Sycamore

Sycamore is closed. But two blocks towards Philadelphia on the other side of Baltimore Pike is a newly opened Thai raestaurant. Their name a Avianna. it’s really good you should check it out
AviAnna
Restaurant & Banquet
Facility
55 E Baltimore Ave, Lansdowne, PA 19 050
Phone:610−622−0954
Fax: 610−622−1410
Business Hours
Monday Closed
Tuesday — Thursday: 4PM — 9PM
Friday 4PM — 10PM
Saturday 11AM –10PM
Sunday Brunch 11AM — 4PM

I was so excited to celebrate our anniversary at Sycamore based on all the rave reviews but I wish I had read a little further. Apparently the chef and/​or ownership changed and since then the most recent reviews have been lackluster with mine being no exception.
Pros:
–BYOB
–Not crowded on a Friday night
–Delicious, unique oil and spice blend for the bread
–Drunken raisins! Amped up an otherwise mediocre cheese plate
–Perfectly cooked steak
–Delicious mixers for your alcohol (try the Lansdowner)
–Apparently (according to my boyfriend) the country fried chicken was some of the best he’s ever had even when living in the South
–Was offered a free dessert due to being out of my choice of appetizer (see below for more about that)
Cons:
–No amuse bouche (my fault for expecting it — apparently the new chef has done away with this)
–Out of all beverages except soda and water (no iced tea or lemonade? really?)
–They were out of every salad. Literally. Because of this I wasn’t able to have a lite appetizer and instead chose the sausage and pasta (only because of the Unilocal deal for a free appetizer at check-​in… otherwise I would have skipped it altogether)
–Said sausage and pasta was under-​seasoned and under-​salted
–The broccoli rabe that came with my steak was bitter beyond belief (hey, alliteration!). I couldn’t eat it.
–We felt the server was a bit snooty
–The décor — dark and bland with a peeling floor
I can now see why it wasn’t crowded on a Friday. I realize I had high expectations for this place from the get-​go, but the fact they were out of EVERYTHING, the dull décor and the so-​so service left me disappointed that we chose Sycamore for our anniversary celebration. I do feel like this establishment has potential to become something much greater (perhaps as great as it was before?) but who knows how long it will take for them to get there.

I would have something to review other than their service if they would have even took the time to serve us. We got there 30 minutes before they closed and as soon as we walked in some of the workers made eye contact with me and then ran to the back. Then a woman came out smiling as if something was funny just to tell us that their cook had closed the kitchen early and that they’re sorry they can’t seat is. I wanted to say B***h if you’re so sorry wipe that smile off your face, show some compassion for hungry people trying to eat in your restaurant.
Well that’s all I’ve got. Would I try to eat there again? Yes I would, but only because of the cuisine and location.

Last night was our second time at Sycamore, and unfortunately it was a far less pleasant experience than our first visit almost a year ago.
The restaurant was eerily empty for a Friday, and it definitely appeared to be an «off» night from the start. There was no amuse bouche offered, unlike during our previous visit, and I was annoyed by the lack of a single vegetarian entrée option, as well as the kitchen’s lack of creativity/​accommodation in putting something together for me. Other BYOB’s that I’ve been to either have an option on the menu, or the chef puts something veggie together based on the ingredients they have on hand.
I settled on the spring mix salad, which was fine, and the mushroom toast appetizer as my main course, which was not fine. The toast was over-​baked to the point that I could barely get a knife through it, the mushrooms were burnt, and the entire dish had so much salt on it that I was crunching on salt grains, and no amount of water could quench my salt-​induced thirst. I only got through about ¼ of the dish before I gave up. (If I hadn’t been so hungry, I wouldn’t have made it as far as I did!)
I should also mention that it took an incredibly long time for our main courses –mushroom toast app and buttermilk fried chicken– to come out.
My husband enjoyed the buttermilk fried chicken, although he found the gravy and the sides to be too salty and the mashed potatoes to have an uneven consistency.
We had been looking forward to coffee and dessert, but we decided to call it quits after a not so stellar experience with dinner.
We were initially excited to have a restaurant like Sycamore in the area, but after last night’s experience, I don’t think we’ll be going back. Sycamore’s sister restaurant, NoBL, closed recently, and Sycamore is likely heading in that direction if they don’t significantly step up their game.

