Montgomery County Restaurants

[percyn]

Hmm...thought I had already posted this, but either I hit the wrong key or an admin deleted the post and did not inform me

Based on Philadining's recommendation, I ordered pizza from Marzella's. It was good, but not sure it was the best or even better than Roccos. Yes, it was delivery, so to be fair I will have to try some straight from the oven and put Philadining's anti-gravitation theory to test.

Chicken and Broccoli White Pizza

[percyn]

Having heard a lot about Bluefin in Plymouth Meeting, I decided to try this place out for lunch.

I should mention that I don't usually order this much sushi for lunch, but given that I was going "research" and the fact that I rarely get long lunches, here is what I ordered....

Salmon and Spicy Tuna Sushi Lunch Combo - Salmon was very fresh and the spicy tuna was decent.

Uni - I had heard good things about their Uni, so I ordered some. Quite fresh and delicious...you could taste the essence of the ocean, the true mark of fresh Uni. This only ranked second to the Uni I had at Okada at the Wynn in Las Vegas and compared to Uni I had in Japan.

That was all I planned to order, but in the name of "research", I lay upon the sword

Sashimi - White Tuna and Toro - The white tuna was magnificent and one of the most succulent pieces I have had. The toro on the other hand was a bit of a let down. They said it was Chutoro (belly area from the side) and even though I did not expect as much fat as in Otoro, it seemed a tad too lean.

Special roll - 1/2 baked roll - Spicy Tuna, whitefish (bass), asparagus rolled then tempura fried.

General observations - I arrived around 1pm on a Tues and despite the parking lot being full (there is parking in the rear), I was easily able to secure a seat at the almost empty Sushi bar and half the tables also seemed to be available. Service was friendly and fast (sometimes a bit too fast).

The 4 sushi chefs were busy making sushi for the customers and also seemed to be prepping for the night. One of them was schucking scallops and cleaning them very meticulously while 2 others were prepping Unagi (Eel).

So, is this place overrated or is it a hidden gem? While they may face some stiff competition from places in NYC or even Philly, in the burbs, they are a definite hidden gem and I will certainly be back to try some more sushi.

Edited October 23, 2007 by percyn (log)

[webhill]

A new find for us, but not at all a new restaurant is Thai Orchid in Blue Bell. A restaurant hidden in a

That restaurant is owned by the same people who own Chiang Mai in Conshohocken, which is also a nice thai restaurant, although my experience at both places is that if you seriously want spicy, you need to be clear about it

I also really like Tamarindo's in Blue Bell/Broad Axe - I don't think I've seen anyone mention that yet, only El Serape, and I think Tamarindo's is WAY BETTER than El Serape.

Someone mentioned the Caspian Grille in Lafayette Hill. Ali makes kick-ass cucumber-yogurt dip, and his chicken couscous, when made with the pomegranate sauce, is to die for.

-h.

[percyn]

Had Desi Village cater part of a family get together this weekend.

The verdict:

Samosas - Great flavor and spice. Easy reheat in the oven.

Tandoori Chicken - Inedible (the chicken had dried out and had a mushy consistency)

Naan - Passable, but these are best eaten within a few minutes of coming out of the oven.

Biryani - Probably the favorite of all the dishes

Bhindi (Okra) Masala - Good balance of spices

Overall, the dishes (besides the Tandoori) were decent, though I couldn't help wondering whether Taste of India in the Gateway shopping center would have been a better source.

[davidbdesilva]

Having lived in Montco for 18 years now I will offer some places I think are worth checking out:

Sultan in Montgomeryville - supposedly recently taken over by the Palace of Asia (Ft. Washington) people and what was good Indian food is now better, IMHO.

Aman's - good Indian food in East Norriton, BYOB.

Costello's - right next door to Sultan, good to very good Italian food in a lovely setting, especially for a storefront place. Just added a lovely bar but now it's not BYOB anymore.

