Whatever your taste in dining, be it elegant and formal or country casual, you can find it here served with a generous helping of Brandywine Valley hospitality. Enjoy our seafood, local specialties, ethnic and regional cuisine prepared by talented chefs who call the area home. Be sure to call for reservations and tell them you found them on TheBrandywine.com.

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RESTAURANTS BY CUISINE Restaurants by Cuisine Gourmet Takeout & Catering Taverns & Brew Pubs Chesapeake Bay Crabs Coffee Shops

PA RESTAURANTS Kennett Square Chadds Ford West Chester All Brandywine, PA

DE RESTAURANTS Wilmington Greenville Centreville Hockessin Old New Castle

On the Restaurant Scene REVIEWS, IMPRESSIONS, COMMENTS, COMPLAINTS Send your comments to: hello@thebrandywine.com A my at Nine Iron Studios in West Grove told us about Kyoto Japanese Cuisine, a new restaurant in Kennett Square. It's in a new strip mall near Walmart just off Route 1 near Shops of Longwood... a location that is kind of in the dead zone if you don't go to Walmart. Anyway, I like Japanese food having gone to high school in Japan and spent my lunch hours in the town of Tomabochimai at the soba shop rather than the school lunch room. I tried the Tempura Udon, Japanese udon noodles in broth with shrimp and vegetable tempura and poached egg. They serve the tempura on the side and instead of putting it on top of the soup so it didn't get soggy. It was great. Give the place a try if you're feeling Japanese. If enough people don't find the place they will go the way of Amici Miei and that would be a shame.  Location, location, location is important, but people find good food wherever it is prepared. We were invited to dine at the bistro on the brandywine, in Chadds Ford, next to Brandywine Prime. The bistro shares space with the bistro to go, but serves "French inspired fare" for lunch Monday through Saturday and dinner every night. The bistro is a BYOB ($5 corkage fee) and offers beer and wine by the glass and bottle. I am by no means knowledgeable about French food. I recall ordering in Paris using my high school French and being somewhat surprised at what arrived at our table 30 minutes later delivered by a waiter with an attitude. That is not what awaits you at the bistro. First, the atmosphere is very relaxed. The wait staff wears jeans under their long white aprons and our waiter, Amanda, was attentive and helpful. The dinner menu offered "Taste & Share" appetizers served with house-made crisps; Soups & Salads, individual sized Pizzas baked in their stone hearth, Entrées and Sides. We ordered Moules Frîtes mussels steamed with saffron cream served with frîtes from the menu ($9.95) and Ahi Tuna tartare with capers, a special ($9.95), with the idea of sharing. Both were excellent and the portions were generous, but the sharing thing got sidetracked once my wife tasted the mussels. For entrées we ordered the Coq Au Vin, dark meat chicken braised in red wine with pearl onions and roasted fingerling potatos ($17.95); and the Grilled Chilean Salmon with haricot vert and tangerines with a thyme beurre blanc ($18.95), paired with glasses of Pinot Grigio, Lagaria 2007 Italy ($7), and Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Paris 2007 Bergerac ($7.50). Again, everything was very good. The salmon with tangerines was inspired. The two tastes combined for a wonderful new experience. But the Coq Au Vin... the chicken fell off the bone... and the flavor just took me home. I can't wait to come one night in the dead of winter and order Coq Au Vin and a glass of wine... what a treat that will be. We had the dessert special, a banana waffle with ice cream and wonderful sauce ($8), a coffee ($2). Excellent, excellent is all I can say. If you haven't been to the bistro yet, we recommend you try it for lunch or dinner. Everyone in my family loves seafood so I chose Doc Magrogan's, 117 E. Gay Street in West Chester for a celebratory dinner on the occasion of my son's new job in NYC. First impressions were good. The place has a friendly pubby clubby feel to it and there was a warm buzz coming from the Saturday bar crowd. The place was packed... a good sign. The wait staff was informative, attentive and friendly and the decor was definitely "Oyster House". Our appetizers: Oysters Rockefeller, Old Bay Peel 'n Eat Shrimp and a selection of oysters on the half shell were excellent. The shucker actually shucked two of the oysters tableside pointing out the Montauk, Katama Bay and St. Simon varieties. Entrees: two Bouillabaisse ($26+) and a combo of grilled salmon, large scallops and shrimp ($21.99). Everyone enjoyed. And the desserts were downright decadent. They have a good selection of micro brews and wine to compliment anything on the menu. Suffice it to say, we will be going back to Doc's. Fresh seafood is not abundantly available in the valley, especially in such a welcoming environment where they don't rush you even on a crowded Saturday night. And there was even valet parking. Reservations are definitely recommended. Local Specialties The classic crab cake made from Chesapeake Bay Blue crabs can be found all over the