Halibut & Jumbo Tiger Shrimp Special / Photo: Ron Knerr
Chow Bistro
We had visited Chow Bistro in Collegeville a few times after they opened so we made a revisit on a recent weekend night to give it another sampling. Chow is a BYOB serving American fare in a converted home just south of Ursinus College on Main Street.
As a veteran of twenty-five years of restaurant business ownership, Guy Clauson had operated Phoenixville’s Herb Garden Café and Black Lab Bistro prior to opening Chow Bistro in 2014. Guy operated Chow successfully for four years before selling it to Chow staffer Maitai Doughty who had worked with him at Black Lab Bistro and had followed him to Chow. We had been to Chow a few times shortly after it opened and didn’t realize he had sold the restaurant and moved on. (Astute followers of this column may recall that Guy is now associated with Root Down Brewing in Phoenixville, as mentioned in a prior review.)
After acquiring Chow, Maitai kept most of the original menu but supplemented offerings with some Asian menu additions that continued from Clauson’s offerings and yet part of the owner and staff’s cooking repertoire. The menu is updated daily and posted daily on Facebook for review before diners visit and features standard starter courses, main entrées, homemade desserts, as well as a list of daily specials. Among the starters available are French Onion Soup, several salad varieties, Fried Thai Chicken Dumplings, and Korean Barbecue Short Ribs Flatbread. Though the main entrée list is limited, there’s a suitable variety of choices to please many tastes, including Filet Mignon, Crab cakes, Blackened Salmon, Braised Beef Short Ribs, New Orleans Jambalaya, Lobster Ravioli, Chicken Piccata, Asian Stir Fry, Meatloaf and Cheeseburgers.
Read the rest of Ron's column below...
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Boyertown's Furps Brewing Company
We've stumbled across a hidden gem "nano brewery", called Furps Brewing Company... In operation since 2020, and tucked away in lovely Boyertown (Berks County), Pennsylvania, the small scale nano brewery currently only sells kegs (1/2 & 1/6) directly to bars and restaurants. Our first taste was "Furps Raptor Copter" at Union Jack's Olde Congo Hotel in Barto, PA (and we must say we were thoroughly impressed). We will be following along in hopes they make it into more bars and restaurants soon, and can't wait for them to begin bottling/canning their brews!
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KOP’s Pure Roots Provisions Offers
7 Takeout Experiences
Not sure what to order for takeout? There’s something everyone will love at Pure Roots Provisions out of King of Prussia... The Pure Roots Provisions concept in and of itself is an interesting one, where the chefs of 7 different "restaurants" operate out of one kitchen, and source their ingredients from vendors and distributors across the local area, and offer only take-out/delivery options. To learn more about the 7 different restaurant varieties Pure Roots has to offer, click the link here for an article from Main Line Today!
Delivery areas include Conshohocken, King of Prussia, Bryn Mawr, Villanova and Wayne, but that radius is intended to expand once road construction in the area wraps up sometime this spring.
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Philadelphia reinstates indoor mask mandate
So, Philadelphia reinstates their indoor mask mandate... What does that mean for your warm weather season dining experiences? Just a month and a half after city officials let go of the mandate, masks will again be required in public indoor spaces beginning on Monday, April 18. As if these mandates and requirements have not already negatively affected eateries in Philadelphia enough --- again restaurants, bars, sports stadiums, and any other venue where food is served will be required to ask patrons to mask up before entering the establishment, with the option to ask for a proof of vaccination instead of enforcing masks. Check out this article from Eater Philadelphia for more info.
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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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Roots Espresso Martini / Photo: Kevin Letrinko
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Roots Restaurant: Espresso Martini
Located at 148 W Germantown Pike, in East Norriton (Hillcrest Shopping Center), Roots Restaurant doesn't only serve up some great eats and have an impressive variety of beers on tap, but the vibe is fun, and they make ONE-HECKUVA Espresso Martini! For those coffee fans looking for a delicious cocktail, this one's for you!
Another fairly simple recipe that any make-it-at-home mixologist can enjoy!
Recipe & Directions
1.) 2 ounces vanilla vodka of choice
2.) 1 ounce espresso (freshly brewed)
3.) 1/2 ounce simple syrup
Mix ingredients together, then add ice. Shake well, and strain into chilled martini glass. (When we make ours at home we love to garnish with dark chocolate covered espresso beans! YUM!) ... ENJOY!
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Wine Tasting with Dick Vermeil
Join the Hall of Fame football coach in person at The Abbott's Barn, or join in via Zoom for a virtual wine tasting event on Sunday, April 24th! The event benefits Spring Brook Farm, and more information can be found here!
Take Your Pup to These Parks
Looking for some new dog park for you and your four-legged friend to enjoy this Spring?! Well look no further than this list of 8 great dog parks in our area in this article from Main Line Today! Try one, or try them all, but be sure to let us know your favorite(s) by sending us an email here!
