The new Grey Lodge Kitchen

[Rich Pawlak]

Dropped by the "soft" opening of the new Grey Lodge Kitchen atop the Grey Lodge Public House and it's a cool space, beautifully stained exposed beams, exposed brick, walls painted shades of butternut squash and cranberry. Simple tables and chairs, a cozy loungy banquette area and about 10 seats at the bar. 30-40 seats, tops. Pressed tin adorns the back bar, mini stained glass lighting hangs around the perimeter of the bar proper (reclaimed from the late Stella Notte in Chestnut Hill). And ten good taps of beer, same as downstairs. The food is available upstairs and down.

The small menu from chef Mike Mongeluzi, a Johnson & Wales grad previously at McCormick & Schmick's, is terrific, and Katie Loeb, Gary Bredbenner and I sampled a bunch of things:

a deconstructed spinach salad, with shards of bacon, caramelized onions and blue cheese, the greens dressed in a mango chutney vinaigrette, a dazzling salad.

Red Thai curry mussels, big, plump, clean and in a hearty addictive broth;

hot wings, big, honkin 3-section numbers, with a good medium hot vinegary sauce;

a big cheesesteak, with a very beefy flavor, nicely done, though I prefer my cheeseteak meat less chopped. The high quality of the meat shone through.

Also on the menu currently is a GL cheesesteak with salami and other things, a Caesar salad, a chicken cheesesteak and a chicken quesadilla, as well as the tomato pies the bar's been serving for years. Things like the wings and mussels will have variations, like Pale Ale mussels, garlic wings, etc., in addition to the standard menu, we were told. They update the daily menu on the Grey Lodge website (see link above).

In short, GET THERE. Before it becomes impossible to get a table. Incredible beer now with hearty, creative food in a SMOKE FREE setting. Gonna be very popular if tonight's crowd was any indication.

[KatieLoeb]

Seconded. It's certainly going to be a more frequent stop for me. The food was all delicious and it's a very nice spot to go for a cheesesteak AND a beer. If you think about it, there's really no other place to do that. All the cheesesteak places don't have beer and the places with good beer don't serve cheesesteaks. Best of both worlds in one spot.

That deconstructed spinach salad was the shocker of the evening. And the Mango Chutney Vinaigrette was a perfect compliment to those soft leaves of spinach, the crumbly bacon, the salty cheese and the sweet carmelized onions. Yummy!!

I am generally not a cheesesteak lover (more of a Roast Pork Italiano girl myself), as I've made no secret of that in the past. However, the GL cheesesteak was delicious and beefy and I really enjoyed it. I'd certainly order it again. And it would be a far better example of that rarefied sandwich than the usual tourist spots we take our out of town friends to show off the national dish of the city.

I really liked the wings once I realized all the sauce had pooled in the bottom of the bowl. If you toss up the wings and get them nice and wet, they're really good. Sauce is just right, with a little vinegary tang.

Loved the mussels, but I like anything with Thai curry sauce. These were very good and the broth was addictive. I should've asked for some bread to mop up the sauce with, but I was already stuffed!!

Get there soon folks. I suspect Rich is correct and the Grey Lodge Kitchen will be full for the foreseeable future.

[philadining]

That deconstructed spinach salad was the shocker of the evening.

OK, I've noticed that deconstructing things is all the rage in restaurant kitchens these days, and even eaten a few things that did this interestingly. But how exactly does one deconstruct a spinach salad? Little seperate piles of ingredients quarantined on a big plate?

I absolutely believe both of you that it was good, i just can't picture it!

[KatieLoeb]

Little seperate piles of ingredients quarantined on a big plate?

That's exactly right. Dressed spinach leaves starring in the center of the plate.

[Holly Moore]

Tentatively heading there tonight, despite the above mentioned deconstructed salad. They better not desconstruct my fish and chips.

[john b]

Tentatively heading there tonight, despite the above mentioned deconstructed salad.  They better not desconstruct my fish and chips.

←

There was nothing deconstructed about the fish & chips when I had it about a month ago. It was excellent, and they have malt vinegar.

