Not Your Average Joe’s
49 St. James Place
Suburban Square
Ardmore, Pennsylvania
(484) 708-1500
www.notyouraveragejoes.com/Ardmore
If a Suburban Square shopping spree has stirred up the gastric juices, and a sojourn to the Ardmore Farmers’ Market added fuel to the fire – as in the post noted immediately below – then it’s time to get down to the serious (or at least semi-serious) business of eating.
The Square offers a number of dining options… none of which is likely to cause a serious ripple in the delicate fabric of the rarified restaurant universe. That being said, however, Not Your Average Joe’s, the 22nd entry in the Massachusetts-based chain’s stable of casual American eateries (the only other PA outpost is located in Glen Mills), delivers the gastronomic goods more often than not.
From the very moment of its February 2015 debut, Joe’s has been wildly popular – and with good reason. Domiciled in the building that was the Suburban Theater, followed by the Ardmore Farmers’ Market before its move up the street, the restaurant is smack in the middle of everything and easily accessible. The interior is done up in au courant open industrial décor, but still manages to exude a certain welcoming warmth. There are bustling bars on two levels, a roof deck overlooking Suburban Square’s central courtyard for al fresco dining, and an immense rear wall upon which vintage movies are projected.
The key to success, though, is the food. Made from scratch, it presses all the right culinary buttons – sandwiches, salads, pizzas, entrées, decadent desserts, gluten-free options – and is both seasonally changing and reasonably priced. In addition, the restaurant boasts a very nice wine list, with 21 selections by the glass, and 20 brews on tap. In other words, Not Your Average Joe’s fills in all the blanks. It’s just right for a laid-back lunch or casual dinner… and it’s especially recommended for a leisurely afternoon snack and/or libation after the noonday crowds have vacated the premises.
If this latter possibility sounds particularly attractive, the Nacho Average Nachos are something of a must. Nachos in various and sundry incarnations have become omnipresent snacking staples on restaurant & bar menus recently. I’ve tasted many variations on the theme over the years, and Joe’s version is right up there with the best of them.
Most nacho presentations, no matter how delicious, tend to resemble the gooey regurgitation of an endangered species. Nacho Average Nachos’ touch of creative artistry, however, is not only a feast for the palate but the eyes as well. The crispy corn tortillas are arranged in a tower-like structure, held together with melted pepper jack cheese, and garnished with morsels of chipotle braised chicken. The base is awash with a cumin-sour cream sauce and sprinkling of avocado-spiked corn kernels. A spiral of fresh cilantro adds a decorative crowning touch. A definite winner.
The bacon blue flatbread – blue cheese crumbles, country bacon, arugula, caramelized onions, and heady splash of balsamic reduction – also makes a strong showing in the appetizer/snack/munchie department. Unfortunately, it is unavailable on the current menu. In its temporary absence, however, you can’t miss with the Thai chicken lettuce wraps. The kitchen handles Asian-infused items particularly well, and the wraps are no exception. A combo of pulled chicken, orange segments, sugar snap peas, carrots, and chopped peanuts is served chilled. The culinary catalyst, however, is an addictively invigorating sesame-ginger vinaigrette.
If you stop by for lunch, as six members of our family did recently, salads and sandwiches take center stage. Continuing in the Asian-infused vein, the Thai noodle chicken salad definitely places first in the salad sweepstakes. Slices of perfectly grilled moist & succulent peanut sauce glazed chicken are presented on a bed of chilled lo mein noodles garnished with chunks of tomato, cucumber, mango, slices of red onion, and smattering of peanuts. Once again, as noted immediately above, it’s that extraordinary sesame-ginger vinaigrette that adds immeasurably to the festivities.
The grilled chicken Caesar (pictured) is also quite good. Bite-size pieces of romaine lettuce are tossed with a first-rate lemon-garlic dressing and sprinkled with shaved Romano cheese. Once again, the sliced grilled chicken is extremely moist and tender, and the crunchy pizza crisps add a flavorful textural contrast. Other possibilities include an excellent Waldorf salad; roasted beet and blue cheese; and the Mona Lisa: a nifty combo of parmesan-crusted chicken, balsamic-marinated strawberries, fresh mozzarella, pickled red onions, Romano cheese, and organic greens tossed with a creamy basil dressing.
The Cobb salad, in my opinion, is the only greenery that doesn’t quite make it. Cobb is constructed of various ingredients – blue cheese, grilled chicken (or turkey), bacon, avocado, tomatoes, etc. – that are traditionally diced and/or chopped and stylistically arranged in bands on a bed of various greens. For some reason, Joe’s kitchen decided to dump everything into a bowl, forcing the diner to play a game of hide & seek with the constituents. This isn’t a terribly attractive presentation… nor is it particularly palatable.
Sandwiches, however, are right back on track. During one of my early visits, I sampled the house-roasted Turkey BLT with roasted garlic & rosemary mayo on ciabatta – excellent. A similar entry, the mustard- and panko-crusted chicken BLT garnished with bacon, lettuce & tomato, tangy slaw, and lemon aioli, is also worth a shot. The winner in this department, however, is undoubtedly the Tuscan grilled chicken sandwich (pictured). Here perfectly grilled chicken meets melted mozzarella, marinated tomatoes, arugula, and generous slathering of basil aioli on ciabatta for a first-rate culinary coupling.
Oh, and by the way… the above-mentioned items, as well as the dynamite “backyard burger” – be sure to include cheese and country bacon – come with a choice of organic greens or hand-cut fries. For health reasons, I know I should be pushing the greens; but, just this once, go for the fries. You’ll thank me later – they’re fabulous!
Dinner entrées run the gamut… from chicken: piccata, enchiladas, mustard-crusted… to seafood: salmon Vietnamese, herb-crusted haddock, Jambalaya… to beef: steak frites & anything but average meatloaf. All are worthy of consideration, especially the meatloaf, which is stuffed with fresh mozzarella and companioned by great mashed potatoes and a zippy BBQ gravy.
Two, however, are absolute standouts. If you’re a bivalve lover, the rosemary-skewered New Bedford all-natural scallops should be right at the top of your dining agenda. They are pan-seared to just the right texture – a slightly crunchy exterior yielding to a irresistibly meaty & creamy core – and then placed on a pillow of Israeli couscous awash with corn kernels, bacon bits, and diced tomatoes. The pièce de resistance…? An extraordinary orange-chipotle glaze.
On the other hand, if you’re at all carnivorously inclined, the sirloin tips clearly beckon. Grilled certified Angus beef is served on a bed of either garlic mashed potatoes or parmesan cauliflower mash (for something different, go for the cauliflower mash… and order a side of the garlic mashed). Accompaniments include sautéed spinach, tiaras of pickled red onion, and heady balsamic reduction.
For dessert, there’s only one choice, Not Your Average Joe’s claim to fame: the outrageous “Peanut Butter Thing.” Peanut butter and chocolate chunks are folded into vanilla ice cream and rolled in Oreo cookie crumbs. A crown of whipped cream and drizzles of hot chocolate & caramel sauce complete this utterly decadent scenario. If you decide to indulge, I’d seriously consider postponing your next cholesterol test.
As I mentioned at the outset, Not Your Average Joe’s isn’t about to set any new culinary standards… But the food is carefully prepared, attractively presented, and eminently satisfying – and that is a praiseworthy mission statement for any restaurant.
Bon Appétit!
TAD
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