Beer

Beer, Eating out, Food, Philadelphia suburb, Restaurant, Reviews, steak

The Refectory – Villanova, PA

January 9, 2022February 13, 2022 ILoveEatingOut

Wow just wow. It was just what I needed to restore my love of eating out and “talking” about it! Everything was simply perfect. The Refectory is located on Villanova’s campus below a student residence hall. But do not let this deter you because you would never know students live in the floors above and quite frankly, everything was so lovely that it really doesn’t matter.

When we first walked into the restaurant, we were pleasantly greeted and taken to our table. We had a reservation and I suggest you make one as this place was hopping. First impression was awesome. I loved the 80’s music playing in the background…not too loud, but just loud enough. The restaurant is quite large. There is a beautiful bar and several booths and tables, large enough to fit all your plates and glasses and tables spaced far apart enough that you aren’t too close to strangers. We were seated close to the open kitchen, so we got to see all of the happenings and it was very cool.

We ordered come drinks, nothing too crazy. A couple of us had wine, an old fashioned was ordered, a Monks sour beer and some chilled club soda. All were happy with their drinks. I did notice they have a nice beer and wine selection, as well as some interesting cocktails. I saw several of them being served throughout our evening and they looked lovely.

We started with some apps to share. We ordered Brussels Sprouts (bacon lardons, apple, balsamic mustard) for $12 and Buffalo Cauliflower (house hot sauce, buttermilk ranch) for $13 and lastly, Nova Fries (brisket, house wiz, pickled onion) for $9.

The cauliflower was lightly breaded and lightly tossed in sauce but still crispy. The brussel sprouts were charred as expected and the bacon consisted of nice chunks…no burnt bits. Also for flavor and added texture, there were delicious golden apple chunks. All were amazing! I personally enjoyed the fries the most, but I’d recommend all of these. You will not be disappointed.

Brussels sprouts and Buffalo cauliflower

At this point in the meal, we were all laughing about and almost had full tummies because we overordered on the apps (2 cauliflower, 2 brussel sprouts and the fries) but we knew we had another amazing course making its way to our table and I can’t wait to show you.

I had the Bronzino for $32. The fish was so good. The skin was crispy and seasoned heavily with herbs. It was served with chard fennel which is a first for me. It’s a veg I never really considered as a good side but let me tell you it was a nice change for something different.

Side note: while preparing this blog I referenced back to the menu, and I noticed that some of the dishes have changed. The branzino filet is on the menu for $23 with different sides and a different preparation. But if it is anything like the fish I had, you will not be disappointed.

The Hubs enjoyed the Kobe New York Strip for $32. The steak was served with onion soubise, royal trumpet mushrooms, cippolini onions and a bordelaise sauce. Just look at how perfectly cooked this delectable piece of meat was. I had a taste, and it was tender and delicious.

Our other party members enjoyed a Branzino (like mine) and one had a very special dish of the night. In addition to their standard menu, the chef had a special offering of wagyu beef starting at $40 for 2 ounces. Yes, you read that right. It was pricey. Below you can see the final presentation. We all tried a piece. The best way I can describe this is that I’ve never had anything like it before. The texture was soft. It was beyond tender. The meat literally melted in my mouth with minimal chewing involved. It was an unexpected feeling, and the taste was magnificent. Now if you like a steak with some structure to it where there is come chewing involved, this would not be for you.

Dessert was the only disappointment of the evening. We ordered the Zebra Cake which is passion fruit cake, coconut cream and dark chocolate for $8. The only thing I liked about the dessert was the passion fruit syrup served on the plate. The white “icing” encasing the cake was so weird. It literally had the look and texture of drying paint. I do not recommend this at all…although it did look beautiful. I guess that is the upside.

One note for the reader…parking is not the best. We had to park in a parkiing lot, across the street. Be prepared to walk a minimum of one block and cross a busy street. I did not see any closer parking or valet.

In conclusion, the vibe was uplifting and positive, and the food and service were tremendous (minus the disappointing dessert). If you are looking for an exciting and fun night out with your special person or even a girl’s night out, I recommend giving Refectory a try. I give Refectory 4.25 out of 5 forks. Thanks for reading and eat out more often folks!

Beer, Eating out, Food, Restaurant, Reviews, Wings

Order Take-Out or Delivery TODAY! We did! The Whitpain Tavern / Blue Bell, PA

March 28, 2020May 3, 2020 ILoveEatingOut

Wing pic from their website…to put you in the mood.

We are all feeling it. This quarantine is trying in so many ways. Beside all of the other issues like employment insecurity, financial burdens and mental sanity to not say the least, not being able to eat out really hurts. It’s changed my routine for sure. Listen I’m not complaining, just stating a fact. This blog’s name for goodness sake is ILoveEatingOut….so duh.

Now is the time for us to buy at least one meal a week from your favorite local place to give them a little helping hand. You want them to still be in business when all of this craziness is past us right? You might have a concern over ordering take-out right now and I do too! I have copied a couple of Q and A directly from the CDC website regarding this so hopefully it will ease your mind if you have concerns. See below.

“Q: Can I get sick with COVID-19 from touching food, the food packaging, or food contact surfaces, if the coronavirus was present on it?

A: Currently, there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19. Like other viruses, it is possible that the virus that causes COVID-19 can survive on surfaces or objects. For that reason, it is critical to wash your hands often, including utensils.

Q: Can I get COVID-19 from a food worker handling my food?

