Summer Food 2005: BYOBs
BIRCHRUNVILLE STORE CAFE
1403 Hollow Road, Birchrunville; 610-827-9002; birchrunvillestorecafe.com
Worth noting: No credit cards. Dinner
Wednesday through Saturday.
Dinner for two: About $110.
The weathered exterior of this century-old, porch-fronted former general store in rural Chester County belies the serious cooking and charm within. Francis Trzeciak draws on his French and Italian heritage and training to bring forth summer specialties such as tempura-style zucchini flowers filled with shrimp mousse or porcini mushrooms; Kobe-style beef carpaccio with pink peppercorn emulsion; lobster and crab cake with baby greens and orange vinaigrette; and tuna tartare — with capers, shallots and citrus, rather than Asian spices. Freshness is paramount — many of the herbs come from the restaurant’s own garden. Until recently, noise levels marred the intimacy of this candlelit room, done up in the floral prints and rooster motifs of Provence; soundproofing on the ceiling has quieted the clatter while keeping the creaky- wood-floor ambience historically correct. Get explicit directions by phone or from the website before you set off, because this hideaway is hard to find at night.
DJANGO 526 South 4th Street; 215-922-7151
Worth noting: Reserve a month ahead for weekends, and two to four weeks ahead for weeknights. Or join the wait list: Last-minute cancellations free up three tables most nights.
Dinner for two: About $115.
Scoring a table at the city’s best BYOB, a 38-seat gem with no pretension whatsoever, is like winning Powerball. The payoff is Bryan Sikora’s spot-on seasonal cooking, which means crab-stuffed zucchini blossoms with crab broth risotto, sweet peas and tomato essence; house-smoked day-boat scallops with French lentil salad, fig glaze and mustard oil; braised veal ravioli with roasted garlic veal jus and heirloom carrots; and sparkling peach-prosecco soup with a scoop of peach sorbet. When the menu says something is homegrown, it is: Sikora and his wife, Aimee Olexy, have a plot at the Bel Arbor Community Garden in Bella Vista.
GILMORE’S
133 East Gay Street, West Chester, 610-431-2800;
gilmoresrestaurant.com
Worth noting: Tuesdays through Thursdays are the best nights for spontaneous reservations.
Dinner for two: About $135.
Tomato carpaccio doesn’t come any fresher than this: Chef-owner Peter Gilmore grows the basil and the green, white, red and purple tomatoes in a garden behind his beautifully appointed townhouse restaurant in the heart of West Chester. Sautéed jumbo sea scallops over braised short ribs and creamy polenta sounds wintry, but its Provençal tomato and olive sauce evokes Nice, not November. And it matters not whether the soft-shell crabs are sautéed, or dipped in tempura batter and flash-fried, because Gilmore’s 22 years of experience as chef de cuisine at Le Bec-Fin assures that they arrive in style. Dress up a little — a meal here is a special occasion.
