El Vago Nachos / Photo: Ron Knerr
El Vago
A few weeks back, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, we took a visit to El Vago on Skippack Pike in Schwenksville. El Vago serves authentic Mexican fare in a BYOB environment in the space formerly occupied by the “Comfort at the Back Porch.” (which BTW is relocating to Telford as “Comfort on the Corner,” expected opening Summer 2022.) Advertised to be serving vibrant, delicious, and fresh Mexican and Tex-Mex food, El Vago caught our interest as a family owned business.
El Vago opened in December 2020 in this space with limited indoor seating accommodating less than twenty people although there is an outdoor patio to accommodate additional diners. Decorations with some cultural Mexican relics imparted a “South of the Border” atmosphere to the space, though some shadows of the Back Porch country atmosphere were still present. On our visit, there were five indoor tables occupied with about fifteen diners and one server (near capacity). An outdoor area fits approximately forty diners, but a reservation is recommended in case of inclement weather.
Read the rest of Ron's column below...
Click here to read previous 'Ron Dishes On' columns!
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KangNam Korean Fried Chicken!
Now open in the Hillcrest Shopping Center in East Norriton (142A W Germantown Pike), KangNam Korean Fried Chicken is whipping up something that's without a doubt new to the area... Based on a quick stop by we discovered they are currently serving for takeout only, but we also found that Korean-style fried chicken is ultra crispy and addictively good! Checkout their Facebook page here, and if you're a fried chicken/wing fan, we suggest you be sure to stop in and give them a try!
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KangNam Chicken / Photo: Stan Huskey
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The food truck series 'keeps rolling' in KOP
Food Truck Tuesdays is presented by The George Apartments, and will feature live music, food trucks, seating, games and sponsors during lunch hours — 11:30am to 1:30pm throughout May, June and July. The remaining events are spread throughout King of Prussia and each features different food trucks and musicians.
The Food Truck Tuesdays roster includes:
• May 24 — at 150 S. Warner Road featuring Dump & Roll, Albies Burger Truck and All of a Sudden Desserts. Live music by Judah Kim.
• June 7 — at 2520 Renaissance Drive featuring The Happy Pita, Chickie’s & Pete’s and The Sugar Plum. Live music by Rubber Music.
• June 21 — location TBD featuring Surf and Turf Truck, Pizza Wagon and Sweet Thang Nuts & Candy. Live music by Mike Greer & Co.
•July 12 — at 900 E. 8th Ave. featuring The Hedgehog Grill, Dos Gringos Mexican Kitchen and Dia Doce. Live music by Kendal Conrad.
•July 26 — location TBD featuring Southbound BBQ Company and Dia Doce. Live music by Ryan Tennis.
Information about Food Truck Tuesdays can be found here!
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Dump-and-Roll at Food Truck Tuesdays / Photo: visitkop.com
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We’ll be scouring Montgomery as well as neighboring counties for a wide variety of potent potables, highlighting everything from local craft brews to intriguing cocktail recipes that we come across along our travels!
Got a favorite? Hit us up so we can check it out for ourselves!
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Bar Lucca's "Basil Drop" / Photo: Kevin Letrinko
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Another stellar sip from Bar Lucca...
Not only does Bar Lucca offer a great dining menu, but they've also got an awesome specialty drink line-up! Here's another one we tried during a recent visit, the "Basil Drop"... SUPER simple, and SUPER refreshing for those hot summer nights (we suggest you get your needed supplies before this Saturdays scorcher!)...
Basil Drop
- Boardroom Citrus Vodka
- Fresh Basil
- Lemon Juice
Let us know what you're sipping on, and share your favorite cocktail recipes by sending us an email to amoveablefeastmontco@gmail.com!
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FREE events in KOP are back!
With the warmer weather comes the return of free health, fitness, and food truck events to the King of Prussia district! "Wellness Wednesdays" highlights a series of four free, outdoor, after-work events every other Wednesday in May and June, and will feature fitness instructors from local King of Prussia gyms and workout studios teaching classes outdoors in different commercial locations throughout KOP. Here's the link for more information!
Lansdale Farmers Market Summer Hours Return!
Spring/Summer hours return May 14th! Every Saturday thru Nov 19, 2022... 9-10 AM no dogs, 10-12:30pm all are welcome! The mission? "To maintain a seasonal farmers’ market that supports local producers of healthy, nourishing foods and quality, crafted goods. We desire to build community while providing educational programs that promote local, sustainable living." To learn more, check them out here at lansdalefarmersmarket.org.
Philadelphia Magazine's "Summer Social"
Looking for a fun way to celebrate summer while socializing with friends and/or family?! Then why not Philly Mag's Summer Social event on Thursday, June 9th?! Hit the Cherry Street Pier at 6PM, and enjoy a night of sipping, socializing, and sampling food from some of Philly's favorite restaurants... For more information, and tickets checkout the event website here! (Did we mention they are showcasing 200+ wine, beer, and spirit brands?)
