Flavors of the Main Line
History, global flavors, and a sense of community bind the varied neighborhoods of a posh stretch of the Philadelphia suburbs.
Alana Milazzo grew up in Connecticut as the daughter of a butcher from Sicily (“who still works seven days a week,” she says), so her roots in the culinary world run deep.
“I was the kid in school with the lunch where everybody’s like, ‘What’s that smell in the closet?’ Well, it was my lunch,” Milazzo says. “Both my parents are still phenomenal cooks. I have two sisters, and everybody kind of grew up in the kitchen. I mean, entertaining, us—it was all about food, always.”
She pursued a career in finance after graduating from Villanova, as did her husband, Matt Huber. Though she saw great success in the field, the call of the culinary world proved too tempting.
“I was thinking of leaving what I was doing in finance, and we had been traveling in Italy,” she recalls. “We went to see family, and I said, ‘You know what I’m going to do?’ and it was some form of the first iteration of this concept, which is very easy when you’re sitting in a piazza, having espresso or a glass of wine. But I did, I came back and I left a very lucrative job at Goldman Sachs and started this less than a year later. And we hit the ground running.”
That concept, Tredici Italian Market in Wayne, is now celebrating its 18th year of business sharing great Italian food with the Main Line.
Tredici’s menu started with 13 sandwiches, all of which are still offered today, including Nutella and bananas on a croissant, and another with prosciutto, brie, truffle oil, toasted pine nuts, and arugula. Over time, the menu grew to include an assortment of “parms,” featuring various proteins topped with marinara and three cheeses, plus wraps, salads, soups, and a host of premade goodies like sides and antipasto offerings.
“From the start, our whole idea was to always try to be a little different,” Milazzo says. “This area is known for its great hoagie shops. Although we do some hoagies, our attempt was always to be … something you’re not finding in all these other well-established places.
“When somebody walks in the door, we know that they’re getting their usual,” she continues. “We know who doesn’t like tomatoes and who adds this to a sandwich. You know, that’s kind of how we’ve cultivated our menu—what dishes and how people like them.”
Though Tredici is an Italian market, crowd favorites like the chicken pot pies (available on Wednesdays) grew out of the shop’s fan base.
“We have a Bolognese sauce that’s got a cult following that we do by the vat,” she adds. “People just come in and load up.
“We’ve been through everything with people, from births to weddings to deaths, and it’s very important to us to be a part of all those moments,” she continues. “We’ve built friendships here, not just customers, and that’s what this whole unique area is really about and what the Main Line stands for.”
Smoke Rings and BBQ Things
A diner can find all manner of cuisine along the Main Line, including old-fashioned barbecue like the kind served by La Cabra Brewing Smokehouse in Bryn Mawr.
Alexander MacDonald, director of operations and part owner of La Cabra Brewing Smokehouse, joined the restaurant’s team at a pivotal time in its evolution.
“In 2021, right after COVID, it was kind of struggling with an identity, I’ll say,” MacDonald says of the restaurant, which was branded as Bodega by La Cabra at the time. “We changed it to La Cabra Brewing Smokehouse, and we were able to right the ship and double the sales in my first year, then be profitable and sustaining.”
The model went to full service, with an emphasis on customer care and repeat business. A reinvigorated menu featured heavily, too.
“We smoke our brisket and our pork every day, and then we let it rest in a sham—a hot holding unit we set at 150 [degrees]—for another 10 hours to rest and break down in that heat,” MacDonald explains. “That’s where you get that beautiful smoke ring. And then everything has the fat cap on top, so all the fat just comes down into the meat and it keeps cooking essentially for another 10 hours. That’s a lot of the secret of it.
“We’re not smoking a lot and then reheating,” he continues. “When you’re getting fresh brisket or pulled pork, you’re getting stuff that was smoked the day before and then rested in a hot holding unit. I mean, it’s just the best quality that you can get in that sense. Then we smoke our ribs and our whole chickens and our chicken wings the day of, because those require less smoking time.”
MacDonald, who studied culinary arts at the University of New Hampshire, speaks with enthusiasm about the craftsmanship and appreciation for flavor he sees at La Cabra.
“I do have a lot of passion for food execution and how it’s cooked,” he says. “I think at the end of the day, for me, it’s easier to do my job if I have products that I can stand behind, which I feel like I do. It’s something across the board, whether it’s the building, the staff, the food, the beverages, I believe in it all.”
Knowing Your Neighbors
Outside of its literal, historical definition as a network of train stations that can be remembered with the mnemonic “Old Maids Never Wed And Have Babies” (Overbrook, Merion, Narberth, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford, and Bryn Mawr), the Main Line is hard to define.
Steeped in transit history—and strange mnemonics—though it may be, the Main Line has become known for its bountiful lifestyle amenities, including parks, concert halls, and fantastic food featuring flavors from around the globe.
