If you think Cabrini is a school in the middle of nowhere with not much to do around campus, you are dead wrong. The Main Line boasts a wide variety of hidden gems, but finding places uncommon from the usual hot spots takes time and effort. My years spent as a local and as a senior here at Cabrini have given me particular insight into some of the most under-appreciated places around the Radnor area.
Food:
Tapas, a type of authentic Spanish cuisine focused on small dishes, is quickly gaining popularity amongst younger people, mainly because socializing is encouraged while eating. Knowing that, Verdad, Bryn Mawr’s top-of-the-line tapas restaurant and tequila bar, brings a lot to the table. Anne Stepto, a manager at Verdad, says that business in the restaurant’s year-and-one-month infancy has been “excellent.” Chef and Owner Nicholas Farina will surprise adventurous eaters with paellas filled to the brim with escargot, rabbit and wild mushrooms. If you’re 21 or older, the Tinto Margarita with Chilean Red Wine is a must-have.
For those looking for more conventional fare, Elevation Burger and Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream & Treatery, both in Wynnewood, offer some of the best classic American cuisine around without putting a dent in your wallet. Elevation Burger uses USDA-certified organic, grass fed, free-range beef that is ground on-premises along with 100 percent pure olive oil. These changes make for nutritious burgers you have to taste to believe. Maggie Moo’s also specializes in using fine ingredients in their ice cream. Offering unique flavors like red velvet and fudge, Maggie Moo’s ice cream is unbeatable.
Places for Fun:
Having spent the better part of my college years on campus, I know what it’s like to spend nights looking for something different to do. Wynnewood Lanes is a great local bowling alley that offers “Rock-N-Bowl” black light bowling late at nights on Fridays and weekends. For students 21 and older, Wynnewood Lanes is BYOB, and has a small bar adjacent to the lanes. Rock-N-Bowl amounts to tons of fun, whether it be for dates or just hanging out with friends.
If you’re looking for a more relaxing night out, Milkboy Coffee in Ardmore is a great local place to go and unwind with your beverage of choice. Milkboy offers free Wi-Fi and almost always has local musicians performing on stage. Overall, the environment makes being productive very easy and fun.
Without a doubt, Bryn Mawr Film Institute is the number one place under the radar in the Main Line. The non-profit community theater was founded in 2002 by academic and civic leaders in Bryn Mawr, and has since grown to be one of the most incredible places in Pennsylvania for film-lovers. The theater screens many independent and foreign films, and will occasionally host special screenings of critically acclaimed films such as Memento, The Fly, Fantastic Mr. Fox and It’s A Wonderful Life. If you’re a movie buff in any way, a visit to Bryn Mawr Film Institute is worth more than the price of admission.
