From fast casual chains to mom-and-pop coffee shops, Lower Merion is getting a collection of new eateries as its food and beverage scene continues to grow. On the horizon include the expansion of local establishments Malvern Buttery and Vintner’s Table, as well as a move for prepared food favorite Pinwheel Provisions. Plus, local Mediterranean favorite Lentil & Co. closed its doors, and Eshkol Ethiopian Cuisine opened as the Main Line’s first Ethiopian restaurant.
Five new eateries coming to Lower Merion
The Brew Room (Ardmore)
The Brew Room, which is slated to open at 6 W. Lancaster Ave. in Ardmore this summer, describes itself as a “European-style coffee shop with a modern edge and a Greek flair.” The coffee shop will be serving up specialty espresso drinks like freddo espresso, a Greek-style iced coffee made with frothy, shaken espresso. It’s a favorite of the café’s two owners, who both grew up in Greece. The food menu will include fresh pastries, Greek classics like spanakopita and bougatsa, a custard-filled phyllo pastry, and sandwiches. Cofounder Eleni Christoforidou described the cafe as “a cozy, design-forward space.” The Brew Room will be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Dig Inn (Ardmore)
Fast-casual seasonal eatery Dig Inn is coming to Suburban Square this summer. The company confirmed it has signed a 1,785-square-foot lease at the shopping center — the same size as HipCityVeg’s former outpost there. Dig Inn describes itself as providing healthy, globally inspired meals” that are “cooked by hand using whole ingredients.” Dig Inn has two Philadelphia locations in Rittenhouse and University City.
Buttery Bryn Mawr (Bryn Mawr)
Malvern Buttery, the farmhouse-style coffee shop, bakery and scratch kitchen in Malvern, is expanding to Bryn Mawr in the old Kindred Collective space at 836 W. Lancaster Ave. The new location, called the Buttery Bryn Mawr, will have a full-service coffee bar, pastries, bread, savory dishes, and casual, quick-serve dinner items. The Malvern Buttery will be renovated with more seating and dinner options this summer.
Vintner’s Table (Ardmore)
Vintner’s Table is a wine bar and salumeria (an Italian term for cured meat shop or deli) with locations already in Phoenixville and Wyomissing. The restaurant is planning to open at 24 Cricket Ave., the former Twenty One Pipes space, bringing its “signature Italian-inspired wine and dining experience” to the Main Line. Vintner’s Table’s Ardmore location will highlight handmade pastas and piadinas, a thin Italian flatbread, as well as wine from Folino Estate Winery and vineyard-inspired cocktails. Plans for the Ardmore restaurant originated after Vinter’s Table diners from the Main Line said they wanted a location closer to home, the restaurant said. Like at the Wyomissing location, Ardmore will also be home to the Andrea Folino Boutique.
Pinwheel Provisions (Bryn Mawr)
Lunch spot and prepared food eatery Pinwheel Provisions is relocating down the street to 824 W. Lancaster Ave., adjacent to the Bryn Mawr Film Institute. The new location will offer indoor and outdoor seating (dog friendly) with an expanded food and drink menu. An Instagram post from Pinwheel Provisions said patrons can expect “the same ready meals you love plus tons of new local vendors.”
Lentil & Co. shuts its doors
Quick-serve Mediterranean eatery Lentil & Co. closed up shop May 21 after two years serving customers in Ardmore. In an Instagram post, founders Alia Sobel and Leanne DelVescovo said “economic challenges” prompted the closing. “While this decision was incredibly difficult, we truly believe everything happens for a reason. To everyone who dined with us, supported us, and became part of our story — thank you,” the post said.
Two openings you may have missed
Eshkol Ethiopian Cuisine (Ardmore)
Eshkol Ethiopian Cuisine, located at 36 E. Lancaster Ave., is believed to be the first Ethiopian restaurant on the Main Line. Since having arrived in the United States from Ethiopia in 1990, chef Chaltu Merga had taken on every role from a nanny to a daycare worker to the founder of a housecleaning business. This spring, she followed her longtime dream of opening a restaurant, where she and her husband serve up Ethiopian meat and vegan dishes, as well as specialty beverages and desserts. The 32-seat restaurant is across from the Ardmore Music Hall and next door to Jack McShea’s Pub.
Jeni’s Ice Cream (Bryn Mawr)
Premium scoop shop Jeni’s Ice Cream opened its doors at 840 W. Lancaster Ave. in Bryn Mawr last month. The Ohio-based ice cream company is known for its rich flavors, from gooey butter cake to maple soaked pancakes. Bryn Mawr is the fourth Jeni’s scoop shop in the Philadelphia area, after Rittenhouse, Fishtown, and Narberth.
Staff writers Lisa Dukart and Michael Klein contributed to this article.
