Meandering on the Main Line

The Main Line (so named because these were originally the main stops along the PRR coming from Phila.to Paoli) is a route loaded with old mansions, antique shops, trendy stores, gourmet restaurants and special, unique surprises to suit every traveler.

Quick Tips:

You can start your tour in Ardmore (first stop) then work your way from stop to stop. Or you can ride all the way to Paoli, getting a feel for the area along the way (make sure you get a window seat); then work your way BACK to the city. Stop in Berwyn and Devon for antique-lovers paradise, Wayne for trendy shops and restaurants, Ardmore for upscale shopping. There are other equally charmimg stops along the way but these are my favorites. Wear comfortable walking shoes, dress for the weather and carry a few sturdy shopping bags.

Best Way To Get Around:

Since parking is a bit of a problem on streets along the main line, your best bet is to take the train. Since the towns were literally built around the train stations, you will find them at the hub of activity in each place. Some stations have been turned into restaurants, nightclubs, etc...A number of them have been restored to their Victorian charm and are a delight in themselves.

I had heard so much about this restaurant before trying it that I truly had great expectations -- and was not disappointed! Margaret Kuo is known nationally and internationally as an outstanding chef and has produced a restaurant on the prestigious Mainline that can hold its own against other up-scale restaurants on Lancaster Avenue!

The downstairs features more of a Chinese-oriented menu while upstairs holds a sushi bar and a Japanese-inspired menu. Service was competent and very friendly. The decor is modern-Japanese and was austere yet trendy.

Our meal was heavily sushi based, but the six of us loved it.Even though Kuo's establishment features a full bar, we started with Sappora beers, and glasses of a nice Pinot Grigio. Having decided on the "Love Boat" -- a sushi/sashimi combination which was just perfect as a sampler for those unfamiliar with sushi, we were amazed at the elegance with which it was presented. The Love Boat was prefaced with an order of Lobster Roll and Spider Roll (deep-fried soft-shell crab wrapped in rice and nori). We requested the special "hot" wasabi that is not the same as the regular "house" style. We are big wasabi fans, but this brought tears to our eyes and burns to our sinuses! We loved it!!! The Love Boat included both hand-formed and rolled sushi as well as sashimi (raw fish) such as whitefish, yellow tail, ahi tuna, octopus, squid, salmon, and several others. It also featured a maki roll, cooked clams, and small octopus. The rice was exceptionally full-flavored. It was lots of fun to eat as a group . . . Several members of the party still had enough room for dessert and choose lemon sorbet and peach sorbet to top off the meal, followed, of course, by the ubiquitious fortune cookies. The coffee was the best I have tasted anywhere!

I have to admit, I first fell in love with Le Mas on my 50th birthday when several girlfriends took me there after work for a wee celebration. We nibbled on Nicoise and Greek pizza then washed that down with several of the absolutely BEST Cosmopolitans I've had anywhere. (And I consider myself somewhat of a connieuseur of Cosmo's). The pizza,while excellent,just didnt quite satisfy our cravings so we opted for ordering off the bar menu. We enjoyed calamari and tuna, respectively, both featured in a sauce of Asian influence but distinctively different.

After that memorable night I couldnt wait for an opportunity to go with hubby. The recently remodeled "French farmhouse" with terra cotta floors and saffron-colored plaster walls reminded us of a country inn. It even has walk-in fireplaces with exposed wood beams throughout. There is also an indoor courtyard with glass doors and a huge skylight that casts sunlight(and moonlight) on guests as well as an outdoor brick patio with fountain, but the weather was too cold for sitting outside. We were surprised that a reasonable prix fixe menu was offered ($35.00 Tues.- Thurs), as the place had a reputation for being "beaucoup bucks." We chose a fish soup with croutons and saffron rouille and marinated calamari salad with green curry for an appetizer. Our main course gave us a choice between calf liver,grilled salmon,beef sirloin or cavatelli with crab. Our choices (salmon and cavatelli) were superb beyond description. They were reminiscent of a trip to southern France. I finished with my favorite "creme brulee" for dessert and hubby had a decadent dark chocolate fondant with "Earl Grey" Mousse." The meal was exquisite, the atmosphere (from silver to table arrangements) stunning and service impeccable. If you are in this area, no matter what your budget, you MUST go to Le Mas. It is a culinary experience that defines all others.

Wabi-Sabi means always improving or getting better - each visit is better than the last! The decor is Japanese-inspired: elegant simplicity featuring a premium-stocked black granite cocktail bar, sushi bar, and hibachi tables separated by etched glass panels with Asian themes.

Begin your experience with an expertly concocted libation from Andy, the most accommodating manager and bartender extraordinaire. Grey Goose Cosmos top the list of local favorites, but try the Black Belt (premium cold sake and kahlua). The bar features Japanese vodka, sakes, and a fabulous plum wine called Choya, which is a must-try. If you’re a beer drinker, you can satisfy your thirst from a selection of Asian and imported beers. Don’t forget to order a bowl of edamame, delightfully crunchy, lightly salted soy beans in a pod, which go GREAT with cocktails.

