Canby's on Cricket Lands in Ardmore

Bart Brownell spent 14 years working for Bristol-Myers Squibb. Last week, he officially began a second career in a similarly high-risk, high-reward field that hinges on finding the perfect combination of sensitive compounds: the restaurant business.

Brownell opened Canby's on Cricket on June 12, an 11 Cricket Avenue BYOB whose motto he describes as "casual fare with style."

"I don't want it to be fine dining, but I want it to be a step above your normal Friday's fare," the owner, and chef, explained.

About that second role. Brownell has been cooking his whole life, and said the Canby's menu reflects his years of experience, and tinkering, in the kitchen. 

"I've tried a lot of things, and I've built a pretty extensive cookbook," he said, adding, by way of example, that he might know seven or eight nacho recipes, pluck a choice ingredient from each, and formulate his own new, and delicious  concoction. 

Brownell said Canby's menu is "nationality-neutral," and that he's equally adept at preparing Italian, French, and American cuisine. Bart Canby Brownell Sr. is so confident in his culinary abilities, he gave the restaurant his middle name.  

The pride of Brownell's culinary repertoire is his smoked salmon, a recipe he's been honing for 36 years—"That recipe is in the vault, I won't share it with anyone," he joked—and plans to add to his menu soon; that is, as soon as he has time to make enough of it.

The owner said he rushed the opening of the restaurant so it coincided with the U.S. Open, and, as a result, is a bit behind the eight ball in some areas. The dining area itself, which seats 60-70, is a work in progress, and Brownell's famous smoked salmon is, at the moment, only available as a small appetizer—a slice on a cracker per customer.

For the time being, the biggest hurdle is simply letting the Main Line know he's here. Canby's space was previous home to a Chinese restaurant, Auspicious, later renamed as Silver Springs, and the father of three admitted many people think they're still in business.

"We still get a lot of calls for ordering Chinese," he sighed.

Once he rolls out the smoked salmon, that might change fast.

Canby's on Cricket is located at 11 Cricket Avenue in Ardmore. You can view Canby's menu here, contact the restaurant directly at 610-642-1858, or follow them on twitter @canbysoncricket.