[KatieLoeb]

Tentatively heading there tonight, despite the above mentioned deconstructed salad.  They better not desconstruct my fish and chips.

←

Excellent choice Holly! Let us know what you had and what you thought.

[MarketStEl]

Tentatively heading there tonight, despite the above mentioned deconstructed salad.  They better not desconstruct my fish and chips.

←

D*mn! I'd be eligible for a free drink tonight.

Sorry I didn't see this sooner.

--Sandy, 47 today

[KatieLoeb]

Happy Birthday Sandy!

Cheers!

[Holly Moore]

Neat place this Grey Lodge, though food wise I was not all that thrilled. I want to go back for the sandwiches where I suspect they will excel. Saw some at nearby tables and they looked great.

Was there with a couple of friends. They started with the caesar salad. Pretty average. I had the duck spring rolls - excellent with a nice chutney like dipping sauce. Alas it was sitting on a small salad that was drenched with dressing. Way too heavy a hit.

We all did fish and chips. That was the reason for our trip. To compare the Grey Lodge's to Stoney's outside of Wilmington. Good chunks of cod, nice beer batter. But the batter was not cooked all the way through. Fish was cooked fine, but raw batter under the crisp side. The fish had the potential to be every bit as good as Stoney's but not last night.

The fries were disappointing. My bias and level of expectation. Whenever I see fresh cut I hope for twice fried in the Belgium or old time McDonald's manner. These appeared to be only single fried. Seems a waste of time to go to all the trouble of fresh cut and then turn out a limp, soggy fry.

The beer selection was overwhelming. Reason enough to return. I ordered a cappucino stout, but it was the last of the keg so I got a free quarter pint to taste. Liked it a lot. Moved on to the Lancaster Octoberfest Lager. Interesting beer. Went well with the meal.

All in all, three grease stains, HollyEats wise. Suspect that'll go up once I try the thick cut rib eye cheesesteak, the Lodge steak sandwich and some of the other sandwich items.

[Rich Pawlak]

Neat place this Grey Lodge, though food wise I was not all that thrilled.  I want to go back for the sandwiches where I suspect they will excel.  Saw some at nearby tables and they looked great.

Was there with a couple of friends.  They started with the caesar salad.  Pretty average.  I had the duck spring rolls - excellent with a nice chutney like dipping sauce.  Alas it was sitting on a small salad that was drenched with dressing.  Way too heavy a hit.

We all did fish and chips.  That was the reason for our trip.  To compare the Grey Lodge's to Stoney's outside of Wilmington.  Good chunks of cod, nice beer batter.  But the batter was not cooked all the way through.  Fish was cooked fine, but raw batter under the crisp side.  The fish had the potential to be every bit as good as Stoney's but not last night.

The fries were disappointing.  My bias and level of expectation.  Whenever I see fresh cut I hope for twice fried in the Belgium or old time McDonald's manner.  These appeared to be only single fried.  Seems a waste of time to go to all the trouble of fresh cut and then turn out a limp, soggy fry.

The beer selection was overwhelming.  Reason enough to return.  I ordered a cappucino stout, but it was the last of the keg so I got a free quarter pint to taste.  Liked it a lot.  Moved on to the Lancaster Octoberfest Lager.  Interesting beer.  Went well with the meal.

All in all, three grease stains, HollyEats wise.  Suspect that'll go up once I try the thick cut rib eye cheesesteak, the Lodge steak sandwich and some of the other sandwich items.

←

Strange about the fries, Holly; they have always been crisp and well-made whenever I have had them.

[Scoats]

We noticed Friday that the fries weren't as crispy as usual. One of those WTF moments that happen so often in restaurant kitchens. Patrick has increased the blanching time from the text book 3 minutes to 5 minutes. The fries are wonderfully crisp again.

Holly, I hope you give us another shot.

[philadining]

Indeed, Holly, give them another chance, the fries, in their various incarnations were nice and crispy on our recent visit, whether propping-up a fish-fry, serving as a vehicle for spicy salt, or dripping with melted cheese.

