Although it hardly seems possible, it was April 2009 when I first paid a call to 333 Belrose…read more Interestingly enough, however, not a great deal appears to have changed in the interim. Chef/proprietor Carlo deMarco, a Villanova native, is still turning out top-notch contemporary American fare with international flair in a lively yet decidedly sophisticated setting.
And, although Mr. deMarco's seasonally changing menu continues to offer his patrons exciting new possibilities, there are still a number of old favorites that I remember from my first go round. The inordinately tender yet crispy Salt Pepper Calamari with beguiling pumpkinseed aioli, for example, still makes a fabulous starter, as does the Butter Lettuce Salad garnished with Danish blue cheese, candid walnuts, shaved apple, and finished with an outstanding Champagne vinaigrette. Entrée-wise, as I mentioned in my initial review, pork still plays a major role. The Java Pork Tenderloin (pictured) with smashed yams, mango salsa, black bean sauce, and maple jus remains a house favorite, with the Grilled Pork Chop accompanied by down-home andouille-spiked mac & cheese finishing a close second.
Our most recent visit, however, was somewhat different in scope, as my dining partner and I decided to take advantage of Main Line Today Restaurant Week. Which meant that though our menu choices were limited to three apps, three entrées, and two desserts, the price - $39.95 per person (plus beverages, tax & gratuity) for a three-course dinner - and the overall quality of the cuisine were more than sufficient compensation.
To start things off, I chose the Spicy Asian Brussels Sprouts (pictured) embellished with peanuts, shishito peppers (shishito peppers are small mild peppers from Japan with an average of one out of ten being on the hot side), and sweet chili sauce. Brussels sprouts are just one of those vegetables... you either love them or hate them, there seems to be no middle ground. I am most definitely of the former persuasion. And, to the kitchen's credit, the sprouts were perfectly prepared... Not too crunchy; not too mushy. Just right. My only quibble is that the word "spicy" is really something of a misnomer, as there was infinitely more sweetness than spice at work here - indeed, describing the dish as "cloying," at least from my palate's perspective, would not be considered hyperbole.
My dining partner's Butternut Squash Bisque (pictured), on the other hand, was spot-on perfect, a simply superb rendering of this traditional favorite. The squash is beautifully seasoned with ginger and touch of curry, then combined with sautéed onion and submerged in copious amounts of apple cider. Once puréed, hot cream is added, followed by a bit of sour cream, cinnamon, and brown sugar. The flavor is rich, complex, and incredibly addictive. Definitely distinctive and not to be missed.
Entrée possibilities included the above-noted Java Pork Tenderloin, Chef's Choice Chicken Entrée, and the Simply Grilled Salmon (pictured). On any other occasion, I have no doubt, one or both of us would have gone right for the pork... But on this particular evening, for some reason, we were both in the mood for salmon, which turned out to be an absolutely fabulous choice.
The fish was a beautifully prepared - just as our server suggested and we specified - medium rare. But not only was it simply grilled, but also simply presented with a house salad of mixed greens, goat cheese, toasted sesame seeds, cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, crispy wontons, and utterly seductive orange-ginger vinaigrette. And that lovely orange-ginger concoction proved to be not only a marvelous dressing for the salad but also a wonderful complement to the salmon, transforming a relatively straightforward dish into something sublime.
Dessert choices were especially limited and pretty basic - either Warm Bread Pudding (pictured) or Flourless Chocolate Cake. I freely admit to being something of a chocoholic, but flourless chocolate cake - at least for my palate - is just too much of a good thing. Just too much of too much. I opted instead for the bread pudding... as did my dining partner, who is not a particular fan of chocolate.
... And, once again, this proved to be a most fortuitous choice, as the bread pudding succeeded in surpassing all expectations. Rich, creamy, and calorically out-of-sight, it added a decidedly decadent note to a perfectly delightful evening at table... And, as I mentioned above, the price was right.