To Milazzo, the Main Line is even more. She sees a parallel between the Main Line and the small, convivial towns of her native New England.
“What I love about the Main Line—not just having been in Villanova and opening up down the street—is just the feel of community,” she says. “That whole concept is similar to how I grew up. You know, Connecticut is very small. Obviously, Pennsylvania is very big, but the Main Line is kind of its own subsect. Every town is just a few minutes away from the next. The sense of community, and people being very supportive of local businesses and each other, is really what defines the Main Line.”
For proof that it’s all about neighbors, consider MacDonald’s gleeful response when he learns that Milazzo was interviewed for this story: “I love Tredici. It’s my go-to, honestly. I talk to Matt and Alana and she’s so modest, and her food is so good.”
The Rub
When a pondering Hamlet says, “Ay, there’s the rub,” he refers to a great dilemma awaiting in the unknown of what lies beyond this world. In this time and place, the rub is the solution—to flavorless meat, that is. Just in time for football season, Alexander MacDonald kindly shares La Cabra Smokehouse’s iconic rib rub recipe. Even with all appropriate spices accounted for, the great craft involved in smoking meat runs in direct opposition to the otherwise sound advice given by Eric B. & Rakim in the early ’90s—that is, with barbecue, yes, you should sweat the technique.
Rib Rub
4 cups Salt
4 cups Ground Black Pepper
2 pounds Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Granulated Garlic
1/2 cup Granulated Onion
1/2 cup Paprika
1/2 cup Ancho Powder
1/2 cup Chipotle Powder
1/2 cup Chile de árbol Powder
4 Tbsp. Ground Cumin
4 Tbsp. Cayenne Powder
Rub onto your favorite cut of meat, or even vegetables, and cook as desired. Makes about 15 cups of spice blend.
More Along the Main Line
There are enough top-shelf eateries in the neighborhoods spanning the Main Line to fill every page of this magazine. But we have to fit some other stuff in this issue, so here are just a few more for your consideration.
Saffron Indian Kitchen has four nearby locations (Philadelphia, Wayne, Ambler, Bala Cynwyd), and its growth from its Bala flagship is no surprise to anyone who has ever dined there. Each location has a similar vibe, and all are BYOB, and the flavors are the star of the show. You can’t go wrong with a nice tikka or vindaloo, but go bold and try one of their rotating specials. Try the aloo naan, which is stuffed with potatoes. (It’s carb season. Live a little.) saffronofphilly.com
With its newest location in Bryn Mawr, beloved coffee and pastry go-to The Buttery takes another step into the Main Line. With two other locations not too far afield (Malvern and Ardmore), this breakfast and lunch spot continues to delight diners with expertly made breads, croissants, tarts, bundts, and more, plus sandwiches (like the hot honey grilled cheese with gouda and cheddar), bagels and schmears, quiche, and breakfast all day. Huevos rancheros await. thebutterycafe.com
Christopher’s: A Neighborhood Place has been a Wayne staple for 25 years, which is borderline shocking to those of us who have been going there just about that whole time. It’s always hoppin’ during happy hour, when there’s live music, and definitely during and after North Wayne Avenue’s iconic Wayne Music Festival every summer. Christopher’s serves a lineup of cocktails and libations, plus an array of American-inspired dishes by chef Chris Todd, who has owned Christopher’s with his wife, Molly, since 2001. christophersaneighborhoodplace.com
For a taste of east Africa, visit Eshkol Ethiopian Cuisine & Cafe in Ardmore. Hospitality is central to the experience here, highlighted by the traditional fire-roasted coffee, served ceremonially as a symbol of friendship and conviviality. Vegans will rejoice, as options featuring lentils, chickpeas, split peas, and plenty of vegetables abound. Meatier options feature lamb, chicken, and beef, but diners of all palates must try the ingera, a porous crepe-type staple made from teff grain. eshkolcuisine.com
Lola’s Garden, an eatery in Ardmore’s Suburban Square, features indoor and outdoor seating, making it a great spot for enjoying happy hour cocktails like the Violet Rouge (a blend of Tito’s vodka, pomegranate, orange extract, and lime) or the mocktails. Try the Lemon & Leaf mocktail, a mix of Lola’s lemonade, cucumber, and basil, for a glass of teetotaling fun. Dinner fare is on the lighter side, with a selection of salads, pizzas, and pastas. lolasgardenrestaurant.com
Down 76 a bit, atop The Ironworks at Pencoyd Landing next to the Schuylkill in Bala Cynwyd, is Lark, helmed by Top Chef season 11 winner chef Nicholas Elmi. Opened in 2021, this upscale eatery evokes the Mediterranean, featuring dishes like crudo, sumac-glazed octopus, and escargot, as well as entrées such as the roasted Jersey scallops and halibut with brown butter. larkpa.com
Photo courtesy of Tredici Italian Market
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, October 2026
