Kennett Square

[theclash]

I will be working in Longwood Gardens for 4 to 6 weeks and staying somewhere in around Kennett Square. Does anyone have any recommendations for food and bars?

[Andrew Fenton]

Tacqueria Moroleone is an awesome, cheap Mexican restaurant. The best molcajete I've ever had was eaten there.

I'm told that there are other great Mexican places in and around Kennett Square, but I don't know the area. (If you make any discoveries, please report them!)

[KatieLoeb]

There are some excellent restaurants in West Chester, not too far away. Cafe Spence, Gilmore's and Avalon come to mind. There's also Krazy Kats Restaurant in Montchanin, DE which isn't very far from there.

Any plans on coming to the city (Philly, not Wilmington) while you're here? Plenty of suggestions as well as two awe inspiring recent Cheesesteak Pilgrimages in the PA Forum lately.

What will you be doing at Longwood Gardens, if we might ask?

edited for sloppy link

[shelly59]

Head down Route 41. There are a few Mexican restaurants down the road from you that cater to the Mexican mushroom workers..awesome food. If I think of their names I will post them but I know that they are on the right hand side of 41 going south towards Wilmington.

There is also Buckley's Tavern on down Route 52, in Centerville. Great food there as well.

Here is a website that may help:

http://www.thebrandywine.com/dine/

I'll post more if I can think of anything...

Oh, and Welcome to the Delaware Valley!

Edited June 30, 2004 by shelly59 (log)

[theclash]

There are some excellent restaurants in West Chester, not too far away. Cafe Spence, Gilmore's and Avalon come to mind. There's also Krazy KatsKrazy Kats Restaurant in Montchanin, DE which isn't very far from there.

Any plans on coming to the city (Philly, not Wilmington) while you're here? Plenty of suggestions as well as two awe inspiring recent Cheesesteak Pilgrimages in the PA Forum lately.

What will you be doing at Longwood Gardens, if we might ask?

hopefully we will get sometime off on weekends to come downtown. I will be working on the pipe organ.

[herbacidal]

If the foodservices @ Longwood are still run by Restaurant Associates,

the food there should be at least above average.

But you'll probably be forced to eat there because of time/circumstance/whatever sometime regardless, so you can tell us about that.

[KatieLoeb]

hopefully we will get sometime off on weekends to come downtown. I will be working on the pipe organ.

Very cool!! Since pipe organs are obviously a specialty, while you're in the area you might wish to check out the Curtis Organ at Irvine Auditorium at University of Pennsylvania. Interesting article about it HERE When I was a lowly work study student as a freshman undergraduate at Penn, my office was in Irvine Auditorium and I used to get to listen to the music students practicing on the Curtis Organ. It's quite an impressive instrument and it was so wonderful to hear it so often. I'll bet most Penn students and Philadelphia residents don't even know it's there. But once you've heard it, you'll never forget that breathtaking and haunting sound ever again. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it. It's spectacular.

[Patiod]

I've spent many evenings over several years at Longwood working on shows at the outdoor amphitheater. Too many late nights at one bar/restaurant which is not gourmet, but is 1) very close 2) reasonable. "Hugo's" is about 200 yards South out of the Route 1 exit of the gardens. As with a lot of eateries in the area, one of the specialties is Kennet Square mushrooms. The restaurants at Longwood are not bad - the cafeteria is actually pretty decent.

As mentioned, just down Route 52 into Delaware is Buckley's Tavern in Centerville DE. Was only here once, but all the locals love this place - good food and very (colonial) atmospheric.

In the other direction on Route 1 is Chadd's Ford, and the Chadd's Ford Inn, which is an area landmark. If you're a wine drinker, the Chadd's Ford Winery has a lot of really fun things going on outdoors all summer - just be sure to find yourself a designate driver! Here's a directory of events.

For some more Brandwine Valley suggestions, there's an online guide to the Brandywine Valley

Edited July 1, 2004 by Patiod (log)

[Furious Flav-or]

Tacqueria Moroleone is an awesome, cheap Mexican restaurant.  The best molcajete I've ever had was eaten there.

I'm told that there are other great Mexican places in and around Kennett Square, but I don't know the area.  (If you make any discoveries, please report them!)

Andrew, not to poke sticks through your cage, me being a rookie and all, but I'm terrified of you if you actually managed to eat a molcajete.

So far as I know, which is a good bit, a molcajete is a basalt-rock mortar that is used with a basalt-rock pestle called a tejolote. It's used, as you know, not just to grind up sauces by hand, but usually, the smaller ones are also used as serving vessels for various salsas and crema.

Edited for PS: I concur, the food is great at Moroleon, but the bathrooms are from hell and the service is sometimes spotty. There's another small joint on the other side of the road, across the big median, called Taquería Mixteca that you might want to try out as well.

Edited July 25, 2004 by Furious Flav-or (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Welcome Furious Flav-or! And you go ahead and poke any of us you want. Just don't put your hand through the cage bars....

[mrbigjas]

FF, maybe Andrew was talking about the dish they refer to as molcajetes at Tequila's. It's pork, chicken or beef (pork is by far the best) in a thick-ish spicy sauce, and they serve it in a molcajete which has been heated in an oven, so as you eat it continues to boil away. By the time you're done, the sauce is nearly boiled dry and concentrated... damn it's good.

