In between Family & Friends and Media Night, Black Powder Tavern's most important team members—the chef and the wine, beer and spirits director—sat down with the warden ettinger group for a sneak peek at the new restaurant concept. We're now into weekend two, and so far it's thumbs up for the craft beer selection, sophisticated pub fare and building/interior renovations.

1. Start
your
taste
buds;
Black
Powder
Tavern
is
officially
open
for
business.
Not
sure
what
all
the
fuss
is
about?
Read
on
and
you’ll
start
to
get
a
flavor
for
this
“revolutionary”
eatery’s
Craft
American
Fare.
Better
yet,
join
us
at
the
bar,
or
in
the
dining
room,
where
the
“live”
aromas,
texture-­‐
and
color-­‐rich
plates,
lively
tavern
vibe,
and
warm
woods
and
hues
will
surely
get
your
attention—and
your
culinary
engine
revving.
As
will
this
inside
look
from
Mark
Porcaro
and
Manuel
“Manny”
Sevilla,
the
lead
team
behind
Black
Powder’s
food
and
drink…
What
about
the
menu
most
excites
you?
Chef
Mark
Porcaro
(MP):
I
like
the
fact
that
we’ve
created
dishes
that
are
meant
for
sharing.
All
the
menu
items
have
such
great
(&
different)
flavor
profiles,
that
from
a
culinary
perspective,
a
Black
Powder
dining
experience
will
always
be
exciting.
We’ve
also
provided
a
large
variety
of
tasty
vegetable
offerings
for
those
who
are
health-­‐conscious,
which
is
great.
…and
the
top
3
things
guests
should
try
when
they
come
in
for
the
first
time?
MP:
That’s
a
tough
one.
I’d
have
to
go
with
the
craft
beers,
French
onion
dumplings
and
ham
sandwich.
Actually,
that
would
make
a
perfect
meal!
(Our
ham
is
an
Italian
rosemary
and
peppercorn
type
of
prosciutto
that
is
absolutely
delicious.)
How
have
local
food
and
drink
trends
influenced
the
new
menu?
MP:
The
focus
on
craft
beers
and
brown
liquors—especially
bourbon—was
definitely
inspired
by
what
we’ve
seen
locals
gravitating
towards.
As
for
the
food,
these
days,
people
(here
and
everywhere)
seem
to
like
the
small
plates/sharing
concept.
We
like
it,
because
when
guests
come
in,
they
can
compose
their
meal
experience
any
way
they
want.
Only
up
for
an
entrée
salad?
Fine.
Prefer
three
small
plates?
Do
it.
Will
you
be
incorporating
locally
grown
and
produced
ingredients?
If
so,
which
farms
and
purveyors
can
guests
look
forward
to
"tasting"?
MP:
Yes,
the
list
will
keep
growing,
but
for
now,
we’re
using
honey
from
Drapers
Super
Bee
Apiaries
Inc.
in
Millerton,
PA,
all
of
our
ice
creams
are
from
Franklin
Fountain,
and
our
burger
buns
are
made
at
Conshohocken
Bakery.
Some
of
our
produce
also
comes
to
us
from
local
farms.
How
kid-­‐friendly
is
the
menu?
MP:
Very.
$8
gets
you
an
entrée
(choices
include
grilled
salmon
and
other
items
not
typically
seen
on
kids
menus),
veggies,
dessert
and
a
beverage.
Kids
will
also
receive
Highlights
activity
sheets.
Will
anything
be
gluten-­‐free?
MP:
Yes.
In
fact,
we
will
have
a
separate
gluten-­‐free
menu
(made
of
items
from
the
regular
menu).
Off
the
top
of
my
head,
some
of
our
best
gluten-­‐free
items
include
the
trout
deviled
eggs,
cedar
plank
salmon,
bacon-­‐wrapped
dates
and
most
of
our
vegetable
dishes.