Fantastic little hideaway in suburban Lansdowne.
Finally got over to try this place given that it’s only about 10min from us, and the idea of fine dining fare in a suburban clime was tempting indeed. It did not disappoint.
Small and intimate, with wide rustic tables and fantastic lighting, Sycamore served up flavorful new American fare with a touch of French influence.
My favorite, the fact that BYO here is made fun. It’s foreign to me to have to bring your own liquor and since I love mixed girly drinks, the idea is not only foreign but unappealing often times to cart in my own drink. Sycamore mixes frou frou drinks for you, without the liquor in a shaker, then delivers the shaker to your table, you just add the splash (or cup) of liquor, shake it up and pour. I got something with pear nectar and added peach vodka (all I could find on our way out of the house, another downside of BYO, having to remember to pack your liquor!) and it was really amazing.
Bonus of the BYO is that when the bill came, it was only $ 100 for a serious 5 star dining experience. The service was amazing, the food rivaled fare in SF, we were in love. Can’t wait to return, often.

Maybe it’s because Chef Jacobson is no longer here, but I didn’t get all of the Sycamore hype. (We probably showed up 3 weeks too late…)
We made the trek out to Sycamore for a double date. Someone in our party heard that Sycamore was totally «orgasmic» and we had to come try it. The 4 of us ended up in the large communal table in the back room. The seating arrangements were comfortable enough, so we all shared a little bit of everything and ate family-​style. The server was cool with this and so he brought out a few small plates for us, which was definitely appreciated.
So what did we have?
— Seared Foie Gras — I remember enjoying this.
— Cheese Charcuterie Plate — I’m not really a cheese person, but they did not have the cheese that our party really wanted. («Ran out.»)
— Scallops — Overcooked and were a little rubbery.
— Venison Chops — Okay, but still quite gamey.
— Seared Tuna — Over-​seared. It was more of a fully-​cooked tuna.
— Halibut — Decent.
— Maple Crème Brûlée — This was not even a Crème Brulee… it was more like melted ice cream.
— Sticky Toffee Pudding — Can’t complain.
Do you want to know what REALLY turned me off at Sycamore? While we were still working through our entrees, a server came by and starting spraying down the table next to us. Now, I understand that they need to clean off the tables after a party leaves, but she was full on spraying it with an insane amount of cleanser while we were still on our ENTREES. It got to the point that all we could smell was the ammonia. What does that tell me? She was probably trying to give us a sign to hurry up and eat so they could close up and get out. So much for a fine dining experience.

I have been thinking for a while about what I would write about my visit 2 weeks ago to Sycamore. There were many, many high points, but also some not so much.
The location of this place is a little odd. But after reading so many great reviews, I decided to give it a go. I was treating my husband to a make-​up birthday dinner, and we drove a long distance to get here, coming all the way from Northeast Philadelphia. It was most certainly worth the trip. We decided to throw caution to the wind and go with the $ 29 prix fixe. My husband was worried about it because he doesn’t like salmon (clearly because he is crazy), but I was pleased when I asked the server to exclude any salmon selections and he did not seem to mind at all.
Not to get too much into specifics, because it’s a varied menu anyway, but everything we had was very unique, inspired and seriously magnificent. There were several courses– amuse, bread, salad, mezze, entrée, cheese and dessert. The portion sizes were much larger than I had anticipated as well. Quite impressive for only $ 29! Seriously, if I were judging Sycamore on food alone, I would be giving 5 stars without hesitation.
Alas, there were a few misses. Sycamore prepares a few different cocktail mixers to accompany whatever spirits you’ve decided to bring. We tried two different shakers, Indian Ocean and Moscow Mule. I feel like these were conceptually very good, just executed poorly. Both had waaaaaay too much citrus. We couldn’t even finish the second shaker because we were both starting to experience terrible heartburn. But like I said, I think this is a small error in execution that could be easily adjusted.
Then there was the service. I won’t say that the service was at all poor, just a little… off. The servers (both male) were both dressed khaki pants and non-​matching sweaters, so it really just looked like street clothes to me. I can kind of get what they are going for with this, but then the bus-​girl was wearing all black. I feel like there really needs to be some kind of cohesiveness with the uniforms. It’s a small detail I know, but I certainly noticed it. Also, at one point we asked to see the menu again to look over the mixers, and the server completely forgot to come back and check on us to see if we wanted to order any of the drinks we had been looking at.
At the end of the day, Sycamore is a lovely restaurant that really hope does well. I will certainly be returning again, and I hope that they will have tied up some of these loose ends by the time I do.

