PA Eats Happy Hour is a recurring series where a collection of contributing writers, editors and photographers visit a local restaurant’s bar to discuss their early evening offerings and specials. Grab a bar stool and drink up with us.
In Attendance from PA Eats Team:
From top left corner, left to right: Jason Tremblay, Amy Strauss, Angela Corrado, Michele Kornegay, Ronna Dewey, Shannon Smith, Nina Malone, Stephanie Anderson, Kerry Watson, Nina Cazille (not pictured)
The Happy Hour Location:
The Gables at Chadds Ford
In 2011, charming husband and wife team Dan and Ann Kolenick purchased The Gables at Chadds Ford to expand their restaurateur pursuits, return to their Pennsylvania roots and ultimately, elevate the dining scene of the historic Brandywine Valley. Now in 2014 and with the addition of the esteemed chef Dave Wenerd, the respectable restaurant is setting the pace for thought-provoking, soulful cuisine laced with elegant French influences.
With locals buzzing about the Gables’ recently launched happy hour program, PA Eats crew flooded into the industrial-meets-rustic barroom to taste what the local restaurant had to offer. “The atmosphere at The Gables is incredibly unique and impressive,” relays Angela Corrado. “It made me want to cozy up and eat and drink my way through the menu for hours on end.”
But, how did the drinks and snacks rank? Our full tasting report below.
Top Taste Tested and Rated Bites:
If there is one thing you should know about PA Eats team, it’s that we don’t take happy hour lightly. With 10 of us in attendance at our recent post-work gathering, we decided to taste a hearty serving of bar menu dishes. From impeccable shrimp and grits and decadent lamb lollipops cozy with spaetzle to saffron-infused cream sauce-dressed Atlantic mussels, charred octopus and so much more, this marathon session was one for the books. Each team member shared their favorites below.
Shannon Smith, who gushed that this happy hour was “seriously an awesome time,” is wanting to go back and enjoy—all to herself—the decadent cheese plate. “The goat cheese (Cana de Cabra) was crunchy and creamy all at once and was definitely the highlight of the night, food-wise,” she shares.
For Michele Kornegay, Nina Malone and Angela Corrado, they were all in agreement that the masterpiece that is the chef’s shrimp and grits ranked as first place in their food-loving worlds. “The shrimp was perfectly cooked, and the grits were a creamy, comforting treat on a rainy day,” shared Michele.
Nina suggests that she could too spend another happy hour—very soon—with the “hearty stone-ground grits, rich Kennett Square ‘shrooms, tender grilled shrimp and the perfect tomato chutney.” And Angela is throwing out buzzwords like “perfectly comforting, flavorful and delicately presented,” when speaking about the grits.
However, for Ronna Dewey and Nina Cazille the night’s star was the creamed corn carbonara. “This dish had it all—creamy sauce, sweet corn and a hint of smoke,” shares Ronna. “It was irresistible and I had to keep going back to the bowl for more. It would be the perfect comfort food for a crisp fall night.”
Nina Cazille agrees, stating that the “sweet crunchy corn with the thick creamy pasta was the epitome of fall, like two seasons coming together.”
Team members Jason Tremblay, Kerry Watson and Stephanie Anderson were awfully chatty about the happy hour’s sweet ending, the brand-new sweet potato cobbler.
“I’m a sucker for sweets, so my favorite taste of the night was the brand new desert they tested out on us: red wine-poached pear and dried cranberry cobbler with a brown sugar sweet potato biscuit with a little side of vanilla ice cream,” says Jason. “They managed to combine a lot of delicious fall flavors into one well-balanced, sweet-and-tart treat. Combined with the creaminess of the ice cream, every bite was a little piece of heaven.”
“I loved how the subtle sweet potato flavor crept in at the very end,” continues Kerry. “It was like the rug in The Big Lebowski that really ties the room together—the sweet potato biscuit really ties the dessert together.”
“It was this perfect blend of sweet and a hint of bitterness on the back end,” concludes Stephanie. “Also? SWEET POTATO BISCUITS FTW.”
Top Sampled Drinks:
The Gables at Chadds Ford features a well-curated beverage list, highlighting a captivating mix of refined wines and hand-picked craft beers (draft and bottle), classic and inventive cocktails, adult milkshakes and floats, and more. Our top imbibable picks follow below.
“My favorite drink of the night was the blood orange jalapeño margarita,” shares Kerry. “Just when you think the heat might become too much, the sweetness of blood orange balances it out perfectly. The warming finish from the jalapeño makes this a nice fall/winter cocktail.”
Stephanie also rallies with Kerry for this fun-filled spin on the ‘rita. “I loved the kick of the blood orange jalapeño margarita,” she shares. “This ‘spicy beverage’ trend is growing in beer and cocktails—and I think it’s super fun!”
Michele on the other hand is loyal to the gingered lemon and lime martini, noting that it offered a phenomenal twist on the standard recipe. “I highly recommend it to martini-lovers looking for a little something extra,” she shares.
For me, I can’t get away from ordering the signature Papa Dino, a take on the manhattan for all the bourbon purists out there. Named after Ann’s grandfather—who had to have a manhattan at 5 o’clock every day, the top-shelf, barrel-aged-for-four-weeks beast is classically crafted and swirled with sweet vermouth and angostura bitters. Stiff and smooth, I could sip this beauty every day.
Looking for a whimsical, PG twist to your post-work sipping session? Order up a three-deep float flight, which arrives as a trio of mini mason jars packed with soda and ice cream combos. From the traditional root beer and vanilla ice cream float to the ginger beer and mango sorbet combination and the orange soda and cappuccino crunch ice cream, you can de-stress by pretending to be a kid again.
Want to take the shake to adult levels though? The Gables will spike your cappuccino chip ice cream and orange soda float with Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka if you feel so inclined. (Trust us—you must try this.)
Hungry? Thirsty? Here is the breakdown of the happy hour specials:
The Gables at Chadds Ford’s happy hour program runs Tuesday–Friday, from 4:30–6:30 p.m. Specials include the following:
- Tuesdays: half-price draught beer, $3 off all glasses of wine and $7 braised beef nachos
- Wednesdays: half-price draught beer, $3 off all glasses of wine and $5 Southern smoked chicken wings
- Thursdays: half-price draught beer, $3 off all glasses of wine and $6 shrimp ‘n grits martinis
- Fridays: $3 off all specialty martinis, $6 adult ice cream floats and half-price fish ‘n chips
Follow PA Eats team on its happy hour pursuits by following the #TTDhappyhour hashtag. Repeat PA Eats’s happy hour lead by finding the Gables at Chadds Ford at 423 Baltimore Pike in Chadds Ford; phone: (610) 388-7700.
- Photography: Nina Lea Photography
