OPENING – CITY: Square 1682

Tucked into the corner of the Hotel Palomar, Philadelphia’s new luxury boutique hotel in the historic Architects Building, Square 1682 is a sleek two-story restaurant with an open kitchen, a dramatic granite-topped bar and dining with a view of the bustling corner at 17th and Sansom Streets. The energy of the city streets trickles into the scene at the bar and the first floor dining room. The upstairs room features cozy tables and private booths.  Executive chef Guillermo Tellez (hailing from the kitchens of Charlie Trotter and Stephen Starr) creates dishes using organic, sustainable and locally-sourced ingredients. He describes his menu as “New American” with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients and balanced flavors. For the fall andwinter, Tellez is serving hot and savory dishes like duck sausage cassoulet and lobster pot pie. He also does a luscious roasted squab with port wine-braised cabbage and a spicy roasted rack of lamb. The bar is stocked with local craft brews, a wine list that includes organic and bio-dynamic wines, and a drink menu of specialty cocktails with ingredients like fresh ginger, infused vodkas, and premium bourbons. Dinner at Square 1682 and a night at the Hotel Palomar just may be the perfect overnight get-away that’s not too far away. 121 S 17th St., 215-568-2525; hotelpalomar-philadelphia.com.

OPENING – MAIN LINE: Floret
Mainliners will have a delicious new place to dine come December. Chef Dan Kremin, formerly of Barclay Prime and Buddakan, and Scott Morrison, owner/operator of Berwyn’s Nectar, are partnering with Radnor’s Pond Restaurant and Bistro Cassis to open Floret, a warm, comfortable restaurant and lounge serving up European and American fare. Kremin was inspired by the notion of cooking seasonally and bringing people together over savory and affordable plates. “I cook with the freshest, local ingredients that have been prepared in a simple, approachable and familiar way, so that our guests will want to visit and dine with us frequently without spending a lot,” he says. Floret will offer diners several different menus. The lounge menu features hors d’oeuvres and small plates paired with specialty drinks, craft beers and premium wines. For a heartier meal, diners can order from the burger and salad menu. The restaurant menu offers dishes like steak frites, fish pommes soufflé (a light French-influenced version of fish-and-chips) and seasonal items like cassoulet, coq au vin with Amish-raised chicken, and braised lamb shanks. 175 King of Prussia Rd., Radnor, 610-293-9411; floretrestaurant.com.

OPENING  – MAIN LINE : Gemelli
Chef Clark Gilbert (formerly of Taquet and Saloon) has a culinary background that’s heavy on French cooking. But he’s switched gears to open a homey Italian bistro in the former Margot space in Narberth. Gilbert decided that it was time for him to go solo and to focus on a bistro-style menu made up of rustic Italian dishes and a few French bistro favorites. The namesake dish, gemelli, pasta with a Bolognese sauce, is smooth and rich and along with a robust glass of vino, makes for the perfect cold-weather dinner. French selections include snail fricassee, steak frites and a cheese plate. Gilbert often offers a $40 five-course tasting menu that he chooses himself. And you’ll definitely want to check in with Gilbert around the holidays. In the works is a traditional Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes. This multi-course seafood dinner is typically served on Christmas Eve, but Gilbert wants to feature the dinner throughout the holiday season. He’s still putting the finishing touches on the menu. Give the restaurant a call at the start of the month for details and reservations Gemelli is BYOB and serves dinner Monday through Saturday. 232 Woodbine Ave, Narberth; 610-660-0160.

OPENING – BAR FOOD: The Stone Rose
The old, dark Y2K tavern in Conshohocken has been transformed into a chic and rustic gastro-wine bar. The Stone Rose is the latest addition to Conshohocken’s growing dining and drinking scene. Executive chef Jason Lipnicki sources local ingredients for his menu and describes his food as “refined comfort.”  Diners will enjoy cozying up to dishes like crispy Alsatian flatbread pizzas, dry-skillet Angus burgers, and decadent short ribs with mac-and-cheese. Seafood offerings include fresh pan-seared diver scallops and mussels with chorizo in a buttery, white wine garlic broth. The bar features 30 different bottled beers and an adventurous wine list. The décor enhances the food by surrounding diners with warm dark hardwood, wall-hung wine racks and two plasma TV’s. Stone Rose is the perfect place to grab a bite at the bar, meet a friend for a glass of wine, or enjoy a casual meal in their 30-seat dining room. During warmer months, Stone Rose offers open-air window seating. 822 Fayette St., Conshohocken; 484-532-7300; thestoneroserestaurant.com.

TONY TAKE-OUT:
Main Line Delivery
If you’re hungry for shrimp dumplings but the kids want pizza, you can have both without driving all over the Main Line. In fact, you won’t have to drive anywhere at all. Main Line Delivery, the new delivery service for busy Mainliners offers at-home diners the option of building their take-out meal from several different restaurants. Bala Cynwyd native Rich Siegel and his partner Dan Ritterman have signed on more than 20 Main Line restaurants to their online ordering service. The easy-to-use Web site asks diners to enter their zip code to get a list of restaurants that are open and ready for delivery in the area. Users can view restaurant menus and pay online. Main Line Delivery charges a flat $5 rate for their drivers, but some restaurants deliver direct and diners just pay delivery fee. Food selections go beyond Chinese and pizza to include sandwiches from Hymie’s, burgers from the Great American Pub and burritos from Qdoba. mainlinedelivery.com; 610-668-2124.

The Best Meal of the Week:
Wednesday Night Supper Club
It’s Monday morning and you already know that come Wednesday evening, you won’t feel like cooking. The solution? Wednesday Night Supper Club, a dinner cooperative designed to satisfy people’s tastes for delicious and healthy meals as well as their desire to be kinder to the environment. Started by Bala Cynwyd native and caterer, designer and event planner Jennifer McCafferty of JPM Catering, Wednesday Night Supper Club lets subscribers of the weekly newsletter pick and choose from a seasonal, locally-sourced menu the features appetizers, entrees, sides and desserts. Just place your order by noon on Monday of that week and specify a delivery time (that’s right, she delivers) and any special food requests you may have. Your dinner arrives right on time and in compostable or recyclable containers. Having worked in some of the most well-known French and Nouveau American restaurants in Philadelphia, McCafferty cooks from her heart, serving up truly satisfying dishes that are accented by her French-Mediterranean roots. On the menu this week is lentil soup with flax seed bread, Moroccan carrot, beet and cilantro salad, chicken tangine with apricots and spiced pine nuts with couscous and butternut squash,and orange pound cake with chocolate ganache sauce. There’s even a kids menu! Dinner for two (if you order all four courses) will cost about $45. The best part? You don’t even have to leave your house to feel like you’re eating a five-star meal. Contact JPMCateringandevents@gmail.com or 484-433-6678 to get on the mailing list.

1. [...] A couple reviews of places around town, Spamps and The StoneRose Restaurant. [...]

   Posted by News/Gossip – Week of 11/30/09 | December 1, 2009, 8:12 am