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If you were to drop me blindfolded into what is now Brandywine Prime Seafood & Chops @ Chadds Ford Inn, I would have no idea where I stood. Not to say that’s a bad thing – in fact the building is remarkable. Light now inhabits all floors, where once were tiny, slanting corridors careening in between various dining rooms. I remember the last time I visited the original Chadds Ford Inn; author Charles Adams was there on Halloween telling tales of local unrest. It was an enjoyable evening however it did take me about ten minutes to find my way back from the bathroom and it wasn’t because of the wine.
These days the restaurant is reborn, newly taken over by Owner/Chef Dan Butler of two rather successful Wilmington restaurants; the posh Deep Blue and the Toscana Kitchen and Toscana Takeout spot. To this day Dan’s still amused at how he fell in with the restaurant business, he started out washing dishes at the DuPont Hotel as a teenager and worked his way up “the ladder” as he termed it. No real thought at the time of owning his own restaurant, in his own words he “thought the chefs digs were kind of cool.” By the time he was eighteen he was enrolled in culinary school and over the next decade or so he traveled and cooked from Switzerland to Miami. Finally he landed back in Wilmington and with that move came the opening of the delicious Toscana Kitchen which expanded to the Toscana to Go. His next project was Deep Blue…..very modern with fantastic seafood and (oh the irony) right next to the DuPont Hotel where he caught his first glimpse of that cool chef hat. Seems Chef Dan is a big believer in “cooking for the community” as he says – cook what fits and they will come, and eat, and bring their friends.
Chef Dan Butler is actually a Chadds Ford native – and as fate would have it, a bicycling enthusiast. One day a few years back he went for a ride and stopped at the Chadds Ford Inn to scam a drink from the hose bib. As he was swilling away he was approached by a gentleman who asked “so if I come to your restaurant can I drink for free?” Said gentleman turned out to be an immensely talented builder by the name of Joe Grace, who not only recognized Dan immediately (turns out he’s a big fan of Dan’s other restaurants) but who had also just purchased the Chadds Ford Inn with big things in mind. Dan admits he wasn’t really up for such a big project at first but Joe finally persuaded the good Chef to become part an integral part of those plans.
The sprawling Brandywine Prime Seafood & Chops @ Chadds Ford Inn has what Dan considers “the longest restaurant name in the history of man”, but the lengthy moniker does a good job of setting expectations and letting you know (literally) where you’re going because otherwise you probably wouldn’t recognize it. Outside is a nice big stone patio for warm weather dining and for our purposes we actually entered past the patio and through the kitchen which was unbelievably huge and just gleaming, “believe it or not it used to be bigger” Dan commented as we wound our way through to the front foyer where our tour starts.
Directly in front of your face is “Angus” a commanding painting that I’ll bet is 6’ wide by 4’ tall, it’s a close up of a group of blowing black bulls, just kind of standing there looking at you, red tags hanging, their breath steaming in the frigid air. Actually it’s rather startling but I like that. That particular piece and quite a few others like it adorn the walls throughout, vignettes of much larger paintings done by both W.C. and Andrew Wyeth. The paintings were blown up like that specifically for the walls of Brandywine Prime. Funny story – Dan Butler had attended Chadds Ford Elementary as a child and actually got first place in a first grade art show which was judged by Andrew Wyeth himself.
The original Inn goes back to the 1700’s, and what Dan Butler and Joe Grace have done with that building is an oceanic breath of fresh air, Dan says “we gave it new charm” but that’s a major understatement in my eyes. “Some of the hardwood floors are original” Dan said, and the matching trim is beautifully brought out by subdued blues and greens, most of the walls are exposed stone – and what isn’t lit by large windows or completely open floors above is gently illuminated by a diminutive series of burnished silver drop lights. Several bars and Dining Rooms run throughout; some are quite large while others are sized for private parties and such. The Main Bar features a large Raw Bar across from which is a stone wall with a cutout “barndoor” window looking into one of the other rooms. In the Dining Room towards the front of the building is a painting which you may recognize as the golden weeds from “Christina’s World”, look closely at the bottom right hand corner and you’ll see where Andrew Wyeth, I guess he just couldn’t resist the temptation, whipped out a marker and signed his painting while having lunch one afternoon. The wall of “Shadow Portraits” at the other end reflects the works of three generations of Wyeths. The main staircase has been completely opened up and ascends into the upper level which houses a huge gorgeous Dining Room, the “Chase Room” named for Dan’s father and the
two-story atrium style Mill Room, named for overlooking the old windmill by the Brandywine River Hotel.
