Talula's Table Now Open in Kennett Square

[David McDuff]

It's true. Aimee Olexy and Bryan Sikora, original proprietors of Philadelphia's beloved Django, have finally opened their new gourmet food shop in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. To clarify, it's not a restaurant. Rather, it is a gourmet food destination -- something all too lacking in the nether lands of Chester County -- specializing in seasonal, fresh, local prepared foods and a high quality selection of produce and packaged goods.

Before I go too much further, let's take a moment to clarify some spelling questions....

The shop: Talula's Table (not Tallulah, Tellulah, etc.)

The chef: Bryan (yes, with a y) Sikora

The shopkeeper: Aimee (one i, two e's, no y) Olexy

I took the drive out to Kennett this past Friday, March 2, to check out their first night of opening to the public as part of the town's First Friday Art Stroll. Talula's was definitely the main draw of the evening, with a solid crowd of local supporters and curious passersby stopping in to sample the wares and get a feel for the shop.

The doorway opens into a communal café seating area, visible from the store front, followed by a coffee/espresso bar and cashier area. Flanking the left and right walls of the long space are various display areas showcasing the current stock of provisions: on the left, shelves of artisinal dried pastas, coffee, teas, oils and canned goods; on the right, refrigerators and display cases of sweets, house-made fresh pastas, condiments and prepared meals, pastries, and local dairy and produce items. The real excitement, given Bryan's skills as a chef and Aimee's reputation as one of the areas foremost cheese mongers, lies dead ahead across the rear wall of the shop. There you'll find Aimee's currently modest but very well selected array of cheeses and olives as well as Bryan's entrées of the day and in-house cured and smoked meats.

To round out their efforts, the owners have brought in Claire Shears as full-time pâtissier and sweat-equity partner. Claire, who Bryan met while working at nearby Sovana Bistro, will be offering a full line of pastry, ranging from croissants and muffins tailored to the coffee bar crowd to a more elaborate array of desserts. All bread will also be baked in-house.

Already off to a promising start, as the shop's customer base grows and as its group of local purveyors matures and deepens, Talula's promises to be both a daily boon to the locals of Kennett as well as a destination for foodies from the entire southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware region.

Talula's Table

http://www.talulastable.com

102 West State Street

Kennett Square, PA 19348

610-444-8255

Open every day.

You can also view this post on my new blog.

[Rich Pawlak]

This reads like a press release. How much more effusive can we get, along with spelling lessons?

[wkl]

what's wrong with setting the record straight? this is an exciting new venture. i for one, am glad for the info. what's the problem?

[Vadouvan]

what's wrong with setting the record straight? this is an exciting new venture. i for one, am glad for the info. what's the problem?

Indeed !

As far as I know MC duff works a Moore brothers and not Talula's table so this de-facto accusation of shilling is unneccessary.

The "spelling lessons" are fine, some of us googled it last week and could not find it, now we know why. It's only monday, can we be nice to each other ?

[wkl]

yes, mcduff is full time at moore brothers delaware. i can assure everyone he has no interest, financial or otherwise, with talula's. he just really digs their food. so do i, btw.

i may actually run up there today for dinner and report back tomorrow.

[Bluehensfan]

yes, mcduff is full time at moore brothers delaware. i can assure everyone he has no interest, financial or otherwise, with talula's. he just really digs their food. so do i, btw.

i may actually run up there today for dinner and report back tomorrow.

←

I was actually glad to hear Tallulah's Table opened since I have been awaiting news of that for some time now since it seemed that when Bryan Sykora left Sovana Bistro, the food headed south there...

Honesty, had David posted earlier I would have stopped by there this past Saturday instead of caving into a desire to try Giordano's down the street after many years. Truth be told, it was meal I would rather forget.

Edited March 5, 2007 by Bluehensfan (log)

[Bluehensfan]

Well we tried Talula's Table this evening and it was a resounding sucess. The store itself is very homey and tastefully decorated but is primarily for take out, as I only counted three tables including the large one in the back of the store that seems to be more decorative than for patrons.

