Cheese makes us smile. And West Reading’s new foodie haven—aptly named Say Cheese!—capitalizes on our love of this tasty, high-protein dairy fave. At lunch and on certain weeknights for dinner, Chef Joe Orlando serves up luscious cheese everything, from his gourmet touch on the all-American grilled cheese with cheddar to a slightly tangy Chevre (goat cheese) Grilled Cheese with strawberry jam and spinach on brioche. There are soups and salads, clever sides, and plenty of enticing entrees with a distinctly European flair. For dessert, cheesecake. Plus crème brulee, pie, tarts…
If you count yourself as a cheese lover, and especially if you are a connoisseur, this gem of a newcomer will rapture your taste buds. The restaurant/store is situated in the heart of the boutique district, in the former Salon Salon building at the corner of 6th and Penn avenues; it’s been transformed into an elegant space with an urban, uptown feel. Treat yourself to lunch here after an engagement photo session, or to an intimate dinner. The setting also works well for a cozy bridesmaids’ gathering or a business powwow, where guests can have fun sampling one of the marvelous cheese plates, which come in Light, Mild, Bold or Intense. The Mild, for example, offers up Camembert, Midnight Moon and Cambazola.
Call it fun, extravagant, or educational, but clearly going to Say Cheese! provides an excellent opportunity to try cheeses that you’ll not find anywhere else in a 200-mile radius.
When icy temperatures make shopping a shivery chore, step in and warm up with the Baked Tomato Gratin soup. This is a serious spirit-lifter, with its shaved Asiago cheese bubbling across the top, stretching across the tureen like a blonde pontoon floating on an orange-red lake. The Asiago’s natural bite balances well, bringing out the delicate tomato flavor.
Equally delish is the heavy French Onion soup: rich, thick, beefy—a meal in itself. Featuring long, curvy onion crescents, Joe's version holds fat, homemade croutons and luxurious clumps of melted Gruyere, Fontina, and a caramel-like Grana Pandano.
Spoons For The Four-Cheese Mac ’N Cheese
Naturally, there’s a super mac 'n cheese on the menu. Billed as a “bite” (side), this rich, cream-sauce dish is best eaten with a spoon, not a fork. Unlike all those other mac ’n cheeses that are all lumpy and molded together like sticky concrete blocks, this one lets diners actually enjoy the magic that happens w hen you dress fresh macaroni—perfectly al dente—with aged Cheddar (hearty), Fontina (a pungent, cave-aged good melting cow cheese from the Italian Alps), Mascarpone (a cheese from cream, often used in Tiramisu), and Gruyere (firm, from Swiss cows).
The Say Cheese! Caesar Salad is similarly newsworthy. Again—it’s a standard in restaurant fare, and there’s the option of adding sliced, grilled chicken on top. But this Caesar is ratcheted up to a whole new level, simply by the addition of one of the best cheeses on earth: Parmigiano Reggiano. Mmmm. The P.R. is laid out in generous, long, wide strips across blanched red peppers and, beneath that, fresh green lettuces, croutons, and a homemade, refreshingly light, creamy Caesar dressing. Servings are ample; if you order this as a main dish, prepare for a long, leisurely, garden-fresh experience punctuated by jazzy parm flakes and herb-y croutons.
The Brie salad is tempting, too: butternut squash and champagne maple vinaigrette over arugula. Then there’s the meaty Danish bleu salad with hangar steak (onglet) and caramelized onions, buttermilk ranch, and tender Bibb.
When the thin-crusted Asiago pizza arrives on its long, flat serving platter, it’s been cut into hand-holdable pieces loaded with deep-red sundried tomatoes and aromatic roasted garlic. It’s delightfully sweet and tart. Respectful of the Asiago’s natural cheese-power, the chef ensures that no one element is overstated or overwhelming (especially with the cheese so delicately applied): it’s just a great melding of taste and texture contrasts. Crunch at the bottom, soft in the cheese and fire-seared garlic, chewy with each bite into the hot pieces of dried tomato. All that, and it’s also pretty!
Seasonal Sensibilities Rule
Entrees vary appropriately with the seasons. From fall into winter, you’ll find pumpkin or squash soup, apple tarts and pumpkin cheesecake. The texture of the latter cake is superbly medium-thick, with masterful lightness and just enough heft; its aromatic flavor romances the mouth.
Midwinter, expect root vegetables like roasted turnips and beets sliced and employed in unusual ways—even in a turkey-cranberry sandwich. The Fish and Say Chips feature a tempura monkfish. A Wild Boar Ragu pairs with risotto flavored with Manchego, a piquant, slightly nutty-tasting sheep's cheese from Spain. And there are bacon-truffled brussels sprouts.
Want to delve even deeper into the culinary delicacies Say Cheese! has to offer? Visit for dinner! Offered Thursday through Saturday evenings, entrees include such palate-pleasers as seared duck breast, Parmigiano Reggiano Lamb Chops, Saffron Mussels and Braised Short Ribs and more. Reservations are available–we suggest you add it to your to-do list in 2013.
Smile!
Take Time to Shop
Allow a minimum of 15 minutes before or after your meal to browse the impressive varieties of crackers, condiments and the cheeses offered in their huge, refrigerated display. Check out Say Cheese! open: Wed. 10am-4pm, Thurs. 10am-9pm, Fri. & Sat. 10am-10pm and Sun. 9am-3pm.
SAY CHEESE! 6OO Penn Ave. | West Reading | saycheese-restaurant.com | 610.406.5390
BY MARIAN FRANCES WOLBERS | PHOTOS BY HEIDI REUTER
