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Cuban sandwich from El Rincon /Ron Knerr
His favorite finds of 2020
Looking back at 2020, it was a challenging time for many restaurants, and we hope that many can survive the COVID business climate that impacted their ability to operate. Hopefully, the alternative operating scenarios of limited seating capacity and take-out business is enough for survivability into 2021 as we progress to normal operations. I hope many of our subscribers realize the detrimental impact to these businesses and eagerly return to patronizing our friends in the restaurant industry.
Over the course of 2020, over forty “Ron dishes on ...” reviews of local restaurants were distributed through the weekly A Moveable Feast newsletter. The reviews began in March and hopefully many readers found them useful to select some spots for new dining experiences. If your subscription started after March and you missed some reviews, we are working to make all reviews available in an archive. I have created a matrix (see graphic at the end of the column below) for reader’s review if there’s an interest in the history.
Read the rest of Ron's column below ...
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Plymouth Meeting Shake Shack taking shape
We promised to keep an eye on it for you, so when we saw the new sign going up on the building we just had to stop for a quick photo. No word yet on a grand opening, but we'll keep you posted.
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Taste of Phoenixville returns
A little ol' pandemic can't keep one of the biggest food festivals around down for long. This year's event will be take out only, but it is expanding from one day to five days, January 17 - 21. There are a lot of new features being added to this year's event to make it more accessible, and exciting, for more people than ever before. Check out all the details here. Purchase your tickets soon because they are limited!
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Rebel Hill Brewing coming to Montco
The Phoenixville staple is opening up a second location just across the Schuylkill River in Mont Clare. The new taproom will be located at 127 Bridge Street in Mont Clare, PA, and is anticipated to open in Spring 2021, according to a story from our friends at breweriesinpa.com. Here's to a Covid-free grand opening!
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Montco restaurant grant deadline today
This program will provide grants of $10,000 to eligible businesses in the food service industry selected to receive a grant, according to an email from the county. The County is utilizing $5,000,000 in economic development funds for this program. The application window for this program will open on December 30 th, 2020 at Noon. The County is making this announcement as a show of support to the restaurant and food service industry in the wake of the most recently issued COVID-19 mitigation guidance issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania last week.
For details, and to apply, click here.
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Inauguration Day ideas
So... looking around there aren't any Inauguration Day food hacks that we could find so we thought, hey why not a little story about the history of the Inauguration Day meal. We hope you enjoy this little diversion, thanks to our friends at foodandwine.com.
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Chicago style deep dish pizza by @lora_z84 ... mostly because we don't see much Chicago style pizza in these parts!
Here's a great place for you to highlight your favorite feast of the week. Just tag your photo with #amfeastagram and we'll pick one to be our AMFeastagram of the Week! Of course, crediting your extraordinary photog skills with your Instagram moniker! The post will also put you in the running for our Giveaway of the Month!
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With dine-in returning next week we thought I gift certificate to our favorite Mexican restaurant would be the perfect giveaway for this month!
So, let's make this easy for you. Join our Members Club below and you're automatically entered to win. Remember, 10 percent of your 99 cent membership each month goes to the Montco Anti-Hunger Network! Tag your foodie photos on Instagram with #amfeastagram and you'll also be entered to win! _______________________________________________________________
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Refer a friend, get cool swag
Send a link to this newsletter to just 10 of your friends, and if they sign on to receive our free newsletter, you get this incredibly cool, ultra luxurious coffee mug! Oh, and here's the link! As a reminder, a portion of our Members Club receipts goes directly to the Montco Anti-Hunger Network.
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... the rest of Ron's column
I summarized some of the highlights of 2020 by classifying reviews according to cuisine and dining type- roughly grouped as fine(r) dining, casual dining, breakfast spots, local brewpubs and bars, and international fare. There are so many spots that we have not yet visited, so comparative ratings (“Best Pizza, Best Breakfast, etc.”) were not made as they would be biased by exclusion. Pay particular attention to the “Hidden Find” category, as our experiences there were unique and worthy of a visit. BYOB establishments offer diner’s options for alcohol during dinner without incurring the costs associated with in-house beer, wine, and liquor.
Fine(r) Dining - Generally classified as establishments that offer unique chef creations with enhanced presentation and service and usually offer reservations and separate bar/dining service areas.
All other establishments are classified as “Casual”, all with differing degrees of formality.
