The Blue Bell Inn blends history with top-tier cuisine that will leave diners around the Main Line region craving a repeat visit.
THE SKINNY: The 18th century converges with the 21st at the impressively rehabbed Blue Bell Inn. Whether it’s cocktails and nibbles with friends, a casual lunch, a dress-up dinner, or a corporate gathering, the place is perfectly positioned to address almost any culinary need.
BLUE BELL INN 601 Skippack Pike, Blue Bell, (215) 646-2010, www.bluebellinn.com. cuisine: Contemporary American. cost: From the low teens (flatbreads) to the mid-30s (steaks or the half-pound Maine lobster). attire: Sporty casual in the bar, on the patio and in lounge areas; stylishly casual to smartly dressed in the dining rooms. atmosphere: Ten rooms lend multiple personalities to this modernized old-timer. hours: Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Dinner: 4:30-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 4:30-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. extras: Live music Friday nights, DJ on Saturdays; free valet parking.
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From left: The Blue Bell Inn’s tuna tartare; serving a fruity concoction at the bar; public relations and marketing manager Mary Alana Kurz at the raw bar.
Scott Dougherty believes the Blue Bell Inn’s storied past deserves proper consideration. In fact, he is one of the first to recognize the circa-1743 establishment’s rich roots—especially as it relates to his own humble beginnings 24 years ago, when he worked there fresh out of high school and left 12 years later.
Dougherty proclaimed his love for the place by joining forces with Kevin Clib (co-owner of Bridget’s Steakhouse and KC’s Alley in Ambler) and purchasing the Montgomery County landmark in 2013. And so far, he’s proving that, with a little vision, fortitude and talent, you really can go home again.
Employing the considerable skills of local designer Judi Goodman, the new owners have reconceptualized the old inn via a multimillion-dollar makeover. The main entryway is a dramatic lead-in to a welcoming lounge with white-oak floors, a handsome black bar top, and vintage European posters. The adjacent terrace is an ultramodern enclave, its exposed pipes and roll-up garage doors combining for a cool faux-industrial look. The nearby patio bar is an intriguing little hideaway, while outside there awaits a vast 50-seat flagstone courtyard oasis with a soothing water wall and a fire pit.
In the Oak Room, the Blue Bell’s main dining area, families celebrate as nearby couples enjoy well-prepared meals. The space boasts a dramatic 700-bottle wine tower, and an original stone wall remains a 271-year-old structural counterpoint.
Yet, the new Blue Bell Inn is far from a formal juggernaut. “This is not just a place to wear a jacket,” says Dougherty. “With our various bars, private rooms and outdoor spaces, the inn becomes a more casual and interactive place.”
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From left: An assortment of house-made cupcakes; the terrace, with its roll-up garage doors.
As for the menu, it offers an array of bar-side small plates, including flatbreads, shellfish, a hefty dry-aged bacon-cheddar burger and a quite respectable lobster roll. Among the more substantial American fare: tender ribeye, New York strip, and center-cut filet mignon, plus fat Maryland crab cakes, whole Maine lobster, and several fish and pasta dishes.
For us, things started off well with a mushroom flatbread and a crisp Caesar salad, its dressing made fresh. Also excellent were the main courses: a juicy filet mignon; the tasso-ham-stuffed chicken-breast medallions, which oozed molten mozzarella; and a rich, herb-infused risotto loaded with tender seafood.
And then there were the inn’s extraordinary desserts.
Pastry chef Lexi Miller’s exceptional talents were evident in the house-made white-chocolate-macadamia-nut ice cream, served atop a warm blondie square. Also decadent was the chocolate shortcake layered with whipped peanut-butter frosting and banana ice cream.
Dougherty, no doubt, recognizes the challenges that come from running a large restaurant with so many moving parts. And while the staff was friendly and professional on our two visits, the entrées arrived before the apps were cleared on both occasions. But one would trust that a guy who was once the Blue Bell Inn’s manager will remedy those miscues. After all, it’s his place now.
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