Photos by Ed Williams
Recently opened in the Main Line region, DePaul’s Table is home to a $135 steak, crafted cocktails and priceless opulence.
If you’re wondering what happened to the Bercy, here’s your answer: The French-inspired Ardmore brasserie is now a sleek Italian steakhouse. While COVID grabbed headlines, DePaul’s Table emerged from a partnership between Anthony DePaul and Stove and Co. Restaurant Group’s Justin Weathers and Joe Monnich.
The 10,000-square-foot former Haverford Trust Bank building exudes opulence to begin with. So the makeover by Partum Interiors’ Dominika Chanc is subtle, incorporating soft shades, contrasting plank flooring, and cushioned banquets by the bar. The Bercy’s casual cafe tables are gone, replaced by square versions blanketed with white linens. Upstairs, you’ll find a small bar with several intimate tables.
DePaul is behind Iron Chef Marc Forgione’s American Cut steakhouse in New York City and New Jersey’s ChopHouse. This his first shot at the helm of his own spot. “The building is a masterpiece of elegant architecture in a community that I want to be a part of,” says DePaul. “The bar design is unlike anything in the area. The front-of-house staff are enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and they understand what providing a classic dining experience is all about.”
In the kitchen, executive chef Jose Galicia has orchestrated an exceptional Italian-inspired menu. Highlights include sea scallops with a porcini dusting, a 28-day dry-aged Pat LaFreida New York strip steak, assorted wood-fired flatbreads, bone-in Veal Milanese, and a seafood tower. For hearty appetites, there’s a 48-ounce Tomahawk ribeye, the menu’s most expensive item at $135.
During a recent happy hour at the 40-seat bar, we relished the tender kobe beef meatballs over whipped ricotta and authentic marinara and the heated shrimp fra diavolo. We also recommend the three-onion soup, the poached lobster Cobb salad and the wood-fired octopus.
Pasta lovers can poke and twirl at the lobster ravioli, a robust seafood cioppino atop black squid-ink spaghetti, or tender farfalle bow ties with Kennett Square mushrooms in a basil cream sauce. The raw bar features crab, shrimp, and a first-class selection of oysters and clams.
Superb California pinot noirs fill the wine bins at DePaul’s Table. And the deeper, complex Argentinian malbecs and Tuscans from Italy hold their own with beef. As for cocktails, the cedar-plank Old Fashioned’s smokiness enhances the rye whiskey, and the violet-colored Ardmore Vodka Martini packs an impressive punch. For designated drivers, there are creative house-made seltzers.
Details
DEPAUL’S TABLE 7 E. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore, (610) 589-0500, depaulstable.com
COST: $13–$135.
ATMOSPHERE: Two floors of high-end vibes and impressive service.
HOURS: 4:30–10:30 p.m. Monday–Friday, 5–11 p.m. Saturday, 5–9:30 p.m. Sunday.
ATTIRE: Dressy casual.
EXTRAS: Valet parking; owner Anthony DePaul is almost guaranteed to stop by your table.
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