2. What
is
your
favorite
dish
on
the
menu?
MP:
For
dinner,
my
go-­‐to
would
be
the
veal
or
chicken
burger,
but
I
also
love
the
meatballs.
If
we’re
talking
late
night
snack,
I’m
all
about
the
cambozola
cheese.
Will
you
be
designing
new
menu
items
throughout
the
year?
MP:
Yes,
seasonal
changes
will
be
incorporated
into
the
menu
throughout
the
year.
How
will
you
incorporate
some
of
the
flavors
from
the
wine
and
spirits
selection
into
the
food?
MP:
The
best
way…
We’re
making
beer-­‐battered
fish
with
locally-­‐brewed
suds.
Delicious!
Who
created
the
desserts?
Which
is
your
favorite?
MP:
I
created
the
desserts
for
Black
Powder
Tavern.
My
favorite,
hands
down,
is
the
whipped
ricotta
made
with
local
honey,
roasted
almonds
and
pizzelles.
The
milkshakes
are
pretty
sweet
(pun
intended)
too.
Franklin
Fountain
in
Philly
makes
some
killer
ice
cream.
What
is
the
main
food
experience
that
you'd
like
diners
to
walk
away
with?
MP:
We
hope
customers
will
want
to
come
back
again
and
again
to
try
new
things
and
that
they
feel
the
cuisine
at
Black
Powder
Tavern
is
anything
but
ordinary.
And
now,
let’s
talk
drinks…
What
are
some
of
the
"hidden
gem"
wines
on
your
list?
Manuel
“Manny”
Sevilla
(MS):
I’m
a
big
fan
of
the
Angeline
Sauvignon
Blanc
(a
specialty
item
that’s
not
sold
in
the
state
store)
and
the
Crusher
Merlot.
I
really
like
the
look
of
our
current
list,
because
the
bulk
of
our
wines
are
from
the
U.S.—mainly
California,
Washington
and
Oregon.
What
about
the
bourbons,
scotches,
et
al?
MS:
We
have
a
large
spread
of
bourbons
and
scotches.
And,
the
thing
that’s
cool
about
our
selection
is
that
we
list
the
flavor
profiles
and
smelling
notes
of
each
varietal.
This
way,
people
who
aren’t
as
into
the
brown
liquors
can
have
a
better
idea
of
what
they
might
like.
What
local
brews
will
be
featured
on
draught?
MS:
Currently
we’re
offering
Victory
(Light
Beer),
Yards
(Pilsner),
Sly
Fox
(Light
Beer),
Troegs
(Pilsner),
Stone
(Pilsner),
Flying
Fish
(Pilsner),
Stoudt’s
(Pilsner)
and
Yuengling
(Lager).
How
frequently
will
drafts
be
rotated?
MS:
As
soon
as
a
keg
is
kicked,
it
will
be
rotated
for
something
else.
There
will
always
be
something
new
“on
deck”
for
the
9
beers
that
are
in
rotation.
Will
there
be
any
suggested
beer
pairings
as
part
of
the
overall
menu?
MS:
Most
definitely.
Our
staff
will
be
well
versed
on
all
of
our
beer
selections
and
suggested
pairings
at
all
times.
That
said,
the
suggested
pairings
likely
will
not
be
written
directly
on
the
menu.
Will
you
be
hosting
any
meet-­‐the-­‐brewer
nights?
MS:
Yes,
we
will
definitely
be
working
with
the
brewers
to
host
beer
dinners.
We
are
currently
working
with
Sam
Adams
to
host
an
event
and
will
be
working
with
Lancaster
Brewing
before
the
year
is
over.

3. What
specialty
cocktails
will
you
offer
this
fall?
MS:
The
full
list
is
available
here.
One
standout
for
me
is
the
Barron
Von
Stuben
“Kentucky
Waffle,”
which
is
bourbon,
fresh
lemon
juice,
maple
syrup,
apple
cider
and
a
cinnamon
stick.
The
Dark
&
Stormy
is
also
great
for
fall:
Meyer’s
dark
rum,
fresh
lime,
ginger
beer,
candied
ginger
and
a
lime
garnish.
Will
you
be
hosting
any
meet-­‐the-­‐distiller
events?
MS:
We’ve
formed
a
great
relationship
with
Philadelphia
Distilling
and
many
of
our
cocktails
feature
their
spirits,
so
I’m
sure
we’ll
be
partnering
on
a
few
special
events
with
them.
What
types
of
"flights"
will
the
bar
offer?
MS:
Right
now
we
are
offering
beer
and
wine.
What
kind
of
"vibe"
is
Black
Powder
going
for
in
its
decor,
crowd
it
hopes
to
attract?
MS:
We’re
hoping
to
attract
people
who
like
craft
food
and
beer
(and
think
it’s
cool
to
be
in
an
atmosphere
where
they
feel
like
they
have
stepped
back
in
time).
Black
Powder
Tavern
should
feel
comfortable;
like
a
place
where
people
want
to
hang
out
for
a
while
and
share
experiences
with
friends.
We
already
have
a
great
gathering
of
customers
who
have
been
with
us
enjoying
this
place
for
the
last
15
years.
It’s
very
important
to
us
to
keep
them
happy,
too.
Will
there
be
any
wine
promotions?
MS:
Yes,
we
will
have
Wine
Wednesdays
where
specialty-­‐marked
bottles
will
be
½-­‐off
all
day
and
night.
What
about
Happy
Hour?
MS:
Happy
hour
will
be
Monday
through
Friday
from
5-­‐7PM,
and
we’ll
also
have
late
night
happy
hour
Thursday,
Friday
and
Saturday
evenings
from
9-­‐10PM.