Cocktails and food in KOP area?

[mod*betty]

Hello-

I am new to the list, but have been lurking for months now, ever since my husband and I moved to PA. I have found the content to be enlightening and entertaining, and I have filled a notebook with the suggestions offered. I only hope that my bank account and waistband allow me to try them all!

With this move I have started working in King of Prussia, which seems to be known for its mall and not much else. This Friday it has been discussed that a couple of my co-workers and I want to go out for a drink and perhaps an app after work. We all live slightly away from eachother so I thought there might be a place that we'd like close by the office (on the east side of KOP), however if there is someplace truly noteworthy close by one of our houses (Phoenixville, Pottstown and Mt Airey), I personally would not be averse to the drive. Being new to the state and the area I have maps posted all over the house and am learning the terrain as fast as I can.

In any case, it will be us 3 gals, one of which is more a cocktail person than beer or wine, the other two are easy. Looking for a place that is not a cookie-cutter place filled with Friday Happy Hour folks, but perhaps something a bit more...low key and...authentic? Food options past the ususal bar food would be swell.

Thanks a bunch!

Beth

[lancastermike]

In any case, it will be us 3 gals, one of which is more a cocktail person than beer or wine, the other two are easy

Three gals, one a cocktail drinker and two who are easy.

Sorry, Beth I have no tips for you, but it sounds like my kind of group. There is a joke or two there, but I will refrain.

Welcome to E-Gullet and I am sure you will get a tip or two about were to go

Edited January 26, 2006 by lancastermike (log)

[handmc]

Welcome to the Hood and EG. Sounds like the Epicurian on 113 just outside of

Pheonixville is your place. Good food and Bar, Good people Percy goes there now and then, and its not a haul from anywhere you live or KOP.

Have fun. You want upscale go a little further down the road and follow the signs to the Kimberton Inn. That's is, if you want to blow your paycheck.

Edited January 26, 2006 by handmc (log)

[Jeff L]

Hello-

I am new to the list, but have been lurking for months now, ever since my husband and I moved to PA. I have found the content to be enlightening and entertaining, and I have filled a notebook with the suggestions offered. I only hope that my bank account and waistband allow me to try them all!

With this move I have started working in King of Prussia, which seems to be known for its mall and not much else. This Friday it has been discussed that a couple of my co-workers and I want to go out for a drink and perhaps an app after work. We all live slightly away from eachother so I thought there might be a place that we'd like close by the office (on the east side of KOP), however if there is someplace truly noteworthy close by one of our houses (Phoenixville, Pottstown and Mt Airey), I personally would not be averse to the drive. Being new to the state and the area I have maps posted all over the house and am learning the terrain as fast as I can.

In any case, it will be us 3 gals, one of which is more a cocktail person than beer or wine, the other two are easy. Looking for a place that is not a cookie-cutter place filled with  Friday Happy Hour folks, but perhaps something a bit more...low key and...authentic? Food options past the ususal bar food would be swell.

Thanks a bunch!

Beth

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Beth:

Check out some of Philadinings comments on Phoenixville in this forum. He is clearly the guy to lead you and your easy girlfriends in the right direction!!

Jeff L

[cdh]

Hmmm... East of KOP lies Norristown. For Mexican, try Tacqueria Michoacana on Main St at Arch St. Good food, fine drinks.

The Rock Bottom brewpub, which is attached to the mall is good.. or was last time I went there a while back...

[glepore]

I would absolutely second the recomendation of Epicurian. Haven't been there for a year or so, but I think it would be perfect for what you're looking for. Its easy to miss, in a small shopping area (not a center, more like a cluster) on 113 just above where it jogs.

[SaxChik]

i was just surfing and found this pretty nice listing of bars in the KOP area ... KOP Bar Scene.

the flying pig in malvern's one of my favorite spots. the fox and the hound outside the KOP mall is your fairly standard happy hour happening, but it's not bad.

[philadining]

Thanks for the vote of confidence JeffL, but I actually can't think of just the right place for what mod*betty's looking for. There's some good food to be had in the area, but I just don't know of any spots that would be especially good for just drinks and apps.

From my experience in this geographical area, all the recommendations upthread are decent ideas, any of those places might be fine, but none of them are seeming like just the right thing to me... especially vis-a-vis the desire for something low-key and authentic.

Even Taqueria Michoacana and Epicurean are anything but low-key on friday nights.

Percy, got any ideas? I'll keep thinking...

[mrbigjas]

the sheraton over at the convention center there has karaoke on friday nights. it's an "authentic" chain hotel bar... oh and the scanticon across the way has this dude who plays covers on a big fancy sequencing keyboard thing on friday and saturday nights.

don't ask me why i know this.

ok i know it isn't helpful.

[Rich Pawlak]

Hello-

I am new to the list, but have been lurking for months now, ever since my husband and I moved to PA. I have found the content to be enlightening and entertaining, and I have filled a notebook with the suggestions offered. I only hope that my bank account and waistband allow me to try them all!