My favorites are from the appetizing sushi bar:
Sweetheart Roll (raw tuna on the outside surrounding rice and shaped in a heart).
Dancing Dragon (teriyaki-flavored eel surrounding avocado, rice, and caviar). I am personally responsible for transforming several non-eel lovers to eel fanatics with this particular sushi.
My husband loves the crunchySpider Roll (tempura-fried soft shell crab wrapped sushi-style around rice filling).
"Wabi-Sabi Roll" (salmon, avocado and crab surrounded with spicy tuna on the outside, sprinkled with caviar)
Tuna Lovers (tuna and avocado inside with spicy tuna outside)
Samurai (four different kinds of caviar on outside)

Japanese dinners from the hibachi menu can be prepared tableside by special hibachi chefs or can be served at the bar without all the fanfare. Along with your main course, you will receive vegetables, a complimentary shrimp, and fried rice, all cooked in front of you with a lot of ooohs and aahhhs. Try your luck at catching a flying shrimp offered by your plucky hibachi chef. You can choose from chicken, shrimp, red snapper, salmon, calamari, strip steak, scallops, lobster tail, Chilean sea bass, filet mignon, or a combination of the above. Dinners are served with miso soup, salad, and a delightful mochi ice cream drizzled with chocolate sauce that kids will LOVE.

Try the specialty dinners;
Wabi Sabi Special (for two) $67.95 Very romantic, with lobster tail, filet, shrimp, scallop, and a special sushi appetizer
Kobe (not Bryant)-$29 Filet, shrimp, scallops, and shrimp dumpling appetizer
Kyoto (my hubbie insists on calling this Coyote dinner) 27.50 NY strip steak, shrimp, chicken, and California roll appetizer
Tokyo Special-25.50 Red snapper, salmon, calamari, and shrimp dumpling appetizer As the name suggests, this establishment is always searching for ways to offer the "perfect" dining experience. When you go, take a seat at the bar, order a Cosmo, and ask for a cup of Andy’s "Special Peanuts" (not on the menu and not always available), red-skinned, seasoned, and deep fried to produce the most intense nut-like flavor ever. Look at the menu and make your choices. Wabi Sabi.

Touted as our country's "First Mall", Suburban Square was built in the 1920s to siphon away some of the shopping traffic that headed to Philadelphia via Ardmore. It has remained an institution and main line mavens still flock to its upscale fashion retailers and specialty stores. Top names such as Ann Taylor, April Cornell, Banana Republic, Chico's, Coach and a host of others lure savvy women shoppers. There are a few great stores for kids like Jacadi and Kamikaze Kids and even a few for men like GAP, Crew and City Sports. The fashion stores are sprinkled with other specialty shops like Blue Mercury (bath & beauty), J.E. Caldwell& Co.(jewelers deluxe), Restoration Hardware, and Williams & Sonoma. When you're tired of shopping, pop into Ruby's Diner for a quick bite or head out to a restaurant where you can hobnob with the tres chic "ladies who lunch."

Tiny little Berwyn has many hidden treasures. Some are located right on Rt. 30 (the famous Main Line), while others, such as Meredith''s Market, are located a block or two off the main drag. Go from shop to shop finding eclectic treasures and lots of friendly people who can tell you everything you want to know about the Main Line. The selection of antique shops seems overwhelming, but you can narrow them down without much trouble.

Stop in Berwyn Coffee (corner of Rt. 30 and Old Lancaster Road) for a terrific selection of coffees, teas, cappuccinos, smoothies, and a GREAT lunch spot with lots of veggie and gourmet-type sandwiches.

Not just the site of the world-famous Horse Show, Devon has other attractions to lure visitors to its doors. For one, there is the Lancaster Farmer''s Market where you can catch a glimpse of wealthy main line matrons shopping for fresh produce and meats while their chauffer carries their shopping bags. (For many of them . . . they really think they ARE at a farmer''s market!) There is an ultra trendy shopping district ("mall" is not the word) where dress shops, restaurants, home fashion stores, and other specialty shops beckon the shopper with one-of-a-kind wares. Restaurants the calibre of "Le Mas Perrier" (Georges Perrier''s suburban answer to "Le Bec Fin") entice the shopper and commuting crowd from Philly with elegant, haute cuisine menus. Pining for a taste of Britain? Devon has that too in its outstanding tearoom, "Taste of Britain," where shoppers can enjoy a selection of teas, tea sandwiches, scones, and other tasty treats from across the pond. Another wonderful place is Waterloo gardens, on the corner of Waterloo and Lancaster avenues. Their outdoor displays of plants, trees, shrubs, annuals, etc. is rivaled only by the selection of gardening accessories, furniture, gourmet foods, etc. available in their gift shop. Their newly expanded seasonal shop contains an unbelievable display of artificial trees, ornaments, collectibles, and features top-of-the-line outdoor furniture during the off-season. Of course there are antique shops in Devon, right on Lancaster Ave, but they are not the #1 attraction in this historical town. Stop in at Fresh Fields for the ultimate in gourmet grocery shopping; its selection of organic produce and take-out delights rival any restaurant''s. You could easily spend a day in Devon . . . and come back for more!

If you get off the commuter train at the Wayne Station, you will emerge onto trendy but totally hip "Wayne Avenue." This is one of my favorite areas to prowl and you can take your choice of shopping, dining, cocktails or a combination of all three. Heading south on your right, you will find Wooden Iron, Christopher's and a brand new very New York spot right next to Christopher's. There is also a great little restaurant, "Teresa's Café," where the food is excellent.

If you get off the train and head west you can have your pick of great Thai restaurant and the American Bar & Grill. Head east and you will find the lovely Wayne Hotel and its great little restaurant "Taquet." At the corner of Wayne and Lancaster Ave. is a boutique coffee shop/bakery and directly across the street is Great Harvest Bread Company. Stop in for a free sample...you won't walk out empty handed! There are several upscale children's and baby boutiques on this street as well as a few antique dealers, bookstores and candy/ice cream shops.

There's no doubt about it...when I want to spend a day of just meandering or a night of pub-hopping...Wayne Avenue is where I head!