When you enter, there are prepared sandwiches, and salads, as well as hummus in small containers. There is an adjacent freezer with large desserts and freshly baked breads and rolls and heading further back in the store is another fridge with artisanal cheeses, salads, salad dressings and individual sized mac and cheese and other dishes to prepare at home including pastas and ravioli. Also here are a number of freshly prepared soups including a creamy saffron and mussel, clam chowder, fish chowder, and a few others. At the rear of the store are the main entrees that are served by the pound to take home. Tonight there was salmon, squab, chicken, pasta with shrimp, sausages with saurkraut, lasagna, lobster pot pies and maybe mushroom risotto. Also there were root vegetables and a few other dishes that I can't recall as well as a small butcher's block table with a number of cheeses set out for sampling. Near the cash register up front are single serving desserts such as individual chocolate tarts and a hazelnut torte sold by the slice. On top of the sandwich case near it are also clear jars of cookies and macaroons as well as gourmet fare and drinks here and there throught the store. A word to the wise is to tour the whole place before you decide what you want, since there are things here and there, and you won't miss anything.

We talked to Bryan and Aimee, and both are extremely friendly and go out of their way to make sure you are happy, as they seem very genuinely concerned about their latest venture. Even the cashier there is friendly, and the environment is more like a down-home store versus say Janssen's Market or DiBrunos.

Now to the food...we tried the fish soup which was deliciously smoky tasting and had good sized pieces of fish in it. It was not at all salty but needed a little seasoning. We tried the salmon which was very lightly grilled and very juicy, and had the shrimp pasta which was very fresh tasting and had capers and other greens in it. We also tried the root vegetables which were fabulous, as were the homemade rolls. We admittedly made the mistake of getting a rather large chocolate tart (since we did not discover the smaller ones until we checked out). The tart was good and had a rich, dense chocolate flavor but we found it to be a bit restrained and somewhat one dimensional. It seemed a bit plain compared to other desserts we like such as those from Sweet Somethings in Wilmington or Termini's. Next time we will try a few of the smaller ones as well as the coconut lime macaroons that we missed heading out of the door.

All in all, the food itself was fabulous. It was all very fresh, and extremely tasty and well-prepared. It was a lot better than say the Back Burner to Go in Hockessin, and head and shoulders above the prepared food offerings at Food Source (looks good, tastes not so good).

Needless to say, we will be back there very soon, as we plan on making it one of our regular stops!

[David McDuff]

Talula's is now up and running with private dinners, held after market hours, at their chef's table. Reservations can be made for a solid party of eight or ten. I'd hate to be accused of supposed shilling again, so if you're interested in the details of the eight course dinner I enjoyed there this past Saturday, you can read them -- and see photos of most of the dishes -- in my own editorial space. Besides, it's a bit on the long side to post here.

[wkl]

nice write up, dave.

this dinner was , indeed, very good. definetly a place worth seeking out and supporting.

sorry for the shill.

[Andrew Fenton]

Sounds like a terrific dinner, David. Folks out in that neck of the woods are lucky to have TT around.

[percyn]

On Saturday, I took a drive past some farms and horse stables in Chester County to visit Talula's Table. Bluehensfan has provided a great description of the store, so I will focus on the food...

I was lucky enough to parking just across the store. It seems like the word is getting out and the article in this week's inky brought the weekend crowd to this little gem of a store. The aroma from the coffee bar intised me to get one and how could I pass up on the gorgeous fritatta staring at me?

Root Vegetable Fritatta - Carrots, Parsnips, Fennel and the egg was almost as smooth as a custard.

Also got a Roasted Eggplant and Goat Cheese Fritatta

and Focaccia to go

Other items I picked up included:

Egg salad

Tuna Salad

along with smoked scallops (simply devine), a fabulously silky duck sausage, cheese burger sausage (not tried yet), Kielbasa (not tried yet), some bread, chocolates, raw milk yogurt, bolognese sauce (not tried yet), smoked paprika salt, foie gras parfait, homemade caramel, etc, etc.

There is a lot more that I have not tried yet, so I will be back, especially for the cheese, which I did not buy on this trip and I had plenty at home.

While I was in the store, there were other small purveyors stopping by, such as an elderly gentlemen with some olive oil. I have no doubt this place will become a mecca for foodies in the burbs...if it already hasn't.

[I_call_the_duck]

We went there for lunch on Saturday, and had a very nice roasted beet and goat cheese salad, along with two different quiches. I forgot what they were exactly (sorry), but I believe one was a goat cheese eggplant, and the other had roasted vegetables.

Of course we couldn't leave without buying anything so we got some duck and truffle ravioli, smoked salmon, a triple cream French cheese, and smoked scallops. Oh, and a strawberry rhubarb tart for dessert. Somehow I managed to resist buying the duck rillette. So far we had the salmon, scallops, and tart--all of which were incredible.

