all day dining menus being announced sometime next week. For now, The StoneRose opens at 5PM.

A picture of Jim Maglio and Brian Pieri, many, many years ago...

Childhood friends since the 2nd grade, Brian Pieri and Jim Maglio grew up in Springfield, Delaware County. Brian, a graduate of Penn State University and Jim, a graduate of Villanova University, have remained in the area and although they pursued very different careers, decided it was time to join forces and create something really special.  A place to call their own.

Brian, now residing in Conshohocken, was tired of the local scene. Conshohocken has come a long way in recent years, however, many of the local establishments have become gathering places for young professionals whom are more interested in a having a few beers than eating. With a few exceptions, Blackfish, being one, many area pubs offer mediocre food, at best.

The pair, with the tremendous support of friends and family, decided it was time to change Conshohocken’s landscape. Located within walking distance of home, The StoneRose Restaurant was built. After gutting the once Y2K Tavern, a dive bar with ceilings stained of smoke so deeply they were gold, the decision was made to open up the front of the space. The goal was to create an open air feeling in the once closed-in building, with no windows.

Bamboo floors, large textured subway tiles resembling a natural fiber, and butcher block tables were employed to create a natural, pure space. A dark  marble bar top supported by neutral toned marbled wood brings depth to the front room while maintaining the openness. Rich colors such as a claret  border for the front room and chestnut walls in the back dining room were used to pull everything together.

The end result…a neighborhood bistro (they are not fond of “gastropub,” although truth be told that is where they really fall) that is focused on “refined comfort food”; think BBQ Shortrib over Mac and Cheese, Alsatian Flatbread Pizza, Parmesan Polenta Fries and Grass-Fed Pan Roasted Piedmontese Rib-eye. They offer a great beer list featuring small, local breweries and great wines, but we’ll highlight that in a future post!

Although currently open to the public, the Grand Opening is scheduled for next weekend. 

We will celebrate the opening this week with daily posts including an introduction to the chef, a look at the bar, results from their breast cancer fund-raiser, and more!

 It isn’t quite our style to “review” a restaurant on our blog. We usually leave that for The Best of Food. 

However, with everyone else weighing in, and score being kept, we felt compelled to cast our vote!

By now, the decor has been communicated throughout the blog world, so we will be brief in our description. The prohibition vibe, with the subway tiles and tin, makes for a very comfortable setting.  The large front windows add a depth of openness that is definitely needed due to the size of the space. Images of a beautiful snowfall, viewed through those windows, while saddled up to the  bar enjoying a stiff drink that warms your insides, are conjured up in our minds. We can’t wait to spend a winter day here!

As for the size of the space, I was perplexed before it opened, amazed on my initial visit, and enlightened on my third trip. The initial trip was not planned, but instead a reward after  a horrible dining experience. Arriving at 10PM, there was plenty of standing room in the narrow space in the back of the restaurant and as luck would have it, 3 empty seats at the bar. While I enjoyed my Ginger Rogers, the lengthy theatrical mixing of the cocktails became grating after waiting 10 minutes to order and then another 10 minutes for 3 drinks to be made. Subsequent visits did, however, prove that this was a bartender specific issue, if you know what I mean.

Ginger Rogers

What impressed us most about the well-designed space was the decision to use generic, black beer taps, maintaining the clean lines of the bar. All and all, there is really nothing to complain about, except the size! Which leads me to my latest visit on a Thursday night at 8:30PM when there was a wait outside, just to stand inside, as they were full to capacity. Call me cynical, but watching for 20 minutes as people were turned away and sent next door, it occurred to me what a strategically genius opening this was after all.

Tinto now receives all of the overflow.

Especially on weeknights when there are usually many vacant tables at Tinto; the financial rewards for the GRG (Garces Restaurant group) of  Village Whiskey’s size,  far outweigh any negatives of the limited seating. Just saying…

On to the food! The cheese puffs on our first visit were melt in your mouth, over-the-top, delicious, to the point of craving another trip to try them again. The 2nd order on our next visit were a little disappointing. The light-as-air center of the first order was replaced with a dense, doughy consistency on the 2nd order. The lack of consistency was explained to us as weather conditions. Unfortunately, the 2nd order was such a let down from the first, I am unable to distinguish if they weren’t good or if they just weren’t as good. I would tend to lean toward the latter.

Cheese Puffs

It was a 100% consensus from our group that the duck fat fries were a huge let-down. To be fair, I definitely prefer traditional pomme frites to the thick, dense steak fries. None of us, however, were fans of the mealy consistency in the center of the fries. That being said, the raves regarding the short rib and cheddar fries from so many others will result in the fries getting a second look by this group.

Cape May Salts

Cape May Salts were cold, briny and delicious! Popcorn shrimp were just that and really not worth discussing one way or the other. The Kentucky Fried Quail was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and quite tasty, although borderline too salty. 

Kentucky Fried Quail

Now on to the main event; The Whiskey King.

The Whiskey King Burger

This perfectly cooked, ordered  medium-rare burger was absolutely delicious IMHO. The beef was juicy and bursting with flavor. The foie gras was cooked perfectly as well, and as been reported elsewhere, was a generous portion. We were pleasantly surprised, especially after reading the disappointing review by The Femme Fermental, that the roll not only remained in tact, but was decent. The best bun we’ve ever tasted? Absolutely not.  But, it neither detracted from the delicious burger with poor consistency, nor did it overwhelm it with immense density. The bacon is really a bit much with the amazing flavors and richness from the foie, so I chose to remove it, while my friend was happy devouring the “King” in its entirety.

Closeup of the beef that is the center piece for the Whiskey King

Is this a burger I need to have again? Probably not, but like the $100 cheesesteak, it was a “must try.”

As for Village Whiskey, it is definitely a keeper! The atmosphere is nothing short of addictive, especially with the right staff on duty!

So tell us….will you try the $24 Whiskey King? If you have, what are your thoughts?

We are very excited about the newest restaurant opening in Conshohocken in the next few weeks. StoneRose,  opening at 822 Fayette Street, will be a welcome addition to the neighborhood, providing “refined comfort food” in a relaxed, yet upscale bistro setting.

The Best of Food stopped in one day to check on the progress when Jim Maglio, the restaurant’s GM and “beverage guru,” was doing a little wine tasting.”  While construction took place inside, the wine tasting and selection, took place outside.

While the process didn’t seem as sophisticated as one might imagine, the selection process did, however, turn out a balanced wine list from small purveyors, as was the original intention. The restaurant will offer 14 wines by the glass and over 30 bottles from everywhere from Washington State to South Africa, with an emphasis on Italian reds. Prices start at a very reasonable $22 per bottle for an Italian Montepulciano and top at $100 for an ’04 Villadoria Barolo.

A few of our favorites:

Dievole Pinocchio – a young, full bodied Italian red – $39 a bottle

Terrunos Siete – a fruity  Spanish red, with a slight spice finish  – $41 a bottle

Jovly Vouvray – a floral, French, Chenin Blanc – $32 a bottle