Anyway, I don't know if Moroleone serves that.

Anyone know the name of the taqueria... maybe it's mixteca... I don't know. Anyway, you're driving down Rt 1, and you get off at Avondale, I think. And then you make a left, and then... ah nevermind. It's connected to a grocery. I had good and very greasy barbacoa there.

[Furious Flav-or]

FF, maybe Andrew was talking about the dish they refer to as molcajetes at Tequila's. It's pork, chicken or beef (pork is by far the best) in a thick-ish spicy sauce, and they serve it in a molcajete which has been heated in an oven, so as you eat it continues to boil away. By the time you're done, the sauce is nearly boiled dry and concentrated... damn it's good.

Anyway, I don't know if Moroleone serves that.

Anyone know the name of the taqueria... maybe it's mixteca... I don't know. Anyway, you're driving down Rt 1, and you get off at Avondale, I think. And then you make a left, and then... ah nevermind. It's connected to a grocery. I had good and very greasy barbacoa there.

I'll have to check that out next time we go. I usually don't get past the tampiqueña! Thanks for the clarification. ((poke)) ((poke))

And yes, La Mixteca is up over the highway on the other side, but they closed the grocery part of the operation.

[xtian]

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

[I_call_the_duck]

Try State Street Grill in Kennett Square. Very laid-back BYO with great food. And up (down?) the street is a great ice cream shop with about 30 different flavors, many of them exotic.

[Andrew Fenton]

Andrew, not to poke sticks through your cage, me being a rookie and all, but I'm terrified of you if you actually managed to eat a molcajete.

Jas is right; the molcajete is the name for both serving vessel and food contained within (or to put it another way, it's the name of both the dish and the dish). Kinda like "casserole".

Anyway, Moroleone's molcajete had lots of different meats: beef, pork and a big ol' sausage lying there on top. Good stuff.

Edited July 30, 2004 by Andrew Fenton (log)

[Furious Flav-or]

Andrew, not to poke sticks through your cage, me being a rookie and all, but I'm terrified of you if you actually managed to eat a molcajete.

Jas is right; the molcajete is the name for both serving vessel and food contained within (or to put it another way, it's the name of both the dish and the dish). Kinda like "casserole".

Anyway, Moroleone's molcajete had lots of different meats: beef, pork and a big ol' sausage lying there on top. Good stuff.

Mm hmm, clarification acknowledged about four or five posts up, one past his post, in fact.

Sometimes too much knowledge isn't a good thing; I'm hobbled by my strong command of Spanish. As I said previously, mea maxima culpa, and as punishment I must ingest some of this rare and unusually named dish.

Edited July 30, 2004 by Furious Flav-or (log)

[Andrew Fenton]

Mm hmm, clarification acknowledged about four or five posts up, one past his post, in fact.

I know; wasn't meant as a slap, or poke. Mostly an excuse to drool in print over that marvelous molcajetesque goodness, as well as a chance to talk etymology.

As I said previously, mea maxima culpa, and as punishment I must ingest some of this rare and unusually named dish.

Oh, absolutely!

[menton1]

Going to be in the Brandywine area on a weekend-- some recommendations include Catherine's in Kennett Square, and New Orleans Cafe in Chadds Ford. Any further info on these or other places nearby?

Also heard WONDERFUL things about Deep Blue in Wilmington...

[GregD]

After reading this board, we went to Tacqueria Moroleone when we were out at Longwood. And it was fantastic. Not a big atmosphere place, but really good. not just compared to Philly's normally mediocre Mexican food but really, really good compared to the Mexican food in Chicago, which is famously outstanding. Thanks for the rec, Andrew and others, and I'm glad to say it was a really good one.

Going to be in the Brandywine area on a weekend-- some recommendations include Catherine's in Kennett Square, and New Orleans Cafe in Chadds Ford.  Any further info on these or other places nearby? 

Also heard WONDERFUL things about Deep Blue in Wilmington...

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[Andrew Fenton]

Glad you enjoyed it, Greg. I have to confess that I haven't been back in years (don't make it out to Kennett Square very often), and I'm happy to hear that Moroleone is still good.

[wkl]

Also heard WONDERFUL things about Deep Blue in Wilmington...

Deep Blue is indeed a good restaurant. I have eaten there several times and have enjoyed just about everything. Good wine list also.

[menton1]

Deep Blue is indeed a good restaurant. I have eaten there several times and have enjoyed just about everything. Good wine list also.

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How far is it from Longwood? Is parking in Wilmington easier than in Philly? Also do they have any good dishes with real Maryland Crabs? I think NOW is the season for crab...

[mrbigjas]

How far is it from Longwood?  Is parking in Wilmington easier than in Philly?  Also do they have any good dishes with real Maryland Crabs?  I think NOW is the season for crab...

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is it? i thought it was a little early yet.

[menton1]

is it?  i thought it was a little early yet.

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From WBAL-TV: http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/4526582/detail.html

The cool weather held the catch back, but it's certainly warm now!

Have you been to Deep Blue?

[mrbigjas]

that is excellent news.

i haven't been to deep blue, no. but i have heard good things also.