We visited the Birchrunville Cafe this past Saturday evening (5/24) with two other couples.
Birchrunville is a BYOB place and one of our other diners had secured a reservation for the outside table on the deck. This is the only table outside (can accommodate up to 8) and it was a bit nerve wrecking leading up to the night of the meal because there is no contingency plan if there is inclement weather. The weather held during our meal with one ever so slight spritz of a few raindrops and that was it. So we were lucky on that front!
For my appetizer, I enjoyed the Caesar Salad ($9) which was described as a romaine heart caesar salad wrapped in parma prosciutto and truffle dressing. The salad was delicious and the meal was off to a nice start. My dining companion ordered the gnocchi ($11) served in a blue cheese cream sauce which was unbelievable. The gnocchi were reminiscent of only one place from all of my years of dining out-- that establishment is no longer there, but was in South Philadelphia at 11th and Ellsworth (Felicia's). The other two couples tried some of the other appetizers and were equally pleased with them.
My main course was the Veal Tenderloin served in a balsamic wine reduction sauce with walnut risotto ($34). The main course was even more delectable than the appetizers. The veal was tender and succulent and the risotto was perfectly cooked to accompany the veal. My dining partner ordered one of the specials which was a duck breast wrapped in pancetta with foie gras and dried cherries ($34). This was served with some sauteed peppers, broccoli rabe and sweet potatoes. My companion raved about the dish-- I tasted it, but decided mine was the better of the two by far!
The other couples ordered a variety of dishes from the menu and were equally pleased with the food.
Since the first two courses were so good, we struggled and took one for the team to both order a dessert. I had the chocolate molten cake with vanilla gelato ($9). As many like to say, this wasn't your father's Oldsmobile! This molten cake was unbelievably moist and delicious. It would be difficult for me to think of another establishment that makes one any better. My companion ordered the butterscotch cake with dolce deleche gelato. This was equally impressive when I sampled it, but as I always say, "you can never go wrong with chocolate!"
This was a very pleasant evening from beginning to end and the food just accentuated the experience. I have been to many of the fine restaurants in Chester County over the last 20 years and would have to say that Birchrunville was the best! It is difficult to find anything wrong to comment on-- I would say maybe there could be just a few more menu choices (there were only about 6 to choose from) and that they need to make sure there is a better contingency in place if there is inclement weather. These are very minor points when dealing with a restaurant of this quality.
Dinner for 2 was $138 after tip and tax.
Overall rating: 5 Brownies
Monday, May 26, 2014
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Billy's Burgers
Yesterday my dining partner and I decided to try a second burger place that finished in the top 6 for the WIP burger hunt. This time it was a local establishment very close to our home in West Chester. We have gone to Billy's Burgers many times before our weight loss, but have stayed away probably purposely during that time since. But we had to try it in an effort to determine our favorite burger.
Billy's is a small "mom and pop" establishment on Five Points Road in West Chester just off of Rte 3. When you see how hard these people try, you are really pulling for them, but today's effort wasn't great for them.
We both ordered the Billy's burger with cheese. Mine of course was my preferred cheddar and I had fried onions as well. The burger is reasonably priced with cheese at $6.45. The burger was cooked nicely, but since it is a smaller thinner burger, it was not to my liking since it was served medium/well. Also, a miss in my opinion was that the edges of the burger as well as the roll were burnt slightly. This was a real shame because Billy's has a terrific hamburger roll.
Before the burgers arrived, we ordered beer battered onion rings ($4.65) which were good, but I thought the batter was a little thick for the amount of onion inside. The horseradish sauce that accompanied the rings helped, but again the breading was a bit too much in this case.
Unique to Billy's is the fact that Billy's wife Sally is a baker and has an excellent selection of cupcakes, cookie bars and other goodies. My companion chose a coconut cupcake while I had a chocolate coconut bar which was probably the best part of yesterday's experience. This was delicious.
Lunch for 2 was around $28 and the establishment prefers cash, but will still accept a card.
Overall 2.75 brownies.
Billy's is a small "mom and pop" establishment on Five Points Road in West Chester just off of Rte 3. When you see how hard these people try, you are really pulling for them, but today's effort wasn't great for them.
We both ordered the Billy's burger with cheese. Mine of course was my preferred cheddar and I had fried onions as well. The burger is reasonably priced with cheese at $6.45. The burger was cooked nicely, but since it is a smaller thinner burger, it was not to my liking since it was served medium/well. Also, a miss in my opinion was that the edges of the burger as well as the roll were burnt slightly. This was a real shame because Billy's has a terrific hamburger roll.
