We had the pleasure of being invited to Sola BYOB in Bryn Mawr for a special dining experience. Making reservations through OpenTable was a breeze and is synched through their Facebook "Book Now" feature. I recommend making reservations ahead of time since tables fill up quickly! It is located on the Main Line but it is only a short drive or train ride away from Center City. You can easily hop on the Regional Rail's Paoli/Thorndale line for a quick ride to Bryn Mawr station.
Our waiter, Ali, greeted us as soon as we entered the restaurant and showed us to our table. The restaurant has a cozy and intimate ambiance. It makes you feel like a guest at an exclusive dinner party. It is BYOB so we made sure to bring a bottle of Alamos Malbec, which was promptly uncorked and served. Scott Morozin, the executive chef and genius behind the inventive flavors, welcomed us at our table before we started the incredible tasting menu. His passion and culinary talent shined through on each dish. The anticipation of not knowing what was coming next, coupled with the locally sourced seasonal ingredients made the meal a foodie's dream come true.
First Course: Roasted fig with chicken liver mousse and sliced baguette
Second Course: Roasted Beet Salad with radish, blue cheese, and walnut crumble with fennel vinaigrette
Third Course: Ora King Salmon over ham hock with cockles, baby carrots, and Parisienne potato
Fourth Course: Braised Pork Cheeks over gnocchi
Fifth Course: Creekstone Striploin, local sweet potato, and confit of carrots
Sixth Course: Free-range chicken with cashew on lentils . It was so good that I forgot to take a picture before digging in, sorry!
Desserts: (Above) Ice Cream with almond bread over white chocolate mousse
(Below) Hibiscus merengue with sorbet over lemon poppy seed bread and white chocolate mousse.
Ali described the tasting menu as an incline, each dish building on the previous one. I completely agree, and if I had to choose, my favorites were the roasted fig with chicken liver mousse and the Ora King salmon. The chicken liver mousse had a decadent buttery texture and a savory flavor difficult to find elsewhere. The Ora King salmon was cooked perfectly, crispy skin and delicate melt-in-your mouth meat. We can't wait to see what Chef Scott will whip up next time!