The Best of the Best - County Lines Magazine

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BEST ITALIAN / SOUTHERN Ristorante Primavera 384 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne / 610-254-0200 This cozy, neighborhood favorite is warmed by the glow from pizza ovens (producing light, crusty masterpieces) and the energy of Chef Drygone, who has ruled the kitchen for almost 20 years. A must have, roasted peppers with olive oil, crusty bread and a freshmade pasta dish (the tagliatelli). The specials delight, so let the chef be your guide. The entire experience is so satisfying (many mention the doting service and Chubby Checker sightings) that you won’t need to journey to Center City to visit owner Umberto degli-Esposti’s other venues, Monte Carlo Living Room or Primavera Bistro. BEST JAPANESE Hana Japanese Restaurant 387 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne / 610-687-3320 The sparse, zen-like décor is a perfect backdrop for the simple freshness of well-prepared Japanese food that keeps regulars loyal to this BYO in a strip mall near the Farmers Market. Yakitori (skewered grilled chicken with vegetables), Chicken Teriyaki, Tempura, Sukiyaki will please most palates, including the timid. Plus wonderful sushi, prepared with the freshest ingredients in small, carefully arranged portions and an emphasis on visual appeal. The menu gets high marks, including from the Sushi Pilgrim, whose goal is to visit every sushi restaurant in the U.S. and Canada. BEST MEDITERRANEAN The Mediterranean 150 W. Gay St., West Chester / 610-431-7074 This cozy, family-owned, Mediterranean BYO is a West Chester favorite and keeps the faithful singing its praises (“hummus so good you should eat it with a straw,” “have eaten everything on the menu,” “best baklava ever!”). Chef Joseph Andraos serves the same fresh food to his customers that he makes for his family — fresh, wild seafood, homemade pastas, free-range beef. Try the Greek classics, the popular Kibbi platter (lamb), meat pie, spice 54 pie, veg pie or daily specials. Big favorite of the veggie set. Ask for a table upstairs, away from the hungry crowd. BEST MEXICAN Señora’s Authentic Mexican Cuisine 505 E. Gay St. (Gay St. Plaza), West Chester 610-344-4950 This consistently recognized Mexican BYO is run by third-generation restaurateur Carmen Lytle and offers casual dining in a sunny room with friendly service, where students, regulars and first-timers eat heartily. Fresh ingredients and authentic preparation set Senora’s apart and allow the perfect balance of spice and flavor to shine. Order your usual favorites and see the difference an experienced hand in the kitchen makes, or try the specialties, Mole Poblano, Santa Fe Fajitas, and end with the crunchy Fruit Chimis (fried tortillas, filled with fruit and dusting with sugar). A la carte ordering lets you sample widely. Just don’t forget to bring your Coronas. Another Favorite La Tolteca 907 S. High St., West Chester 610-420-8101 / latoltecta.net 4701 Concord Pk., Wilmington 302-477-0433 / lastoltecas.com Convenient locations, plenty of parking and satisfying Mexican comfort food, these restaurants have a loyal following drawn by large portions of all the favorites — nachos, quesadillas, chimichangas, tacos, tamales, enchiladas, burritos. The fajitas are fantastico! Add vegetarian offerings, and everyone’s happy! BEST SANDWICH Westtown Meats & Deli 1030 Old Wilmington Pk., West Chester 610-696-5588 Our office has ordered lunch here so often that Westtown Meats & Deli faxes us their daily specials. And this familyowned and operated, old-fashioned butcher shop continues to entice us with thick, fresh-cut deli sandwiches on “store bread” (a rustic homemade variety) and “Poor Boy Special” (2 hamburgers with fries, $5.75). Pick up a “FreeBird” antibiotic-free chicken for dinner. Don’t miss their fabulous brownies; some of the best around. BEST SEAFOOD Harry’s Seafood Grill 101 S. Market St., Wilmington 302-777-1500 / harrysseafoodgrill.com This casual-chic winner is a major anchor on the bustling Wilmington Riverfront and the extended area’s big fish for the freshest seafood, prepared with care and imagination. And the savvy sommelier is known for her user-friendly wine lists. A clear view of the Christina River always enhances the fun, and never more than on the patio. Popular choices from the extensive menu: New Englandstyle Lobster Boil, with clams, mussels & slaw, topped off with Blueberry Cobbler; Grilled Barramundi with carrot glaze; rare Seared Big Eye Tuna in a yuzu glaze with pea shoots; Panseared Mahi Mahi with a green apple pancake. Appetizer options: Maryland Crab Soup; Lobster Cioppino with rouille crouton; and New Orleans- relaxed elegance at 55 style Barbeque Shrimp. Check out the dynamite aquariums. Another Favorite Deep Blue Bar and Grill 111 West 22th St., Wilmington 302-777-2040 / deepbluebarandgrill.com From traditional to Pacific Rim, raw to deep-fried, this downtown favorite serves top-of-the-line seafood. Its location appeals to the business crowd and theater-goers, but quality is the main attraction. Try the excellent raw bar with well-designed samplers; Grilled Scottish Salmon with crispy artichoke ravioli, Napoleon of Swordfish with garlicky spinach; Peppercorn Crusted Tuna with Parisienne gnocchi. Popular pre-theater menu and revved-up service assures you’ll make curtain call. BEST STEAKHOUSE Stockyard Inn 1147 Lititz Pk., Lancaster 717-394-7974 / stockyardinn.com At this historic winner, decked out in Old World elegance, there’s no need to ask: Where’s the beef? It’s prime