Brandywine Prime Seafood & Chops @ Chadds Ford Inn is open for dinner and favorite menu items include weekly specials: $5 Prime Rib Sandwiches on Thursdays, ½ price Best of Philly Burgers on Fridays, and Sunday night House-Roasted Prime Rib. Try the Tuna Carpaccio from the raw bar, Appetizers like Cream Butternut Squash Risotto, Prime Filet Tartare and Shrimp Tempura. Steaks are impressive in stature; choose from Angus New York Strips, Hereford Filet Mignon or Prime Delmonico. All steaks can be “customized” with Shrimp, Scallops or Crab. Offerings from the Sea are equally tasty; try the Brandywine Prime Crab Cake, Oven Roasted Atlantic Salmon, and Linguine with Crab or just go for the gold and order the Brandywine Prime Seafood Sampler consisting of ½ Maine Lobster Tail, steamed clams, shrimp, mussels, rice and snap peas with a tomato saffron broth. Wine is by the glass, Beer is draft and bottles and they have a nice Cocktail list including a drink called the Chadds Ford Inn Ghost. Dan pooh poohed the thought of a haunt and I didn’t say anything at the time, but I’m pretty sure that chair was NOT in the middle of the room when we first came upstairs.
Dan says Friday nights at the bar are really hopping. In part because of the half priced Best of Philly burgers offered. That was General Manager Michael Majewski’s idea, Dan (showing his Chef colors) was initially horrified at the notion but it turned out really well….good call Mike. Dan commented “you’ll find people at the bar you wouldn’t think you’d see.” Hmmm, sounds intriguing. He’s also been surprised at the amount of people utilizing online reservations at www.opentable.com.
As intricate as renovating the old Inn was, readying the space next door for a cozy French Bistro was conversely as simple. Bistro on the Brandywine, directly across the parking lot is open for lunch and serves a fine array of shared plates, soups and salads, entrees and side dishes. They also have a lively business of freshly prepared and made to order gourmet takeout. That’s right, dishes you’d love to pass off as your own if you thought you could get away with it. Bistro on the Brandywine’s palate comforting menu include Moules Frites mussels steamed with saffron cream (they’ve gotten rave reviews), Kennett Square Mushroom Soup, stone hearth pizzas like Roasted pears with gorgonzola, mozzarella, pine nuts and truffle honey. Entrees run the gamut from Braised beef short ribs to Chilean Salmon and Coq au vin, and all can be complemented by delicious sides like Crispy truffle parmesan fingerling potatoes, Grilled Asparagus with oven dried tomato relish and a delicious Wilted spinach, garlic and white wine. Paul Bouchard is Managing Partner of Bistro on the Brandywine and Chef de Cuisine is Seth Harvey who was the Sous Chef at Deep Blue. Chef Butler wanted to bring something new to the area and people have found Bistro on the Brandywine to be unexpectedly casual and inexpensive; waitresses run about in blue jeans and the bustling lunch crowd is a cheerful reflection of Chadds Ford’s many walks of life.
Both Brandywine Prime and Bistro on the Brandywine does event catering, stop by for lunch, dinner or just grab some takeout if you can’t hang around. Just remember that whatever your plans are, it’s always prime time in Chadds Ford.
Last week I had the much anticipated pleasure of visiting one of my favorite restaurants ever – The Big Easy Saloon of Paoli. Owned by Restaurateur David Weinstein and his Partner and Executive Chef Dan Funk, The Big Easy Saloon will be celebrating their two year anniversary in October. An ode to how time flies when you’re having fun.
As new on the scene as they were at the time, The Big Easy Saloon was recipient of the “Best of the Main Line – Reader’s Choice Award” in July of 2007. Never content to sit on his laurels, David says “now we want to be the best restaurant on the Main Line for the rest of the time.” Yeah I can totally see that one coming, who’s taste buds could possibly forget Chef Dan Funk; trained under New Orleans Chef John DeLuca who was trained by famed Chef Paul Prudhomme. Lest I get carried away and forget to mention – Chef Funk will once again be spicing things up at Celebrity Kitchens in Wilmington Delaware this coming September and October.