We had a very nice chat with Aimee, who seemed to remember us from Django. She was telling us how great it was to be able to purchase farm fresh items in small quantities, which allows them to experiment more. Aimee also said Bryan is having fun with his smoker. There were these gorgeous hickory smoked pork chops on display, as well as some quail. He's also having fun with charchuterie--we saw some hot dogs (beef and turkey), chorizo, and duck sausage. (We bought some chorizo and duck sausage on a previous visit, and they were amazing.)

Though I was sad to see Django go, I'm glad they chose to open Talula's Table in Kennett Square. Everything there is wonderful, and it's close enough that we plan on going again soon (and hopefully often).

[Bluehensfan]

If you're ever back in the area, be sure to try Aimee's octopus salad. It is fabulous!

[I_call_the_duck]

If you're ever back in the area, be sure to try Aimee's octopus salad. It is fabulous!

←

I saw it there, but Mr. Duck isn't a big fan of octopus. I'll ahve to sneak some home the next time. I'm sure Aimee's salad will change his mind.

[David McDuff]

Talula’s Table is now offering a series of cheese “happy hours” on Monday evenings. Held in the shop from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, the classes are typically based on a regional or thematic focus. I’ve been working for the last couple of weeks with Aimee Olexy, resident cheesemonger at Talula’s, to pair wines from Moore Brothers with her panoply of farmstead fromages.

More details about the courses as well as the wine selections for this Monday's session can be found at:

Wine and Cheese Classes at Talula's Table.

[Natasha]

I picked up some sausage last week. The curried lamb was a real stand-out. I think it had some fruit and something that gave it just a little zing at the finish. They were out of the seafood sausage, but that is really good too.

[David McDuff]

This thread's been surprisingly quiet of late, particularly in light of LaBan's rather enthusiastic review in the Inky a couple of weeks ago. The private table is becoming a near-impossible reservation. Nonetheless, I thought I'd revive things with a link to a write-up of their current tasting menu:

The October Harvest Tasting Menu at Talula's Table

[Capaneus]

This thread's been surprisingly quiet of late, particularly in light of LaBan's rather enthusiastic review in the Inky a couple of weeks ago.  The private table is becoming a near-impossible reservation.  Nonetheless, I thought I'd revive things with a link to a write-up of their current tasting menu:

The October Harvest Tasting Menu at Talula's Table

←

Given that they do one party, and that less than nightly, not a lot of people have made it there, so we have no opinion on the place. Some of us did comment on the LaBan review - on the LaBan thread.

[Buckethead]

LaBan's review actually made me not want to go, it was nearly sycophantic in its praise. Besides which, even if I wanted to I couldn't for the next 10 months, at least.

[Rich Pawlak]

Sycophantic is precisely the word I would use as well; I've not read a review this fawning by a food critic anywhere. It was mildly disturbing to think that it passed muster at the Inky.

[gfron1]

So David, you sent us to a review, but I'm curious what your recent experiences have been?

[wkl]

mcduff's link is to his blog which is his impressions of the last meal he had there.

i've been to the farm table dinners a couple times recently and the food is exceptionally good.

to not go and at least try the take out items, just because you found the review too fawning is to really miss out, imo.

[gfron1]

That's what I get for going too fast. Thanks.

[David McDuff]

That's what I get for going too fast.  Thanks.

←

I suppose I could have been more clear, Rob. I'm glad wkl set things straight. And I'd have to agree, all, that it would be a shame to miss out on the take-out goodies in the shop, much less a dinner if you can eke out a reservation, just because LaBan glowed a bit too brightly (I probably did too...).

Edited October 24, 2007 by David McDuff (log)

[Bluehensfan]

That's what I get for going too fast.  Thanks.

←

I suppose I could have been more clear, Rob. I'm glad wkl set things straight. And I'd have to agree, all, that it would be a shame to miss out on the take-out goodies in the shop, much less a dinner if you can eke out a reservation, just because LaBan glowed a bit too brightly (I probably did too...).

←

My many (probably over 10) visits to Talula's have been worthy of praise too. Almost everything we've eaten there has been absoultely fabulous from the breads to the entrees to the desserts (well usually the desserts). The only downside was our last visit was a bit pricey...over $70 for two entrees, two sandwiches, a few sides, and three desserts. For what's around the Kennett area, though, the quality of the ingredients and the food itself is far and away above what else is close by (but that new BBQ place down the road can be darn good!)

Granted we never did the meal after they close for the night (we only do take out or have the stuff heated up there at dinner there on Fridays).

Edited October 24, 2007 by Bluehensfan (log)