Before the burgers arrived, we ordered beer battered onion rings ($4.65) which were good, but I thought the batter was a little thick for the amount of onion inside. The horseradish sauce that accompanied the rings helped, but again the breading was a bit too much in this case.
Unique to Billy's is the fact that Billy's wife Sally is a baker and has an excellent selection of cupcakes, cookie bars and other goodies. My companion chose a coconut cupcake while I had a chocolate coconut bar which was probably the best part of yesterday's experience. This was delicious.
Lunch for 2 was around $28 and the establishment prefers cash, but will still accept a card.
Overall 2.75 brownies.
Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse
We'll it has been a long time coming, but the Real Fat Foodie is back baby! A lot has changed over the past few years, but this man's love of a great culinary experience has never waivered! It may be a little bit tempered since I lost 70 pounds last year, but I am returning to find the best dining spots once again! This has been thought about often, but I was inspired to make my return after hearing the Great Burger Challenge on 94 WIP radio in which my favorite host Glen Macnow ate 40 burgers in 40 days. I listened to that and thought if Glen can take one for the team then I certainly could too!
So I started this past Friday (5/23/14) and as aforementioned being inspired by the thought of burgers, that is the first review.
For lunch on Friday, my dining companion and I chose Del Frisco's in downtown Philadelphia at 15th and Chestnut.
We decided quickly to both opt for the Prime Cheeseburger. The burger is described on the menu as a prime burger served with american cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickle. My only deviation to this was to substitute cheddar cheese for the american. The burger is served with fries or chips, but I chose mashed instead.
The burger arrived and was quite a handful (10 ounces)! The sandwich was tasty and to my chagrin, I made quick work of it considering during my weight loss period that I thought I learned to eat smaller portions. I guess old habits die hard! I was happy that they were able to serve the burger medium rare because many spots will not. The meat was tender and juicy, but the roll was having a difficult tome holding this large concoction together and for a brief moment I actually thought about committing the cardinal sin when eating a burger of using a knife and fork. That thought quickly dissipated and I "manned up" to finish. I will say I did not eat the lettuce with the burger, but did keep all of the other condiments. The mashed potatoes were average and I ate about a quarter of those-- I prefer them without the skin for future reference.
My companion also ordered the burger and opted for no condiments and seemed to share a similar opinion at the end of the meal.
This burger was good, but not great. The ambiance of the restaurant is terrific since it is the Old Packard building which once housed First Pennsylvania bank. That being said, this reviewer is interested more in the food than anything else!
This prime burger carries a prime price too at $13.50. While the waitress Tara was excellent and intrigued with our attempt to find the best burger, the sandwich was just satisfactory. It is one that might be a lot more appealing at 2 am than at noon time!
Lunch for 2 was $29 before tip.
Overall rating 3.25 Brownies
So I started this past Friday (5/23/14) and as aforementioned being inspired by the thought of burgers, that is the first review.
For lunch on Friday, my dining companion and I chose Del Frisco's in downtown Philadelphia at 15th and Chestnut.
We decided quickly to both opt for the Prime Cheeseburger. The burger is described on the menu as a prime burger served with american cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickle. My only deviation to this was to substitute cheddar cheese for the american. The burger is served with fries or chips, but I chose mashed instead.
The burger arrived and was quite a handful (10 ounces)! The sandwich was tasty and to my chagrin, I made quick work of it considering during my weight loss period that I thought I learned to eat smaller portions. I guess old habits die hard! I was happy that they were able to serve the burger medium rare because many spots will not. The meat was tender and juicy, but the roll was having a difficult tome holding this large concoction together and for a brief moment I actually thought about committing the cardinal sin when eating a burger of using a knife and fork. That thought quickly dissipated and I "manned up" to finish. I will say I did not eat the lettuce with the burger, but did keep all of the other condiments. The mashed potatoes were average and I ate about a quarter of those-- I prefer them without the skin for future reference.
My companion also ordered the burger and opted for no condiments and seemed to share a similar opinion at the end of the meal.
This burger was good, but not great. The ambiance of the restaurant is terrific since it is the Old Packard building which once housed First Pennsylvania bank. That being said, this reviewer is interested more in the food than anything else!
This prime burger carries a prime price too at $13.50. While the waitress Tara was excellent and intrigued with our attempt to find the best burger, the sandwich was just satisfactory. It is one that might be a lot more appealing at 2 am than at noon time!
Lunch for 2 was $29 before tip.
Overall rating 3.25 Brownies
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