Nothing takes the chill off a winter day like the warmth of comfort food, and Conshohocken newcomer Southern Cross Kitchen will warm you from the inside out with delicious spice and dishes cooked with love.
Marianne Gere and Kim Strengari, the team behind Gypsy Saloon and Stella Blu, have transformed the space on East First Avenue into three unique dining spaces. A spacious bar boasts 23 taps and is great for watching the game while enjoying some nibbles. The downstairs dining area is decorated with reclaimed windows, dried flowers and a chalkboard listing the day’s specials. The dining room feels like a room in your friends’ home, and the cozy upstairs space can accommodate your private party of up to 100 guests.
I recommend you start by warming up with some fresh-grated horseradish and oyster crackers at your table while you decide on a beverage—the craft beers on tap are ever changing, with local favorites and beloved national brews pouring side by side.
When you’re ready to get down to business, start with the shrimp & grits, which are enriched with goat cheese and sautéed veggies to take the homey dish to the next level. Or choose from a bevy of other fried appetizers (green tomatoes, pickles, oysters or calamari) and slip into a southern mindset.
Then throw caution and New Year’s resolutions to the wind and get the crisp and juicy buttermilk fried chicken, bacon-braised collard greens and fluffy mashed potatoes—the southern trifecta. Don’t forget the side of macaroni and cheese! Elbow noodles in a luscious multi-cheese sauce and topped with a crunchy crust… you’ll have to compete with your dining companions for the last bite.
All your favorite southern foods make an appearance on the menu, from down-home meatloaf and green bean casserole to fried catfish and complexly flavored Creole chicken jambalaya. The homey setting lends itself to making friends at other tables, and we heard rave reviews of the fall-off-the-bone braised short ribs, smothered pork chop and pecan pie chock full of nuts. Save room for a sweet ending—the house-made desserts shouldn’t be skipped.
Find Southern Cross Kitchen at 8 East 1st Avenue in Conshohocken, or online at southerncrosskitchen.com. More information available by calling (484) 344-5668.
All photographs credited to Dallyn Pavey. Fried Chicken & Pecan Pie photographs credited to & courtesy of Southern Cross Kitchen.