Guide to all things Easter 2022!
Egg hunts, and bunnies, and chocolate, OH MY! Easter time is always a beautiful time of year, with the flowers blooming, and the smell of spring in the air! If you are looking for something to do in Montgomery and its surrounding counties to celebrate all that Easter has to offer, be sure to checkout this list of fun activities from Montco Happening Mag!
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Extra crispy roasted chicken by using a simple rub
Here's a hack we personally love here at A Moveable Feast... Looking to add that 'extra crisp' to your roasted chicken?! Well look no further... Rub skin-on breasts, thighs, wings, or even a whole chicken with a mixture of baking soda, black pepper, and cayenne — and let it sit in the fridge over night before roasting. Give it a shot next time, and let us know how yours turns out!
Share your food hacks with us by sending an email to amoveablefeastmontco@gmail.com!
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Extra Crispy Roasted Chicken / Photo: Getty Images
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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) Regal Cinemas Movie Tickets!
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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A Moveable Feast swag offer!
Share the link to this newsletter with 3 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 pen! All you have to do is email us at amoveablefeastmontco to let us know you did indeed send the link to 3 friends and we'll send you a pen! Oh, and just to make it as easy as possible, here's the link!
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...the rest of Ron's column
Specials on the night we visited included appetizers of Crab Bisque, Bang Bang Shrimp, Prosciutto and Pear Crostini and Roasted Garlic Hummus as well as entrée specials Fra Diavolo, Seared Sea Scallops, Crab Stuffed Lobster Tail, and a Duck and Scallops dish.
As soon as you enter the front door, you’re in the dining room, as the dining space is a large open room with standalone tables that are spaced relatively close together. We were seated promptly, and our server stopped by in short order to open our wine and answer any questions we had. It took some time for her to get back to our table to take our order as numerous open tables quickly filled right around our reservation time and the server touched base with each table. (restaurant opens at 4:30, so first table turnover is between 6 - 7:30PM)
We put our appetizer orders with the server about fifteen minutes after we were seated with two of us selecting the Crab Bisque, two other diners chose Caesar Salad (Garlic Croutons/Asiago Cheese) and House Garden Salad (Mixed Greens, Tomato, Cucumber, Carrots, Onions with Vinaigrette Dressing). It took about twenty minutes for appetizers to be delivered, so I think the issue was less of a server availability and more of a kitchen output issue. The salads were good, though we thought the Crab Bisque was only a bit hotter than lukewarm and could have used a bit more emulsification, but it was good enough to give it another chance on a future reorder.
Despite the wait for our food, once arrived, the entrée creations were interesting and served with an attractive presentation. I chose the special entrée Fra Diavolo which featured a Half Lobster Tail, Tiger Shrimp, Scallops, and Crab Meat with a spicy Tomato Blush sauce over Thin Spaghetti. It was a great collection of seafood, and the sauce had an unexpected level of spiciness. DW Sherri enjoyed the Halibut special - a pan seared Halibut portion served with a Jumbo Tiger Shrimp enhancement with a Lemon Butter Sauce with Crispy Fingerling Potatoes and Asparagus. Other diners chose seafood as well - Blackened Salmon was served with Spinach and Jasmine Rice with a Parmesan Cream Sauce accented with a dribble of Paprika Oil. Seared Scallops were presented in a Pecan Vermouth cream sauce with Whipped Potatoes and Asparagus. The food preparation is elevated above the norm, and everyone enjoyed their entrée.
Part of our initial issues with dining at Chow was the noise volume in the room as there is a little baffling of sound, and a full complement of diners additively raised the background level of noise. Issue has been slightly mitigated by some minor interior design changes but it is louder than most other upscale dining spaces. Be prepared for some wait times for your food and expect a cacophony of sound while you’re dining.
A noteworthy item gleaned from the Chow Facebook page revealed that the restaurant was providing free meals at lunch to those in need in the community throughout the peak period of the pandemic. As the kitchen was working midday to prep for dinner, they used that time to prep and distribute Chicken and Rice dishes from the back of the restaurant to hungry citizens impacted by the lockdown. They also prepared free Thanksgiving dinner for over three hundred families over the holiday. Others in the community were inspired by these generous acts and contributed to this worthy cause and Chow Bistro’s efforts should be noted and rewarded by your patronage.
Dinner Daily, Reservations by phone. Check Facebook and website for special weekend service schedule (i.e., Mother’s Day Brunch).
Rating: 3.75 / 4
Chow Bistro
454 E Main St
Collegeville, PA 19426
(484) 902-8495
HOURS -
Sunday & Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday - Thursday: 4:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Friday & Saturday: 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM
https://www.chowbistro.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Chow-Bistro-281165245376611/
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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