With this move I have started working in King of Prussia, which seems to be known for its mall and not much else. This Friday it has been discussed that a couple of my co-workers and I want to go out for a drink and perhaps an app after work. We all live slightly away from eachother so I thought there might be a place that we'd like close by the office (on the east side of KOP), however if there is someplace truly noteworthy close by one of our houses (Phoenixville, Pottstown and Mt Airey), I personally would not be averse to the drive. Being new to the state and the area I have maps posted all over the house and am learning the terrain as fast as I can.

In any case, it will be us 3 gals, one of which is more a cocktail person than beer or wine, the other two are easy. Looking for a place that is not a cookie-cutter place filled with  Friday Happy Hour folks, but perhaps something a bit more...low key and...authentic? Food options past the ususal bar food would be swell.

Thanks a bunch!

Beth

←

Sullivan's Steak House would be perfect; swank, nice bar, good wine, very good steaks and seafood. Never ever had a bad meal there. Have sent several small groups there as well, and have only received good reports back.

[KatieLoeb]

Welcome to the PA forum mod*betty!! I hope you'll come down and meet some of us sometime soon! We do tend to get together for various eating and drinking binges which are well documented in the forum. Tell us more about your local discoveries as you make them too.

[mod*betty]

Thanks everyone for your welcomes and suggestions! I circulated the kopbarscene website and somehow it was decided that we would go to Harpoon Louie's in Phoenixville!!? My husband and I went there once when we first moved to the area, just for the novelty of going to a place that looks like it should be "down the cape" but really is well inland in a land locked state no less! Since I knew the place had a certain legitimate retro look to it, and I had been trawling tiki sites all day I said, well, why not?

Alas we were unable to sit at the bar, but found a booth in the same area. The gals took the scenic route back from the ladies to make sure they saw all the decor- blowfish, aqua naugahyde, you name it. The drinks did their job and the next thing you know I am finding out all sorty of juicy details about my co-workers! We ordered an app platter at the last minute, which was unremarkable yet fried. Our waitress seemed to find it amusing that we came there just for drinks, and as a gesture of kindness, and perhaps solidarity with the gals night out theme, she brought us a basket overflowing with rolls and butter, just at the time we needed it most.

Little did we know it didn't take much to close down a place like this, and as we were the last table to leave, we joked that it must be as late as 10:30.Well, the joke was on us, as the clock in the car flashed 10:13, and it was time for us all to return home.

While it did not do much for my hankering for a tiki bar and chinese food ala Kowloon in Saugus, MA. it seemed to be a hit, and we are planning on getting there earlier next time so we can sit in the aqua padded chairs at the bar!

[philadining]

... it did not do much for my hankering for a tiki bar

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Tiki bar?!? I didn't know you might want a Tiki bar!!

The Tiki Bar

It's a bit of a hike from KOP, in Earlville in southern Berks County, but hey... there's one a bit closer in Schwenksville, but they're only open from May to September. Even the one in Earlville is only open weekends in the winter.

But it could be worth a road trip when the weather's better.

[mod*betty]

Someone at work was telling me about these places, and they are definitely on our list of things to check out (get in line...) but I thought that it would be more appropriate for when the weather got better. Though I can't complain about 60 degrees in Feb! Thanks for the link.

[jaredrakes]

Wife and I live very near the mall, and we have a few regular spots for quick bites with a drink. SO, for next time:

1. Marrone's, KOP...FYI, recently closed and is up for lease along with liquor license. hoping for something a little (very little) more upscale to move in.

2. 333 Belrose-- (www.333belrose.com) Great bar menu and happy hour specials (calamari with herbed aoili and toasted pumpkinseeds is to die for), just of KOP road near the Radnor train station.

3. Glenmorgan, (www.glenmorgan.com) the bar in the Radnor Hotel on Rt 30 (10 mins from mall in traffic). Great happy hour bar and drinks menu. Generous pours and solid apps (incl homemade potato chip nachos).

4. Rock bottom, at the mall. (www.rockbottom.com) Food has improved recently, and changing $1 pint thursdays to $2 pint thursdays has mitigated the insane crowd while leaving a great beer bargain.

5. Sullivan's Steahouse. (www.sullivansteakhouse.com/kingofprussia/) Drinks aren't cheap, but they'll serve you a martini in a glass the size of a jacuzzi. And they have a small but excellent bar menu (incl meatloaf over awesome mashed pots--the only loaf I'll eat--and a self-proclaimed best burger in town.). They have happy hour specials, too.

Cheers!

[jaredrakes]

< Redundant post deleted>

Edited February 3, 2006 by jaredrakes (log)

[mod*betty]

Just forwarded the list to the gals...will keep you posted!

[Bobby 2 Shakes]

I would absolutely second the recomendation of Epicurian. Haven't been there for a year or so, but I think it would be perfect for what you're looking for. Its easy to miss, in a small shopping area (not a center, more like a cluster) on 113 just above where it jogs.

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Make me next in seconding Epicurean. If you like seafood, there's a fish restaurant in the same "shopping center" as Epicurean. It was great when I lived in Phxvl in 1990. I saw it while driving home from Sly Fox and was suprised to see it still there (it was so good I expected them to move to ritzier digs)

Epicurean still has my "New York Times Cookbook," among others, that I lent the owners mom when she ran a gourmet shop in the same "shopping center" as Sly Fox is in now.