Blowing Up the Menus at Sola in Bryn Mawr
Chef Scott Morozin took over the kitchen at Sola BYOB in Bryn Mawr last summer and since then, he has been launching programs that stretch the definition of the word “menu.”
First there were his multi-course progressive tasting menus. Then “No Menu Mondays” where Morozin and his crew work without a net, crafting meals and menus on the fly for guests. And now he’s putting it all out there again with a new Friday Night Chef’s Table program.
Don’t worry. We’ve got the details after the jump.
That right there is a lavender steamed New Jersey fluke with melted leeks, maitake mushrooms and a curry-carrot veloute–just one of the things he and his crew whipped up for a table on one of their recent No Menu Mondays. They work like this: Every Monday, tables are offered the option of four proteins from a list and the kitchen will customize a menu based on each diner’s likes, dislikes and dietary restrictions. Vegetarian and vegan options are available, and the whole thing is capped off by a dessert. The whole thing will run you $65 per person (plus tax and tip), and these were the kinds of options offered on one recent Monday.
No Menu Monday at Sola BYOB
Amuse Bouche
Savory Meats & Fish
Scallops
Octopus
Honolulu Tuna Confit
Striped Bass
Fluke
House Made Pork Belly Ravioli
Duck
Short Rib
Creek Stone Beef Tenderloin
Intermezzo
Sweet Selection
Apple Pie
Chocolate Mousse
Creme Brûlée
House Made Ice Cream
So that’s Mondays, and Morozin has been offering this option for a little while now, alongside his progressive tastings available during the rest of the week.
Now, though, he’s also added his Friday Chef’s Table option, which essentially allows for one party (four, six or eight people) to experience a meal designed and presented to them straight from the chef, with Morozin guiding you through each course and explaining how they are put together. All guests for the chef’s table will share a single menu, and wine pairing suggestions are available (if requested in advance).
Because only one of these Chef’s Table dinners is available each Friday, reservations are required (and must be made at least three days in advance). The dinner will run you $60 per person, plus tax and tip, and here’s a sample of the kind of dinners that Morozin and his team put together.
Sample Friday Night Chef’s Table Menu
Offered for up to 8 guests on Fridays only/changes weekly
$60 per person, plus tax and gratuity
Beginnings (choose one)
Escarole Salad
endive, blood orange emulsion, mint, radish, pink peppercorn pickled cameo apple
Smoked Trout
spread with toasted sour dough
Hot Cured Olives
rosemary and citrus
Crisp Potato Croquettes
stuffed with roasted lamb leg and marinated feta
Slow Roasted Beets
with feta mousse
Braised Short Rib Roulades
toasted barley and sauce choron
Mains (choose one)
Whole Gerber Organic Chicken
glazed with georgian honey and meyer lemon
Whole Crispy Red Snapper
Sweet and Spicy grapes, fume blanc
Whole Roasted Wagyu Coulotte
beef sauce
Sides (choose three)
Pommes
pureed
Roasted New Potatoes
house cured pork belly and garlic
Blistered Endive and Fennel
hazelnuts, soubise, and chervil
Haricot Vert
crushed cashews, brown sugar, soy
Sweets (choose one)
Assorted Warm Cookies
and mexican hot chocolate
Chocolate Gateau
cinnamon ice cream, vanilla poached pears
Hot Apple Pie
sea salt caramel, vanilla Ice cream
So yeah, it’s no small thing. And doing this kind of multi-menu experimentation is not easy either. Morozin and his team are taking the kinds of risks not often seen in the ‘burbs. Hell, they’re not often seen in the best restaurants in Center City, but on the Main Line, this kind of daring and creativity has been almost non-existent until recently.
But it’s exciting, and Morozin has been around enough (he’s got time behind him at Tangerine, Espuma in Rehoboth Beach, Mid-Atlantic, R2L, and The Lucky Well already) to be able to pull it off. The Friday chef’s table program just started last week, so if you’re interested, start making your reservations now.
Sola BYOB [Official]
