Philadelphia and the Countryside - Press Room

The towns of the Philadelphia countryside are serious about food, and that means great eating on any budget. Chic lounges, elegant restaurants and casual pubs in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties provide a sophisticated day or evening on the town that’s just a short drive from Center City Philadelphia. And when the weather is favorable, foodies can enjoy the fresh air, as many of the region’s restaurants include outdoor seating. Here are just a few suggestions for high-, moderate- and low-priced dining:

Money-Is-No-Object Options ($40 per person and up):

• A bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) establishment set in a charming West Chester townhouse, Gilmore’s Restaurant revels in both traditional and unexpected flavors with a Gallic sensibility. Owner Peter Gilmore trained under Georges Perrier at Le Bec-Fin, and his own repertoire includes lobster bisque flavored with scotch, sautéed calf’s liver with tempura shallot and hand-blown candy apple filled with chocolate mousse. 133 E. Gay Street, West Chester, Chester County, (610) 431-2800, gilmoresrestaurant.com
• For more than 35 years, La Bonne Auberge has served up classic French dinners in a refurbished stone farmhouse in Bucks County. Customers don a jacket and reserve in advance for sumptuous coquilles St. Jacques, Osetra caviar and filet of beef with white peppercorns and cognac cream sauce. 1 Rittenhouse Circle, New Hope, Bucks County, (215) 862-2462, bonneauberge.com
• An elegant, modern BYOB in Kennett Square, The Orchard Restaurant serves up-market comfort food in a plush, comfortable setting. Selections might include pan-seared snapper over an olive and potato puree and fresh raspberry tartlet. Chef Gary Trevisani also cooks a $100 prix-fixe meal for small private parties at the coveted chef’s table. 503 Orchard Avenue, Kennett Square, Chester County, (610) 388-1100, theorchardbyob.com
• The bucolic entranceway and outdoor views at the luxe Pond Restaurant and informal Bistro Cassis in Radnor are straight out of a fairytale. Guests meander across a painted bridge that spans a creek beside a shimmering pond with its family of graceful swans. Lush gardens add to the photogenic exterior views. Chef Abde Dahrouch distracts from the view with excellent French-Mediterranean specialties. 175 King of Prussia Road, Radnor, Delaware County, (610) 293-9411, pondrestaurant.com
• The Mediterranean-inflected French fare—striped bass “tagine style,” snail ragout with wild mushrooms and chardonnay sauce and Lancaster County pork rib eye with old- fashioned mustard sauce—at Restaurant Taquet is served in an airy and bright dining room in the Wayne Hotel. A $75 six-course tasting menu and an extensive wine list round out the fine dining experience. 139 E. Lancaster Avenue, Wayne, Delaware County, (610) 687-5005, taquet.com
• Inspired by the cuisines of the French and Italian Riviera, Savona’s Chef Andrew Masciangelo prepares seasonal dishes like scallop carpaccio with honeydew gazpacho or muscovy duck with chickpea-porcini ravioli. Sommelier Evan Lambert, founder of the American Sommelier Association, guides diners through the 1,100-bottle wine list, the largest of its kind in the state. 100 Old Gulph Road, Gulph Mills, Montgomery County, (610) 520-1200, savonarestaurant.com
• Bryn Mawr’s sophisticated BYO bistro Sola regularly packs its 50 seats with bottle-toting gastronomes. Prix fixe and à-la-carte menus offer intricately executed specialties such as hand-cut gnocchi with lamb bolognese, Berkshire pork and cherry clafouti with cherry almond strudel and crème fraiche ice cream. 614 Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, Montgomery County, (610) 526-0123, solarestaurantbyob.com

Moderately Priced Options ($20-$40 per person):

• The more affordable sibling to the upscale Dilworthtown Inn, Blue Pear Bistro serves casual seasonal dishes and small plates (pork belly and fried egg salad, English pea risotto and braised lamb shank with Vidalia onion puree) in a warmly rehabbed country store. A lovely porch provides alfresco seating on warmer nights. 275 Brinton’s Bridge Road, West Chester, Chester County, (610) 399-9812, bluepearbistro.com
• A haven for herbivores, Blue Sage Grille has perfected upscale vegetarian cuisine. Spanning the globe, the menu includes such meatless wonders as plantains with sesame black bean hummus, green curry shepherd’s pie and pine nut-crusted portobello mushroom skewers, making Southampton a prime dining destination for vegetarians and their friends. 772 Second Street Pike, Southampton, Bucks County, (215) 942-8888, bluesagegrille.com
• Celebrity chef Jim Coleman cooks up historically inspired but globally inflected American dishes in his eponymous Coleman Restaurant at the Normandy Farm Hotel and Conference Center. Dinner at the National Historic Landmark might include bourbon pork chop on a bed of wilted arugula with a grilled peach and brandy glaze or jumbo lump crab cakes with shoestring potatoes and spicy tartar sauce. A $30 prix-fixe menu is available between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. Route 202 & Morris Road, Blue Bell, Montgomery County, (215) 616-8500, normandyfarm.com
• In a newly rehabbed tavern in Blue Bell, sibling restaurants Gaya and Asuka cover Korean and Japanese territory, serving bulgolgi barbecue and kimchi stews at the former and sushi tempura and sukiyaki at the latter. A banquet hall houses larger parties and special occasion gatherings. 1002 Skippack Pike, Blue Bell, Montgomery County, (215) 654-8900
• Classic cocktails, spirited American cuisine and friendly conversation are always on the menu at Glenmorgan Bar & Grill. The sophisticated 28-person oval bar welcomes regulars and newbies who want to sample the 10 premium drafts, beer flight samples and seasonal martinis. 593 E. Lancaster Avenue, St. Davids, Delaware County, (610) 341-3188, glenmorgan.com
• Located in a shopping center outside of Doylestown, Il Melograno prepares authentic, refined meals in accordance with Chef Angelo Patruno’s Italian heritage. House specialties are crabmeat ravioli in a pink vodka cream sauce, veal pizzaiola and branzino with sun-dried tomatoes and scallions. 73 Old Dublin Pike, Doylestown, Bucks County, (215) 348-7707, ilmelogranodoylestown.com
• The expansive wine list is just one reason people keep coming back to Picasso Restaurant and Bar in Media. Delectable Spanish/Italian fusion dishes are served in a colorful and creative atmosphere that the restaurant’s namesake would certainly appreciate. And the stylish bar and live music keeps the party going until 2:00 a.m. 36 W. State Street, Media, Delaware County, (610) 891-9600, picasso-bar.com
• Sovana Bistro, a Chester County shopping center gem, marries casual and sophisticated dining with superb wood-burning oven pizza and impeccable seasonal European fare. (Think handkerchief pasta with fennel sausage and heirloom tomatoes and skirt steak with potato tartlette and panzanella). 696 Unionville Road, Kennett Square, Chester County, (610) 444-5600, sovanabistro.com

