Thursday, November 29, 2007

Porterhouse: Delicious crab cakes

Porterhouse Brewpub Restaurant
5775 Lower York Road
Lahaska, PA
215-794-9373
http://www.porterhousepub.com/index.html

NHY Rating: 2 of 10 (for bar only); 7 of 10 for restaurant
Food: American
Serves: lunch and dinner
Price: A little pricey. The bar menu alone starts with sandwiches and salads from $9-$15. Dining room menu from $20-32.
Ambiance: Downstairs had a nice brewpub feel. The room is open, comfortable and large. The upstairs is a more formal dining area with great views. The whole restaurant is smoke free.

Comments: Basically this place is all about the food and beer. They have a pretty wide selection of brews ("a twist on the t
raditional Belgian, English, and German beer"). The beer is actually from the Riverhorse Brewing Company in Lambertville. Their food has always been good. We have eaten both upstairs and downstairs several times. I would highly recommend the Smoked Chicken & Andouille Spring Rolls ($8.50), the Chesapeake Crab Bisque ($6.00), and the Roasted Pork Tenderloin Sandwich ($8.00). They also have a great crab cake sandwiches and salads.

For dinner, they have dishes such as Striped Bass Ala Rousse ($23.50), Veal Isabella (veal medallions stuffed with crab-boursin filling ($24), Horseradish and Crab-Crusted Strip Loin $29). They also have a nice selection of pastas. Literally everything we have had here has been outstanding.

As far as service goes, unfortunately this has not been their strong point. Most of the time we are greeted and seated quickly but then the good part stops there. Several times we have had to wait a long period of time for our food.

The reason I gave the bar service a low score is because of the terrible service. More than once we have had to wait for drinks or appetizers. Recently, we visited on a weeknight and the bar was very slow. Instead of coming back to see if I needed another drink, the bartender decided to clean the whole bar instead. I waited 10 minutes when I had even put my empty glass in plain sight. It was irritating since we had just started our spicy appetizer and the need for a drink was pretty important.

This place is generally kid friendly (at least downstairs) but not so much in the formal upstairs.

Special note: This restaurant is closed on Mondays. I am not sure why; seems like it could disappoint some people who may be in town that night. Also, they usually have valet parking on the weekend.

To read other reviews that mention Porterhouse (i.e. Riverhorse Brews), click here.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Tastebuds: It's all in the name!

Tastebuds
49 W. Ferry Street
New Hope, PA
215-862-9722
http://tastebuds-newhope.com/index.htm


NHY Overall Rating: 9 of 10
Food: American with a Mediterranean twist
Serves: Dinner
Price: $$$. Competitive
Ambiance: Minimalist but cozy. Simply chic.

Comments: A friend of ours actually referred us to this establishment and although at first glance I felt the decor was a bit too simplified and the techno music a little trendy, it only took a few minutes to feel the room blend together. Inside, there are 3 small eating areas. Luckily there is not a lot of in and out traffic as we were seated near the front door.
This appears to be the type of place though you don't dare walk in without a reservation. The other two seating areas are a bit more secluded and private.

The bottom line about Tastebuds...it is all about the food. Between the 3 of us we had several things off the menu and everything, I mean everything was outstanding. The portions were a bit small but the flavor and quality of the food meant everything.

A few of the things we splurged on were the Butternut Squash Dumplings ($8), Chicken and Apple Sausage ($10), the carmelized Beef Tenderloin with Ancho Chile Rub ($32), and the Striped Bass En Papillote ($25). And as far as the dessert, Chocolate Mousse, again outstanding.

Tastebuds is BYOB so don't forget your favorite beverage. The service was timely and well done. This is a place that will definitely make a trip to New Hope more than worthwhile! I can't wait to eat there again.


To read other reviews, see here.