A mix of highs and lows this month, from a Labor Day tragedy in Wilson Farm Park to a cozy new bakery decades in the making. XOXO
• Last Supper at Azie on Main
Fans of the popular Asian fusion restaurant Azie on Main (including yours truly!) are mourning its impending closure after a 15-year run.
So are the owners.
Paul and Pearl Somboonsong of Win Hospitality wanted to extend Azie’s lease but during negotiations the landlords signed a new tenant to convert the space to offices. The Somboonsong’s had hoped to keep Azie open through January 2025, when they plan to debut their newest venture Maison Lotus, a French-Vietnamese restaurant in the old Margaret Kuo’s in Wayne. This scenario would have enabled them to retain most of the Azie staff and transition them to Maison Lotus.
Between final preparations for Maison Lotus and running their other restaurants (Blue Elephant locations in Wayne and Coatesville, Ardmore’s Mikaido Thai Pepper, Newtown Square’s Teikoku and the original Azie in Media), the Somboonsong’s certainly have plenty to keep them busy. But it’s still not the outcome they wanted.
Azie serves its last supper on Sunday, September 22.
• Tragic Drowning in Wilson Farm Park
Labor Day festivities in Wilson Farm Park took a tragic turn when a three-year-old boy drowned in a retention pond located about 100 yards from a playground. Local police received a call just before 7:00 PM to report a missing toddler who was under a nanny’s care. Officers rushed to the park and found the boy unresponsive in the pond. He was transferred to CHOP in King of Prussia where he later died.
The pond provides water for the park’s sprinkler system; swimming, fishing and other activities are not allowed. Officers are still investigating the drowning, and the boy’s name has not been released. According to police, the 90-acre park was packed with hundreds of families celebrating the holiday.
‘It’s [the pond] been there for 25 years, surrounded by bushes, and we never had this issue before,” Tredyffrin Police Department Captain Tyler Moyer told the Delaware County Times. The department issued a statement last week expressing its deepest condolences to the child’s family who are understandably devastated.
• Yuletide Moves to Lafayette Hill
It’s official; Yuletide Devon is no longer. Organizers Rob and Jes Bickhart found a new, cozier location for the seasonal celebration, at the Union League’s Liberty Hill golf club in Lafayette Hill. (Other contenders were Valley Forge Military Academy, Cabrini and Eastern College.)
In the end, it came down to numbers. The new location is smaller (5 acres vs. Devon’s 15), which means less holiday décor to buy, fewer vendors and a more manageable celebration overall. Attendance at Yuletide Devon fell far short of expectations (the Bickhart’s projected 120,000 visitors but only attracted 80,000). Several rainy December weekends didn’t help, and festivalgoers complained about parking fees.
Yuletide Liberty Hill will offer free parking and a lower admission price (Union League members are free), plus some fun new attractions like ice skating and augmented reality train rides. Live music will return (on smaller stages this time), along with local vendors, carnival rides, a beer garden and free photos with Santa.
The festival opens on Friday, November 22 and runs through January 5. Book your tickets before October 31 and get 20% off.
• A Sweet Dream Come True
A dream 20 years in the making has finally come to fruition. Acclaimed local pastry chef Amal Kawar has opened her own bakery in Malvern. After a stint at Basil in Paoli in the early 2000s followed by several years baking wholesale in a rented kitchen, Kawar found a sweet spot to showcase her yummy pies, tarts, cookies, breads, cupcakes and scones.
Though the bakery has only been open a month, customers are salivating over the cinnamon rolls, which frequently sell out. Other standouts include the gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, sourdough and focaccia breads and biscotti. Mini pies will be available for the holidays, and Kawar is happy to assemble a gift box of sweets and treats for anyone on your list. Selections change daily based on customer preferences and Kawar’s imagination. Coffee, tea and cold drinks are always on tap.
Sweet Zen Bakery is located at 12 General Warren Boulevard in Malvern. Hours are 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM daily.
• New Photography & Art Studio in Wayne
Here’s something to smile about—a new portrait photography and art studio in Wayne called Tiny Elephant Studios. Tucked behind the Wayne Square Shopping Center, the unique studio specializes in family photos and senior portraits (IYKYK) while also offering after-school art classes for ages 6 through 16, Toddler & Me classes and even instruction for adults. The space can also be rented out for private parties.
Owner Alexandra Dunlop boasts over 20 years of photography experience, most of it spent snapping pics and portraits in Hawaii and San Diego. After relocating to the Main Line with her family, Dunlop realized Mother Nature is much moodier in the northeast, so she found a cute studio on North Aberdeen Avenue to capture moments in time and share her artistic talents—rain OR shine.
Tiny Elephant Studios is located at 201 N. Aberdeen Avenue in Wayne. Check the Web site for class offerings and schedules.
• Oakwell & Stoneleigh Together Again
Finally! After six years of heated debate, Natural Lands reached an agreement with Lower Merion School District (LMSD) last month to purchase Oakwell, a 13-acre plot of contested land adjacent to Stoneleigh. Oakwell’s grounds were designed by legendary landscape architects John and Frederick Olmsted of Central Park fame. The property also features a stately brick mansion built in 1922.
LMSD initially purchased Oakwell for $13 million in 2018 using eminent domain. Once the community got wind of the district’s plans to turn the historic grounds into athletic fields for students at Black Rock Middle School, things reallllly heated up. Protests were held, petitions were distributed, and signs were placed all over town urging community members to save Oakwell from ruin.
While LMSD understood the community’s concerns, it still needed field space. A solution emerged in January 2023, when Haverford Township, Lower Merion Township and LMSD signed an agreement giving the district priority use of the Polo Fields at 109 County Line Road in Bryn Mawr. Natural Lands and an anonymous nonprofit then bought Oakwell back from LMSD, returning Stoneleigh and Oakwell to its original (united) state. The historic buildings on the Oakwell property will be restored and adapted, and Oakwell will be placed under a conservation easement with Lower Merion Conservancy.
Got a scoop for In The Loop? E-mail kate@mainlineneighbors.com
