By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography
Click here to view our slideshow on our AML Facebook Fan Page

Gorgeous table linens provided by our good friend Cindy Bene of Select Event Rentals. Beautiful floral arrangements courtesy of Paoli’s Flowers by Priscilla.

AroundMainLine.com welcomed over 300 Main Liners and local foodies at Susanna Foo’s Gourmet Kitchen in Radnor on Thursday evening July 22nd for the official launch party of Main Line Restaurant Week. Dozens of local restaurant owners and local chefs attended the magical evening—including many of our participating restaurants.

Special AML VIP guests included Michael Klein of the Philadelphia Inquirer and philly.com, Mickael Decoker, manager of Blackfish BYO in Conshohocken, Ronna Bonds of Chesterbrook’s popular EBar at the Embassy Suites, Prudential Fox Roach realtor Joan Hindin, CEO of Wayne’s popular women’s boutique Fresh Ayer Liz Ayerle, Brian Pieri of Conshohocken’s The Stone Rose, Dr. Catherine Foote of Foote Orthodontics, and AML photographers Heather Berkenstock and Courtney Apple. Read the full story

By AML Publisher

Nectar’s beautiful outdoor deck overlooks an Asian garden.
Photo courtesy of Courtney Apple Photography

Ardmore

Plate
www.platerestaurant.com
Ever since Reese (Witherspoon) decided to dine frequently at Plate last summer while filming her movie with Paul Rudd, Plate has enjoyed a very sweet flurry of activity. For those wishing a meal outdoors, Plate offers a full-service outdoor dining area that seats 75. Their chic cedar pergola and café tables and chairs allow diners to savor a good meal while basking in the beautiful weather. Afterwards, take in all the great shopping Suburban Square (Lilly Pulitzer, Blue Mercury, and Ann Taylor) has to offer.

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By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Heather Berkenstock, Belle Vie Photography
Click here to view our virtual tour of Susanna Foo’s on AML’s Facebook Fan Page.

"Thank you for organizing such a wonderful event. We are excited to be part of the inaugural Main Line Restaurant Week." Susanna Foo, Susanna Foo's Gourmet Kitchen

AroundMainLine.com is throwing a fantastic launch party for the first ever Main Line Restaurant Week at Susanna Foo’s Gourmet Kitchen in Radnor July 22nd! In what promises to be one of the Main Line’s hottest summer events, guests will be treated to complimentary hors d’oeuvres, amazing drink specials and a festive atmosphere—with the suburbs top chefs and restaurant owners in attendance.

For more than 25 years, Susanna Foo has changed the paradigm of Chinese food melding traditional Chinese foods with classical French techniques. With two cookbooks and two internationally known restaurants, Chef Foo is a two-time James Beard Award winner and is widely recognized as one of America’s top Chinese chefs. Many Asian cuisine aficionados credit Foo with having brought Chinese food into the modern realm. In November 2006, she opened Susanna Foo Gourmet Kitchen in Radnor—now one of the Main Line’s most successful and respected restaurants. Read the full story

By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Courtney Apple Photography

Nectar executive chef and partner Patrick Feury is hosting a beer dinner with his brother, chef Terence Feury, and Bill Covalescki of Victory Brewery.

The bad news? Philly Beer Week is coming to an end. The good news? If you have not had time to partake in the hundreds of events across the city and suburbs this week, a fantastic finale is planned this Sunday at Bryn Mawr’s popular pan-Asian restaurant, Nectar.

Executive chef and partner Patrick Feury has teamed up with Downingtown’s Victory Brewery and his brother, Fork executive chef Terence Feury, to launch Fists of Feury. Fists is an English pale ale created via the Victory collaboration. It is only available at Nectar, Old City’s Fork and Victory while the batches last. Sunday both Feury brothers and Victory’s Bill Covaleski will host a special four course beer dinner at Nectar, with one seating, starting at 5 p.m.

AroundMainLine.com: Chef Feury, I love that, as one of the Main Line’s most prestigious and respected chefs, you are vested in beer and food pairings. How did this event and relationship between Nectar and Victory come about?

Patrick Feury: I’ve known Bill (Covaleski) for many years and I’ve been home brewing since I was very young. So we decided to do a beer that was ‘chef driven’ and paired well with food. It’s the perfect marriage and it’s been a great learning experience for Terry and me.

AML: What inspired you to brew an English pale ale specifically?

PF: My mom was born in England and my dad is first generation Irish. We really wanted a brew that was similar to our heritage and so Terry and I took English hops and American hops and came up with Fists.

AML: I guess we can let everyone in on the ‘secret weapon’ in Fists of Feury-rosemary.

PF: I use rosemary a lot in my food at Nectar as a background accent that people may not realize is in their food. Even my citrus vinaigrette that I use for my salads has rosemary. I thought rosemary would be fun in the beer!

AML: Count me in for Sunday night! What can the diners expect with this event?

