How do you combine fine dining and a good old American burger? Haddonfield residents will soon find out when The Fare Porter opens at 109 Kings Hwy E., in the second half of December, serving upscale burgers and hand-cut fries made from the finest ingredients.
Marcello De Feo decided to open the burger joint in his own town after growing tired of having to head to the city for a quality burger with his family. But being the owner of fine dining restaurant Valente’s Cucina in Kings Court, De Feo wasn’t interested in opening a greasy spoon that serves boring old burgers.
“I grew up in the city, and I wanted to continue to bring more of that city feel to town here. And I think you can make something gourmet that is still accessible, and that’s our intention,” De Feo told What Now Philadelphia.
De Feo and his partner Johnnie Reynolds, the current executive chef of Valente’s and former exec chef at Parc, are currently in the “R&D” phase of building out their menu, scouting purveyors and local vendors to find the right combinations of meats, bread, produce, and other ingredients.
“If it means delaying our opening, we’re not going to open it until we’re 100 percent satisfied with the menu,” De Feo said. “I hate the paralysis-by-analysis menu you see in a diner. If you’re able to create a small menu where everything can be highlighted, the focus is 100 percent on quality and making sure whatever we put out is something we’re proud to serve.”
DeFeo and Reynolds’ tight menu will showcase elevated burgers like a seared foie gras burger with roasted garlic and bone marrow aioli, white truffle, and carmelized borettane onions. Reyonds’ hand-cut fries will be available poutine-style and with green chili and cheese. Chicken wings in fun flavors like Sweet Thai Chili and Reaper Pepper will also be on the menu. Over-the-top milkshakes, like the Banana Creme Brule, will pair perfectly with their burgers. Like Valente’s, The Fare Porter will serve Auburn Road Vineyards wines. Guests at The Fare Porter can also imbibe Italian sodas and enjoy a potential mocktail menu.
The Fare Porter will start as a take-out and quick-service dining spot with bar seating, two indoor tables, and four to six outdoor tables. DeFeo says that the location will serve as a proof of concept, hoping that it will outgrow this location and re-open in a bigger location with full-service dining like Valente’s, which started as an Italian market and grew into a restaurant. Valente’s dining space will be expanded this winter after DeFeo finishes converting the Haddonfield Information Center directly across from the restaurant.