Our bedraggled crew ended up on their doorstop on an especially busy wednesday night, (I dunno, there seemed to be some sort of baseball game going on...) I suppose none of us was surprised that there wasn't a table for 9 waiting for us, and despite things looking bleak for a while, our gracious host Scoats convinced us that we'd be able to grab a table before long. A few beers later we did indeed squeeze together at a long table for a bar-food pig-out.

Clams and mussels were excellent, tender and carefully cooked, each with a tasty broth. Wings were conventional, but well-made. The afore mentioned fries were appropriately crisp. The duck spring rolls were nice and crisp, with a good amount of great-tasting duck meat, but my portion was still cold inside...

The place was packed upstairs and down, and so the kitchen was straining under the traffic, but still managed to put out some tasty food. A few items had run out, including appropriate long rolls for cheesesteaks. A few of us ordered steaks anyway, willing to accept the indignity of a round roll. Miraculously, a few long rolls did appear, holding some good beefy chopped steak. Sadly the fried onions were AWOL, and the cheese wasn't always as ordered, but Scoats generously comped a few orders that weren't quite right, and the steaks were still pretty darn tasty, if not quite the transcendent experience described upthread.

In keeping with the recent Philly sandwiches thread, Charlie has pics...

There was at least one burger, and there were a few orders of fish and chips, but I didn't sample those, so I'll let folks that had them describe them.

The beers on tap were outstanding, although we missed some of the truly whacky things the Dogfish Head folks had brought along for a special event. Their 120 minute IPA was incredibly flavorful, and just one step back from a cereal bowl full of dry hops. It's probably good that they limit customers to one short glass of that... I liked the Rogue Saizon, and the Double White, whoever made that...

Later in the night, Rich Pawlak (apparently the honorary governor of New Jersey - who knew?) graced the few of us that remained with one of their legendary tomato pies. This particular one was a little over-done, but one could still perceive its place as the almost perfect bar food. I'm not sure I'm yet convinced of its inherent culinary value, it struck me as closer to a Chef Boyardee pizza kit raised to heights beyond its wildest dreams, but I am quite sure that it's an excellent thing to snack-on with a good beer.

All in all I'll have to concur that this is a truly great bar, with a cool vibe, fabulous beer selection, and great service from Scoats and the rest of the crew. Oh, and impressive tile work in the first-floor men's room...

I'm not sure I found it to be a dining destination in and of itself, but I wouldn't be reluctant to order food again if I were there having some beers. The clams and mussels in particular were quite good, and despite my bizarre description of the pizza, I suspect I'll be ordering one again before long... And admittedly, the kitchen was snowed-under a bit by the large crowds, so we might not have seen their best efforts.

Big thanks to Scoats for his kind attention in the midst of a chaotic night.

And the rest of you eGulleteers can rest assured that we did you proud in Quizzo: the final three of us finally gave up before round five, all facing a long drive back home, but we were still solidly in the game at that point.

I'm looking forward to heading back to the Grey Lodge soon, I wish there were a bar like this in my neighborhood.

Edited October 27, 2005 by philadining (log)

[mrbigjas]

round five? that's insanity.

good show, scoats. what philadining said on most accounts. i missed the tomato pie and the fish & chips, but the other stuff was solid. esp. the mussels and clams.

[Mummer]

What troopers staying for all those rounds of quizzing. Grey Lodge has more taps than mortals can tackle in several nights, so nobody leaves because they've exhausted their beverage options.

When they said they were out of long rolls, I had a bar burger. So I'll post all my pix here rather than in the Philly sandwich thread.

mrsbigjas also had a burger - this is hers. Scoats offers a bunch of toppings, charging extra only for cheese, bacon and salami. Mine was a good burger; goes well with quizzing, eGulls, baseball and beer.

The salami is in plain view on this Grey Lodge steak that mrbigjas ate. (Obviously, they had a long roll. Damn!) The goodies reminded me of a Schmitter.

Philadining's improvisational steak also has Schmitter character, as it's oozes from a round roll.

Notes to self - get back to the Grey Lodge for their special steak. Have mussels and/or clams again, fer sure! Just don't go on a special beer night.

[mrbigjas]

oh and scoats, can you tell me about that double white beer you have on tap? what IS that? it's damn good.

