Dear Friend:

One of the most surprising - but also most satisfying - things about the restaurant is how we’ve become a part of the community. We love the way the restaurant has become woven into the fabric of your life. You celebrate your birthdays, anniversaries, engagements and graduations with us. Or you come in a couple of times a week and we get to know your likes and dislikes, your family, friends and business associates. We enjoy sharing all of this with you. But, it’s humbling too because sometimes we’ve seen friends struggling with tougher times. During the tough times, especially, we’re glad that we can be here for you. We’re here to greet you, prepare your favorite dishes and serve you in the good times, as well as when you need comfort.

We strive to make Alison at Blue Bell a comfortable place to celebrate your milestones, make an ordinary night special or have a few hours of respite from the outside world. It’s so relaxing to sit out on the patio under a blue umbrella with twinkling white lights and sip white peach sangria at dusk. Thanks for sharing with us and making our lives fuller as a result.

Patio in Paradise Dinner -- On Monday, August 13, we’ll open for a very special dinner with Author Andrew Schloss and food and wine writer Brian Freedman. Andrew is author of 12 cookbooks including his most recent with David Joachim, Mastering the Grill: The Owners Manual for Outdoor Cooking. We’ve always thought Andrew was awesome and now everyone else knows it too. His grilling book just made the New York Times’ best sellers list, Epicurious named it their “Top pick” and the LA Times is raving about it. He’ll bring copies of his book to sell and autograph. It is a beautiful soft cover book and I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do. Brian, a trained sommelier, food and wine editor of LifeStyle magazine, contributing food writer for Philadelphia Style, and director of wine education at the Wine School of Philadelphia, will match wines and beers to the menu -- officially launching our new beer list. Pastry chef Amelia Dietrich and I recently took one of Brian’s classes. We had a ball and learned a lot. Reservations limited. The dinner with wines and beers is $75, not including non-alcoholic beverages, tax and tip. To make reservations, call 215/641-2660.

Liquor license – In addition to the pitchers of peach sangria, we have a small, food-friendly wine list and will soon introduce beer too. Our carefully-selected wine list includes four reds, four whites, a champagne and a sparkling wine. Like our menu, the wine list changes frequently. We’re always looking for interesting international wines that can’t be found on the shelves of your local state store. Our latest additions include Chateau Moncontour Vouvray Sec, a dry Chenin Blanc from one of the oldest wineries in France’s Loire Valley. We’ve only been able to get a small quantity of the Warwick Estate Professor Black Sauvignon Blanc, which is a great summer wine. Our new ZacaMesa Z Cuvee is a Châteauneuf-du-Pape blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsaut, with notable California fruit forwardness.

BYOB – Some restaurants save their first dollar. I’m saving this photo of George Piszek, the first customer to buy a glass of wine at Alison at Blue Bell. If you prefer, you can still bring your own bottle, for a $5 corkage fee. 

Fitness magazine – The July issue of Fitness magazine has a focus on grilling. Check out my Malaysian Chicken recipe in the July issue.

The Fretz Kitchen – There’s so much fresh produce available this time of year that our menu is changing almost daily. Local cherries, figs, shell peas, boy, are we having fun. But, I know some of you miss your old favorites. So, on my latest episode of The Fretz Kitchen I prepared one of those favs -- Steamed Clams with Garlic, Tomatoes, Truffled Grit Croutons and Artichoke Aioli. Click above for the recipe and the date it is schedule to air or leave a note on your comment card.

New entrees – We’re getting lots of compliments on our Chilled Seafood Vichyssoise with Lobster, Shrimp, Scallops and Squid. We’ve also been serving whole fish. Last week we were lucky enough to get pompano and we grilled it and topped it with pineapple salsa. Wild salmon is swimming so watch for it on the menu. And we’ll add soft shell crabs, whenever we can. They’re not very bountiful this year. Speaking of fish, we always try to use local fish, preferably wild fish.

Bad News & Good News  -- Okay this part may sound like bad news at first but to me the glass is always half full. So…we’ve taken some longtime favorites off the menu and replaced them with, what I hope, will be some new favorites. Say “until we meet again,” to the following dishes:  the Shrimp and Black Bean Cake appetizer; Hanger Steak with Fries for lunch; Duck Tacos; and Chili-dusted Skate. Time to make some new friends: Southwestern Style Shrimp Salad with Salsa Fresca. It’s a nice, cool salad for a hot and humid day. Berkshire Pork Chop “Vietnamese Style” Hoagie with Hoisin-Mayonnaise and Daikon salad. Believe it or not, I got the inspiration for it at a farmer’s market in Columbus, Ohio. And a new skate appetizer – Skate Milanese with Fresh Mozzarella, Roasted Summer Vegetables and Sweet & Sour Vinaigrette.

Figs – The fig season got off to a slow start this year. But, now we’re smack in the middle of it and we’re using figs in the Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese, Prosciutto, and Balsamic. And you have to try our Fig and Raspberry Tart served with Homemade Honey Semifreddo. It just melts in your mouth. I’m not sure if Amelia will agree, but I think it tastes like the ultimate raspberry Fig Newton. So many fruits are in season that the dessert menu is just amazing – blueberries, strawberries, local cherries -- you’ll find them all making appearances.

Local & Jersey Tomatoes – We just switched from heirloom Ugly tomatoes to local tomatoes from Maple Acres Farm. We’re using them in our gazpacho, which we serve with a local jumbo lump crabmeat salad, and we are slicing them up and pairing them with pesto and Claudio’s fresh mozzarella. The tomato, pesto and mozzarella salad simply shouts, “Summer!”

Indian food – Wondering about the Indian influences on our menu? Well, I’ve been eating at the  Hampton Chutney that just opened on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.I’m loving it. My tribute to them is the Grouper with Curried Mussel Chowder and Mango Chutney now on our menu.

Take a moment and enjoy the summer,

Alison