This is a post I've
been waiting years to write. Isn't it
great when you know a server or bartender at a restaurant? You're sure to get a
drink or appetizer for free. It's even
better when you happen to know the Chef de cuisine and they send over
a bottle of champagne for your girlfriend's birthday and make you seem like a
big shot. Better still is when that same
Chef decides open up his own restaurant.
Chef Macgregor Mann,
whom I happily call a fraternity brother and dear friend has opened Junto BYOB
in Chadds Ford, PA. It is the
culmination of a culinary degree from Drexel and 10 years in the industry
cooking for and learning from some extremely high profile chefs. I like to
recall the moment that "Mac" decided to be a chef. His first year at Drexel he was in the Engineering college, working towards a
degree in Commerce & Engineering. Ugh, snooze fest. One night sitting
around the fraternity house while we
were "studying" he looked at me and said "Turcich, I think I
want to be a chef." Mac proceeded to switch majors and pursue his dream. Just
like that.
He did a short stint
at Penne on Walnut Street on Penn's campus, followed up by a gig cooking at
Amada where he worked his way up to Chef de cuisine. He was even featured on
Iron Chef America cooking right alongside Iron Chef Jose Garces. Next came a
stop at Noma in Copenhagen for a chance to learn from Rene Redzepi. If you have not heard of this Scandinavian
culinary epicenter, check out this episode of Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown
for a primer. The entire show is
dedicated not to Denmark or even Copenhagen, but to this one restaurant.
Noma is ranked as
the best restaurant in the world, several years running. They kind of invented
the idea of foraging for ingredients. Not in a weird dumpster diving way, but
among the wild Denmark coastlines, forests and fields. Things you never thought
were edible are transformed into marvelous items on your plate. And there is a bit of that on display at
Junto.
So I have friends
who not only work in the industry, but now own restaurants. I'm not sure if this officially qualifies me
as old (probably yes), but I'm happy to reap the rewards and brag a bit. Junto is a hidden gem in Chadds Ford - an area that abounds in old money but lacks in
dining destinations. It's not a huge dining room, but there is a lovely front
porch and an ancillary "Session Room" in the back for private
parties. Walking up the path from the parking lot you can get a peak at Mac and
his team hard at work in the kitchen.
 |
| clockwise from topleft: cornbread, egg yolk ravioli, cheese and charcuturie board |
The menu is based on
a Pennsylvania Farmhouse theme - with most everything being sourced from the
area. Lots of locally caught seafood, Kennett Square mushrooms, and pickling of
Lancaster farms produce for the long winter to come. There is a very thoughtfully
prepared cheese and charcuterie list with cheeses from PA dairy farms, smoked
country ham and even Lebanon bologna as a playful twist. Do try the chicken
liver mousse on rye. The creamy, ethereal mousse is schmeared across just
barely toasted schmaltz brushed rye bread that could be at home on the best
Jewish deli menu. And there is the adorable little corncob shaped corn bread -
the recipe is courtesy of Mac's mom and proof that the cooking genes have been
passed down in this family.
 |
| clockwise from topleft: scallops, mushrooms, softshell crab |
Other highlights of
the seasonally changing menu included the egg yolk ravioli that was an umami
bomb - the fresh pasta yielding to your fork edge and the yolk spilling out to
mix with sassafras pork jus. The scallops
were on special that night to replace the grilled sturgeon. A beautiful char
accented the luscious meat underneath, mixing with the snappy watercress and
verbena & white wine emulsion below.
The pot of wild
mushrooms is a study in fungi. Several varieties, including the so-called
"chicken of the woods" get a quick bath in hot English pea consommé.
The result is at once fresh and luxurious. Pile some onto the accompanying goat
cheese toast and you've got a party in your mouth with a bouncer and a velvet
rope out front. Another stellar hit was
the soft-shell crab. Fried in a sweet-corn tempura batter is it light and
crunchy, meaty and rich.
 |
| foraged daylilies with smoked trout |
Daylilies
foraged from the field in front of the restaurant and stuffed with smoked
trout, compliments of the kitchen. See, it's good to know people. Who even knew you could eat daylilies? A
great crunch from the stalk reminds you of a delicate piece of celery, but with
more flavor. A nod to his Noma days and not something you'll find on any other
menu. They have a full time forager that brings in a random daily hodgepodge -
giving the chefs a new challenge each day.
 |
| free range chicken |
Probably my favorite
thing on the menu was my free range chicken entrée. An old adage says to never
order chicken at a restaurant because it's bound to be boring and unsatisfying.
You can make chicken at home right? In this case, very wrong. I've cooked my share of chicken breasts and
none of them has ever tasted like this. It is an incredible tender piece of
fowl. The breast is pan roasted, the leg is smoked over apple wood in the Big
Green Egg - the secret to so many of the dishes here. Sautéed kale and arugula
pesto serve as a luxurious bed and
refried summer squash is a an incredibly clever and tasty take on an old
favorite. Oh, and some birch infused chicken jus, just because.
I am proud beyond
words of Chef Mac. Junto is a personal achievement and a culinary destination. Clearly I'm a bit
biased, but everyone at our table was equally impressed with the meal. You
could see it on their contented faces slowly sipping espresso after the meal
and in the four food babies that made an appearance after the last bite of
dessert. We'll happily make the 40 minute drive out to the burbs for another
taste.
Junto BYOB
100 Ridge Road - Olde Ridge Village Shops
Chadds Ford, PA 19317
484-574-8041
Food Baby
Rating: Triplets!
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