[Scoats]

oh and scoats, can you tell me about that double white beer you have on tap?  what IS that?  it's damn good.

←

It's from Southampton Publick House, a brewpub on Long Island. The Double White has justifiably getting a lot of positive buzz. While they have a long history of great beer, this seems to be the break-out beer for them.

[Diann]

oh and scoats, can you tell me about that double white beer you have on tap?  what IS that?  it's damn good.

←

It's from Southampton Publick House, a brewpub on Long Island. The Double White has justifiably getting a lot of positive buzz. While they have a long history of great beer, this seems to be the break-out beer for them.

←

It is freakin' awesome. Reminiscent of Hoegaarden (no surprise there) but better (more intense? More fruity?). Thanks, Scoats!

[Scoats]

It is freakin' awesome. Reminiscent of Hoegaarden (no surprise there) but better (more intense? More fruity?). Thanks, Scoats!

←

Double the alcohol definitely, maybe double everything.

[Jeff L]

I just had lunch at Grey Lodge, met my partner halfway who lives in Cherry Hill. I've been meaning to get to this place. It's interesting, kind of like being thrown back in time 50 years. They had a movie from the 40's on the tv's, pretty basic ginmill kind of joint downstairs. Upstairs is an improvement over the ground floor, which at lunchtime, is a basic shot and beer joint with a lot of good brews on tap and bottled beers. If you really like smoke and lots of it, go to this place for lunch. Unfortunately, the upstairs dining room doesn't open until 5:00

On to the food, my partner had the cajun fish sandwich..he loved it and ate it in pretty record time even for him.I read the thread and opted for the rib eye steak sandwich with cheese. It was good, lots more roll than steak though. Overall a decent enough sandwich.

I'm saving the best for last..I ordered the fries and must say they may be the best french fries outside of Belgium I ever had. Holly are you reading this, if you haven't gone back to try the fries again, do so today. It was a pretty long trip for a cheesesteak but the fries made it all worthwhile. Twice fried in what tasted like peanut oil, although I could be wrong here. Excellent with skins left on and not at all greasy. Crispy and wonderfully good.

We were drinking the flying fish abbey which I like a lot. I tried the 60 minute dogfish brew and tasted grapefruit. Is it me or was this really happening. I'm no beer expert but it was pretty complex.

My advice for folks here is to go for dinner and go upstairs where it is a bit nicer and smoke free, but you should go. I'll be back.

Note to Scoats: Nice guy tending bar but I think he has a problem hearing and maybe seeing too. I stood standing at the bar waiting for him to finish a conversation with another customer so he could take our food order. This usually wouldn't have presented a problem except there were literally 4 people in the place! Just sayin is all!

[Rich Pawlak]

Stopped into the Grey Lodge last night for a night of Quiz'Em and a few brews, and was simply blown away by a dish I had ignored on the menu, steamed clams in a lime, sun-dried tomato broth. Fabulous in its simplicity, it is served with two hefty slabs of toasted, buttered hoagie roll, which make for great dipping, or as I discovered, and impromptu warm bruschetta with the ample shreds of tomato in the broth spooned over; truly great beer food.

[etalanian]

f you really like smoke and lots of it, go to this place for lunch.

Is the upstairs non-smoking?

Eileen

[Rich Pawlak]

f you really like smoke and lots of it, go to this place for lunch.

Is the upstairs non-smoking?

Eileen

←

Yes indeed!

[johnb102]

f you really like smoke and lots of it, go to this place for lunch.

Is the upstairs non-smoking?

Eileen

←

Yes indeed!

←

But, when we went on a Friday a few weeks ago for lunch they said the upstairs was closed. We were the only people there, but it was still smoky downstairs.

[Jeff L]

f you really like smoke and lots of it, go to this place for lunch.

Is the upstairs non-smoking?

Eileen

←

Yes indeed!

←

But, when we went on a Friday a few weeks ago for lunch they said the upstairs was closed. We were the only people there, but it was still smoky downstairs.

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And that's the main problem with this place. I loved the food and brews but I hated that I smelled like a cigarette when I got home. Not that I won't go back, just when the upstairs is open