Boccelli's - in the Gwynedd train station. Cozy little BYOB Italian place serving pretty good food.

Vitetnam Cafe - in Telford so technically Bucks Co. Very good Pho and other dishes for dirt cheap.

White Elephant - Huntigndon Valley, very good Thai in a nice setting.

Yalda Grill - in Willow Grove, just at at this Afghani restaurant, supposedly owned by relatives of Kabul downtown. Very good.

I am NOT a fan of Cravings Cafe myself. I have always found the food to be rather heavy-handed and clumsy. But, it is popular with many.

[mike volker]

Sorry guys but I think I just annexed Phoenixville into Montgomery county. Four of us went to the Black Lab Fri night and the food was definitely a "WOW". The noise was not. I started with potato pancakes topped with smoked salmon, onions, creme fraiche, and caviar. Then onto a filet in foie gras and truffle.

We're going to go back and just do starters real soon.

Best,

Mike

[percyn]

Black lab is good, Majolica which is a few doors down is even better.

[Tim Dolan]

Anybody know anything about the Eagles' Nest Deli on Route 29, which is located on the hill down at the edge of Collegeville, right before you get to the bridge? I drove by the other day and noticed their sign advertising a hot roast pork sandwich. Might have to try them out to see how they stand up.

[davidbdesilva]

Had another great meal at Yalda in Willow Grove last night. Incredibly tender and tasty lamb and shrimp with grilled veggy's and wonderfully scented basmati rice. Wonderful samosa's as an app. Total bill? $35 for the two of us with way too much to finish. BYOB and very friendly family running the place. I would also recommend Ooka in Doylestown. A it pricey but great atmosphere and food.

[percyn]

Anybody know anything about the Eagles' Nest Deli on Route 29, which is located on the hill down at the edge of Collegeville, right before you get to the bridge? I drove by the other day and noticed their sign advertising a hot roast pork sandwich. Might have to try them out to see how they stand up.

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I stopped in once for a breakfast sandwich (more out of curiosity) and it was as no different than a typical, average deli. Haven't tried their roast pork....yet.

[Tim Dolan]

Anybody know anything about the Eagles' Nest Deli on Route 29, which is located on the hill down at the edge of Collegeville, right before you get to the bridge? I drove by the other day and noticed their sign advertising a hot roast pork sandwich. Might have to try them out to see how they stand up.

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I stopped in once for a breakfast sandwich (more out of curiosity) and it was as no different than a typical, average deli. Haven't tried their roast pork....yet.

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I actually stopped by last week and got a roast pork. I would say that you're right on with it being an average place. It certainly wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly good either. The roll was above average, the pork itself was average, and the sharp provolone was below average. It could have potential if they seasoned the pork better, and stepped up to a better sharp provolone. I'd say it'd much better than somewhere like Wawa, but I'd only go back if I was seriously jonesing for a pork sandwich and didn't feel like driving over to the Italian Market in Skippack.

[percyn]

Salmon Teriyaki Bento box from Bon Jung. Comes with Miso soup and at $8, that makes it one of the best deals in town.

For those in Montco not following the Chester County restaurants thread, I recommend reading my post on Thai L'Elephant in Phoenixville.

Edited January 2, 2008 by percyn (log)

[Lisa1349]

Heard a report that Speck's chicken in Collegeville closed. Anyone know if it was for a longer holiday or if they're clucked? Couldn't resist... sorry.

[percyn]

Heard a report that Speck's chicken in Collegeville closed. Anyone know if it was for a longer holiday or if they're clucked? Couldn't resist... sorry.

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Hmmmm...I did notice that they were closed on Sun when I swung by the nearby produce place. I hope they open soon, there are a few items I still need to try

[percyn]

Swung by Jasmine in Trappe/Collegeville for dinner yesterday:

Shrimp Tempura Appetizer - 2 pieces of shrimp in a delicate tempura batter. The accompanying vegetables were not as crispy and delicate as the shrimp, which they seem to do very well here.

