Fish Delicious
If you’re just not up for cooking the big holiday dinner, entertaining 35 relatives and cleaning the kitchen until midnight, at least one local BYO is making it easy for you to hand over the hosting duties. On Dec. 24, chef/owner John Brandt-Lee of Avalon Restaurant in West Chester will serve up an Italian culinary tradition that’s both satisfying and festive: the Feast of the Seven Fishes. A filling five-course meal, the seafood spread does indeed feature all seven fishes, from the antipasto and pasta courses to the entrée.
$45/adults, $15/kids under 12. Reservations required. 312 S. High St., West Chester; (610) 436-4100, avalonrestaurant.net.
Taste This …
Whether you’re struggling to pinpoint a craving or you just like variety, Styer’s Garden Café in Glen Mills is offering a tasting menu where the quality and the seasonality of the food shines. Chef Keith Rudolf has created this menu by sourcing local ingredients, and it’s available Wednesday to Saturday.
With a cottage feel and greenery brought in from the outside, the room alone looks like a secret garden. At night, with the twinkling of the soft white lights, the café is that much more magical.
Instead of having a set menu, guests can personalize their own five-course tasting. Start off with a bowl of butternut squash soup, followed by the mushroom tart with goat cheese from Shellbark Hollow Farm or cauliflower fritters. Enjoy an artisanal cheese plate in between and, for the main course, choose from dishes like house-made whole-wheat pappardelle, local organic chicken and red-wine-braised short ribs. Opt to have dessert indoors, or enjoy the “grown-up” s’mores (made with MyHouse Cookies’ graham crackers) around the outdoor campfire.
$45. 914 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills; (610) 459-2400, cafe.shopterrain.com.
A Capital Idea
You now have a new excuse to head toward the King of Prussia Mall. An upscale chain known for its hand-cut and dry-aged steaks, The Capital Grille is a welcome addition to the many dime-a-dozen eateries lining KOP’s Mall Boulevard. If you’ve eaten at a Capital Grille before, you know that both the steaks and the seafood are standouts. The lobster and the crab cakes are favorites, as is the Kona-crusted dry-aged sirloin with shallot butter. The wine list is extensive and includes more than 3,000 bottles, plus a vast selection of wines by the glass. When the weather heats up—it can’t come soon enough—the Grille has a lovely outdoor dining area.
236 Mall Blvd., King of Prussia; (610) 265-1415, thecapitalgrille.com.