My husband is from Lansdowne and we heard all the buzz about Sycamore when it first opened. I’m actually kinda ashamed it took so long for us to eat here. Since we got married at the church that’s around the corner, we thought it would be an appropriate place for our first anniversary dinner.
We went in with a plan in mind: the cheese plate. That was a must. We went all out with the five cheeses of the day: caseria, bucherondin de chrevre, parmagiano-​reggiano, camembert, and manchego. It was the best. The drunken raisins and the olives were a plus too.
I was also told that I must try the wild mushroom on toast. I was a bit skeptical about this one, because while I do love mushrooms and toast, I’m not a fan of runny egg yolks. If I eat sunny side up eggs, I usually just eat the egg white and I’m done. But on this? It works. Yes, I know it’s weird! Mushrooms on toast with a sunny side up egg? Trust me. Order it. It’s delicious.
For our entrees, we ended up getting the lentil ragu with broccoli rabe. We mostly picked this because we spurgled on cheese and mushrooms on toast and the lentil ragu was the cheapest entrée option. I like broccoli rabe more than most people, but I really didn’t think it worked in this dish. I thought it was a bit too bitter for the lentils, but everything else about it was good.
Afterwards we decided that the cheese plate at Sycamore will be anniversary tradition going forward, but hopefully we’ll be back sooner than that. I’m also looking forward to trying NoBL. Yay Lansdowne.

I came here with friends because I really wanted to visit Sycamore before Chef Sam Jacobson leaves the place. We had a wonderful dinner. The amuse bouche of dorade with roasted cauliflower and pecorino risotto was sublime. My bouche was thoroughly amused. A farmer’s plate followed, and I was so delighted by the selections of cheese, meat, crackers, «drunken» raisins, olives, etc. There was a truffled steak on the board that was fantastic.
I ordered the crispy octopus with pork belly, because octopus and pork belly are two of my favorite things. It came with grits that were also perfectly prepared. The pork belly was without a doubt the best pork belly preparation I have ever tasted in my life, and the meat itself was of exceptional quality.
The texture of the octopus was amazingly tender. It was sweet and yielding and delicious. But way too salty! I feel like I can’t give five stars because of this. It was really over-​salted. But I would give 4.5 if I could.
I finished with the maple crème brûlée with candied pecans on top. When I cracked the crust with my spoon, both my friends looked up because it was really loud! It was a seriously hard, glassy crust and needless to say, it was really delicious.
The service was good, and the décor is very warm, rustic, and inviting.

Truth be told, I’m not much of a suburban diner. My reasoning is kind of simple: with everything being so convenient in the city, why on earth would I venture out of it? Sycamore answered that question with just the first bite of the meal! It was well worth the train ride and as I write this review, I find myself planning my next meal there.
We asked the waiter if we should go with the prix fixe menu, but he advised against it because of my food intolerances. He assured me, though, that the chef would be able to accommodate me. The dinner started off with an avocado, tomato, and feta amuse bouche, but since yours truly can’t eat dairy, they made me a plum-​cilantro concoction of some sort. I am not a cilantro fan by any means, but Chef Sam managed to make the dish balanced and intriguing without being overpowering. They then gave us bread and olive oil for our table. They put some sort of chili pepper balsamic in with the oil and it tasted amazing. I’m not one to pound an entire loaf of bread, but I don’t think we even left any crumbs.
Next up was a board of house-​made charcuterrie, which we devoured in record time. Finally, I was given the duck entrée, which we paired with seasonal lima bean and zucchini vegetables. I had a mountain of leftovers that I ended up taking home with me.
The restaurant itself is a little on the dark side and I could see this place getting pretty loud when it’s crowded. Our time there, however, was relaxing and the setting was intimate. It should be a requirement for everyone to come out here and try this place.