Sushi & Sashimi Combo - No competition for Morimoto or Fuji, but relatively fresh and a good value.

[bjcohan]

I would also recommend Ooka in Doylestown. A it pricey but great atmosphere and food.

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My mom recently moved to Willow Grove, so we've begun to survey the restaurants in the area. So far, our favorite is Ooka at Easton Road and Fitzwatertown Road, just a hiccup away from the turnpike.

The food has been universally fresh, well prepared and beautifully presented. I've enjoyed their sushi and sashimi (I don't care for rolls and so haven't tried them). A number of their apps and entrées are more Japanese-French fusion than classic Japanese, but every one has been superb. It's not cheap, but well worth the cost.

If you go, be sure to ask for their special wasabi. It costs a couple of bucks but it's well worth it to have the fresh stuff not made from powder.

Details and directions (for their locations in Willow Grove, Doylestown and California), as well as their menu, are available on their website, www.ookasushi.com.

I'll snap some photos next time I go.

Barb

[davidbdesilva]

Great to hear from you Barb! Thanks for the tip on the Willow Grove Ooka, was wondering if it was good. Do they happen to be BYOB? can't remember (the one in Doylestown is not), maybe I'm confusing them with Ota-ya?

[bjcohan]

Great to hear from you Barb! Thanks for the tip on the Willow Grove Ooka, was wondering if it was good. Do they happen to be BYOB? can't remember (the one in Doylestown is not), maybe I'm confusing them with Ota-ya?

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Hi, David!

I've been offline more than on lately. (Don't you hate it when responsibility edges out the fun stuff in life?) But I've missed this forum and try to get back whenever I can - even if it means just stopping by to lurk when I don't have time to post.

I'm not at all sure whether the Willow Grove Ooka has a liquor license, but I do know that they allow BYOB even if they do. I went there with a group of coworkers and someone brought a large bottle of sake that the Ooka staff served for us.

BTW, Sunday's dinner featured their wonderful duck breast over pear, taro and eggplant. Extraordinary!

I'll have to miss next week's DDC dinner because of a burn-the-midnight-oil project at work, but I hope to see you guys at the next one!

Barb

[percyn]

I am very pleased to announce that the owners of the French Quarter Bistro have opened a delightful little sandwich shop on Main St in Collegeville, across from the Wawa and Collegeville Diner.

315 E. Main Street, Collegeville, PA

610-489-7282

(Closed Sundays)

They opened 12 days ago and I swung by today on a whip to pickup some dinner and boy, am I glad I did !!

Started with this Crab & Andouille Gumbo. Terrific flavor and not a bad value for $3.95 when you can see lumps of crab and tons of succulent Andouille in your gumbo.

Popcorn PoBoy - fried crawfish tails w/creole mustard, cheddar and sour cream. This was the BEST PoBoy I have ever had...including the ones I had in New Orleans. It is not often that a sandwich gives one that "Make-Your-Eyes-Roll-Back-In-Your-Head" feeling, but this one did it for me. You have an option to get the chef's own voodoo sauce, which has quite a kick.

Chicken Cutlet Sandwich for the wife - asparagus, prosciutto, roasted peppers, basil, asiago, olive oil, balsamic vinegar. A perfectly good sandwich, which would otherwise shine, if not overshadowed by the excellent PoBoy.

Eye Tests-

I was told almost everything is made by the chef with a few exceptions (like blue cheese dressing). There are quite a few things on the menu that I want to try, including the Muffuletta, South Philly (broccoli rabe and sharp provolone), BBQ sandwiched (the French Quarter Bistro team won first place in the Chester County BBQ competition), a few kinds of hot dogs, burgers, etc.

If you are the neighborhood, run-don't-walk to this place. I might swing by for lunch tomorrow to try some more goodies.

ETA : Since they are relatively new, they only accept cash for now.

