By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

Wayne’s famed Aux Petits Delices Bakery set the scene for a fun afternoon of sweets and suds.

Beer and candy go together like…well, actually quite nicely. A most unusual couple for any diehard beer lover and foodie like myself, it never occurred to me to pit gourmet chocolate, desserts and even fruit paste with the world’s finest beer. But when my friend ‘Dr.’ Joel Armato of New Holland Brewing Company suggested this would make for a most unique piece of winter editorial, I was game—albeit slightly skeptical. Turns out it is a gourmand’s dream.

Armato, I and three others (noted below) joined AML senior staff photographer Heather Berkenstock for an intriguing afternoon of several pairings and conversation at Chef Patrick Gauthron’s wildly successful Main Line bakery, Aux Petits Delices. Gauthron has been in the heart of Wayne for almost a quarter of a century—a phenomenal feat for any small business.

A former pastry chef at Le Bec Fin, Chef Patrick has carved out a loyal following among Main Line brides with his award-winning wedding cakes. His quaint bakery, open six days a week, attracts visitors from as far away as central Jersey who have deemed the travel worthy of his fine pastries, cakes and chocolates. Lucky for me Aux Petits Delices is in my hometown so I can pop in there any time!
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By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Courtney Apple

Whipped Bakeshop’s Valentine designs are almost too pretty to eat!

Pastry chef and owner Zoë Lukas is an artist by trade. And one glance at her elegant creations of cupcakes, cookies and cakes on her website, whippedbakeshop.com, and its clear this is no ordinary bakery. Her intricate, custom designs-from Yoda cupcakes to elegant wedding cakes to oh-so-Martha vintage Valentine replicas-and attention to detail are part of her booming business and soaring city reputation. “Baking and art are my two loves so my cookies and cakes are really my canvases…in essence. I love looking at patterns and fabrics and I enjoy knitting and sewing. If I go to a museum, it reignites my creativity. I can see a vintage plate or a piece of beautiful stationery and get a concept for a wedding cake or a new cookie pattern; it’s a constant process for me. I really love and appreciate anything that is designed well and I try to transform that to my work,” explained Lukas.

Lukas started Whipped Bakeshop in 2007 and this past October opened the doors to her Fishtown storefront to much aplomb, with the support of her husband, Brennen. “We started getting a ton of momentum with the business the first year through our Flickr site. My husband encouraged me to take pictures constantly and upload them on a regular basis and that really kept people engaged. Then the website followed, and Twitter took off. Now, we are here and business is very, very good,” said Lukas.
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By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

Meridith’s in Berwyn, one of the Main Line’s finest restaurants, was the perfect setting for AML’s January 11th business networking event.

Berwyn’s popular Meridith’s American Bistro was the perfect setting for AroundMainLine.com’s first ‘Monday Night Meetup,’ a new free business networking series for Main Liners to meet, make great connections and new friends. Over 70 attendees, 80% of whom were AML Facebook fans, enjoyed fine food and company on the evening of January 11th. “It was really a great group to network with, we were very pleased with the turnout” enthused owner Meridith McLoughlin.

As Philadelphia’s first emagazine, AML has established a very strong, loyal local following with over 1,000 Facebook fans and 1,600 followers on Twitter. Our successful night of networking was exclusively marketed via these social media channels. The vast majority of our attendees told us they had seen the event via our Facebook fan page or via a tweet/retweet from our Twitter account!
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By AML Publisher
Photos by Bernadette Uzcategui

Matt Guyer, owner of Wayne’s Beeryard, selected six of his favorite winter ales for the AML Holiday Beer Guide.

If there was ’such a thing’ in 2009 as a town crier, Wayne’s Matt Guyer would fit the bill. In Medieval England, town criers were the key means of news communication within the town because most locals could not read or write. In this modern day, that role is best played out by the dashingly good-looking Wayne native and beer aficionado.

The 38 year-old Guyer is in his twelfth year as owner of the Main Line’s most successful beer distributors, The Beer Yard. Trust me when I say it: when Guyer talks beer-everyone listens! The Beer Yard currently stocks 800-1100 different kinds of beer, considered the Delaware Valley’s best selection of ales bar none. I’ve worked with Matt on several beer articles to date in the last fifteen months. And, a holiday beer guide is now an annual tradition with yours truly and Guyer. This year we had a surprise guest contributor who lent his expertise. Joel Armato, an East Coast sales rep for Michigan’s New Holland Brewing Company, happened to be hanging at The Beer Yard for a company tasting last week when I stopped in for my scheduled fun.

So without further ado, Here Ye, Here Ye! Soak in our second annual AML guide to beers that will most certainly wow your guests this holiday season.

Cheers for a wonderful and safe holiday season!

Sarah Lockard
AroundMainLine.com CEO & ePublisher
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By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

Ooka’s teppanyaki keeps patrons of all ages entertained during the popular Hibachi show.

The word Ooka (Oh’-kah) means cherry blossom in Japanese-and is a fitting title for one of the region’s most prosperous suburban restaurants. Fine Japanese dining in Montgomery County is here to stay and the buzz around Ooka Montgomeryville-which opened this summer-is palpable and purposeful. Duck consomme, Cajun tuna tataki, roasted Scottish salmon, raw maki, avocado sashimi-Ooka Montgomeryville’s menu reads like a wish list for lovers of sophisticated Asian cuisine.