A: Currently, there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19. However, the virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading from person-to-person in some communities in the U.S. The CDC recommends that if you are sick, stay home until you are better and no longer pose a risk of infecting others.

Anyone handling, preparing and serving food should always follow safe food handling procedures, such as washing hands and surfaces often.”

AND back to my thoughts…

Listen, it won’t hurt to follow some basic precautions while getting your take-out. While I’m certainly not an infectious disease expert by any means, I have the internet and TV to inform me (LOL). No seriously, I read and heard that stomach acids will kill the virus so there doesn’t seem to be any risk in investing it. Just be careful when you get your food home. Empty the food directly onto your own plates and discard the containers. Heat up your food in the oven for a bit or even microwave. Again, I’m not an expert and I don’t know if this will help but I can’t imagine it will hurt. WASH YOUR HANDS after handling the containers and before you eat.

The Hubs and I ordered from one of the local watering holes The Whitpain Tavern in Blue Bell, PA. We love to go there and listen to live music and just chill with some wings, fries, drinks whether its just us or with some of our neighbors. It was really nice of them to offer us delivery without a charge. I’m not sure what their requirements are but you probably have to be pretty local to qualify for this free service. Note they do have curbside pick up too if you need to get out and take a drive. OH! And they also delivered a 6-pack too so that was very convenient.

I’m lacking pictures this time folks sorry but I can tell you our food was great. We had hot wings, hot BBQ wings, and Shane’s French Onion Fries. The wings are always big and meaty. They are fried and generously tossed in your sauce of choice. The Garlic BBQ sauce is so good. Little pieces of real garlic mixed into the traditional BBQ sauce makes this very special. Wings are served with celery and blue cheese. The fries we got are sidewinder fries which are basically curly steak fries crispy on the outside and soft and hot on the inside. On top they melted provolone and Swiss cheese and then covered it with a layer of crispy onion straws and its served with the most delicious beef gravy I have ever had. Really if it was acceptable, I’d drink this gravy from a cup. Mmmmmmm drinkin’ gravy from a cup…LOL. I should mention that the fries weren’t as delicious as when they come directly from the kitchen to the table but that’s ok, they were still very satisfying.

Alright enough of my rambling. It’s getting close to dinner time so start thinking about what restaurant you want to support and I don’t mean McDonalds or Wendy’s people! I mean those small businesses that have delicious food we crave along with the warm environments we love. Help keep these places above water until they can get back on track. Thanks for reading folks and we will be eating out more often soon enough! Stay safe everyone.

Beer, Eating out, Food, Philadelphia suburb, Restaurant, Reviews

City Works Eatery and Pour House in King of Prussia, PA

May 19, 2019May 20, 2019 ILoveEatingOut

If you want a great beer with mediocre food this is your place. Sorry but the food was a real let down. The beer, however, was alright.

Beer first! You can ask for a sample (more like a sippy taste) of any beer you want before you order one of the two sizes offered. They are offered in full size or a 6 oz pour. You can also order a flight. The flight includes any 4 beers you want. The flight beers range individually in price from $3 to as high as $8 but most of them were between $3 to $4 so you are likely to spend about $12 to $16 a flight. Below is a picture of my flight. (Crunch was my favorite.)

I ordered a Mushroom Flatbread made with mushrooms, chili oil, mozzarella, caramelized onions, goat cheese, baby arugula, and lemon truffle oil. Now come on man, these are the ingredients for a fantastic flatbread! Unfortunately, the cooking preparation fell short. Flatbread is supposed to be crispy, not soggy and this was soggy all the way around, especially the bottom. The caramelized onions were just plopped in a couple of places rather than being spread about the dough. This was a real disappointment.

Dan ordered the fish tacos. They were made with cornmeal beer battered mahi-mahi, chipotle coleslaw, pico de gallo, cilantro lime cream, micro cilantro on white corn tortillas for $16. The portion was hearty with three tacos and a side corn and bean salad. (I was lucky! Dan shared and gave me a taco for the review!) The presentation was spot on and it could have been delicious if only the fish wasn’t overcooked and dry. There wasn’t enough condiments on the taco to make up for the dryness so it was difficult to eat.

Bonus food review! My Mom ordered the Baked Mac and Cheese made with smoked cheddar, grilled chicken, bacon lardons (basically fatty bacon chunks), smoked cheddar gratin, and cavatappi pasta. The best part of this dish was the chicken. It was very juicy and cooked to perfection. Sadly, the mac and cheese lacked the creamy, ooey, gooey cheesiness you crave with mac and cheese. Also if you aren’t a fan of smoke flavor, this is not the dish for you. The bacon coupled with the smoked cheese made for an intense smokiness I know I do not like, especially in mac and cheese.

Don’t get me wrong, City Works can be a great place to hang out and it’s large enough to accommodate large parties. On Saturday night it had a “place-to-be” vibe with the music playing from the strategically placed speakers. Keep in mind there are enough TV’s around so you can watch your favorite sporting event while enjoying your favorite brew. If you haven’t already guessed, the highlight of this establishment is the beer. You should be able to satisfy your growling tummy but be aware that the food compliments the beer or at least it will give you a good base in your belly for some beer drinking. If you are okay with that then you have to check this place out. It’s located in the King of Prussia Town Center which has a ton of restaurants and retail stores for the browsing so expect to see people of all ages roaming about and enjoying the elegant outdoor seating with fire pits and greenery all around. Make sure you make a reservation. I give City Works 3 out of 4 forks! Enjoy and thanks for reading.