Mom’s Bake At Home Pizza is an experience—a good one.  Mom’s brings experiences into your home that a standard takeout or delivery pizza parlor cannot—the magic of participating in the creation of dinner and the sweet yeasty aroma of a fresh baked pizza that will fill your home and linger even after the pie has been consumed.  Making pizza dough at home takes time and planning.  And, not every home cook is comfortable turning yeast, flour, water and salt into dough.   If you are one of the few who is, after you mix and knead the dough it needs to be refrigerated so that it can rest for twenty…

King’s Garden Chinese Cuisine, 8225 Germantown Avenue, provides standard Chinese fare in Chestnut Hill.  Though the food does not deviate from the norm, King’s excels in two areas—the restaurant is remarkably clean and the customer service is exceptional. Upon arriving, my family—my two toddlers joined in on this outing—was welcomed with warmth, sincerity and a smile.   Clearly King’s is well-versed in the language of parents dining out with toddlers as, without prompting, we were escorted to a booth in a quiet corner tucked away from the other two tables of diners. Without so much as a …

While I've met my fair share of chefs and interviewed dozens more, I can honestly say this particular interview was one of my favorites. Chef Paul Roller of Roller's at Flying Fish is sincere, full of life and truly loves to talk about food, cooking and restaurants. While many other chefs shy away from reporters (they are notoriously press shy) or merely answer with as succinct a reply as possible, Chef Roller had story after story to tell me. It was a fun as well as educational experience. It's always great to exchange war stories with a fellow cook. Read below to find out more.  Name: Paul …

In celebration of the arrival of warmer weather, on Saturday—the last day of winter—I collected my favorite four-year-old and headed over to Manny’s Place for a seafood spread. Tucked into the left corner just inside the entrance of the Chestnut Hill Farmer’s Market, Manny’s finds company among homemade gelato, artisan soaps, fresh-brewed coffee, produce, butchered meats and an assortment of other prepared food counters.  Manny’s is primarily a place to purchase prepared foods—mostly, but not exclusively of the fried seafood variety—to take out or finish cooking at home (all of their fried …

I headed over to Philly’s Platinum Grille in a downpour unsure that the restaurant would be open—not because of the weather, but because I had tried calling them three times in as many days and could not get an answer.  While in route, my sister tried again and got a recording that did not accept messages.  This poses a challenge if you want reservations. Sans reservations, we walked in the door to a surprisingly crowded (especially for a very rainy Sunday night, at a shopping strip located) restaurant. This had to be a good sign.   We were warmly welcomed on arrival and even given our choice…

Last weekend my calendar boasted an Italian double-header:  Friday night Kensington’s Modo Mio and Saturday night Chestnut Hill’s Stella Sera.  Surely you can imagine my excitement—two nights in a row of homemade pasta and the opportunity to compare two local Italian BYOs.  Sweet. I know it is vital to remain impartial in matters of this nature but, I confess—I couldn’t suppress my opinion (and trust me, I tried)—I fully expected Modo Mio to take the cannoli on this one. Boy was I wrong.  I discovered that we have a gem in Chestnut Hill—Stella Sera. Though not without a few minor flaws, it's …

Moms know how tough it can be to eat out with little ones. Patch wants to help you know before you walk in the door if Tavern on the Hill is a good place to eat with your children.   Restaurant: Tavern on the Hill   Is there a kids’ menu? Yes   Are there healthy options on the kids’ meal? Yes, noodles and marinara.   How does the restaurant deal with food allergies? Alert your server and they will be as accommodating as possible.   Is the restaurant so quiet that any childish outburst will draw attention or is there enough noise that a small cry is likely to go unnoticed? Depends on how …

Looking for a restaurant that is family-friendly? This week, Chestnut Hill Patch reviewed Cin Cin on how kid-friendly it is.  Click here to read more. This weekend, Patch has reviews of restaurants around the area. Find out which ones have kids’ menus and which ones are paying the most attention to food allergies.   Saffron Indian Kitchen: 145 Montgomery Avenue Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 Indian food may not be a favorite for children, but more adventurous kids might find the samosas and assorted breads tasty and fun to eat. Click here to read more.   Peace a Pizza: 1125 E Lancaster Ave, Bryn Mawr…

Looking for a good restaurant to go to this weekend? Chestnut Hill Patch brought you the details of Cin Cin Thursday. If you missed it, click here for the full review If that restaurant isn’t too your liking, check out other area restaurants reviewed and chefs interviewed by Patch  this week:   Peace a Pizza: 1125 E Lancaster Ave, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010  A neighborhood pizza place that offers up so much more than an ordinary slice. Gourmet pizzas, freshly prepared salads, healthy options even an area just for the kids. Click here for the full review.   A la Maison: 53 W Lancaster Ave, Ardmore, …

Over the last several weeks there has been plenty of Chinese news to talk about—the withdraw of the Chinese artifacts from the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology’s Secrets of the Silk Road Exhibition, and Chinese New Year, the year of the rabbit. Unfortunately, the food at Cin Cin won’t be making headlines—except perhaps the wonton soup. With great expectations, I headed over to Cin Cin on a seriously chilly and snowy evening believing that a steaming bowl of noodle soup would surely wipe out my winter woes. Cin Cin translates to “delightful spring”—oh how I wish. Just last month one…

Moms know how tough it can be to eat out with little ones. Patch wants to help you know before you walk in the door if Chestnut Grill is a good place to eat with your children. Restaurant: Chestnut Grill Is there a kids’ menu? Yes Are there healthy options on the kids’ meal? Pretty standard kids' menu fare (there's a reason kids' menus always feature chicken fingers, burgers and fries and macaroni and cheese, kids don't like salad or vegetables). How does the restaurant deal with food allergies? Excellently–all staffers are expected to know all ingredients in a dish and will alert the kitchen…

Looking for a good restaurant to go to in the region this weekend? Bryn Mawr Patch brought you the details of Sola Thursday. If you missed it here are the details. If that restaurant isn’t to your liking, check out other area restaurants that Patch reviewed this week: Chestnut Grill: 8229 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19118 Neighborhood favorite Chestnut Grill has been on the culinary scene for nearly 15 years. Find out more about the man behind the magic when you meet the chef, John Arena. Click here to learn more.    Shangri-La Inn: 138 Montgomery Ave, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004  Enjoy a …

This week, Clara Park got to know the veteran chef of The Chestnut Grill a bit better through a series of quick fire questions.  Name: John Arena Age: 49 Years in Industry: "Started when I was sixteen." Hometown: Fort Washington, Pa. Earliest Cooking Memory: "Making pasta with my mother." First Kitchen Job: "Making sandwiches at the Wooden Nickel Tavern in Plymouth Meeting, Pa." Favorite Thing to Cook: "Anything new" Favorite Local Restaurant: "I like sushi-–Ooka in Willow Grove, Pa. is great." Favorite Restaurant in the World: "I don't get out [of the area] much ... I work all the time and I…