I’ve been waiting a month to write this review because I was getting close to my 100^th review and I wanted to save it for something special. And Sycamore is definitely something special.
Sycamore is one of those restaurants that just does everything right. Ambiance, service, food, price. You leave with a smile on your face, saying to yourself, that was a wonderful dining experience.
Walking in, you instantly feel at ease and relaxed. The restaurant has a casual yet still chic interior design, in a spot that is small enough to be cozy but big enough to not feel claustrophobic.
Service is excellent– the servers are knowledgable and accomodating without the feeling of pretention that seems to be present in so many higher-​end restaurants. I really liked how the staff made us feel at home and didn’t push us out the door as we lingered over our bottle of wine.
Speaking of wine, this spot is BYOB. Bam!
Food, in a single word, can be described as superb. Everything we had was amazing, from the amuse bouche, to the roasted garlic dipping oil, to the scallops with spinach, mango, avocado, and corn appetizer, to the fried green tomatoes with a creamy tomato sauce and layed with marscapone cheese. Each dish was more delicious than the next.
Finally, price/​value. There are so few restaurants in Philly where you can get a truly amazing meal at a decent price. This is one of those restaurants. We ordered an appetizer and two entrees and it was about $ 60 bucks. BYOB definitely helps to control the price.
I’m looking forward to coming back and trying one of their tasting menus, as well as a cheese board. This spot is definitely worth the drive/​train ride out of the city. You won’t be disappointed!

Last night Chef Sam was in India so I was counting on him having trained his staff appropriately and I was not proven wrong. This was the lovely wife and my 8^th visit here. We dine out a great deal and it takes a very special place to get us back that often. On this visit we brought along our grown daughter. Speaking of daughters; in my opinion this is not a place to bring young children.
As always we had OpenTable reservations. As always we brought our adult libations with us. We love Sycamore’s Cocktail Mixer choices. As always we brought high expectations for a wonderful experience.
As usual the room was gorgeous and beautifully lit. We arrived at 6:00 and that’s when they opened. By 7:00 the place was packed with an eclectic mix of diners. Young and old and couples and groups of six or more were all present. Casual dress is the norm but for some it was clearly a special night and if you dress up you’ll still feel comfortable here.
Our Amuse-​bouche last night was a baby mussel. Of course they disappeared as we perused the menu. We choose the Farmer’s Plate ($ 19) as our shared appetizer. You choose three cheeses and three meats from a short menu and they are accompanied by the most amazing array of accouterments you can imagine. Last night our cheeses were Manchego, Delice de Bourgogne, and Drunken Goat. So our selection included sheep, cow, and goat varieties. Kudos to Chef Sam for his selections. For our meats we choose Porcini Dusted Truffle Steak, Chorizo, and Prosciutto. It was an amazing plate and we enjoyed every tidbit. I looked around the packed room and almost every table was enjoying a Farmers Plate. It’s that popular.
I’m a huge carnivore but last night I was a wild and crazy guy. For my entrée I choose the Caramelized Onion & Taleggio Crêpe. It included Brussels sprouts, chestnuts and a porcini béchamel sauce. All I can say is heaven on a plate. The wife ordered Seared NJ Sea Scallops that were accompanied by green onion fritters. My daughter enjoyed Braised Short Ribs. There were smiles and noises of contentment all around. I noted that there was also Salmon and Pork entrees on the menu. Kudos to Chef Sam once again for trying to include something to satisfy most tastes.
For desert my wife and daughter split a Rum Butterscotch Budino with crisp bacon and crème fraiche. That’s right; bacon on a desert! I tried the warm chocolate cake with ice cream. Delicious all around.
Our tab for three people including two shakers of cocktail mixers was $ 127. We had a delicious 5 star meal for a fair price. It doesn’t get much better than that!

I wanted my 100^th review to be for a place that really deserved Unilocal’s elite five stars. This is really as good as it gets, and I am lucky enough to be only 10 minutes away from this repeat wonder. I chose this place for my best friend’s surprise birthday dinner, and I did not want to disappoint her or her exquisite tastebuds! Our party of 15 gathered together in the main room which was dimly lit, yet cozy. While we waited for the guest of honor and her boyfriend, the party imbibed in some wine that we brought and chatted up on the gorgeousness of the place I’m sure Martha Stewart would be jealous of.
We were there for the $ 29 casual prix fixe dinner which really should be named the tasting FEAST! We were given numerous plates that were meant to be shared. When we thought it was over, more plates came to surprise and delight us. This was an experience that is not family-​style. There isn’t a huge portion where you get a few bites. Instead, there were small plates but more variety. This was probably a first experience for all of us, but it certainly won’t be our last!
Service was friendly and attentive, and there wasn’t a long wait in between each course. Our plates were cleared, water glasses filled, and servers didn’t hesitate to answer questions about what we were eating. As for parking, there was metered parking, and a large parking lot shared by Bottom Dollar Food.
I’m adding this place to one of my favorite restaurants!