PF: We designed the dinner to be a loose, fun party atmosphere, with stellar food, for everyone on Sunday. Its not so structured as you would think for a four course dinner. We will also be serving Victory’s Summer Love ale-and Bill has never launched two ales at once which I think beer lovers will appreciate. Its really going to be fun.

Fists of Feury Beer Dinner at Nectar

When: Sunday June 13th 5 p.m. Please arrive by 5 p.m. as there is one seating.

Where: Nectar Restaurant, Bryn Mawr

What: A special four course dinner celebrating the release of Fists of Feury, a limited release English pale ale

Cost: $55 per person, beer included, gratuity is additional

Reservations: Call Nectar for reservations, seating is limited: 610-725-9000

Address: 1091 East Lancaster Avenue, Berwyn

Website: www.tastenectar.com

Facebook Fan Page: Nectar Restaurant and Lounge

By AML Publisher
Photography by Heather Berkenstock

Hats by Katie's most famous hat is the Mini-Topper (tm). This style has been worn by Lisa Singer, Suzy Stafford, Sharon Chesson and Lana Wright in all the many combined driving World Championships they competed in, both here and overseas.

Twenty years ago, having a difficult time finding hats that were attractive and that fit well, Katie Whelan started making hats as a sideline. As her carriage driving career developed, so did the variety of hats she made for family and friends. Eventually the Long Island native, who grew up in Sugarloaf, New York, evolved the interest into a full-time occupation. Hats by Katie launched in 1990 with Whelan utilizing her arts minor from Boston’s Regis College as the basis for beginning a millinery business that is now world-renowned. That success has evolved, most recently, into an appointment-only shop in nearby Paris, Kentucky. “The main reason I started making the hats is because I have a big head and a lot of hair. I could not find any hats that fit me or that I particularly liked,” explained Whelan. A recent highlight of her career was winning the “Best Booth” award at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, Windsor, England.

Katie has been driving for 30 years. She has been pinned Grand Champion at Devon and at Walnut Hill, she represented the US at the 2003 and 2005 Pony World Championships, and she has been both national four-in-hand champion and national single horse champion-so she is well aware of what hats work for the driving community, for both pleasure drivers and combined drivers. As for Devon, Whelan has been a beloved boutique and popular shopping destination for Main Line ladies for over a decade. Her works of art have been worn at the world’s most prestigious equestrian events including the Horse Show, Kentucky Derby, Royal Ascot (one of the world’s most famous race meetings dating back to 1711 and attended by the Queen of England), the Walnut Hill Farm driving show in Pittsford, New York-among others. Hats by Katie has been featured in Southern Living Magazine and O Magazine—in which, in 2006, she outfiitted Oprah and a group of Winfrey’s dearest girlfriends with hats for a garden party shoot, including Oprah’s lifelong friend Maria Shriver. Read the full story

By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Brenda Carpenter Photography

The very popular Devon Hat Parade, with Horse Show enthusiast and celebrity Caron Kressley as emcee, is on Wednesday, June 2, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Registration begins at 12:30.

Two top notch exhibitions will add even greater variety to the Devon Horse Show, which already has a huge variety of horses competing, from hunters and jumpers to four-in-hand carriages, Saddlebreds, roadsters and Friesans among others. There will be a reining exhibition by Stacy Westfall on May 28-30, and the beloved Budweiser Clydesdales will perform in exhibition the last four evenings, Wednesday through Saturday, June 2nd through June 5th.

The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair has donated almost $14 million to Bryn Mawr Hospital over the nine decades of their association. It takes the efforts of over 2,000 volunteers, many of whom work year-round and all of whom work hours at the show, to keep the Country Fair ticking along. The Horse Show also has its volunteers, first and foremost Leonard A. King, chairman, and Wade McDevitt, president. But, it also has two professional horse show managers, David Distler and Peter Doubleday, as well as professional judges for its myriad divisions and a very competent office staff, including Amy Davis and Meg Wiederseim, who works year-round, and Kathy Gillmer who works from January through June. Read the full story

By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Brenda Carpenter Photography

The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair is one of the largest and most prestigious outdoor equestrian events in the country.

The Devon Horse Show has been honored with the United States Equestrian Federation’s designation as a USEF Heritage Competition. A historic Pennsylvania equestrian event that has become a part of the fabric of the American horse show scene and a Main Line family tradition, Devon is only the fourth show to receive this honor. Devon opens Thursday, May 27 with a full day of equitation in the Dixon Oval and pony breeding in the Gold Ring. Children 12 and under will be admitted free on opening day, courtesy of Hartstrings, a locally headquartered children’s clothing company.

