It’s hard to get down South, but luckily for our stomachs, the culinary traditions of the region are alive and well in the Philadelphia area.
Stove and Tap, 329 W. Main St., in Lansdale is a spacious restaurant in a very walkable part of the quiet suburban town with a location to attract diners and the menu to keep them there. This small-town pub serves up decadent southern flavors in grand fashion.
PGN recommends you start your meal with the pimento cheeseboard, presented almost charcuterie-style with rich, hearty, smooth and flavorful cheeses as the star, complemented with thinly sliced country ham, chopped green chiles and buttery biscuits. Taken all together in one bite, it’s nothing short of heavenly.
The seafood gumbo ($15) is another finely executed Southern staple bold in spice and generously heaped with rockfish, shrimp and andouille sausage. Another comfort dish Stove and Tap nail is the shrimp and grits ($18). The grist themselves are light and fluffy, giving the savory gravy, loaded with stewed peppers and pork belly, an appetizing place to land. A more modern and trendy menu item from the southern cannon is the restaurant’s Nashville hot chicken ($19), which is juicy with a slowly building heat. Served on a bun with bread and butter pickles, this sandwich is a great way to scratch the itch of that fast-food chicken sandwich on Twitter that seems to be all the rage these days.
You really can’t eat a southern meal without dessert, but instead of a sweet, fruit-laden pie or a cobbler, we are drawn to the coffee crème brûlée ($6). With a silky texture and strong java presence, this elegant treat will have you partying like its Mardi Gras, long into the night.
Lansdale is a far cry from Bourbon Street, but when you have a menu like Stove and Tap’s, it’s easy to let the good times roll this far north of the Mason Dixon Line.
If you go:
Stove and Tap
329 W. Main St.
Lansdale
215-393-8277
www.stoveandtap.com
Hours:
Mon.-Thurs.: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Fri: 11:30 a.m. – 2 a.m.
Sat. 10 a.m. – 2 a.m.
Sun.: 10 a.m. – 10p.m.