King of Prussia restaurants to host dineKOP for third year

Source: The Times Herald, Gary Puleo

UPPER MERION>>Have you been meaning to try one or more restaurants in King of Prussia, whether it’s an icon like Sullivan’s Steakhouse or one of the many new kids on the culinary block like Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse?

You’re in luck, because there will never be a better time to get your taste buds acquainted with the town’s diverse world of flavors than during the third annual dineKOP, running March 6 through 12.

DineKOP is the time when the King of Prussia District (KOP-BID) presents its unique take on the standard restaurant week concept by offering diners down-to-earth prix fixe menus to the tune of $10, $15 or $20 for lunch, and $20, $30 or $40 for dinner.

With all the big steak houses and even a mom and pop operation along for the ride, the lineup of eateries whipping up samplings of their finest fare includes Bonefish Grill; Cantina Laredo; City Works Eatery & Pour House; Creed’s Seafood & Steaks; Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse; Fogo de Chao; Legal Sea Foods; Maggiano’s Little Italy; Morton’s The Steakhouse; Outback Steakhouse; Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar; Pepper’s Italian Restaurant; Ralph’s of South Philly; Revolution Chop House; Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery; Ruth’s Chris Steak House; Seasons 52; Sullivan’s Steakhouse; The Capital Grille; The Melting Pot; The Pub by Wegmans; Valley Tavern and Zodiac by Neiman Marcus.

All restaurants and menus can be viewed at visitKOP.com/dineKOP.

“King of Prussia’s dining scene exploded in 2016, and we’re excited to highlight KOP’s newest restaurants during dineKOP 2017,” said Eric Goldstein, King of Prussia District’s executive director. “With newcomers like Davio’s, Fogo de Chao and Paladar plus KOP favorites like Maggiano’s, Ruth’s Chris, Sullivan’s and The Capital Grille, you’re sure to find the perfect menu for each day of the week.”

The timing of dineKOP coincides with Sullivan’s Steakhouse’s unveiling of its new digs, after a complete renovation following a New Year’s Eve fire that closed the restaurant from Jan. 1 to March 2.

“This is a great way for guests to come in and see our new restaurant as well,” noted manager Kristin Colgan. “Everything is new in the dining room and the bar – the copper bar top, floor, light fixtures, all new booths.”

For their $40 entrée course, Sullivan’s diners can choose from hand-cut filet mignon, New York strip steak, roasted chicken in a balsamic reduction, or Salmon Rockefeller (with lump crab, Béarnaise and bacon).

All entrees served with garlic horseradish mashed potatoes and chef’s local vegetable.

Sweet finishes range from New York cheesecake with fresh strawberries and Bananas Foster bread pudding with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce to chocolate velvet cake, ice cream and sorbet.

“It’s a great opportunity for guests that never came in before to try a good value for some of the best we have on the menu,” noted Colgan. “DineKOP is getting better each year and I fully believe that in a couple of years it’s going to be similar to what Center City is doing.”

In September, Sullivan’s will celebrates 19 years of success on the site once belonging to Sizzler and Rustler steak houses, Colgan noted.

“King of Prussia is such a boom right now for restaurants and shopping, and they’re building homes and apartments in King of Prussia, which they haven’t for years. We’ve been here for 19 years, but we want to continue to be a top player in the market here so it was important for us to upgrade our appearance.”

Across town, a steak house with a slightly different culinary spirit is making a name for itself at King of Prussia Town Center.

DineKOP 2017 marks the first restaurant week for Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse, and lots of new customers are discovering the restaurant, noted manager Tumoor Haye.

“Since we’re new a lot of people have been coming to see us. I think it’s great to have a city restaurant in the suburbs, so this is going to be a great opportunity for a lot of people to come and try us,” Haye said, referring to the original Davio’s location on South Seventeenth Street in Philadelphia.

“A lot of people see our menu and think it’s a special occasion restaurant because it’s a little pricey, but with the restaurant week everybody can come and try us,” Haye said. “We can showcase the restaurant, but also show people that we have a nice private dining facility that can be used for wedding showers, graduation parties. We can do a lot things that are outside the box of regular dining.”

The “piatto del giorno” dinner entrée selections ($40) include pan roasted pork tenderloin; free-range chicken; hand-rolled potato gnocchi and Brandt beef filet mignon.

For dessert, choose from blood orange cheesecake or seasonal gelato.

A portion of the proceeds from participating dineKOP restaurants will be donated to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) King of Prussia Specialty Care & Surgery Center.

Since 2015, dineKOP has raised $23,500 for the Center.

“The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s King of Prussia Specialty Care Center team is very grateful for the contributions from our community,” said Claire Bowers, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia King of Prussia Specialty Care Site manager. “As beneficiaries from dineKOP Restaurant Week, we are able to expand beyond the walls of the hospital into our surrounding communities, allowing us to provide excellent care to our patients and their families closer to home. We appreciate all the support from our neighbors in the King of Prussia District.”

In addition to the donations, some restaurants, like Sullivan’s, welcomed CHOP Ambassador families to dine with them and enjoy a special restaurant experience during dineKOP.

The Carnahan family and their 5-year-old daughter, Delaney, were chosen to be treated to a VIP dining experience, complete with a table decked in pink, Delaney’s favorite color, and toys from the movie “Frozen” at Sullivan’s on Thursday.

Delaney is currently being treated at CHOP KOP for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

“We were one of the restaurants chosen to have an ambassador family, and what’s great about dineKOP is that it benefits Children’s Hospital, which is very near and dear to my heart, since I have a 9-year-old daughter,” said Colgan. “So it’s really great that we can help out the community.”