Alison at Blue Bell (Blue Bell, PA)

Alison Astounds in Blue Bell

When Uncle Hal and Aunt Fran asked me where I wanted to go tonight, it took only a few seconds to select Alison at Blue Bell. Having achieved stardom at the Striped Bass during Neil Stein’s rein, Alison Barhsak was well known for her outstanding seafood dishes. Her seafood focused new American restaurant in Blue Bell had caught my eye for some time and it was finally time to see what all the fuss was about. I grabbed a bottle of Robert Mondavi Private Selection 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, a reasonably priced yet very drinkable red, and headed west across the PA Turnpike towards Blue Bell.

Alison’s surroundings are unimpressive. The restaurant is located in a nondescript strip mall in Blue Bell although the restaurant itself is quaint looking from the outside with it’s name emblazoned in gold lettering upon a bright blue awning. Upon entering the restaurant, you immediately notice the open kitchen situated directly opposite the doorway. Alison arrived shortly after we did and immediately engaged one of her chefs in a conversation about fish preparation. We were quickly seated by the hostess and settled into our table while our server opened the wine. The décor of the dining room was simple, yet upscale, and romantic. Throughout our meal, the service was extremely attentive, knowledgeable, and relaxed.

As a huge fan of calamari, I could not resist ordering the ginger fried squid, with a wasabi drizzle and mango. I was completely mesmerized after one bite. This was without a doubt the best fried calamari that I have ever had. The calamari was breaded and fried so delicately that the squid inside was completely moist (my thought at the time was that it was “wet”). The squid was so tender and moist that it simply melted in my mouth. After only a few bites, Uncle Hal immediately flagged our server and ordered a second one. It was simply that good. The wasabi sauce was light and flavorful and artfully drizzled across the calamari. I was likewise impressed with the generous portion.

We choose three different seafood dishes for our entrees: halibut, lump crab cakes, and the signature striped bass. Aunt Fran thoroughly enjoyed her lump Crab Cakes, potato hash, haricots vert, cauliflower, truffle and brie sauce. Uncle Hal and I shared the halibut, rapini‑wild mushroom risotto, truffled garlic broth and the striped bass, sweet potato ravioli, bacon, balsamic‑brown butter sauce. Both dishes were outstanding. The high quality halibut was fresh and perfectly prepared. The accompanying risotto was marked by bold flavors yet offset perfectly by the refreshingly light truffled garlic broth. The striped bass also delivered as expected with its perfectly crisp skin and moist flesh underneath. The sweet potato ravioli were likewise excellent but were gone all to fast. Additional ravioli would have further enhanced the dish. Once again, the haricots vert, cauliflower, and truffle and brie sauce were refreshing and apportioned well.

My meal concluded with the mango upside down cake with butterscotch‑vanilla ice cream, a rich cake that used a generous amount of brown sugar. The ice cream was creamy and tasty with a nicely balanced butterscotch-vanilla flavoring. The mango flavoring was a tad too vague for my taste but the moist cake was otherwise first-rate.

We received a pleasant surprise at the end of our meal, a personal visit from Alison due to my persistent picture taking throughout the meal. She was extremely friendly and relaxed and spent over 20 minutes at our table. We discussed many different restaurants including some local favorites as well as out of state favorites. We shared almost identical stories regarding our recent, outstanding meal at Jose Garces’s new hotspot, Amada, located in downtown Philadelphia. Alison also discussed some of her food trips to Paris and her meal at the world famous French Laundry in Yountville.

Overall, I highly recommend Alison at Blue Bell. The service is very professional, attentive, and knowledgeable. The simple, yet upscale décor of the dining room lends itself perfectly to the haute cuisine and relaxed meal that is to follow. The fresh seafood is stunningly prepared and overflowing with bold flavors, and impressive and inventive sides. Finally, Alison’s watchful eye and relaxed manner breathes fresh air into this Blue Bell strip mall goldmine.

The Facts
Name: Alison at Blue Bell
Address:
721 Skippack Pike
Blue Bell, PA 19422
Phone: (215) 641-2660
Cuisine: New American
Website: http://alisonatbluebell.com/index.html
Price: Appetizers ($7 - $13), Entrees ($17 - $28), Desserts ($6)