Recently The Big Easy Saloon has welcomed a new manager and assistant manager to lend a hand and they are once again taking reservations for lunch, dinner and yes even their above-and-beyond Sunday brunch. Dan says “this place can fill up at anytime – you turn around and boom it’s full.” Here’s some really big news; as of May of this year they’ve gone completely non-smoking. David says it’s really been a positive thing and by mid-September there will be no smoking in any Pennsylvania restaurant, he says “it will be a level playing field, you can come back a hundred times and still have something different.” Chef Dan Funk added “I want them coming here for the food.” Somehow I don’t ever see that being an issue.
Their plans for the future include an on-site on catering facility with a second bar upstairs, and an outdoor patio dining which would be open to the restaurant on those rare occasions when a party wouldn’t be booked. Currently The Big Easy Saloon does lots of off premise catering and parties and as it stands now parties held at the restaurant are currently limited to the dining room which has seating for forty five. The game plan is to have a room capable of seating one hundred partygoers and their new addition would make the restaurant two levels of New Orleans dining extravaganza.
The Big Easy Saloon’s spectacular menu keeps you coming back with Chef Funk’s fabulous staples like the Cherry Cola Baby Back Ribs, the out-of-this-world Voodoo Shrimp (yes it’s plenty hot, don’t be a baby) and a goodly assortment of Po Boys, Gumbos, Jambalaya, Andouille Meatloaf Sandwiches, Pot Pies, Etoufee, blackened and vegetarian dishes and soups Lunch has really expanded with considerately quick service, perfect for the business lunch crowd and they recently got an award from Channel 10’s “Lori’s Lunchbox.”
Also this time around you’ll find lots of salads, lighter entrees and even half portions gracing the menu, “smaller portions and prices seem to be the trend” Chef Funk commented. He also plans to add more local produce and organic offerings in the future. Despite being the whirlwind that he is, Chef Funk has added two new Chefs to his kitchen, resulting in The Big Easy Saloon’s Sunday “South of the Border Night” and also some fantastic Asian-themed entrees; “there’s a lot of flavors coming out of the kitchen” he says. Fear not oh diehards of spice – the mainstay will always be Nola. Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming New Orleans style tapas style menu.
Sunday Piano Brunch at The Big Easy Saloon has also expanded with extended lunch items like salads, sandwiches and appetizers to complement the Andouille Sausage Gravy, Kaptain Krunch Chicken Fingers with vanilla sauce and White Chocolate Peach Pancakes. “Good memory” Chef Funk commented as I ticked off my list of brunch favorites. I looked at him like he was crazy – how could I forget? In fact that incredible brunch just got The Big Easy Saloon on the cover of Trend Magazine. Sunday evenings features all-you-can-eat pasta and Monday night is all-you-can-eat Prime Rib; think you have a big appetite? Cuts go by King, Queen and the intimidating Big Easy cut; aptly summed up by a patron as “so big everything else comes on a different plate.”
Ever mindful of what people want – for the upcoming football season The Big Easy Saloon will be tantalizing patrons of their undeniably cool red zodiac bar with assorted beer promotions complemented by hand-carved roast pork and beef sandwiches. For those of you who love a really good glass of wine The Big Easy Saloon is pleased to announce an upgraded wine list where nearly everything can be ordered by the bottle. Also new is a frozen drink machine and special Martini Menu. I was trying to avert my gaze from the pineapple infused vodka, it was kind of early in the day.
For that sweet tooth to celebrate a win or soften a setback, desserts include Mississippi Mud Pie, Bananas Foster, Key Lime and Banana Cream pies and even gourmet cupcake which have gone over supremely well. Do not miss the new Jack Daniels Chocolate Gelato; “it is insanity” David says, “everybody that tastes it goes nuts.”