time all the time with sizzling sirloins, tender filets (10 ounces!), 24-ounce porterhouses, meaty rib-eye steaks and tender prime rib. Nothing is pre-packaged here; an experienced meat-cutter keeps busy in the kitchen of one of the oldest continuously operating steakhouses in the U.S. Beyond the beautiful beef, there’s a dozen or so seafood classics — Baked Jumbo Shrimp Stuffed with Lump Crabmeat is a signature dish — plus other meat and poultry choices, and a vegetarian pasta dish. Our 15th president James Buchanan, a local boy born in Mercersburg, purchased the building in 1856, while he was in office, adding a “celebrity moment” to the Stockyard story. More Favorites Mile High Steak and Seafood Cross Roads Shopping Center 1102 Baltimore Pk., Glen Mills 610-361-0855 / milehighsteakandseafood.com Every Black Angus steak cut you can imagine, including a 22-ounce Cowboy Steak, with tempting sauce choices like roasted garlic and gorgonzola cream, cabernet reduction and classic béarnaise, will satisfy your craving for a beef fix. This newcomer rounds out its offerings with an array of seafood choices and various sides, bound to keep everyone happy. Executive chef Don Sanders, a graduate of the Le Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Md., was most recently with the Kennett Square Golf and Country Club. BEST SEAFOOD & STEAK The Ship Inn Bus. Rt. 30 and Ship Rd., Exton 610-363-7200 / shipinn.net Options abound at this nautically themed landmark. Dine in elegant historic rooms, or, if casual rocks your boat, the Lighthouse Grill section. Or weather permitting, the patio. No matter what ambiance you select, you’ll be offered the same extensive menu of excellent fare. Traditional creations prevail, with seafood always the big catch. Consider Wild Atlantic Salmon Fillet, raspberry glazed; Oven-Roasted Lump Crab Cakes with roasted red pepper 56 coulis; and Baked Lobster, stuffed with lobster and crab meat with a brandy cream sauce. A pairing of land and sea is celebrated in the Steak Diane, the filet sautéed with shallots, Dijon mustard, mushrooms, cream and brandy sauce, and topped with lump crabmeat. The “surf” is fresh; the “turf,” classy. Another Favorite Brandywine Prime Seafood and Chops Rts. 1 & 100, Chadds Ford 610-388-7361 / brandywineprime.com In the two years Dan Butler (of Wilmington dining fame) has operated in this Chadds Ford landmark, he’s been busy. Excellence at both steak and seafood dishes is evident in his Feast of the Seven Fishes and sumptuous 16-oz. bone-in Hereford filet mignon. Add brunch, lunch, fabulous raw bar, weekly specials, lively bar scene, private rooms for every occasion, and the Bistro on the Brandywine next door. What will he do next year? BEST SUSHI Azie 217 West State St., Media 610-566-4750 / azie-restaurant.com It’s not surprising that you’ll find sensational sushi in a glam setting at Azie. With cuisine ranging from Japanese to Chinese to Thai, this recent addition to the Media dining scene is brought to you by the folks behind Teikoku, Flavor, Mikado and Thai Pepper (in Kennett Square, Wayne and Ardmore). A sleek, modern vibe emanates from the stylish bar, dining rooms and private room on the second floor (patio dining in summer). Drawing on the kitchen skills of Chef Takao Iinuma (of Morimoto/Iron Chef fame), order the sushi specials and the Azie, Godzilla and New Philly rolls. Halfprice sushi specials at the bar (5-7, Mon-Thurs) add to the enjoyment. BEST THAI Thai Orchid 556 W. Lancaster Ave., Berwyn / 610-651-7840 Like many ethnic eateries, this Thai BYO surprise is in the middle of a suburban strip mall. But don’t let the out- LET IT SNOW. LET IT SNOW. LET IT SNOW. 333 Belrose Lane, Radnor PA 610.293.1000 www.333belrose.com 57 seasonal menus 1/2 price Bar Menu: Mon. Tues. & Wed. after 5pm great happy hour gift certificates available Serving the best cuisine in the region.
Page 1 and 2: Southampton by Wood-Mode. Reflect Y
Page 3 and 4: ••• PAIS • Member schools l
Page 5 and 6: HIGHLY TANTALIZING! Mile High Steak
Page 7 and 8: The best investments are the ones t
Page 9 and 10: Events Events THROUGH JANUARY Chest
Page 11 and 12: A Tea Room in Downtown West Chester
Page 13 and 14: • PRIVATE SCHOOLS • A Remarkabl
Page 15 and 16: The of the Best Best Gilmore’s He
Page 17 and 18: PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT Terrain Ca
Page 19 and 20: Talula’s Table spiced chicken, Be
Page 21 and 22: Bistro on the Brandywine Restaurant
Page 23 and 24: Another Favorite Catherine’s Rest
Page 25 and 26: BEST ASIAN FUSION Nectar 1091 Lanca
Page 27: First-class French fare and polishe
Page 31 and 32: Every year brings something new, di
Page 33 and 34: waxes poetic about his preferred Fr
Page 35 and 36: Margaret Kuo’s - Wayne Mendenhall
Page 37 and 38: The Comfort of Home, the Caring of
Page 39 and 40: The Main Line’s Original Sushi Ba
Page 41 and 42: Not Just for Special Occasions Anym
Page 43 and 44: Best Crabs, County Lines Magazine,
Page 45 and 46: 88 serving Continental/American cui
Page 47 and 48: THE TAJINE (ta-gene) In Tunisia a s
Page 49 and 50: We wish you the Happiest, Healthies
Page 51 and 52: the heart of downtown Thornton. Dai
Page 53 and 54: Index to Advertisers ACCESSORIES (S

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