Certain people have informed me that I eat out too much — and those haters are probably right.
But you know what I do very rarely? Dine.
Let’s face it: dining can be pricey and requires a bit more gussying up than I’m used to. But it’s worth it, because an evening of fine dining can be life-​changing — an adventure for all the senses and an experience to remember for years afterward.
That’s what my evening at Sycamore was like. Fine dining perfection.
Five friends and I congregated at Sycamore on a blisteringly cold and desolate Sunday night. On the fringes of Philly in the suburb of Lansdowne, Sycamore is an oasis, with a warm, cozy, and inviting vibe. It’s a BYO, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that several of my dinner companions had brought wine.
After we were seated, my partners-​in-​dine reminded me that we wouldn’t need menus. It turns out Sunday night is the night of Chef Sam’s prix-​fixe tasting menu — and that’s what everyone at the table was having. My eyes lit up.
The tasting is much more exciting than a preset list courses. Instead, it’s carte blanche for Chef Sam and his crew to prepare for us whatever they were in the mood for — and all of us could receive something different and share with everyone else. Had I died and gone to heaven?
The breadth and depth of Chef Sam’s menu were on full display that night. I have absolutely no idea how many different dishes were brought out for the six of us. Here’s a (totally abridged) list of what I tasted:
1) Smoked trout amuse bouche
2) Artisanal cheese, fruit, and preserves plate
3) Charcuterie plate
4) Radicchio and beet salad
5) Cream of rutabaga soup
6) Seared black bass
7) Onion crêpe with porcini mushroom béchamel
8) Rib-​eye steak
9) Wild mushrooms on toast with a fried egg
10) Seared scallops with onion fritter
11) Pork loin with sauerkraut
12) Banana and dulce de leche tart
13) Bread pudding
14) Rum butterscotch budino
There’s no point in trying to describe it all. I’d have to write a novel. Simply put: absolutely everything — from the amuse bouche to the appetizers to the entrees to the desserts — was heaven. Somehow each dish that was brought out managed to out-​do the previous one. I have no idea how the staff of Sycamore pulls off miracles like these in the kitchen. Even that servers were incredibly gracious, introducing every dish to all of us, whisking the empty ones away, and ensuring that the vegetarians in our group were properly taken care of.
After nearly 4 hours of wining, dining, and chatting, our entire group found itself wonderfully tipsy, full, and jovial. In other words — in a state of total bliss.
Sunday night at Sycamore was one of the most memorable gastronomic experiences of my life. Sycamore is a Philly gem that deserves all of the accolades that it receives on Unilocal and elsewhere. Next time I’m in town, the first thing I’m doing is making reservations in order to eat — I mean «dine» — here again.

