In the small three-block radius of downtown Kennett Square, there is a surprising array of restaurants and eateries. When making the choice of where to eat dinner, one could get whiplash going back and forth deciding between all of the amazing choices. Are you hungry for Italian? Mediterranean? American? Asian? Mexican? Every choice is a viable option in Kennett Square.
But what if you could have it all?
This was the exact thought that Kennett residents Ann and Jeff Vaughn had when they decided to take the plunge into creating a suburban food tour. Having gone on their first food tour in Rehoboth Beach, Del., Ann admits they were instantly hooked on the concept. After subsequent tours in New York City, Ann and Jeff started plans to bring the same experience to Kennett Square. And Taste of Kennett Food Tours was born.
Thanks to the new food tour in town (and one of the only in the Philly suburbs!), participants can take a mouthwatering 3-hour tour (better fated than Gilligan’s, might we add) each Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. The tour offers the opportunity to sample from at least six restaurants in the Kennett Square borough and takes place in the short distance of several blocks, making it completely walkable.
PA Eats had the chance to take the tour ourselves, and we can’t think of a better way to get to know not only the food scene of a town, but the town itself. Ann, our tour guide, offered tidbits of fun information, from Kennett Square history to which buildings were haunted, along the way.
The tour was perfectly timed, allowing for roughly 20 minutes at each location. At each stop, tour participants had the chance to personally hear from the owners and chefs, getting first-hand information about the eateries. It was interesting to hear why an owner decided to make Kennett the home of their restaurant or how a chef finds inspiration for menu creations.
As foodies, we were most impressed, of course, with the food! For the ticket price of $45, the amount of food and drink each tour stop offered was amazing. We were nearly full mid-tour, and we still had several stops to go! Here is a quick recap on the delectable items we were fortunate enough to sample:
Flickerwood Wine Cellars Tasting Room
The tour kicked off at Flickerwood Wine Cellar with a sampling of their crisp and fruity Riesling. We were instructed that this wine goes well with seafood (the perfect bottle to pick up for Lily Asian Restaurant’s Tuesday night sushi special!) as well as apple pie.
La Verona
Our next stop was State Street’s premier Italian restaurant, where we sampled a small platter of some of their best-known menu items: roasted artichoke with prosciutto and fresh mozzarella, bronzino (sea bass broiled with lemon in a white wine and capers sauce), and spinach and mushroom ravioli with tomato pesto. We learned that La Verona is BYO as well as offering a full bar, and can host parties of up to 65 people in their back room.
La Michoacana Grill
A block down Union brought us to La Michoacana Grill, the sister grill to the famous La Michoacana Ice Cream parlor. The 4-person ownership team opened this location two years ago as a place for tasty Mexican takeout. Tour participants could choose between a fish or chicken taco, which was served with two salsas (hot and mild) and a side of corn. A visit to Kennett Square is not complete without tacos!
Lily Asian Restaurant
The spread at Lily’s would melt the heart of any sushi lover. The large sushi platter included both sweet potato rolls and California rolls, giving just an enticing peek at what a full meal at Lily’s might include.
The Mushroom Cap
Making our way down State Street, we stopped at The Mushroom Cap, where we had a chance to talk to owner Kathi Lafferty. She shared about the mushroom history of Kennett Square while her neighbor and local merchant, Portabello’s chef Brett, was in-house to saute maiitake mushrooms for samples in the store’s kitchenette. Guests also enjoyed Kathi’s Snackin’ Shrooms in mild, hot and garlic. Snackin’ Shrooms are dried and seasoned mushroom chips that were created by Kathi. A great snack to crunch on while walking around The Mushroom Capital of the World!
Market at Liberty Place
One of Kennett Square’s newest foodie hotspots, The Market at Liberty Place was next on the list. This open air market is home to quite a few eateries, and we sampled several. During the tour, guests enjoyed pairings of crepes from Yo’r So Sweet with several complimentary wine samples from Paradocx Vineyard. We made mental notes of the pairings so we could come back and enjoy the full-version one evening for dinner! Punk’d Pineapple also came by with soft-serve samples as we were heading to our next destination.
Portabello’s
One of our favorite stops was Portabello’s. Not only because the food is delicious, but because it’s always a treat to hear from chef Brett. Chef Brett’s passion for food is as undeniable as is his passion for community. We learned that Brett aims to source as many things as he can from local merchants. If you enjoy tea at Portabello’s, it is from Mrs. Robinson’s Tea Shop. The ice cream is La Michoacana ice cream, and the mushrooms are often ordered from The Mushroom Cap. We sampled an Asian-inspired mushroom chicken soup, mushroom fries (a popular appetizer) and fresh linguine with exotic mushroom sauce. The same sauce is served in chef Brett’s exotic mushroom crepes, which are on the “must-try” list for our next visit.
La Michoacana Ice Cream
Despite being completely full, we found the old adage to be true on the tour: there is always room for dessert. And how can you say no when the dessert is in the form of La Michoacana ice cream? Quite possibly the best ice cream in the entire area, tour participants had the chance to sample a scoop of any flavor of their choosing. There is never a bad choice at La Michoacana ice cream, but the tour was a chance to be adventurous and sample one of the more unique flavors. We highly recommend corn and avocado!
A surprise last stop, the tour finished at Talula’s Table. We could hand in our name tags in exchange for a tea or coffee, which was the perfect way to end the afternoon. Over hot beverages, we processed the tour, discussed our favorite samples, and made plans to take another tasty Taste of Kennett tour with friends in the near future.
This is a fun afternoon for both locals and visitors alike. If you are interested in getting to know the town of Kennett Square and its up-and-coming food scene more intimately (or you need fresh ideas with which to entertain out-of-town guests), be sure to purchase your Taste of Kennett tickets by 11 a.m. on the Sunday you plan to tour.
To stay updated on coming tours or purchase your tour tickets, you can connect with Taste of Kennett on the web, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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