Brandywine Prime upgraded to 2 bells
REVISITED: The team behind Wilmington's Deep Blue has crossed the Pennsylvania state line to revamp the historic Chadds Ford Inn into a swanky chophouse and grill. The grand old stone inn has gotten a chic update, and also improved the menu enough since its initial review - most notably, in lightening its sauces - to step up to a second bell.
1617 Baltimore Pike (at Old 100), Chadds Ford, 610-388-8088; www.brandywineprime.com.
REVISITED: The team behind Wilmington's Deep Blue has crossed the Pennsylvania state line to revamp the historic Chadds Ford Inn into a swanky chophouse and grill. The grand old stone inn has gotten a chic update, and also improved the menu enough since its initial review - most notably, in lightening its sauces - to step up to a second bell.
At a recent revisit, seafood dishes remained a weakness. But the Angus cattle rancher at my table had to concede: His special 14-ounce prime dry-aged rib-eye was shockingly expensive ($50!), but it was memorably, meltingly good. So was my big elk chop with cranberry sauce, and a fabulous California meritage, Lateral, listed (like most of this cellar) at a very fair markup. Reviewed June 17; revisited early December.