Game show host– «welcome back to the price for dinner, next up to guess the price for dinner Aaliyah P … Come on down…
Aaliyah P — omg !!! I’m gonna be on the price for dinner!!!
Game show host — Aaliyah P tell us a little bit about yourself .
Aaliyah P– I live in Wilmington DE and love to Unilocal and dine out!
Game show host– ok Aaliyah are you ready?
Aaliyah P –I was born ready!
Game show host– chef Sam @ Sycamore has a weekly dinner on Wednesday. What is the cost of a 5 course chefs tasting at this amazing byob…
Aaliyah P– 29.00…
Game show host — Aaliyah is that your final answer? …
Aaliyah –yes!
Game show host– that is correct !! She’s won a five course tasting @ Sycamore byob…
— last nights experience at The UYE @ Sycamore was amazing from start to finish … Each course was prepared with not only Fresh seasonal ingredients but love and attention. You can tell Chef Sam really puts an enormous amount of thought into the food he prepares…
I’ll tell you all what you missed .(and you can drool over the photos)
we as a table shared cheese board (can’t recall the cheeses except for one that was bathed in Chimay…) the accompaniments were equally amazing … Date spread … Olives and apple slices .
The chilled carrot soup was next — not quite cold room temperature with a velvety texture. You could actually taste the carrots and there was a hint if curry lingering along with the lime scented crème fraîche.
The tuna tartare was another amazing masterpiece –clearly grade a+tuna with an amazing sauce and a side of spicy arugula.
The main for me (and a few others) was a creamy herb polenta with sautéed wild mushrooms. Smooth creamy polenta perfectly seasoned and I’m usually not a fan if the fungi but it was quite satisfying.
The berry bruschetta capped off the meal and I wasn’t overly stuffed so I throughly enjoyed every bite if the balsamic glazed berries and the sweetened mascarpone on top of a grilled piece of French bread– tre bien !!
I met some fellow Unilocalers … Had great conversation and that just made this one of my most memorable meals… Chef Sam is a awesome and my expectations of this meal were exceeded … There’s talk of a bday dinner for me. I like the sound of that.

Many think that fine dining can only be had in the city along streets named after Walnut, Chestnut, or Locust. However, once in a while a shoot springs up in the suburbs that reaches majestic heights, and so it is with Sycamore, a Lansdowne BYOB with charm, class, and execution.
The first question you may ask, as I did, is «where is Lansdowne?» Just west of the city, we were able to reach it from the Main Line area in about 25 minutes. Most Philly urbanites should be there even faster.
We arrived at 7:30 on a Friday night, and found ample street parking out front. Being a holiday weekend, the dining rooms were (until about an hour later) about half full, which was agreeable to us as it gave us more opportunity for intimacy. The quite, classy, unassuming décor and white tablecloth set the tone for what was to come.
We brought both hard alcohol as well as a bottle of red. Sycamore will serve mixers for you to shake and stir your way to happiness, and you’ll never have to worry about that mixed drink being a little «thin,» as you’ll be adding the shot (s).
After settling in, our attentive and pleasant server Jane described the various offerings on the menu, We opted for the Farmer’s Plate as our first course. Served with three different cheeses and meats picked from a comprehensive list (we let the chef decide), it was both fresh and delicious. Also served on the plate were olives, several different mustards, and a delicious topping which hinted of fig.
Next up was the Wild Mushroom on Toast. Served with a sunny side up egg on a bed of assorted mushrooms, this dish is as good an appetizer as you’ll find, and only confirmed my belief that I could eat fresh eggs anytime, anywhere.
My entrée was the ribs, served off the bone over a bed of mashed potatoes. Succulent with a symphony of flavors that suggested hickory and cocoa, this new dish redefined an old favorite of mine.
I finished up with the Dark Chocolate Pot du Crème. As a certified dark chocolate addict, this heavy mousse was delicious and plugged the chocolate fix my brain was jonesing for.
Overall, a wonderful suburban experience. So, why not five stars? A few quibbles… we thought the portion size on the small side given the high 20’s price tag. The mixer served for my better half didn’t have the right balance of lime and sweet syrup. While all our dishes were very good, and with the exception of the mushrooms on toast, they didn’t reach epic status.
We really enjoyed our indoor picnic under the canopy of Sycamore. The final and most important verdict? We’ll be back.

We had an event here for 48 people. Great food, excellent service and many guests will be returning for more !!
Bravo to Sam and the staff at Sycamore.