The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, May 27th to June 6th, benefits the Bryn Mawr Hospital, to which it has donated almost $14 million. New footing in the Dixon Oval at Devon has been installed by Equestrian Services International, which has provided the footing for the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, and jumper riders are thrilled with it. A Devon favorite is Laura Chapot, who has ridden the Open Jumper Champion for three of the past five years and has also been Leading Open Jumper Rider three of the past five years. Chapot is bringing a new grand prix horse to Devon this year, Tsarin, a mare she got only recently in Europe. Chapot is bringing three additional horses, Bradbury, Valentia and Chili Pepper as well as a couple of young horses for the Five-Year Old, Six-Year-Old and Seven/Eight-Year-Old sections which will compete Tuesday and Wednesday, June 1st and June 2nd. Open Jumpers compete Tuesday May 31 through Saturday, June 5. Read the full story

By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

The perfect pony party!

Like any busy mom, Linda H. was late getting started on the logistics of her daughter Lily’s third birthday party. So, in a time crunch, she went to the best source of inspiration: her child. “I asked Lily one afternoon what type of birthday party she would like and she did not hesitate for a second. She turned to me and said, ‘A pony party Mommy!’ Then of course that set the stage and that is really all I needed for my creative juices to start flowing,” recalled Linda. “I think she picked ponies because we are zoo addicts, and she loves to ride the ponies there. Lily picked the color too…I showed her three horses to choose from and she picked the brown pony. Alas, pink and brown became her colors for the day!”

Linda, a Penn Valley native and Notre Dame Academy grad, moved back to the area after over two years in Montana with husband Kevin-whom she met there. Lily was born in Big Sky, a gorgeous albeit less populated place Linda and Kevin, a Mississippi native, were accustomed too. “Montana was amazingly beautiful, but we had to drive baby Lily an hour each way just to go to the pediatrician…we knew it was time to come back to the east coast,” she explained.
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By AML Publisher
Featured homepage photo: Silverspoon Café, Wayne, Courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

Silverspoon Café in Wayne is hosting their first Mother’s Day at their new locale in the Eagle Village Shops. Photo courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

Silverspoon Café
Eagle Village Shops
Wayne, PA
www.silverspoonwayne.com
Twitter: silvrspoonwayne
610-688-7646

Wayne’s popular Silverspoon Café will be hosting their first Mother’s Day brunch at their new spacious location in Eagle Village Shops-complete with a cozy outdoor patio. The casual country bistro, headed by husband and wife team Ron and Ruth Silverberg, offers contemporary American favorites. In addition to a lovely brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Silverspoon will be treating all Moms to chocolate dipped strawberries, a fresh cut flower and a $10 return gift card.

Menu highlights include: huevos rancheros; crispy braised pork belly with potato hash, poached eggs, hollandaise, and spinach; pancetta benedict, homemade english muffins, caramelized onions, aged cheddar, hollandaise; and a Cape May panini sandwich complete with sliced turkey breast, fennel cabbage slaw, strawberry mustard and cheddar. Silverspoon also prides itself on a number of gluten-free menu options.

Valley Forge Radisson
1160 First Avenue
King of Prussia, PA
www.radissonbrunch.com
610-354-8000

This Mother’s Day, show your love and affection for your mom by treating her to one of the most delectable Mother’s Day brunch in town at the Radisson Hotel Valley Forge, from 11:00am until 3:00pm. The menu includes extravagant spreads of the finest breakfast foods, sides, entrees and desserts served in the Radisson Valley Forge’s elegant Grand Ballroom. Guests will be enticed by delicious brunch selections including omelets cooked-to-order with a variety of toppings to choose from. The Radisson’s Chefs will also be making waffles to order.
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By AML Publisher
Featured photography courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

Chesapeake City, Maryland oozes with old world charm, quaint shops, gorgeous gardens and great dining. It’s a great daycation spot with mom and less than a 90 minute drive from the heart of the Main Line. Photo courtesy of Jubilee Photography

1) Chesapeake City, Maryland
www.chesapeakecity.com
Read our full story on Chesapeake City

Quaint, historic and charming Chesapeake City, Maryland-located in Cecil County-is a short and beautiful drive from Philly’s western suburbs. It is one wonderful daycation for a very deserving mom in your life! Chesapeake City’s historic area is on the National Historic Registry, as well as Maryland’s Historic Registry. The town has many restored historic homes, shops and galleries, featuring hand-painted originals and prints, antiques, collectibles, clothing, gifts and crafts.

Boasting a bevy of B&Bs, it’s a perfect getaway for mom and daughters or sisters for the holiday weekend. The town’s holiday dining spot for Mom’s Day is, without doubt, the Bayard House.The restaurant serves award-winning crab soup, tournedos Baltimore, and a breathtaking tableside view of the famous Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (C&D Canal), one of only two vital sea-level canals in the United States.

Additional sites include the Canal Museum, art galleries, summer concerts, boat tours, and tours of the nearby horse country. Convenient to several large cities on the east coast, this historic village on the banks of the C&D Canal is a favorite spot for those seeking a weekend getaway or a vacation retreat.
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