Step right up: Porch & Proper joins Collingswood dining scene

Robin Shreeves | Special to the Cherry Hill Courier-Post

Collingswood - This borough has been known as a destination for dining for well over a decade now, and that reputation is grabbing the attention of many in the thriving Philadelphia restaurant scene.

It makes sense. Collingswood is home to more than 20 BYOB restaurants, and it takes just minutes to reach from Center City by car or the PATCO commuter rail that stops in the heart of the town’s restaurant district.

The latest Philadelphia restaurant veteran to cross the bridge is Jason Simkins, owner and general manager of the newly opened Porch & Proper. Simkins spent 10 years managing Stephen Starr restaurants in Philadelphia including Parc, Morimoto, Buddakan, Alma De Cuba, Pod and Jones.

In the space that was formerly Indeblue on Collings Avenue, Simkins has created a contemporary modern American restaurant that isn’t replicating any other establishment in Collingswood.

“I wanted to make sure we aren’t doing what others are doing well,” said Simkins. “There’s an amazing Italian American culture that is already here. We didn’t want to compete with that. We wanted to stand out.”

That also means not competing with the two other restaurants in town that are run by “expats” from Philadelphia – Zeppoli and Hearthside.

“Joey Baldino is right across the street. That’s amazing,” said Simkins, referring to the six-time James Beard nominated owner and chef of the Sicilian-focused Zeppoli.

Simkins is also aiming to create a menu different from Haddon Avenue’s Hearthside, a contemporary wood-fired American restaurant.

“We want to make sure we’re doing contemporary American dishes that aren’t on the Hearthside menu,'' he said. “We are American by namesake, but we are pulling from Japanese cuisine, French techniques and Italian roots. The chef has created a menu that is a real standout for the Collingswood scene.”

That chef is Ryan McQuillan, who Simkins refers to as his “number two.”

McQuillan comes to Porch & Proper most recently from Kennett Square’s critically acclaimed Talula’s Table. He was the executive chef at the small BYOB where reservations are made a year in advance.

Prior to Talula’s Table, McQuillan was at Philadelphia’s Mercato and 10 Arts. He’s been cooking for the better part of the last 20 years, and Simkins says he couldn’t be more excited about having him on board.

“I’ve been very open to allowing him carte blanche to do his cuisine,” Simkins said. “It’s important to me to let him do the things that are most exciting to him.”

McQuillan’s cuisine will be created from “literally any and everything we can get local,” even though Simkins says they aren’t using the “farm to table” label in promoting the restaurant. They’re sourcing all their proteins such as line caught fish, dayboat scallops and veal chops from the New Jersey and Pennsylvania regions. Everything will be either fresh caught, pasture raised or heritage breed, raised with no antibiotics. Fruits and vegetables will be as seasonal and local as possible, he said, and grains for its house baked breads will be sourced from Pennsylvania.

“We want to capture the seasonality,” said Simkins of the menu that will change regularly. “There’s nothing fresher or more beautiful than food that’s literally picked, put in a basket and shipped right to our restaurant. You can’t replicate that sort of quality and flavor when you take allowances in your food and what you’re ordering.”

The opening menu includes snacks such as Corn & Rye Pancakes with Crab Salad with Jimmy Nardello Pepper, crème fraiche and dill; small plates such as Dayboat Scallops with Leche de Tigre (a citrus-based, spicy marinade), bronze fennel and kohlrabi, and main dishes such as the vegetarian Fettuccini with Broccoli, Orange Supreme, Parmesan and Thyme or Veal Chop Milanese with potato salad, baby lettuces, parsley aioli and red onion.

Simkin's favorite, the one he says must not be passed up, is the small plate of Donuts & Foie.

“It’s made to order in house and topped with cardamom sugar, served with foie gras mousse and macerated New Jersey blueberries,” he said.

Diners can bring their own wine or beer to enjoy with Porch & Proper’s cuisine, or they choose full bottles of wine from Amalthea Cellars in Atco. Simkins believes Amalthea’s French style of winemaking will complement the restaurant’s food well.

“Almathea is really kind of up our ally in a lot of ways. They rely on the terroir of the earth and Old World techniques,” he said. “I think their portfolio of wines is really going to highlight the dishes on our menu.”

Porch & Proper will offer two or three bottles of red and white wines each from Amalthea, along with one bottle of rosé. Because of New Jersey laws, the restaurant can sell only full bottles.

The choice to open a new restaurant in Collingswood instead of Philadelphia was an easy one for Simkins.

“To me, Collingswood is what Brooklyn is to Manhattan,” he said. “It’s just over the bridge. There’s so much excitement with new restaurants. It just felt like the hot neighborhood to jump at the opportunity.”

He believes with the current emphasis on the Philadelphia dining scene and talented chefs from all over the country coming to open restaurants in the city, there’s now a saturation.

“The people that are talented and are willing to take the leap on their own are going to gravitate to the next hottest place. That’s right here in Collingswood,” said Simkins.

The restaurant’s space, which is off the main restaurant strip of Haddon Avenue, also attracted Simkins.

“We are able to stretch our arms out in a way we wouldn’t be able to on the main strip,” he said. “There’s this beautiful porch, highlighted in the name, that allows for al fresco dining.”

That porch has space to accommodate 20 guests, and the dining room has floor-to-ceiling windows so everyone has a view of the outside.

The space allows for a garden that’s all over the front of the porch and will eventually take over the back of the building where they will grow their own vegetables.

Simkins is also excited about being in the community of Collingswood.

“The biggest success for me would be that we’re embraced by this community in the same way that other restaurants have been. Hopefully, the success of bringing something different to this town is what makes us a long-standing restaurant for years to come,” he said.

If you go

Porch and Proper is located at 619 W. Collings Ave. The restaurant is open Tue – Sat 5pm – 10pm and Sun 5pm – 9pm. Reservations are available through Resy.com. For more details, visit porchandproper.com, or call (856) 477-2105.