A La Maison
By Katie Noone Brown
Suburban Food Editor, MavenMag
Creamy yellow mustard walls, dark provincial furniture and copper pan accents complement rustic French fare. These attributes, along with the smiling servers’ faces, make up the brand new French restaurant located in Ardmore; the best new place I have tried in quite some time. Open, casual and comfortable yet still elegant and sophisticated, A La Maison is a unique establishment and an absolute must.
On my first visit to this BYO, my friend and I were seated immediately. Once our bottles of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir were opened, we perused the menu full of tempting starters, entrees, plats du jour and delicious desserts. If we had questions, our server was more than willing to answer them and point us toward some recommended dishes.
We chose a variety of Starters to begin: Escargots baked in chartreuse butter, caramelized onion and goat cheese tart with mesclun, organic mesclun salad with toasted walnuts and the roasted vegetable napoleon with creamy chevre were the top picks for the evening. The Escargot was especially delicious and drenched in butter while the organic mesclun salad was crispy, fresh and perfectly paired with walnuts. I ordered the roasted vegetable napoleon thinking the vegetables would be freshly grilled and warm, but they were cold and not as appetizing as I expected. The most amazing starter was the tart with mesclun; a creamy goat cheese snack with the subtle touch of caramelized onion - an appetizer I will certainly order in the future.
Typical French dishes with fresh ingredients drape the entrée menu: Coq au Vin, duck breast with cherry port demi-glace, boeuf short rib bourguignon and roasted salmon with champagne leek sauce were our choices for the evening. The variety we had at the table displayed wonderful flavors and beautiful presentations- as if I could expect anything less from a French restaurant! The Coq au Vin was surprisingly large and flavorful with juicy chicken and fresh vegetables cooked to perfection. The bourguignon was tender and delicious as well. Although I’m not normally a fan of duck, I did enjoy tasting the demi-glace portions, and the roasted salmon cooked medium well was absolutely perfect. Other interesting and appetizing entrees that I didn’t have the time, or capacity, to taste included “steak frites” prime strip with sauce maison, herb roasted free-range chicken with pomme puree and a fresh fish du jour.
Plats du Jour: Each day of the week, A La Maison features a unique special. Tuesday: Coquilles Saint Jacques; Wednesday: Cassoulet; Thursday: Choucroute Garnie; Friday: Bouillabaise; and Saturday: Lamb with Creamy White Bean- a different tasting delight every day of the week!
Desserts are a must. With fresh coffee all around, we made our choices: crepe du jour, pot de crème, profiteroles, and chocolate banana bread pudding. The crepe du jour was good, such as a typical crepe you would get on a street in Paris: authentic and creamy. The pot de crème was similar to a rich chocolate mousse with heavy cream. The profiteroles were wonderful and the chocolate banana bread pudding was a bit dry, but still bursting with chocolate and banana flavors. Great choices to end our meal.
A La Maison was a wonderful treat. We loved it, and there is no question we will visit again. Beautiful, comfortable, inviting, and charming, it is a great addition to the repertoire of restaurants in downtown Ardmore. Bon appetite!
A La Maison Bistro
53 W. Lancaster Ave.
Ardmore
484.412.8009
www.alamaisonbistro.com
BYO
Outdoor Seating
Credit Cards accepted
Seating for 40, and a chefs table that can accommodate 10-12
Banquet Facility
Offsite catering
Open for Lunch:
Tuesday – Friday
11:30 – 3
Open for Dinner:
Tuesday – Thursday
5 – 9:30
Friday – Saturday
5 – 11
Open for Brunch:
Saturday – Sunday
11 – 3:30
Suburban Food Editor, MavenMag
Creamy yellow mustard walls, dark provincial furniture and copper pan accents complement rustic French fare. These attributes, along with the smiling servers’ faces, make up the brand new French restaurant located in Ardmore; the best new place I have tried in quite some time. Open, casual and comfortable yet still elegant and sophisticated, A La Maison is a unique establishment and an absolute must.
On my first visit to this BYO, my friend and I were seated immediately. Once our bottles of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir were opened, we perused the menu full of tempting starters, entrees, plats du jour and delicious desserts. If we had questions, our server was more than willing to answer them and point us toward some recommended dishes.
We chose a variety of Starters to begin: Escargots baked in chartreuse butter, caramelized onion and goat cheese tart with mesclun, organic mesclun salad with toasted walnuts and the roasted vegetable napoleon with creamy chevre were the top picks for the evening. The Escargot was especially delicious and drenched in butter while the organic mesclun salad was crispy, fresh and perfectly paired with walnuts. I ordered the roasted vegetable napoleon thinking the vegetables would be freshly grilled and warm, but they were cold and not as appetizing as I expected. The most amazing starter was the tart with mesclun; a creamy goat cheese snack with the subtle touch of caramelized onion - an appetizer I will certainly order in the future.Typical French dishes with fresh ingredients drape the entrée menu: Coq au Vin, duck breast with cherry port demi-glace, boeuf short rib bourguignon and roasted salmon with champagne leek sauce were our choices for the evening. The variety we had at the table displayed wonderful flavors and beautiful presentations- as if I could expect anything less from a French restaurant! The Coq au Vin was surprisingly large and flavorful with juicy chicken and fresh vegetables cooked to perfection. The bourguignon was tender and delicious as well. Although I’m not normally a fan of duck, I did enjoy tasting the demi-glace portions, and the roasted salmon cooked medium well was absolutely perfect. Other interesting and appetizing entrees that I didn’t have the time, or capacity, to taste included “steak frites” prime strip with sauce maison, herb roasted free-range chicken with pomme puree and a fresh fish du jour.
Plats du Jour: Each day of the week, A La Maison features a unique special. Tuesday: Coquilles Saint Jacques; Wednesday: Cassoulet; Thursday: Choucroute Garnie; Friday: Bouillabaise; and Saturday: Lamb with Creamy White Bean- a different tasting delight every day of the week!
Desserts are a must. With fresh coffee all around, we made our choices: crepe du jour, pot de crème, profiteroles, and chocolate banana bread pudding. The crepe du jour was good, such as a typical crepe you would get on a street in Paris: authentic and creamy. The pot de crème was similar to a rich chocolate mousse with heavy cream. The profiteroles were wonderful and the chocolate banana bread pudding was a bit dry, but still bursting with chocolate and banana flavors. Great choices to end our meal.
A La Maison was a wonderful treat. We loved it, and there is no question we will visit again. Beautiful, comfortable, inviting, and charming, it is a great addition to the repertoire of restaurants in downtown Ardmore. Bon appetite!
A La Maison Bistro
53 W. Lancaster Ave.
Ardmore
484.412.8009
www.alamaisonbistro.com
BYO
Outdoor Seating
Credit Cards accepted
Seating for 40, and a chefs table that can accommodate 10-12
Banquet Facility
Offsite catering
Open for Lunch:
Tuesday – Friday
11:30 – 3
Open for Dinner:
Tuesday – Thursday
5 – 9:30
Friday – Saturday
5 – 11
Open for Brunch:
Saturday – Sunday
11 – 3:30
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