Page 112 - MLT December

epicure
A chef’s selection of charcuterie, cheeses and seasonal accoutrements.
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TAKE IT TO THE BANK:
Phoenixville’s new Sound Bank Music Room & Taphouse is a 150-seat venue featuring local, regional and national acts. It’s the brainchild of music lovers Chris Bailey and Jim DiGuiseppe, who’ve tapped Main Line-raised chef Matt Lenrow
to helm the kitchen. The menu offers shareable comfort food like sliders, flatbreads and chicken wings. Local draft beer is plentiful, too. December shows include Planetary People
(Dec. 13-14), Matthew Fair (Dec. 20) and Afrobear and Dave Fields (Dec. 21). Visit www.soundbankphx.com.
BEER HERE: Maura Langley and Bob and Dan Knabb recently debuted their Be Here Brewing Company in the revitalized former National Bank building in Avondale. Bob crafts a revolving list of six to eight drafts. Highlights include his easy-drinking Irish Red Ale and the spot-on New England-style IPA North of Here. Maura runs the restaurant, which offers tacos, flatbreads, salads, sandwiches and other casual fare. When the weather turns warm, enjoy a pint in the 50-seat beer garden. Visit www.beherebrewing.com.
SIP, SIP HOORAY: The ninth annual Valley Forge Beer & Cider Festival returns to the Philadelphia Expo Center on Dec. 14, with over 150 crafters in attendance, plus a culinary convoy of food trucks. There’s even an ugly sweater contest. General admission tickets are $55; $65 for VIP. Proceeds from the event go to the Committee to Benefit the Children. Visit valleyforgebeerfest.com.
Cornering the Market
Christine and Nick Kondra’s four-year-old Cornerstone Bistro & Artisanal Market roves some fairly diverse culinary territory. Its gourmet shop dispenses the perfect cup of La Colombe coffee —or a spot of tea hand-picked from a tin. A refrigerated case with pungent wedges of the area’s best cheeses beckons, and gift baskets are piled high with dried pastas and jars of sauces. The inventory at the front of the house also includes a selection of hard-to-find wines and craft beers.
Behind the 14-seat chef ’s counter, wood-grilled meats and fish are prepared as diners look on. Nick is all about the classics, crafting a timeless menu with starters like chicken liver mousse, bluefish pâté and plenty of oysters. Among the mainstays are an unequalled Parmesan-encrusted pork chop and a bucatini laden with Kennett Square mushrooms.
Other selections range from a simple and delicious farmhouse burger to an elevated four-course Chef’s Experience tasting menu ($75 per person). “We’re sharers of experiences— about the farmers and curators we feature at our monthly oyster, game, wine and chef dinners, and throughout our marketplace,” says Christine.
That generous philosophy has earned Cornerstone recognition beyond the region, including a 2019 Wine Spectator Restaurant Award. Think if it as downtown Wayne’s most intimate dinner party—and it happens nightly. 1 West Ave., Wayne, (610) 688-1888, www.cornerstonewayne.com. —Ken Alan
110 December 2019 | www.mainlinetoday.com
MINI REVIEW: ED WILLIAMS