Lower-priced Options ($10-$20 per person):

• Iron Hill Brewery serves its own handcrafted beer with regular seasonal releases and creative, affordable cuisine—pizza, sandwiches, salads and steaks. Special offers, like Sunday prime rib dinners, make it an even better dining value. With multiple area locations, it’s hard to miss. 30 E. State Street, Media, Delaware County, (610) 627-9000; 130 E. Bridge Street, Phoenixville, Chester County, (610) 983-9333; 3 W. Gay Street, West Chester, Chester County, (610) 738-9600, ironhillbrewery.com
• At Bucks County’s two locations of Jules Thin Crust, the 28 varieties of thin-crust organic pizzas are the draw. In addition to creative toppings like roasted chicken with lime juice and cilantro, brie, almonds, pears and rosemary, the pizzeria offers a gluten-free version of its famous crust, fresh organic salads and natural sodas. 78 S. Main Street, Doylestown, (215) 345-8565; 300 Sycamore Street, Newtown, Bucks County, (215) 579-0111, julesthincrust.com
• Ambler’s favorite after-work hotspot, KC’s Alley is a bustling, homey pub with great happy hour specials and a children’s menu. A nice selection of premium beers complements bar fare that includes selections like barbecue ribs, burgers and baked potato fries. 10 W. Butler Pike, Ambler, Montgomery County, (215) 628-3300, kc-alley.com
• For smoked fish, packed-to-bursting cured meat sandwiches, matzo ball soup and other Jewish delicacies, North Wales deli Pumpernick’s can’t be beat. Add 35 beers, a complimentary pickle bar and house-made desserts like rugelach and banana splits, and it’s easy to see why there are lines out the door at this local favorite. 917 Bethlehem Pike, North Wales, Montgomery County, (215) 393-5800, pumpernicksdeli.com
• The menu at Upper Darby’s Sabor Latino makes it a one-stop shop for Latino eating, representing specialties from Mexico (fish and pork tacos), Columbia (arepas con chorizo), Cuba (pernil asada) and Ecuador (ceviche). On Friday and Saturday nights, the restaurant hosts live jazz or Reggaeton. 33 Garrett Road, Upper Darby, Delaware County, (610) 352-8414, sabor-latino.org
• Per its name, Sunrise Café and Tearoom opens early, serving 35 varieties of loose tea. But the café also offers full-service breakfast and lunch daily, with omelets, wraps, salads, dainty sandwiches and scones. 127 E. State Street, Kennett Square, Chester County, (610) 444-8141, sunrisecafe-tearoom.com
• Talula’s Table is a gourmet market offering high-end eats at reasonable prices. Fresh pastries and Italian coffees in the morning make way for local mushroom risotto at lunch and lamb souvlaki with homemade tzatziki for dinner. All-day eats include artisanal cheese, charcuteries and pickled veggies. 102 W. State Street, Kennett Square, Chester County, (610) 444-8255, talulastable.com
• A mecca for South Indian vegetarian cuisine, the elegantly outfitted Uduppi Dosa House lays out a sumptuous daily lunch buffet for less than $10. The giant dosas (lentil crepes) slathered with an array of spicy chutneys make a filling repast for less than $8. 2163 Galloway Road, Bensalem, Bucks County, (215) 638-4008, uduppidosa.com

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality.

For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit gophila.com or uwishunu.com, where you can build itineraries; search event calendars; see photos and videos; view interactive maps; sign up for newsletters; listen to HearPhilly, an online radio station about what to see and do in the region; book hotel reservations and more. Or, call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Historic Philadelphia, at (800) 537-7676.

Contact(s):

• Donna Schorr, (215) 599-0782
• Caroline Bean, (215) 599-7433