The downtown Wayne restaurant scene has seriously amped up in the past year, but given the choice, I’m still heading to Teresa’s Next Door for dinner.
Of course it’s because of their incredible selection of beers … need you even ask? But most recently I’ve been frequenting the restaurant for its “Tasty Tuesday” menu.
Tasty Tuesday has been around since TND’s inception and you need to take advantage of it. It’s a night when Chef/Owner Andy Dickerson experiments with new ingredients, resulting in a special menu of unique dishes at a reasonable price. Interesting beers are always part of it.
Case in point: This past Tuesday I ordered the mixed grill, a plate of quail, elk tenderloin and a boudain blanc sausage, served with green and white asparagus, stoemp and an Allagash Interlude sauce. An awesome dish that brought me back to my days traipsing around Germany, and one that you’d be hard-pressed to find at another Main Line restaurant.
Other highlights were the Flemish tomato meatball soup, a winter staple at TND, and the “serious lobstah roll.” Claw and lobster knuckle meat dressed with a hint of mayo, celery and chervil – the perfect indulgence for someone (me) who’s not ready to say goodbye to the warm weather. Tasty Tuesday beers we tasted included vintage flights of Allagash Interlude and of Russian River Supplication.
“Most of the menu items at TND have a connection to my childhood or to my travels,” Dickerson told me. “I go to Belgium once a year. South America is also a favorite place – I went to Peru this past summer.”
While I had Dickerson’s ear, I asked for TND beer recommendations. If you’re a beer novice, “The Allagash White is always a favorite and Russian River Damnation is a strong golden ale that can ease you into a Belgian style. If you’re a regular American beer drinker this will have some crispness with a little sweetness.”
And if you’re already a Belgium beer expert – like I know many of you are – he suggests “the Klokke Roeland, a house beer from Ghent that we pour consistently and pretty much offer exclusively.”
Tasty Tuesday offers new menu and beer selections every week and many of these special nights have a theme. Here’s what’s on tap:
October 25: Jolly Pumpkin Halloween – Taste several delicious Jolly Pumpkin beers, which will be tapped starting at noon
November 8: Annual Sierra Celebration – Pairing and pouring of a wide selection of Sierra Brews
November 15: Vanburg & DeWulf Importers Night – The “Belgian Beer Experts” will feature a wide selection of brews from abroad
November 22: Victory Harvest – Wide selection of Victory including Harvest Ale and Harvest Pils
Find Teresa’s Next Door at 124 N. Wayne Avenue of Wayne, or online at www.teresas-cafe.com.