Owners and brothers Benny and Lenny Huang, along with executive chef Shuji Hiyakawa and manager Skyler Strouth (both formerly of Center City’s Morimoto), have given Montgomeryville one sophisticated dining gem. Ooka restaurant opened in 1997 with a 35-seat fine dining restaurant in Doylestown. Since then, the Huang family has expanded to Willow Grove, Riverside, CA and now Montgomeryville. Benny and Lenny’s success is based on the fact they have relationships with the best seafood vendors in the world. “Because we resource from the world’s best, we try to be as authentic as we can get on the sushi side in the suburban area. Our goal is to offer new ideas and unique variety to our customer but keep our prices fair and reasonable. The variety of sushi and the sake list we offer is superior,” said Benny Huang.
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By AML Publisher
Photos by Belle Vie Photography

Local celiacs and vegans now have the first Philadelphia-area bakery to call their own with Lansdale’s Virago Baking Company.

Walk into Lansdale’s quaint corner Virago Baking Company and the cases are packed with one delicious treat after another: dozens of mouth-watering, generously iced cupcakes, hearty pies, breakfast breads, birthday cakes and more. Seems like any other small town bustling bakery business until you take a close look at the menu. Everything in Regina Mason‘s sensationally successful bakery is gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan. “I knew I wanted to open a bakery in Lansdale, but not your typical concept. There really is no way to compete with the local supermarkets in a traditional bakery model and there is very high demand now for what we offer with food allergies being so prevalent. A bakery for the Philadelphia region that prides itself in offering the same items but made for those dietary restrictions in mind are what we pride ourselves on-and, what can I say, it is working,” explained Mason.
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Recipe Courtesy of Jennifer Grove
Photos courtesy of Jubilee Photography & Belle Vie Photography

Prep School 101 blogger Jennifer Grove
Photo courtesy of Jubilee Photography

Baltimore’s Jennifer Grove, 35, is a single mom to five-year-old Calista and one savvy blogger and businesswoman. Grove created the blog Prep School 101 in May 2009 after writing a fashion and entertainment blog for several years. Grove saw very strong reader feedback when she posted personal pictures and stories and, most importantly, her recipes. Her ex-husband was a sommelier in Manhattan and she spent ten years dining in New York’s finest restaurants, developing a sophisticated palette.

Over 5,000 unique visitors a week across the country checked in on Prep School 101-a chic mix of East Coast fashion, food, wine, family fun, and more. As if the blog and her duties as a single mom didn’t keep her occupied enough, Jennifer recently launched a brand new website and company in late October. A few weeks ago, this mompreneur began her second business venture with Sky Blue Events (www.skyblue-events.com), a Baltimore-based wedding and event planning company. Sky Blue designs and provides consulting services for stylish soirées, private gatherings, formal affairs, chic weddings, milestone celebrations, store openings and corporate functions throughout the Baltimore region.
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By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

Fall Apple Picking in the Delaware Valley

AML sent staff photographer Heather Berkenstock of Belle Vie Photography on an apple-picking assignment at Linvilla Orchards, a Delaware Valley fall family tradition for the region. The goal: take her daughters and one of her best friends (and her kiddos) along for a wonderful afternoon filled with hay rides, apple cider, a hay bale maze, apple slinging, cider donuts and most importantly, an adventure in apple picking. “I definitely felt like we needed a whole day there. There is so much to do at Linvillla- my girls loved it. They have everything so well organized with all the activities. We will be going back to pick out our pumpkins,” enthused Berkenstock.

Want to plan a fun fall day out with family and friends? Check out AML’s apple picking guide 2009 below. It’s a great time of year to enjoy all the wonderful orchards and farms the Delaware Valley has to offer and support our fine local businesses that enrich our community.
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By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of Todd Zimmerman

The area’s top culinary talent will be on hand at the Wachovia Center for Appetite for Awareness on September 30th.

You’ve probably heard the term ‘gluten-free’ by now, or, most likely know someone who is not able to include gluten in their daily diet. Celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder that involves intolerance for the protein found in wheat (known as gluten), affects 1 in 133 Americans. And through their annual event, an Ambler-based nonprofit is working to make Philadelphia one of the top cities in America dedicated to raising awareness and education about celiac disease.

Tonight, September 30th, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness will hold its annual Appetite for Awareness: A Gluten-Free Cooking Spree. Top chefs and doctors will be assembled into teams at the Wachovia Center in a challenge to create the best gluten-free dish. Guests will enjoy sampling gluten-free creations from over twenty-five of the area’s preeminent restaurants, gluten-free beer, wine, and products from over fifty of the nation’s finest gluten-free vendors.
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By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of the West Chester Rotary Chili Cookoff

AML Fans: Mark your calendars for the 7th Annual West Chester Rotary Chili Cookoff, Sunday October 11th from Noon to 3pm! We will be there with a table to meet and great all of our loyal supporters.

Chili lovers across the Delaware Valley-rejoice! There’s a whole lotta cookin’ going on for the upcoming West Chester Rotary Chili Cookoff. The 7th annual event, hosted by the town’s Rotary Club, is a food and chili aficionados dream. The Cookoff returns to downtown West Chester on Sunday, October 11th from noon to 3pm.

Comcast Spotlight is one of the major corporate sponsors who have supported the community event from its inception.Their tented area will keep ‘hungry’ Eagles fans satisfied as they are bringing in large big screen televisions and a makeshift sports lounge to accommodate the crowd. Those attendees whose snag a lucky seat, and some delicious chili, can sit back and capture the Birds 1pm kickoff as they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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