xtian

Has anyone been to the Abbaye? I have been there for the great beers, but have never read the menu.

Has anyone been to the Abbaye? I have been their for the great beers, but have never read the menu.

When my husband was in the kitchen at Four Seasons he test drove an Eggs Benny featuring grilled bread and scrapple instead of canadian bacon and english muffins. I hope your dish fares better ! Scapple and hollandaise just weren't meant for each other.

I would definitely consider the National Constitution Center. Even though it is technically a museum, their lobby space is very adaptable and would be good for the size you are considering. Max & Me is the in-house caterer and do beautiful presentations, however I do think their food has suffered with all the volume they handle these days. I am sure this is an issue that could be dealt with via the right sales person. You might also consider the Union League. I am not familiar with their in-house caterer, but it is a very nice event space. (I have only gone to dine-around type events there). It is also located right downtown near many of the larger hotels. Downtown Club is another similar suggestion. Finally, I would put in my suggestion for Lloyd's Hall on Boathouse Row. Great location, but unfortunately, would probably involve busses (and aspirin).

Miel's French macaroons are my favorite, especially the raspberry or boysenberry, when they are available. I have also had their to-die-for ice cream on several occasions (coconut is my favorite!)-- they will sometimes do ice cream sandwiches with their cookies by special order, which is absolutely a big chunky piece of heaven.

Paw Paws-- They ripen quickly and are best when they are soft and just on the verge of turning dark. My curiousity was peaked too to know more about the plant's origins, I checked with a plant ecologist on staff where I work. They are an unusual species in a plant family that is mainly tropical or sub-tropical and related to the cashew family, but not to the papaya or mango family, as one might guess. There are native to the mid-atlantic region, but efforts to cultivate them have not been very successful. (Although they are all over in York/Lanacaster through Northern Baltimore County, MD region.) As Mr. Bigjas noted, the ones sold at RTM have a skin more like a pear or mango, but they are full of seeds similar to the picture. The best way I know to eat them is to slice them in half and eat with a spoon, similar to eating a kiwi. Its suprising to me that we don't have more native fruits to brag of from this part of the country, so its worth checking out one of the few.

On my visit this Saturday to RTM, I was very surprised to see Paw Paws, otherwise known as custard apples in other parts of the country. They were brought by the Lancaster County farmer that sets up where Fair Food Project used to be on Saturdays in the very center of the market. The paws paws were ripe and I couldn't wait to get home to dig my spoon into one. Once I did, the creamy custard tropical flavor was just like I remembered from my childhood. If you are not familiar with paw paws, they are the largest (and one of the few) native american fruits. They look similar to a black mango to me, and their consistency and taste reminds me of a mango mixed with a banana. Get 'em while they are in season!

Andrew- I feel much the same way you do, however on my first visit in a few years on a recent Saturday night I found the place to be as hopping as ever. People are in fact still going there in droves, especially on a nice night. Why? I think the answer lie more in the high fashion shopping and variety of gift galleries... Take a look around and 7 out of 10 women will be toting their Prada bags with their hair perfectly coiffed. People are here to spend their $$, which is not as easy to do on a Saturday evening anywhere in Center City. Point being-- Its not about the food. I would point out however, that the reason for MY trip there was the fact that it is really a convenient meeting spot for those in the outlying suburbs, as it is easily accessible from the Main Line, Upper Montco, City Line Avenue, etc. Having lived in Manayunk a few years back, it is really a dissapointment to see some the food gems dissapear, such as the Farmers Market, and very few quality restaurants to remain. (On a recent query, both Grasshopper and An Indian Affair were reccommended, as well as Jake's.) I personally put my hopes on the fact that East Falls will soon emerge as a Manayunk for "real" people with taste buds. Also interesting to note, that a grant was recently issued to Roxborough to research viable development options for Ridge Avenue, making a special note that the effort is not one aimed at replicating Main Street's atmosphere. My two cents...

I would suggest Denim or 32 Degrees. Bring lots of $$$.

Great suggestion, Katie. I believe the Restaurant School will only do a few weddings a year, but their rates are supposedly very reasonable. Plus, the would probably be more willing to work with you on a personal and creative menu, since wedding catering is not their normal schtick. But if interested, I would contact them soon. On another (kind of off-beat) note, you might consider the gallery space at the Painted Bride. Their rental rates are super reasonable. The space is unique-- but I would be sure to inquire what the installation would be ahead of time and not something too graphic. They also have an adjacent open room with a bar, but that would have to take some fixing up to make it suitable for a wedding (I recall it being black concrete floors?).

More thoughts on Bartram's Gardens... I have catered several weddings there and always LOVED the space. My favorite was a progressive event that started with pre-wedding champagne cocktails in the grove of trees, a waterfront ceremony, a oyster/vodka cocktail hour in the outdoor courtyard, and finally a regular old provincial-style hoe-down in the barn, complete with acoustic band. It was a great use of everything that Bartram's has to offer. My only experience with Shackamaxon was with its previous owner and it was not impressive. Perhaps they have improved though? You might check into Hope Lodge & Mathers Mills in Ft. Washington. I have also catered there and the Mill is a beautiful creekside location. It is very inexpensive and they are easy to work with, but it might too tight to have 100 for a seated dinner. It would be more appropriate for a cocktail-type reception. You might also look at The Highlands in that area, which has great outdoor space.

Sara- I would suggest that you check out PartySpace.com which has a great, comprehensive list of venues in the area. Most listings indicate whether they have a list of preferred caterers, an exclusive caterer, etc. PartySpace.com I agree with Herb that the caterers previously noted to be the top notch caterers in the area have slipped in the past few years. And the one caterer I was fairly impressed with (I'll decline to mention their name), sent my husband reeling with a case of food poisoning that same night. Keep searching through word of mouth-- you'll be amazed at how many brides-to-be and newlyweds you suddenly find when you start planning your wedding. If someone has a good suggestion, you might be prepared with additional questions (like "what is your favorite estaurant?") to help gauge if their definition of a "good" caterer is likely to match yours. Good Luck!

It might be too late for The Clash's stay at Longwood, but I also wanted to point out the Farmhouse at Loch Nairn Glof Club. Excellent food and service located down Route 1 about 15 minutes past Longwood Gardens. The have the Tavern in addition to the more formal restaurant, which may be more suited for a non-occasion dinner, or just for solo dining. Loch Nairn Farm House Also, north of Longwood Gardens at the Brinton Lakes Shopping Center is newcomer America Bar & Grill. I stopped in this weekend for drinks after hearing some good reviews. I did not try the food but was fairly impressed with the well-rounded menu. The focus seemed to be mainly steaks, seafood, and plenty of small plates. America Bar & Grill

Apparently the Dillsworthtown Inn is making an excellent tableside Caesar. I haven't tried it personally, but just got a raving report this weekend from friends. If you manage to make it out there, I'd love to know if its worth the trip.

Meadow Run Farm provides a variety of grass-fed lamb cuts to the Fair Food Project (run by the White Dog Foundation), which has a stand at the Reading Terminal Market every Friday and Saturday. While I don't think they carry Meadow Runs bacon, they do carry an excellent double-smoked bacon from Green Meadow Farm-- or you might be able to order your fave through the Fair Food stand. The stand is also carrying a variety of locally-grown produce, cheeses, pultry, meats, etc. Worth checking out if you haven't done so!