Edited January 19, 2008 by percyn (log)

[percyn]

Heard a report that Speck's chicken in Collegeville closed. Anyone know if it was for a longer holiday or if they're clucked? Couldn't resist... sorry.

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Hmmmm...I did notice that they were closed on Sun when I swung by the nearby produce place. I hope they open soon, there are a few items I still need to try

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Thought I would mention that I did notice cars in the parking lot of Speck's, which seemed to be open, on a weekday last week.

[Tim Dolan]

I am very pleased to announce that the owners of the French Quarter Bistro have opened a delightful little sandwich shop on Main St in Collegeville, across from the Wawa and Collegeville Diner.

315 E. Main Street, Collegeville, PA

610-489-7282

(Closed Sundays)

Sweeeeeet! New lunch spot. I'll be stopping in next week for a cheesesteak, roast pork, and whatever else I'm feeling like. I wish I liked shrimp so I could sample that po boy, but that's not really up my alley.

[percyn]

Sweeeeeet! New lunch spot. I'll be stopping in next week for a cheesesteak, roast pork, and whatever else I'm feeling like. I wish I liked shrimp so I could sample that po boy, but that's not really up my alley.

If it helps, the PoBoy has Crawfish, not shrimp.

[Lisa1349]

I noticed on my Rocco's takeout menu that it says they serve wood-fired, brick oven pizza. I have a serious pet peeve about places that advertise as brick oven but really aren't.  I knew that Rocco's has the standard metal deck-style ovens and that they bake and re-heat their pizza in those.  So when I went in to grab a slice yesterday, I noticed that they do indeed have a large brick oven right next to their normal deck oven, however it wasn't fired up.

I'm positive that the reason I've never noticed the brick oven before is because everytime I've been there it hasn't been fired up.  Anybody know what the story is on that?  I'll definitely ask about it next time I'm there, but it would be a shame for them to not be cranking pies out of there on a normal basis.  Maybe they don't fire it for lunch (which is the only time I'm there)?

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I haven't noticed it not being fired up, but they made a big deal out of it when it was first built. I stopped ordering the brick oven pizzas because they were so much smaller than their others. One pizza didn't feed 2 hungry people. No thanks.

I must also say the quality of their sausage has taken a dive. I avoid it now.

edit: I haven't noticed the brick oven on or off because I stopped ordering from it.

Edited January 20, 2008 by Lisa1349 (log)

[percyn]

I actually like Rocco's brick oven pizza. You can get a small (personal size) or a large and the difference in quality (and taste) are worth the extra price IMHO, especially since the large is around $15, which is not bad at all.

Can't remember whether all the occasions when I ordered the brick oven Margareta were on a Friday or a weekend, will have to keep as eye on that.

They also have good pasta specials. $9.99 gets you enough pasta for 2 people, a side salad and a garlic roll.

[percyn]

Went to Zacharia's Creekside Cafe for dinner last night. Since it was a last minute decision, we were lucky to be able to grab a table for 2 on a Saturday.

The decor w/open kitchen, ambiance and menu reminded me for a larger version of Fioravanti in Downingtown.

For our first course, wife got a Goat cheese and fig salad

and I got the Duck confit croustade - accompanied with apple gastrique and goat cheese covered in walnuts

For our mains, wife got Duck - served with a wild mushroom risotto

while I got an Elk loin, with demi glace, wild boar sausage, winter hash and Brussel sprouts, which happened to be one of the specials for the night. I was looking forward to this dish, which at $35 was the priciest on the menu. Unfortunately, it was so heavily seasoned with pepper that I could barely taste the elk. The wild boar sausage on the other hand was very nice.

Knowing that the pastry chef had worked for Jean George in NYC and George Perrier, we saved room for dessert by getting most of our mains wrapped up.

The dessert tray they came out with was impressive but we settled on the Creme Brûlée Trio - which included Pistachio (which was divine), Vanilla and Caramel

All in all a good dinner and while many dishes showed potential, none of them were a knockout. Next time I will try some of their seafood, which seemed to be popular.