Ardmore Restaurant Week, which is actually a two-week-long foodie event, is back and dishing out prix-fixe menus through July 29. This picturesque piece of the Main Line is packed with a diverse array of shops and restaurants, 16 of which are participating in restaurant week and offering three-course dinners for $15, $25 or $35.
Morokko, 54 E. Lancaster Ave., specializes in Moroccan and Mediterranean cuisine. Friendly service and festive, colorful, fabric-laden Eastern décor set the mood for the tantalizing aromas throughout the space. For restaurant week, Morokko offers a $35 prix-fixe menu. The first course proffers tasty vegetable options such as colorful Moroccan-style beets, roasted and seasoned with fresh herbs and mint. And don’t pass up the seafood cigars — phyllo dough rolled and stuffed with shrimp, squid, whitefish and lemon confit — a unique and spicy delight. The entrée choices are equally enjoyable and authentic. The slow-braised beef is tender and flavorful, served with an impossibly light and piping-hot helping of couscous. Other main-course options include a vegetable or chicken tajine.
If American gastropub fare is more your stomach’s desire, the modern and comfortable Ripplewood Whiskey & Craft, 29 E. Lancaster Ave., is ready to make you feel at home with a $35 prix-fixe menu steeped in elevated comfort food with a strong farm-to-table vibe. The first course offers three options: The smoked carrots are a bright, creamy and citrusy dish with an immense depth of flavor. The crispy pork ribs are spicy and sweet carnivorous heaven on the bone. The chilled golden-beet soup delivers cool relief from the summer heat. Main-course options include a half-roasted chicken, piled high with carrots and salsa verde and resting on what is probably the most decadent, buttery, velvety grits you will taste this side of the Mason-Dixon line. The branzino is a seafarer’s dream, bathed in a nice lemony beurre blanc and surrounded by perfectly roasted artichokes and squash.
At this point, we are too full to soldier on. But with numerous restaurants participating, there is something for whatever your palette and/or budget will allow.
Ardmore Restaurant Week runs through July 29. For more information, visit http://destinationardmore.com/restaurantweek/.