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Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Ambler doings

Ambler's small-town main street (Butler Pike) has been experiencing a bit of a revival.

A branch of the Lafayette Hill Italian favorite From the Boot opened in the space next to the movie theater that was Agave and Ralph's (110 E. Butler Pike, 215-646-0123). It's dispensing moderate-priced Southern Italian fare (most entrees $13 to $16) in a stylish, family-friendly atmosphere that features a bar and a communal table. The liquor license is not expected to arrive till late October, so it's BYOB.

Across the street, open for several months now, is Dettera (129 E. Butler Pike, 215-643-0111), a wine bar by developer Frank Lutter. American cuisine, downtown look, downtown prices. (Check out the entree prices, which linger in the $30s and gust into the low $40s.)

Deterra, set up in a historic building, has a dramatic bar (with TVs) and a smaller dining room with oversize round banquettes. There's an outside deck between the buildings that features a brick fireplace. The second floor, with a separate pillow-filled lounge, also has windows looking out onto the main drag and an open view of the first-floor bar. A vineyard drying rack suspended over the bar spans the main and second floor dining areas.

Chef Thomas Groff, who previously owned Blue Sky Cafe in East Norriton, has his own organic spice and herb garden. Here's the dinner menu, which includes your basics (salads, soups, crabcakes, $14 kobe burger on the appetizer list), fancy pizzas, and mains (seafood, beef, lamb dishes, and for whatever reason, Kobe meatballs).

Wine list has 40 by the glass, 120 by the bottle.

How the name came about: During the renovation, Lutter's crew uncovered the original granite nameplate in the building’s exterior. This nameplate, hidden for decades in the facade, identified the building’s original owner, Mathias Dettera, a grain and seed wholesaler in the early 1900s. This stone now is positioned within the mahogany paneling above the main bar.

It's open weekdays for lunch, weeknights for dinner, plus late night till midnight.

Posted by Michael Klein @ 3:45 PM  Permalink | File Under: TableTalk | 2 comments
Comments   
Posted 08:24 AM, 09/23/2009
Appleman
Nice! I hope this bar along with From the Boot can help reshape Ambler's dim as of recently dining scene. From the looks of the place inside, it looks very chic and it would greatly attract the R5'ers coming home from their commute.
Posted 11:05 AM, 09/23/2009
John Street Ruined Our City
Fireside Bar and Grill at Bethleham and Butler is still the best value for the buck in Ambler. Great family atmosphere and the best sports bar in the area. Bartenders are great and the 12-15 flat screen TV's are awesome.
2 comments
About Michael Klein
Michael Klein chronicles local people, places and things (in easy-to-digest portions) three days a week in his Inquirer column "INQlings." He also covers the restaurant scene in his Thursday Food column, "Table Talk." See his work at http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/michael_klein.
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