Brandywine Valley in the summer. Another local favorite is the classic white mushroom. Kennett Square area growers also produce the more exotic shiitake, portobella, crimini and oyster mushrooms. Many of the area restaurants make mushroom soups made with the local product. The Whip Tavern in Coatesville, PA (610.383.0600) serves classic British pub fare as well as American nosh, as they put it, in a delightfully authentic pub atmosphere. An innkeeper friend of ours told us about this place and took us there for a treat of a meal. Good thing, we would have never found it on our own. Click to their website for directions. We sampled their smoked fish plate for an appetizer and then their bangers and mash and filet mignon... both excellent... accompanied by a hard cider on tap. Enjoy! We can't say enough good things about Catherine's in Unionville (610 347-2227). This charming, romantic BYOB transplanted from West Chester lives up to its reputation and then some. The interior was a surprise, with its romantic lighting complete with hurricane lights on the floor and small round table with white table cloths. We started our dinner with Wild Mushroom Soup with lump crabmeat ($7.95), Caesar Salad blended with spicy Chipotle peppers ($6.95) and Lobster & Fennel Crepe Shitake mushroom & brandy cream ($8.95). All were fabulous as were our entrées; Sea Scallops coconut curry sauce ($20.95), Blackened Tuna Steak raspberry jalapeno coulis ($22.95), and Filet Mignon Portabella mushroom with a wonderful Madeira cream and topped with Spanish Blue cheese ($25.95). Dessert!!!! They change, but we sampled the Ginger Peach sour cream torte, Tiramisu Bomb, yellow cake topped with tiramisu cream encrusted in semi-sweet chocolate; and flourless chocolate fudge with raspberry mousse toped with semi-sweet chocolate. Again... fabulous. They now have their menu online. We stopped into Harry's Seafood Grill (302.777.1500) in the Wilmington Riverfront Market for lunch on Tuesday. The interior is Brandywine Brewing Company, now defunct, meets Deep Blue. The space is open... high ceilings, exposed ductwork, wood, brick, tile and glass. The bar will be spectacular in the spring and summer with a view of the river. We had their New England Lobster Roll ($14.95) and Crabcake Sandwich ($14.95) along with a spicey Bloody Mary and a Pilsner draft beer. Everything was well presented and the service was excellent. The menu changes daily and the wine list goes on and on. We left mildly impressed. The food was good, but a bit pricey. Should do a great business with the lunch crowd from the offices nearby. They recently expanded Jasmine, Asian Cuisine & Sushi Bar (302.479.5618) in the Crown Plaza in Talleyville. It's right next to a Subway, but it's really in another universe. They serve Japanese and Chinese cuisine in a calm, Zen-like atmosphere... everything from Miso soup to Chilean Sea-Bass Moromiso and Pad Thai noodles with Shrimp. After sour apple martinis, we ordered their Special Tornado rolls (lobster tempura, lettuce with 3 kinds of caviar, Japanese spicy mayo, eel sauce) and Spider rolls (soft shell crab in tempura style with lettuce, avacado, chive and sweet sauce) for appetizers. Both were delicate, flavorful and beautifully plated. For owr entrees, we had Baked Stuffed Shrimp with Crabmeat in Honey Wasabi Sauce with squash puree (fabulous) and a dish you can get in most Chinese restaurants... General Tso's Chicken. Jasmine prepares it in a Mandarin Sweet Orange Sauce. It was a whole different experience, light, crispy and served with peppers and green beans instead of broccoli. When he learned we were from TheBrandywine.com, Henry, our waiter, insisted that we sample their special Samba Roll (rice, salmon, jalapeno, mozzerella, mint leaf with spicy mayo). It too was wonderful, but too much of a good thing. We had to take some home with us which we didn't mind a bit. :-)   BRANDYWINE VALLEY CLASSICS   Subs & Cheesesteaks & Burgers Philadelphia claims to have the best cheesesteaks, but don't say that around here. And when it comes to italian and turkey subs, forgetaboutit! You can find the best around at Capriotti's and Casapulla's. Casapulla's Steak & Sub Shop 2702 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803 302.477.0221 1216 Old Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, DE 302.234.7827 Capriotti's 16 New Garden Sq. Shopping Cntr., Kennett Square PA. 610-444-4475 607 E. Market St., West Chester PA. 610-719-0270 Charcoal Pit 2600 Concord Pike, Route 202, Wilmington, DE 302-478-2165 This place hasn't changed since the '50s. Same great burgers, fries, shakes and cheese steaks.   GOURMET COOKING DEMONSTRATION   Celebrity Kitchens Independence Mall, Suite 33 | 1601 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE | 302.427.2665 Hands-on cooking school and dining experience. Delaware's own live "FoodTV" blends cooking entertainment, classes and gourmet dining into a fun and congenial affair. Demonstrations - seating 24. Hands on classes - limited to 12 people. Check the calendar for chefs, cuisine and dates. Complimentary wines served with dinner events. More Information © Unica Multimedia   610.388.6841