Dine and Dish: Harvest Seasonal Grill Newtown, PA

Harvest Seasonal Grill Newtown, PA

 One of the hardest things for anyone that has any kind of food allergy is finding a place where they can comfortably and safely eat.  Since I have two food allergies to contend with instead of one, it has pretty much been nearly impossible.  My friend Diana from my college days, who is also Gluten Sensitive, has pretty much been my sounding board since I was diagnosed with my allergies and has been very helpful in suggesting places that I can go to where they accommodate those with Gluten and Dairy sensitivities.  One of the places that Diana suggested to me was Harvest Seasonal Grill; however, the one she goes to in North Wales was a bit far for me to travel.  Since Harvest is a chain that is local to the Philadelphia area, with the exception of one location in Florida, it was just a matter of finding a location that was closer to where I lived.  Fortunately, with my frequent jaunts to Newtown, PA with John, I discovered a Harvest location in close proximity to the GNC that we like to go to when we are in the area.  It did take us a while to find an opportunity to finally get there and when we did, John and I were not disappointed.

Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar located at 2865 S. Eagle Road in Newtown, PA. is one of nine locations, seven in Pennsylvania, one in Moorestown, New Jersey, and one in Delray Beach, Florida.  When we walked into the restaurant, we were greeted warmly by the hostess who immediately led us to our table.  John and I loved the ambiance of the restaurant; the lighting was perfect, the atmosphere relaxed, and the seating very comfortable.  Our server was the delightful Michael, who was extremely knowledgeable of the menu and was very helpful and eager to answer any questions that I had.  I also had an opportunity to speak briefly with the Head Chef, Tim Amoroso, who advised me on what was safest for me to eat and what the kitchen was able to modify.  Michael offered to start us off with the Gluten Free Pear and Bleu flatbread without the Bleu Cheese and gave us a helpful pointer in regards to the differences in the flatbread so the customer knows which type of flatbread it is; the flatbread that is square shaped isn’t Gluten Free and the flatbread that is round is Gluten Free.  John and I also requested a small side of the Marinara sauce on the side for the flatbread.  The flatbread itself tasted light and airy and while I liked it as it was with just the pear and the fig drizzle, John pointed out that the addition of the Marinara sauce gave it that extra zip.  For the main course, I had the Vegan Eggplant “Parmesan” with Butternut Squash “noodles”.  The eggplant was lightly breaded with Gluten Free bread crumbs and air fried.  It was light and crispy on the outside and perfectly soft on the inside and the amount of tomato sauce used was perfect and not excessive to the point where the eggplant gets soggy.  The eggplant was lightly sprinkled with Nutritional Yeast which was the “parmesan” substitute.  I would definitely say that this was the best eggplant dish that I’ve had in a very long time.  For those who don’t have Gluten and Dairy sensitivities, John had the Local Grass Fed Beef Burger with Mild Cheddar, Bibb Lettuce, Tomato, Caramelized Onion, Tomato on a fresh Poppy Seed onion roll accompanied with a side salad with Maple Buttermilk dressing.  John said it was very tasty and he enjoyed it very much.  While John and I usually don’t order dessert, we decided to splurge and order the Gluten Free and Vegan Blood Orange Custard made with Coconut cream, a Blood Orange Sauce, and Almond granola.  The dessert was just the right portion and just enough to satisfy our sweet tooth.  John and I are also fans of anything coconut, so this particular dessert was perfect for us.

At Harvest Seasonal Grill, everything is farm to table and sourced from at least 70 local farms.  The menu changes four times a year in accordance with the seasons; however, there may be a favorite that stays on the menu all year long.  All of the food is fresh and made to order and most dishes can be modified if necessary.   One of the important aspects of Harvest is that the staff takes food allergies very seriously.  They fill out a special allergy ticket for order with specific food allergies.  The ticket has to be signed off by the Head Chef and the Manager before it goes to the preparation line.  I felt extremely comfortable that the staff goes above and beyond to make sure that my dining experience was a safe and enjoyable one.  I would also like to give a special mention to our wonderful server, Michael.  First and foremost, Michael was extremely friendly and was very helpful.  When I mentioned that I had allergies, he knew exactly what the protocol was and even showed me what the allergy ticket looked like.  That gesture alone gave me a total reassurance that I was definitely in good hands and that I would have a safe dining experience.  He was extremely knowledgeable of the menu and even mentioned some of the dishes that he’s fond of.   Michael was an absolute sweetheart and a delight to have as our server.

Regardless of whether you have food allergies or not, I highly recommend Harvest Seasonal Grill.  It’s not just a restaurant, it’s something you need to experience.  While it is a bit pricey, the food is high quality and made fresh to order so it is definitely money well spent.  Since it does get very busy, reservations are highly recommended.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harvestseasonal/

Harvest Seasonal Grill Newtown, PA
2865 S. Eagle Rd
Newtown, PA 18940