On the music front The Big Easy Saloon always has some seriously good musicians booked; people tend to make their own dance floor and you’ll always find a good diverse crowd – as David puts it “you can find just about anybody here.” Nightly music features live Jazz, Rhythm and Blues with no cover, ever. Music starts 6:30-7pm Sunday (open mike night) thru Thursday, 8-midnite Friday & Saturday. The Kitchen stays open until 11pm on weekends and until 10-10:30 pm on weekdays.
I couldn’t resist asking David and Chef Funk what gives them their uncanny ability to continually improve, David paused for a moment and asked “why does somebody have rhythm and somebody else doesn’t?” It’s hard to narrow it down to one factor when you’re dealing with a veritable sea of creative talent. One thing he can say for sure is “you get a good bang for your buck.”
Wow – my first blog and I can’t think of a blessed thing to say. Of course it is early and all that. It is February 20th 2008 and I’m getting ready to meet a friend for lunch at the Whip Tavern out in back of Unionville (horse country) Pennsylvania. It’s a rather cozy English pub, and the menu has improved vastly since the first time I was there; they have a wonderful smoked fish plate – will have to revisit that particular gem. Maybe some of that good Tetley’s ale too…….
So it’s a good twenty four hours later and I guess I can talk about lunch. One thing about the Whip that makes me nuts (or can be very gratifying) is the complete lack of cell tower. Can be good – can be bad. I was just a few minutes early so I hung out at the bar, first person there except for some guy in the corner who I think is an employee of some sort. I spent about ten minutes munching on those supergood sweet but spicy peanuts they have while contemplating various beer on tap, and a good variety of bottles behind the bar, they’re really into the UK thing. So my drinking, er, eating buddy showed up and thus the afternoon began. We decided to go with the Welsh Rarebit as a starter; “a warm blend of English cheddar and Stilton cheeses and Smithwick’s Irish Ale, served with dipping crostini”, in a word – yum. Then my friend had a Reuben sandwich (Sauerkraut, corned beef and Swiss cheese on rye – I like the way they call fries “crisps”) and I went with the Smoked Fish Plate just to make sure it was as good as I thought it was. It was. Again the menu has expanded I think but it’s still different – Bangers and Mash i.e. Sausage and mashed potatoes, does that sound good to you? Guinness Lamb Stew, Fish and Chips, Shepherd’s Pie (lamb again), by the way did you know that lamb is the closest texture to eating human flesh? Just one of those weird things you read and go on to share relentlessly with people, preferably at the dinner table. One of my favorite things about the menu is the “Carvery” section where you choose a meat, cheese, bread and dressing; I like the Ham and Brie on Farmhouse White with Red Pepper Mayonnaise. Sadly they were out of Guinness on tap so I went with Mackelson’s I think it was, then a Double Chocolate Stout – don’t recall the name but it’s in a big orange and purple bottle. All in all I like the Whip, the surroundings are nice, the interior is comforting with lots of wood, a fireplace and a real nice couch area (that I’ve seen people leave their kids at while their folks are lunching). So after a light lunch and two beers we figured it was time to make a move and headed on over to Loch Nairn, specifically the Tavern.
By far the best thing about the Tavern was a drunk lady who apparently comes in every Wednesday. Better than cable and free to boot. She was telling us about Sapori Ristorante Italiano (which doesn’t seem to have a website yet). Sapori is a very upscale authentic Italian Restaurant open for dinner only, it’s located in Greenville Center on Kennett Pike (route 52) in Greenville Delaware. I’ve heard that a good meal for two will run you about $120-150 and reservations are in order. Anyway the company at Loch Nairn’s Tavern was better than the beer and the food, turns out our drunken friend has been in the restaurant business for about twenty years and was pretty darned knowledgeable as well as entertaining. Everyone was real nice, there’s a French server named “Bruno” who is very cool and interesting; talk to him if you get the chance, especially about soccer and politics. Finally I got that Guinness I wanted and my friend switched to Yuengling (Yuckling – don’t know what possesses her to drink that crap), we ordered a cheese and fruit plate……..nothing amazing and the goat cheese always throws me for a loop – it should really come with a warning – “yes it does taste as bad as it smells” but to each their own. As far as I’m concerned the best cheese in the world is Prima Donna which is surprisingly easy to come by at the gourmet Country Butcher in Kennett Square - a fantastic place altogether.
