When I first met Brett Hulbert and Sandra Morris two years ago, the new owners of Portabello’s told me they were drawn to Kennett Square by the ambience of the small town. They felt like there was a true spirit of community in the borough.
Over time, Brett has evolved the menu, adding eye-popping appetizers such as firecracker shrimp, handcrafted soups and fresh seafood dishes such as ruby red trout, Hawaiian bluefish and halibut. Anyone that has stopped into Portabello’s knows Brett enjoys stopping by tables and chatting with customers, learning their tastes and developing long-term relationships. He is passionate, creative, and collaborative in his approach to food.
One of the friendships Brett has forged has been with Kathi Lafferty, the owner of The Mushroom Cap, which sits across the street from Portabello’s. Kathi’s eclectic shop sells fresh mushrooms, gifts and collectibles that celebrate Kennett Square as the Mushroom Capital of the World.
Since she makes weekly rounds to the local mushroom farms, Kathi offered to pick up ‘shrooms for Brett. During their chats, Kathi also occasionally suggested mushroom themed dishes, and Brett, being open to new ideas, ran with two that have become quite popular in his restaurant. And this collaboration, and a Facebook post, is what led me to Portabello’s on a rainy Friday afternoon, where Brett, Kathi and I chatted over a delicious lunch.
Being the woman who heads up all things mushroom in Kennett Square, Kathi is always looking for ways to play up Kennett Square’s fungi heritage, even when she is visiting her daughter out in the Midwest. “She took me to a restaurant called the Crazy Horse, and they had a card on the table advertising portobello fries,” Kathi recalled. “And I thought, here we are in Kennett Square, mushroom capital of the world, and we don’t have these.” So Kathi suggested the idea to Brett.
“It was right after I bought the restaurant, about two weeks in,” Brett recalled, “and I was revamping the menu, when Kathi mentioned the idea of portabello fries and I ran with it, and they were on the menu the following Friday. I was like, why didn’t I think of that?” Brett laughed. “It’s now the number two selling appetizer right behind my firecracker shrimp.”
How does one make portabello fries? “I spec out the large portabellos, and I slice them a half-inch thick,” Brett explains. He then dips them in an herb roasted garlic batter and rolls them in Japanese panko bread crumbs before deep-frying them. They are served with a mouthwatering horseradish creme fraiche. These have a crunch on the outside, with the juiciness of the portabello retained inside. The creme fraiche pulls it all together, making this one decadent appetizer.
As Brett hustled off to the kitchen for a moment, Kathi leaned in and said, “he is very receptive to these dishes. He does well here, and he has a passion. You can tell he is really into the food.”
A few moments later, Brett returned with a surprise plate. “My most popular appetizer, my firecracker shrimp, is served with a scallion blue cheese dipping sauce. This is very Thai inspired—I love Thai food. This combines the flavors of Asia—sweet, sour, hot, and salty.” As he explained what to look for, I tried a forkful and sensed all those flavors going off like … well, like a firecracker. This was a tangy dish that truly bursts like a firecracker—very aptly named.
Now, about the Facebook post that drew me to the restaurant on this particular day. A month or so ago, Kathi posted that Brett had developed an awesome portabello cheesesteak, a meatless cheesesteak, after one of their frequent fungi conversations. It’s no secret that I’m a cheesesteak lover, and I’m also a believer in the meatiness of the esteemed portabello, so I knew right away I had to try this creation.
Brett recalled the moment Kathi suggested the idea. “As soon as she said it, I was like, it’s gonna be a huge hit! I started that afternoon actually, and just knew right away. And now it is the top seller on my lunch menu.”
Brett didn’t stray far when he built this variation of the iconic Philly food, he explained: “I pictured the way I make my cheesesteak, which is a classic Philadelphia cheesesteak—but with mushrooms. Anything that goes with beef, goes with mushroom, in my opinion. The only thing I changed was the provolone. I usually use a plain provolone but I opted to use an aged provolone to give it some bite.”
This cheesesteak, served with bistro fries and a little bit of truffle salt, looked divine. The first thing I noticed was the sesame seed roll. A piece of art. Brett explained he has his rolls delivered from Brooklyn, where they simply just make ‘em better. This roll had just the right amount of crunch and chewiness combined.
Peeling back the lid, underneath I saw a bevy of perfectly sauteed sweet onions sitting on a healthy pile of finely sliced portabello mushrooms (from nearby To-JoFarms) and smothered with gooey aged provolone. I know what meat lovers are thinking, but these portobellos were sliced up just like quality beef would be. Brett explained his secret, “the portabellos are sliced real thin or otherwise you get a little bit of a chewy texture on the palate.” He also adds a drop of Worcestershire sauce, which adds a bit of zing when absorbed into the mushroom. The result is a truly delicious vegetarian sandwich that is more filling than a trip to South Philly.
At this year’s Bayard Taylor Library Home and Garden Tour, Brett served his portabello cheesesteaks to 500 people out of one of the houses on the tour. “We went through 20 cases of portabellos that day,” he exclaimed. “It’s a huge day for the library, and draws people into town.”
“When Sandra and I got here we wanted to be part of the community. Now, we have these cool relationships with the local businesses.” He pointed out the window to Flickerwood Winery across the street. “When people call, we let them know we’re a BYOB and that Flickerwood is right across the street. It’s not all about Portabello’s, it’s about Kennett Square.”
Portabello’s of Kennett Square is located at 115 West State Street, Kennett Square, Pa. Call (610) 925-4984 or email [email protected].
