Consistently excellent, featuring traditionally inspired Italian dishes in a cozy, warm interior — that’s why John Lehman is rightfully proud of all the years Mom Chaffe’s Cellarette has been serving up Italian specialties to the residents of Berks County and beyond.
They’ve got a solid-gold crowd of regulars. John says, smiling, “One of my customers recently came in and begged me, saying, ‘You’ve got to help me. I’ve been ordering the same thing over and over for years — the Eggplant Parm. Help me try something different tonight!’”
“We change our specials every night,” he says. So there are always options beyond the same great dish you’ve been ordering time and time again. The mainstay menu boasts key favorite Italian dishes from antipasto to pasta and meatballs, lasagna (Th/Fri/Sat), Lobster and Crab Ravioli, Linguini with White Clam Sauce, Veal Lorenzo, and prime angus filet mignon with mushrooms and sherry (Filetto con Funghi). But creative entrees emerge constantly at the hands of Mom Chaffe’s skilled chefs. Chef Mark Blatt has been here 25 years and Frank Willet for 21 years; talented assistant Jeremy Kehler contributes mightily to this culinary destination as well.
What’s most famous? As an off-the-menu item, “Seafood Lasagna seems to be the most popular thing in the world,” John reveals. “Regulars call ahead to see if it’s on the specials list. We actually offer it every single weekend between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.”
“Basically, we cater to people,” he continues. “I’ve been here 40 years. I graduated from college, and my dad bought this. Here I am.” Indeed. Mom Chaffe’s devotion to catering to people, to paying close attention to diners and details, makes this restaurant a true Berks County classic.
Mangia Tutti! (Everybody Eat!)
Start with a reliable Melini Chianti, or any number of wines or beers from a generous list, and a garden-fresh tossed salad with original Italian dressing, perhaps adding crumbled bleu cheese atop. Each bite refreshes the palate with brightly aromatic herbs, a gentle oily coating for an appetite-stimulating array of mixed greens, baby spinach, tomatoes, red cabbage strips, onions and julienned carrots. Diners here claim it’s the “quintessentially perfect” Italian dressing.
If you prefer Parmesan Peppercorn, this original recipe transforms the whole salad into a mild and creamy, luscious and black-pepper-savory treat.
Definitely sample Mom Chaffe’s time-tested garlic bread, hot and mellow, lightly littered with herbs, easy to sink your teeth into; the crust is baked and timed so well that there’s no chance of tearing the roof of your mouth — again, a small but critical indicator of great care taken in the kitchen.
Chicken Cavelleri is layered like a romantic painting, with sautéed spinach, melting mozzarella, chopped green peppers and diced onions, plus a chunky marinara binding the meat to all of these elements. Circling the ample grilled chicken breast is a circle of al dente angelotti, half-moon-shaped pasta pillows (mini ravioli), with mushrooms cuddling inside.
A special dish worth its weight in every way is a 10-ounce veal chop. Char-grilled just like a filet but bone-in, tender to the point of melting, and just plain tasty, it’s joyfully sweetened and enhanced by a fanciful apple-sage stuffing. Swinging ’round the edges are swaths of uber-smooth whipped sweet potato puree, the torn, dark-green, piquant parsley dotted lightly over sunset-orange spuds.
Fat, full-bodied rigatoni makes a satisfying side, as the pasta tubes are coated by a sumptuous, roundly rich marinara, not overly spicy — more of a “made by Mom” effect. In fact, in every dish where tomato sauce is deployed, there’s always that inner voice telling you, “Don’t even try to copy this. It can’t be done! Just enjoy.”
Grilled Swordfish, Corn Risotto
If Grilled Swordfish is mentioned, don’t hesitate. Not only is this carefully prepared (as befits a king of Neptune’s court), but it’s served with a corn risotto so tantalizingly aromatic, so sweet and chewy: a textural cloud nine here! The lovely sauce, too, is exceptionally attuned to its job, bringing up the delicious flavor of a fabulous fish. A subtle umami effect is achieved thanks to the combination of blistered tomatoes, intense basil, Parmesan cheese, oil, and a squeeze of lemon throughout.
When you think there’s not a spare inch left in the stomach, rest a bit. Have an after-dinner drink or coffee. Tell another story, laugh at another joke, and — if you’re lucky enough to have spent any time in Italy — reminisce. Take your time, just like the Italians do…because the dessert tray is coming around.
And it cannot be ignored.
So many choices! Tiramisu, of course. An all-American apple pie whose flaky crust somehow holds all those apple slices together. And a pretty Chocolate Mousse Tuxedo Cake that breaks the mold for textural heaven. Layers of indulgence unfold in creamy, cakey, chocolate-y memories for the mouth and mind; painted lines of deep-brown chocolate sauce swirl and circle. Not overly sugary. Finally, a brilliant, whole strawberry and whipped cream provide a refreshing counterpoint.
Mom Chaffe’s Cellarette
148 Tulpehocken Avenue
West Reading
610.374.5733
Hours:
Mon-Th: 5-9pm
Fri & Sat: 5-10pm
Stay tuned to Mom Chaffe's on Facebook for info on special dishes and more at facebook.com/momchaffescellarette.
