You don’t have to be the corporate type to appreciate Twenty9, the revamped restaurant and bar that’s taken over what used to be Flanigan’s Boathouse. But it would be more convenient, given its location in Malvern’s Great Valley Corporate Center off Route 29 (hence, the name).
Either way, those familiar with the Boathouse are in for a big surprise. The restaurant has been completely overhauled—inside the kitchen and out. The sports-bar digs have given way to a large, open dining area with high ceilings, a square bar with flat-screen TVs, and smaller high-tops and tables. The ambiance is casual yet sophisticated, and the menu features hearty pub favorites and entrées you’d expect in a fine dining establishment.
The food is reasonably priced, with appetizers, sandwiches and shared plates never exceeding $13 and the heavier stuff topping out at $30. The unfussy fare is what Twenty9 does best. A simple salad tossed with goat cheese, mandarin oranges and pistachios was tart and creamy, and the mushrooms stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese and crabmeat were savory and perfectly bite-sized.
The roast pork sandwich (with broccoli rabe, roasted peppers and sharp Provolone on a seeded Italian roll) was deliciously messy, and the turkey club (with applewood-smoked bacon, smoked cheddar and chipotle aioli) was big enough to share.
The steaks—a 10-ounce filet, 18-ounce rib-eye and 12-ounce New York strip—should satisfy serious appetites. And there are plenty of seafood- and veggie-centered dishes, including lobster ravioli, tilapia with sautéed scallops and crabmeat, plus stuffed eggplant.
Twenty9 has an extensive beer, wine and cocktail menu, which is sure to be a hit on the deck in the warmer months.
16 Great Valley Parkway, Malvern, (610) 251-9229.