Birthday dinner review!
Like most Unilocalers in the know I’ve had the chance to talk with Chef Sam and get a genuine feel for his passion for cooking and extensive recipe knowledge. And it got to the point that following him and Sycamore on Facebook has led to me seeing some pretty tantalizing food porn. So when it came to deciding where I wanted to enjoy birthday dinner with my fam this year, I couldn’t think of any other place. And in the end I’m far from being biased in saying that it was hands down one of the best meals I’ve ever experienced!
When I first walked in I was instantly drawn to the fine wooden décor, and I became even more amazed when I learned that the owner crafted all of the elongated tables and chandeliers with their own hands! And our server was spot on and proved to be extremely knowledgeable throughout the evening.
You know a menu is impeccable when you literally want to order every single thing on it. So you can imagine how impossible rounding it down was, although things like the farmers plate which hooked up 3 cheeses and 2 charcuterie items helped a little. The dry steak dusted with porcini mushrooms was amazing, and the Sopresseta salami was the perfect antithesis. as a former cheese monger I can assure you that a place is real deal when it has things like Epoisses and Idiazabal on its cheese plate selection; so seeing them available had me sold.
Appetizers consisted of the so simple yet so addicting egg and medley of wild mushrooms on toast (which is what I’ve been dreaming up as the perfect breakfast ever since!), and the new tuna tartare that Sam was testing out for the chef’s menu and hopefully decides to keep for a long haul since it was amazing. the main course of scallops with chorizo, potatoes, and chard in a port wine reduction was as impeccably delicious and masterful as it sounds.
For dessert I was mad tempted to go with the pumpkin flan. But since the Budino offered graham cracker crust, rum, and BACON, it piqued my curiosity. And since a wise man once said on Facebook, «Either you love Bacon, or you’re wrong.»; it turned into something that I henceforth couldn’t resist. Since I was expecting the rum cake forged by the GODS; I was little surprised to find that it was a pudding, but i can only summarize it by saying… WoW!
For the extra special touch I was given a plate of cookies (which I apologize for not finishing, but as this review shows I was that well fed!) and a candle to blow out for my birthday. And its extra touches like that which managed to shine throughout that make Sycamore one of places to watch and get down to already!

From the sidewalk, it’s not much. But inside, this amber-​tinted BYOB is old-​school chic, perfect for a romantic interlude or catching up with friends.
Chef Sam Jacobson[1] delivers Nouveau American fare with a personal touch, from the marvelous mac and cheese (Italian sausage and roasted tomatoes) to a delightfully spicy jambalaya (classic New Orleans style, prepared with sea salt)[2]. Try the tender poussin (stuffed with mushrooms, beet greens, and Munster cheese — love at first bite!), or share an artisanal cheese or charcuterie plate. Solo? Splurge for the Malpeque oysters. Can’t decide? Service is there every step of the way.
When it comes to desserts, I’m still standoffish, but their Kahlua mousse — and flourless chocolate cake — sometimes makes me reconsider that stance.
[1] We’re friends, but I show up unannounced to keep things kosher.
[2] Their menu changes seasonally to ensure a fresh experience, so some dishes mentioned may not be available.

In what seems like months ago, Blake F., Caroline P. and I made plans to dine at Sycamore. Our wait was finally over on a blustery Wednesday night, when we descended upon Lansdowne. The restaurant was full but for one table when we arrived around 8:30. The décor was warm and inviting, with rich fall colors and holiday accents. Our lovely server, Elle, seated us and promptly brought water, bread and the amuse bouche du jour, a creamy potato soup, to our table.
Although Chef Sam Jacobson is a friend (full disclosure), he assured us on our arrival that everything we ordered would be served exactly as it would to a stranger. In other words, he wanted us to have the most honest experience possible. And since we’re all being honest here, I can’t think of a single thing Sam could have done differently that would have made the meal better than it already was.
We started with a cheese plate, which featured four very different cheeses that were well complimented by other items on the board, my favorite being the drunken raisins. I want to eat cheese and drunken raisins every day!
Next up was a fantastic baby arugula salad and a delightfully crunchy carmelized onion, goat cheese and pancetta phyllo tart, which was served alongside a frisee salad.
For my main, I opted for the boeuf bourguignon (although the fontina stuffed meatloaf could be heard calling my name from the kitchen). The beef was fork tender and served in a hearty broth over mashed potatoes. The broth itself had strips of tender carrots and — brace yourself — bacon. It was fantastic but I had to stop short of finishing in order to save room for dessert.
We shared an orange scented flan, a pumpkin cheesecake that had the most wonderful crust and a delicious banoffee tart that Sam claimed the Brits were first responsible for creating. Many props to our friends across the pond for that one!
The check arrived and with it came three house-​made cocoa dusted truffles. It was a beautiful ending to a fabulous meal. As Caroline mentioned, we were fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of the New Year’s Eve prix fixe menu, and it sounded wonderful. Do not hesitate to give Sycamore a try; it’s a suburban gem and it won’t be long before resies are hard to come by!