Here to Stay
Laid-back BYOs abound on the Main Line, but few serve up posh and polish as well as Sola. Already outlasting both its original incarnation and predecessor, this mecca of French-inspired continental-fusion fare has an avid cult following. Well-dressed with tasteful wall-to-wall carpeting, crisp linens and handsome tableware, the dining room radiates warmth and tranquility even when full.
Seasonal ingredients highlight the monthly menu, which, the night we visited, paid homage to the end of summer with Jersey white corn and clam chowder, watermelon and ricotta salata, and a few rich displays of black mission figs. For guilt-free indulgence, there’s also a three-course prix fixe menu Tuesday-Thursday that ranges from $32-$35—a steal when you consider appetizers and entrées hover between $6-$16 and $25-$30.
Textural contrasts are a strong suit for chef/owner David Clouser. A tidy mound of supple tuna tartare made with finely diced shallots, tomato concassé, lemon zest and chives played deliciously against a thin bed of crunchy pickled cucumbers. And the buttery-crisp seared foie gras got some zing from forkfuls of sweet and savory black plums cooked in simple syrup lightly infused with garlic. Harmonious juxtapositions of flavor are also in Clouser’s repertoire. Mild veal strip tenderloin on a tousled bed of tangy red wine-braised purple cabbage matched up well with crunchy-creamy pan-fried sweetbreads and a bold, earthy mix of lobster, chanterelle and royal trumpet mushrooms. Beefy diver scallops with basil-scented Israeli couscous, corn, grape tomatoes, haricots verts, carrots and peas in a docile yellow tomato-saffron sauce offered an explosive amalgam of sweet, savory, silky, crunchy and al dente flavors and textures.
614 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr, (610) 526-0123.
