Sola BYOB Welcomes New Exec Chef

New chef to infuse Sola’s American fare with French and Mediterranean flavors.

Sola BYOB is welcoming a new executive chef, Colin Mason, to its kitchen. Chef Mason, formerly of Fork, Nectar and Kanella, will be bringing his wealth of knowledge and experience to the Bryn Mawr restaurant.

No stranger to the Philadelphia-area restaurant scene, chef Mason comes to Sola with broad culinary experience, having honed his skills studying under chef Terence Feury at Fork and, later, with Terence’s brother Patrick at Nectar. After a brief stint with Susanna Foo, Colin expanded his repertoire with soulful, Mediterranean-style cookery under the direction of Konstantinos Pitsillides at Kanella in Philadelphia.

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Mason will bring his vision to Sola’s contemporary American fare with an infusion of flavors from France, the Mediterranean and beyond. With a heavy focus on local ingredients, sustainability and intense preparation, the menu will deliver creative dishes with a depth of flavor. Standout items include littleneck clams with chorizo, saffron and fumet; charred octopus with black garlic puree, olive relish and crispy potatoes; ricotta gnudi with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, squash, brown butter and Pecorino; and roasted duck breast with warm grain salad, apple, cucumber and cumin-carrot puree.

Photos by Dallyn Pavey

Photos by Gro Engler

“I’ve worked in restaurants from the time I graduated from high school and all through college,” explains Colin. “But, the seed was planted much earlier while at boarding school in Hershey, Pa. We worked the fields and grew our own produce for the campus. While most kids were getting their driver’s license, my first license was for a tractor and corn combine. I’m thrilled to accept this position at Sola and am looking forward to bringing my vision to the plate.”

Sola BYOB owner Brian Engler is passionate about the consistency and value that Sola continues to deliver and is excited about the new direction of the restaurant. “We are thrilled to have Colin on board and are committed to delivering quality food and service,” he explains. “Our guests’ initial feedback has been very positive, which is what is most important to us.”

Sola BYOB, 614 W. Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, (610) 526-0123, www.solabyob.com.

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