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The very BEST corn-on-the-cob hacks and recipes!
Nothing says summer and barbeques like corn on the cob in our opinion! So take a look at these hacks and recipes from chefalli.com to celebrate one of the summers most important side dishes!
Share your favorite recipes, hacks, tips, and tricks with us by sending an email to amoveablefeastmontco@gmail.com!
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Grilled Corn / Photo: delish.com
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Passes to Elmwood Park Zoo!
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Sign up to be a member of the A Moveable Feast Members Club, post a foodie photo on Instagram with #amfeastagram, or just send an email to the A Moveable Feast Guy and you'll be entered to win two (2) FREE passes to the Elmwood Park Zoo!
Join our Members Club below and you're automatically entered to win every month. Remember, 10 percent of your 99 cent membership each month goes to the Montco Anti-Hunger Network!
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Congrats to last months Giveaway Winner...
Benjamin Coren of Lansdale!
We hope you enjoy your two free movie tickets!
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A Moveable Feast swag offer!
Share the link to this newsletter with10 of your friends, and if they sign on to receive our free newsletter, or even if they don't, you'll receive this A Moveable Feast coffee mug! All you have to do is email us at amoveablefeastmontco to let us know you did indeed send the link to10 friends and we'll send you a mug! Oh, and just to make it as easy as possible, here's the link!
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...the rest of Ron's column
The menu offers a lot of the usual Mexican dining offerings, including Tacos, Quesadillas, Burritos, and Enchiladas with protein choices of Chicken, Steak, Shrimp, Al Pastor (Pork), or Fish. (numerous Vegetarian options are available.) Some larger plate entrée offerings served include Steak, Mezcal Shrimp, Sauteed Chicken, and Grilled Salmon. One dish that looked interesting was the Hot Volcano Rock – a stone cauldron filled with your protein of choice along with Queso Fresco, Cambray Onions, Avocado, Hot Long Peppers, Borracha Salsa (Beer Sauce), and a choice of corn or flour tortillas. A neighboring table had ordered this and the contents were BOILING hot after delivery to the table – a sure pick for those of you who enjoy food piping hot! (Unfortunately, I noticed the dish after we placed our order.)
Without a liquor license, El Vago is BYOB and on weekends they offer free margaritas with Pineapple Cucumber or Hibiscus concoctions offered on this night. We each had two servings and both versions were good, although a bit sweet for my taste.
To start our meal, we chose El Vago Nachos that were tastefully presented as warm Tortilla Chips smothered in Queso Blanco, Chorizo, Lettuce, Black Beans, Cheddar and Chihuahua Cheese, Cream, and Pico de Gallo. The chips were fresh and warm, and the Chorizo was a nice alternative to the typical Beef or Chicken proteins. It was a good start and qualified for a reorder.
I chose Steak Enchiladas as my entrée as ground beef was not available as a protein option (except on the kid’s menu). Three corn tortillas were wrapped around chopped steak and served with a creamy Roja Sauce (with alternatives creamy Poblano sauce or original Mole Poblano sauce) and Mexican rice and black beans. I requested some hot sauce and received a small dipping sauce cup with a mild looking creamy sauce. Well, looks are deceiving and this batch of pepper sauce was close to exceeding the heat level of the flaming sauce we had at El Sarape in Blue Bell. The enchiladas were good, but I might choose the chicken version over the steak on a revisit (see below).
DW Sherri chose Steak Fajitas served with sautéed Peppers and Onions. Unfortunately, the quality of the menu listed ribeye steak fell short of expectations and left something to be desired. The steak strips were tough and difficult to chew and made the dish difficult to enjoy. I was able to salvage the leftovers at home for a lunch, but diners are cautioned that they may experience the same disappointment. I suspect my steak was from the same source but presented less issues as it was chopped into much smaller pieces.
The outdoor area looked like an appealing spot to enjoy a meal during nice weather. There was only one server for the indoor tables and service was pleasant and only a bit slow. El Vago serves authentic Mexican dishes a bit upscale from typical taquerias in the area with a bit higher price point. It is worthy of a visit if you happen to be in the Skippack area, though El Serape may be better choice if its Blue Bell location is more convenient.
Rating 3 / 5
EL Vago
4000 W Skippack Pike
Schwenksville, PA 19474
(814) 403-4619
www.elvagomexican.com
https://www.facebook.com/El-Vago-Mexican-Restaurant-105701541340723/
HOURS -
Mon: CLOSED
Tue - Sat: 11:00AM - 10:00PM
Sun: 11:00AM - 8:00PM
Ron Knerr is a 30+ year cooking hobbyist who has been a “foodie” before the term was popular. His home arsenal includes a smoker, a sous vide immersion heater, a sausage stuffer, and several crockpots.
Send comments and suggestions to: RonKnerrFeast@gmail.com
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