By Erin Klipp
After researching Twelves Grill & Cafe prior to our dinner, I learned that it had opened within the past year or so, owned and operated by husband and wife team, Tim and Kristin Smith. Learning of their extensive experience in the restaurant business, I was anxious and hopeful to see what they had created for themselves.
Walking up to the old bank building that houses Twelves, the outside lights greeted us, illuminating the stone staircase and welcoming us to the door. Inside, the ambience was comfortable and calming. The room decor was stylish but not in the least fussy, with soft recessed lights, stamped tin, ceiling fans, warm tile floors and hurricane globes filled with wine corks and topped with votive candles.
We stepped to the hostess stand and were promptly seated. The menu, although not too extensive, had many delicious selections from which to choose and it took me some time to settle in and focus. The fresh bread that appeared on our table, from LeBus Bakery in King of Prussia, did not help. My husband, on the other hand, seemed to know what he would be sampling as his entree once our waitress listed the specials – crabcake.
We started with a wild mushroom croustade which, although listed on the menu as being served on flatbread, was served on sourdough and was not a disappointment. Evenly warmed, the wilted spinach, shaved asiago cheese and wild mushroom toppings covered the two substantial bread slices. The balsamic and mushroom combination made the dish for my husband while I reveled in the tactile contrast between the crusty bread and the savory wilted spinach/melted asiago cheese with a hint of balsamic; it was a perfect medley. My husband also sampled the crispy fried oyster starter, served with black pepper aioli and fresh lemon. A nice squeeze of lemon over the oysters was the needed harmonizer to their preparation. I followed our starters with a cup of parmesan tomato soup, which proved to be a wise selection. The steaming soup was not too hot to enjoy upon its arrival, the tomato flavor was not too robust and was tempered nicely with the melted shredded parmesan.
Our waitress delivered our entrees next, inadvertantly skipping the green salads we ordered. This error turned out to be wonderful, as we gladly had more room for our main courses. My husband, a somewhat experienced and savvy seafood diner, was anxious to get his hands – or his fork, rather – on the crabcake. He was impressed with the quality of the crabcake craftmanship, the lack of filler as well as the lack of shell. It had an exceptionally mild flavor that didn’t overpower the crab because it didn’t need to – the meat was fresh. His fingerling potatoes and baby green beans were well seasoned – I particularly enjoyed that the green beans were crunchy and not chewy, a real deal breaker as far as I am concerned.
For my entree I chose the premium reserve local pork mignon accompanied by glazed apples, smashed potatoes and cippolini onions in an apple cider pan sauce. Each item in the entree was clearly prepared with the intent to accompany one another and accompany they did. A single bite could pair any number of the sides with the pork and made my mouth water. The combination of glazed apples with a dab of smashed potatoes and a bite of pork was stunning, as the dish brilliantly balanced savory and sweet flavorings. As we made our way through the meal, we noted that the freshly prepared items captured just the right amount of seasoning to complement the ingredients rather than supplement them; the essence of quality and freshness was a true highlight in each dish.
We wrapped up the meal starting with a pumpkin spice latte, chosen from the inhouse coffee bar, which has an impressive listing. My husband thoroughly enjoyed his latte, which he deemed “fun to drink.” The brulee, ice cream and sorbet are all made inhouse, and I chose the homemade strawberry sorbet. Served with a wafer cookie and mint leaf on top, the sorbet was smooth and tasty with tiny fruit chunks that offered that homemade feel. We also sampled the chocolate and peanut butter mousse, which was supplied by Sweet Somethings in Wilmington. The chocolate and peanut butter combination is one of our favorites, and the mousse had a smooth peanut butter flavor, although the chocolate cake portion could have been moister. That said, we both had more than our share and my husband, ever so eloquent about food, stated “I can’t think of a combination to better suit my palate right now.”
Overall, our dining experience at Twelves rivaled no other experience in recent times. The service was friendly and prompt, the pricing was absolutely appropriate given the fresh, quality ingredients and portion sizes. Whatever Tim and Kristin have developed to make Twelves the dining experience it is, they should keep doing.
Find Twelves Grill & Cafe at 10 Exchange Place in West Grove or online at twelvesgrill.com.