Bar/Brewpub - As has been the trend in the last ten years, many establishments fall in the Brewpub niche, offering up to thirty craft beers on tap. Many traditional casual restaurants have added a selection of craft beers to their menu, some with more extensive lists than others.
Breakfast – Establishments that were sampled for breakfast fare, though they may offer lunch or dinner.
Several of our 2020 restaurants are worthy of mention, but in the interest of brevity I’ll provide some of my favorites here.
In the Fine Dining category, we all know that the upscale steak houses have their following, so I won’t go on about Capital Grille (with the unreviewed Morton’s, Sullivan’s, Ruth’s Chris, etc.). I’d have to give my favorites as 1) Po Le Cucina – a family run Italian BYOB in Blue Bell with delicious food and a comforting service atmosphere, 2) Bloom Southern Kitchen – a repurpose of the Eagle Tavern (Eagle, PA) with a unique Southern centric menu (Fried Green Tomatoes, Fried Chicken and Waffles, Pimento Cheese Ball) and 3) Sontuosa (Bryn Mawr) – owner Ernesto Guzman managed BYOB spot serving an eclectic mix of Italian, Mexican, and American dishes that we sampled in an outdoor COVID dining experience that I suspect would be even better with indoor dining.
In the wide-ranging Casual category, favorites include 1) The Phil’s Tavern (Broad Axe) with a menu that reads like a book – our go-to’s here include delicious Ribs, Cheesesteak sandwiches (“Jaws”), and stacked Nachos with attentive service that frequently requires a weekend wait in line for a spot in the dining room. 2) Olce Pizza in Cedars – a reasonably priced BYOB pizza spot that offers at least fifteen types of individual pizzas along with sandwiches and salads. Don’t miss the shop made pickled cucumber slices. 3) Gino’s in Jeffersonville is an Italian BYOB that excels in providing reasonably priced fare that never disappoints and 4) The Mill in Kulpsville has grown from a simple deli to an establishment serving brick oven pizza and a variety of sandwiches. 5) The less renowned Mainland Grill (Mainland) was a surprise find that offers a rotating specials menu with a talented chef at the Mainland Golf Course. 6) With the closing of Blue Bell's Izzy’s Deli, Pumpernick’s in Montgomeryville is solid authentic deli choice for a bit longer drive.
If you have a craving for Roast Beef sandwiches, the historic Old Ale House (Lafayette Hill), Nick’s Roast Beef (Springfield) and My Friends Tavern (notably the Prime Rib sandwich) are wise choices. A great roast beef sandwich was also a surprise at Capone’s, (East Norriton) that also serves entrees and variety of sandwiches along with a myriad of beer choices.
Craft brew spots have become a big part of the dining landscape in recent years, pioneered by the Craft Ale House (Limerick), then followed by the multi-location Stove and Tap (Lansdale/Malvern) and Harry’s Tap Room (Blue Bell).
We found a breakfast surprise spot at Chef Vargas situated at the base of an apartment complex in Elkins Park, and yearling Sammy’s Bullfrog Café (Harleysville) gets a high rated recommendation based on an atypical breakfast menu. We also had to sample Daddy Pop’s (Hatboro) as a Food Network “Diner’s Drive-In’s and Dives” alumnus in a classic diner outfitted with Fifty’s ambiance.
One of the most unique international dining finds was El Rincon (The Latin Corner) in a strip mall in Spring City serving authentic Puerto Rican home cooked fare in a family operated spot – ask for Mami for assistance with the menu. El Limon expanded its Mexican dining footprint with nearly a dozen outposts, the most recent in Eagleville, serving a range of delicious Mexican dishes in small storefronts. For those that have not yet tried Vietnamese cuisine, give Pho Thai Nam a try (East Norriton) – my favorite is the flavorful Pho soup with beef (give it a chance, I wish I had tried it years earlier.)
Take note of the locations above and be eager to try any of the other spots we have reviewed in 2020. Each is recommended for a visit and we invite your feedback and suggestions. If you missed one of the reviews, please let us know and we can share our experiences. Your recommendations are also welcome!
Ron Knerr is a 30+ year cooking hobbyist who has been a “foodie” before the term was popular. His home arsenal includes a smoker, a sous vide immersion heater, a sausage stuffer, and several crockpots. Send comments and suggestions to: RonKnerrFeast@gmail.com
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