Majolica
258 Bridge Street
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
(610) 917-0962
www.majolicarestaurant.com
Once settled in comfortably at Majolica, it is
increasingly difficult to remind yourself that you are dining in downtown Phoenixville,
Pennsylvania. This stylish new BYOB (open a scant four months as of this
writing) -- replete with exposed brick walls, gleaming hardwood floor, locally
made copper-top tables, striking black and white photographs and original
artwork, chic track lighting, and semi-open kitchen -- feels more like SoHo,
Greenwich Village, or Philly's swinging South Street than it does a former
steel town trying (and succeeding) to make a cultural and culinary comeback.
Majolica, which is named for the pottery produced by
the Phoenixville firm of Griffen, Smith & Hill in the 1880s, is the labor
of love of Andrew Deery and his wife, Sarah Johnston, both Phoenixville
natives. Ms. Johnston imbues the front of the house with an understated
elegance, while Mr. Deery, a veteran of Savona and the Kimberton Inn, sends
forth an equally elegant array of French-accented seasonal American offerings...
So don't expect business as usual. If the eatery's ambiance
belies its somewhat humble community surroundings, the cuisine is even more
innovative in its striking amalgams of colors, tastes, and textures. You are
not likely to find the grab 'n' growl, meat 'n' potatoes crowd congregating
here. No, Majolica is a restaurant for serious gourmands and
discriminating palates... and they have already discovered it in droves (just try
securing a reservation on a madcap Saturday evening).
The printed menu is a succinct, focused affair -- sporting
seven appetizers, seven entrées, and five desserts (plus a select number of
recited daily specials) -- which is revised on a weekly basis. This, of course,
is generally a minor tweaking with regard to seasonings and accoutrements.
On one occasion, for example, the carrot soup ($7.00) may be adorned with
basil, on another, with cilantro. Whatever the chef's predilection, however, a
cinnamon brioche crouton and sprig of the appropriate herb arrive gracing the
center of a gleaming white bowl; this diminutive island is then surrounded by a
sumptuous sea poured by your server at table. The soup itself, a flavor
intensive and colorful commingling of carrots, carrot juice, seasonings, and
touch of cream, is absolutely benchmark in its presentation.
Another exemplary starter is Mr. Deery's contemporary take
on the classic French frisée ($9.00): slices of hard-cooked egg, tender diced
fried potatoes, and strips of bacon surrounding an epicenter of greenery. The frisée
is pristinely fresh and the engagingly light dressing applied judiciously (as
opposed to death by drowning). And speaking of contemporary takes, the chicken
liver mousse ($8.00) is as silkily textured as its more illustrious -- and
infinitely more expensive -- cousin, foie gras. Accompanied by a bevy of
artfully aligned slices of toasted brioche and baked apple wedges, this is
truly a hedonistic dining experience.
On the other hand, the blue
mussels ($8.00) also have a great deal to recommend them. Most presentations of
this nature resemble an airdrop from twenty thousand feet. The plump and tender
bivalves encountered here, however, bear the marks of individual arrangement,
are sprinkled with a mirepoix (mixture of coarsely chopped onions,
carrots, and celery), and bathed in an exceptional Pernod butter
Entrées carry on in style... Mr. Deery
obviously has a penchant for matters piscatorial, as both the black sea bass
($21.00) and Atlantic salmon ($21.00), two menu mainstays, are absolutely
superlative. The former features two beautifully pan-seared filets reclining on
a tender seabed of broccoli rabe. The coup de grâce, however, is
delivered by a sensuously salty tapenade, which provides the perfect
counterpoint to the delicate white-fleshed filets. The latter is lustier in
nature but no less carefully prepared or elegantly presented. The filet is
cooked through, precisely as ordered, set on a brioche crouton, which, in turn,
has been placed on a pillow of cut-on-the-diagonal sautéed celery strips. The
salmon is then topped with a tiara of salmon caviar, and the entire dish is
consummated with an exquisite truffle nage.
The presentation of potato gnocchi
($17.00) is yet another superb choice. These "little lumps" (as the word
literally translates from the Italian) are light as a feather and gently tossed
with spring peas, baby carrots, and mushrooms and crowned with two creamy discs
of chèvre (goat cheese).
The only semi-disappointment among
the main courses proved to be the lamb loin ($23.00). Generous slices were set
on a bed of shiitake mushrooms, anointed with an excellent natural jus,
and embellished with a golden raisin compote and marjoram. A beautifully
executed presentation... but the lamb was quite tough and chewy.
Desserts, however, are right back
on track... And the star of the show is, in my opinion, the densely rich pignoli
cake topped with rosemary ice cream and finished with a luscious apricot purée
($7.00). This may appear an unlikely combo, but the rosemary ice cream, just
assertive enough to complement rather than confound the other constituents,
clearly propels the dish into orbit.
The scintillating coconut sorbet
set on a macadamia nut tuile and garnished with chunks of poached
pineapple ($6.00) is another winner, as is the celestial raspberry Napoleon
($6.00). The profiterole with vanilla ice cream and melted chocolate sauce
($7.00) is good, though not exceptional.
There is no question that Majolica
has significantly raised the bar for creative, upscale dining in the
Phoenixville area. My only regret is that I will not be able to visit more
often.
May 2005
The Artful Diner
The Artful Diner Diner is a freelance food writer who writes restaurant reviews for nj.com. His latest review can be seen on his nj.com weblog at http://blog.nj.com/artful_diner/. An archive of past reviews for nj.com as well as reviews for restaurants around the country and the world can be found on this Web site at http://www.artfuldiner.com/reviews .
