Drive slowly down the street as you approach Porch & Proper in Collingswood, NJ. You don’t want to mistake it for a private home with its namesake porch, and you definitely don’t want to miss dining at this charming restaurant!
On the Scene in Collingswood
Porch & Proper is one of those wonderful restaurants where guests are warmly welcomed as they arrive. The small spot is the perfect place to relax over dinner and enjoy a bottle of wine.
The restaurant, which opened less than a year ago, is part of the very hot dining scene in Collingswood and immediately adds to the sizzle. This is an eatery that celebrates its love of food every single day!
Now for the menu: It’s not that big, but it does cover all the bases and then some.
Time to Eat
Where else have you seen a shrimp and scallop corn dog on the menu? It looks like a corn dog when it arrives at your table, but the inside is definitely seafood. It’s a must-try!
The menu is divided into snacks, small plates, grains and pasta, and large plates. And of course, there is dessert. (Save room for that.)
Besides the “corn dog,” other snack choices include a tuna melt with tuna conserva, bibb, pickles, mustard seed, and cheddar.
There is also a sourdough focaccia with whipped ricotta, a cheese plate of local cheeses, and grilled halloumi.
Under Small Plates, you might want to go for the gem lettuce salad with green goddess dressing, crispy seeds and onions, and sesame “soil.” Almost too pretty to eat!
The chef’s take on the latest chicken and waffles trend is karaage chicken and waffle, featuring kimchi, chili maple, and fermented vegetables.
Other choices include broiled Brigantine oysters, grilled asparagus, and grilled beets with whipped feta.
We haven’t even gotten to the main dishes yet, but you can tell we’re dealing with a restaurant where every dish is well thought out, beautiful, delicious, and unique
On the Menu
If you’re in the mood for pasta, order one of the restaurant’s wonderful and warming choices.
If you’re undecided, go for the taleggio tortellini with brown butter, strawberry, poppy seed, and amaretti. Truly a tasty delight and just slightly sweet.
Everything on the menu sounds good: ricotta ravioli with morel mushrooms, squid ink chittara, and fine herb pappardelle with braised rabbit.
The large plates are varied. There is the grilled snapper with potato and ramp vichyssoise, braised leeks, and pickled shallot. Another option is the Barnegat Light scallops with lobster sauce, fennel soubise, hen of woods mushroom and puffed quinoa.
Read the menu carefully—that is indeed Beet Wellington you see. No meat! With roasted mushrooms, spinach, pommes purees, and beet bordelaise.
If you do want meat, you can’t go wrong with the pastrami ribeye with kohlrabi puree, cabbage and Kohlrabi slaw, and mustard jus.
The desserts, all handmade daily, are tantalizing. Order your own—you won’t want to share.
A favorite is the cruller with lemongrass crème anglaise, pistachio and lavender. It melts in your mouth!
Or go for the mille feuille with apricot cream, miso butterscotch, and cocoa.
Other choices are butter mochi cake with coconut and sesame, and the almond and chamomile panna cotta.
You really can’t go wrong with any dish at Porch & Proper, especially with their seasonal menu.
A tasting menu is available with a choice from each section of the menu.
You can even eat on the porch!
Better yet, the restaurant is BYOB.
Porch & Proper
619 W. Collings Avenue
Collingswood, NJ 08107
856-477-2105
