A meatloaf made with Kobe beef? Homemade potato chips? Sliders, steamers, Thai calamari and a “Cigar Box” appetizer made with three different types of hand-rolled wontons? Seriously.
Willoughby’s in Wyomissing, located a stone’s throw from the VF Outlet on Park Road, is clearly determined to see that even their most modest of entrees is a cut above. With stylish food and a lively gastro-pub atmosphere, especially in the sports bar section, this is a destination for both fun and flavor. There are separate dining areas for families, friends and corporate dinners, too. What’s really nice is that wherever you sit, you can actually hold a conversation at your table without yelling.
The warm, cozy, friendly pub feeling at Willoughby’s is the whole point, says George Zeppos, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Eleny. “We want people to think of this as their corner pub,” he says. It’s classy, but not stuffy. “We have soul,” Zeppos adds, wearing a broad smile. Later in the evening, a live music scene kicks into gear, with a nice slate of artists appearing.
The Apps are Must-Orders
Of course, the pub’s beer menu is outstanding, but so are the cocktails. The Irene martini proved a smooth, citrus-y creation made from Grey Goose, white cranberry juice, St. Germain (elderflower liqueur), triple sec and fresh-squeezed lime. Other offerings are equally tempting. If you’ve brought a date or a few friends along, order the Trophy Fries. Imagine French fries, fresh-cut, skins on, piled high and held together with cheese and tangy chili in a remarkable tall tower on a plate. It’s a work of art, like something the chef made in a kiln just for the sheer joy of it. This is a great starter plate to pick apart, enjoying the marriage of pure potato and savory flavors plus chipotle sour cream. Just a few bites in, you realize that this is one of the few places where you can play with your food, because you’re supposed to.
Another killer appetizer is the Candied Bacon Chicken Quesadillas. Arriving on a plate with four large pie-slice pieces dripping with cheese, this dish serves as a whole meal for some diners, according to Zeppos. There’s sincere harmony in the sweet-salt of bacon, juicy white chicken, diced red tomatoes and pungent cilantro and lettuce, all melded together with just enough jalapeno kick for a happy mouth-burn.
A Whole New Meatloaf
So now it’s time to have the most elegant meatloaf of your life. Kobe beef, a delicacy that started in Japan, is renowned the world over and is usually reserved for straight-out steak dinners in most fine dining establishments. But Willoughby’s chef includes Kobe in at least three or four dishes, letting the pure beefiness fuse into new dimensions. The Grilled Kobe Meatloaf is served over sticky-smooth super-mashed potatoes and plated with seasonal vegetables such as a steamed broccoli and squash medley. The meatloaf slices are cut on the thinner side due to the singularly rich flavor and are topped with a roasted pepper ketchup sauce with garlic and balsamic vinegar notes.
For seafood lovers, the Yellow Fin Ahi Tuna thickly encrusted with sesame seeds has a Japanese melody of its own. At sushi bars, yellow fin is prized, but try this seared preparation, which lets the white meat tuna fall apart and melt in your mouth. A citrus ponzu vinaigrette in a supporting base of chopped pepper, bacon and cilantro — underneath the filet itself — adds a surprising tart garden quality to the fish, so when you dip the tuna lightly in the light green wasabi aioli that’s drizzled in a zippy “Z” pattern across the plate, all these flavors waft into your nostrils and onto your taste buds for an unmatched explosion. Especially memorable is the nutty texture and complementary taste of those perfectly toasted sesame seeds.
Another entrée that wins hearts, says Zeppos, is the Big Bang Pork Chop — a huge mesquite chop with jalapeno cornbread. Bruschetta Salmon and Lump Crab Cakes please seafood lovers; vegetarians favor the Penne Pasta Primavera and Portobello Burger. Of the sides, the roasted sweet corn and black bean dish is dry and earthy, not sloppy or overly juicy; it’s baked with diced red peppers for a sweeter bite.
Willoughby’s also carved out a special “Cheesesteaks” section on its menu. There’s The Vet, a real, old-Philly-style ribeye steak sandwich with sautéed onions, American cheese and melted cheese whiz on a toasted roll, or The Hangover, rich with both cheddar and bleu cheese. The Chicken BLT is an ingenious fresh expansion on an old standard.
Go Big before you Go Home
With a full array of luscious burgers, salads, pasta dishes, wings and Willoughby’s Personal Nachos, this pub has covered the bases. At the end of the night, although there’s barely an inch left in your stomach, it’s really impossible to say no to a luxurious, over-the-top dessert: the Fried Oreo Sundae. Ask for two or more forks so everyone can rave over this generous serving of crunchy-smooth-chocolaty, cold-and-hot decadence.
by MARIAN FRANCES WOLBERS | photos by HEIDI REUTER
