Monday, November 21, 2016

11/21/2016 Dining Around at Sola BYOB in Bryn Mawr, PA

 
Dining Around at Sola BYOB in Bryn Mawr, PA

Sola BYOB is located at 614 West Lancaster Avenue in Bryn Mawr, PA. This small, intimate, white cloth table restaurant (44 seats) owned by Brian Engler, focuses on Executive Chef Scott Morozin’s contemporary American cuisine with French influences. The Chef offers a seasonally inspired small menu of well-prepared and designed dishes taking advantage of a network of local farms, organic producers of cheese, honey, and other items, with daily deliveries of whole fish.

 


“Sola’s been around for over eleven years, and I’ve owned it the last four and a half years, working the front of the house,” Brian Engler said. “Restaurant’s have been in my blood as my Grandparents owned a restaurant hotel in Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania.” 

 


Chef Scott began his career attending the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. After graduating, he gained experience in the kitchens of Steven Starr, Jay Caputo, Chef Daniel Stern, and world-renowned Chef David Burke. He took over the Sola kitchen in July 2016.

 


I decided to try Chef Scott’s Prix Fixe four-course menu ($39). I requested a change from Kale to a salad of tender leaves of Red Earth Farm greens. A plus was the salad was accompanied with a small cylinder of roasted duck Confit with warm rolls from Philadelphia Bakery, made with a beer batter.

 


Second course was a picture-perfect creation of coriander-crusted scallops, accompanied with three small spheres of white coconut cream, a dollop of orange salmon roe, three spoons full of black lentils, and a sprinkling of small edible flowers. This dish would have made a perfect subject for an artist’s still-life painting.   

 


The Chef’s third course was pan-roasted filet of Chesapeake Bay striped bass served in a lobster tomato broth, with shaped fennel and fennel leaves, sautéed pearl onions in red pepper glaze, and roasted Maitake mushrooms. I spooned up this delicious sauce and used a roll to wipe up the remainder. If I was home, I would have licked the plate.

 


My dining partner tasted my dishes and then ordered the Creekstone Farm Tenderloin ($39), with herb-roasted potatoes, mushroom puree, roasted Shitake and trumpet mushrooms, over beef jus ordered cooked rare. She ate half of the tender flavorful meat and took the rest home to eat for lunch the next day.

 

We shared dessert of the Chef’s elegant Crème Brulee topped with a large fresh blackberry and a chocolate drizzled Biscotti spear. A perfect end to Chef Scott’s sophisticated, creative dishes made with luxurious ingredients offering enjoyable textures.

Dining hours are 5:30 to 10 p.m., Monday – Saturday, Closed Sunday. For reservations or info, call 610-526-0123 or visit online at www.solabyob.com/site/#/home.

Highly Recommended!

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Photos:

1-    Meet Executive Chef, Scott Morozin. By Dish PR.

2-    Coriander Crusted Scallops. By J. Bloom.

3-    Creekstone Farm Tenderloin. By Dish PR.

4-    Chesapeake Bay Striped Bass. By J. Bloom.

5-    Crème Brulee. By J. Bloom.

Sunday, November 6, 2016

11/23/2016 Walnut Street Theatre presents The Wizard of Oz - Autograph Brasserie in Wayne, PA adds music with DJ J - Strong


 
On Stage

 
l/r Christopher Sutton, Christopher Shin, Adrienne Eller, and Nichalas L. Parker in
Walnut Street Theatre’s production of ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ Photo by Mark Garvin.

• Walnut Street Theatre presents The Wizard of Oz on the Mainstage through January 8, 2017. Join The Scarecrow, The Tinman, The Cowardly Lion, Dorothy, and Toto as they journey through the magical land of Oz to meet the Wizard. Show includes the classic songs heard in the movie musical, including Somewhere Over the Rainbow, We’re Off to See the Wizard and Ding, Dong! The Witch is Dead! For tickets ($20 - $95) or info, call 215-574-3550 / 800-982-2787 or visit online at www.walnutstreettheatre.org or Ticketmaster.


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Autograph Brasserie, in the Eagle Village Shops, 503 West Lancaster Avenue in Wayne, PA is adding music with DJ J Strong, every Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m. The restaurant’s lounge area is the perfect setting for music as the walls are adorned with over 350 autographed album covers and a custom statement chandelier from Portugal made of brass musical instruments hangs over the expansive bar in the center of the room. A large fireplace adds to the relaxed atmosphere. “I will start with soft dinner music in the beginning, then spike the energy level with Motown, Funk, Disco, Classic 80's and some recent (Billboard) Hot 100 hits for the remainder of the night,” DJ J Strong explained. Autograph Brasserie opened May 2016 offering chef/partner Ralph Fernandez's menu drawing on the culinary signatures of France, Italy, and Spain. For reservations or info, call 610-954-2588 or visit online at www.autographbrasserie.com.

 
 
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