When Keith Critchley and JT O’Brien were looking to buy a restaurant last year, they toured the dining room and kitchen of Georgio’s in downtown Downingtown, which Georgio Malle was selling after more than 30 years.
“Keith and I went to lunch and I said, ‘There’s no way we’re buying this for what he wants. It’s not that big,’” O’Brien said. They went back to negotiate, he said, Malle told them flatly, “My price is my price.”
It quickly became evident that Critchley and O’Brien had not seen the upstairs of the rambling building on Lancaster Avenue. “When I saw the upstairs, I thought, ‘Now I can start thinking of different ideas and concepts that we can do,’” O’Brien said.
They seem to be throwing everything at the Borough, which began opening in phases in recent weeks. There is a 35-seat sports bar/restaurant with 40 TVs, 20 taps, and a full cocktail menu on the ground floor, connected to a large patio through garage doors. Upstairs, there’s a 20-seat bar, a six-seat sushi bar, and a venue hosting live music. Programming such as open-mic nights, karaoke, trivia nights, and comedy shows will ramp up in November. Big brunches — think mimosa towers and full entertainment — will start after Thanksgiving.
Critchley and O’Brien retained pizzaiolo Ptah Akai to set up the pizza kitchen.
Five years ago during the pandemic, the Swarthmore-born Akai noticed that the successful restaurants were offering pizza — “and not because they were making great pizza.”
Akai began teaching himself, using YouTube and setting up an oven in his backyard. By day, Akai, 33, works as an installer for Toast, the restaurant point-of-sale company. He quickly became popular among his neighbors. “It brings people together,” he said. “You can go anywhere in the world and make pizza and probably make a friend.”
A lifelong vegan, Akai wanted to make pizza he could eat himself, and the challenge of making tasty nondairy pizza became motivation. When he learned that Critchley and O’Brien were opening, he offered to get them started. (Georgio’s had a fairly extensive pizza kitchen, including a large mixer.)
Akai’s pies are beautifully puffy-crusted, sort of neo-Neapolitan, with zero flop and a light char. The sliced garlic gave a subtle roast to a cheeseless tomato pie that he made for me off the menu. His Forager ($23), with basil pesto and three kinds of mushrooms, was balanced and did not sink under the mozzarella. There’s also a plain cheese ($18), pepperoni ($21), and a margherita ($19).
As they did with the other restaurant amenities, Critchley and O’Brien created a something-for-everyone menu, served anywhere in the space. There are pork belly burnt ends ($18); Bavarian pretzel ($13); meat-and-cheese board ($32); crispy chicken sandwich ($16) with a sesame soy glaze and kimchi on a glazed doughnut bun; and a lamb gyro ($19) with sumac red onion and tzatziki on a house-made pita. Rolls make up the sushi menu, and the few entrees include miso striped bass ($34), seared scallops ($36), cauliflower steak ($25), and steak frites ($36).
O’Brien started in hospitality 25 years ago bartending at Reed’s in Blue Bell and counts six years at Seacrets in Ocean City, Md., and 11 years with P.J. Whelihan’s in Downingtown and Montgomeryville in his work history. Critchley, who has no hospitality background, recently sold his business, Lang’s Lawn Care in Malvern, but runs it under the new owners.
Downingtown has always had a solid restaurant scene, with La Sponda, Myrtos, and Jads nearby and R Five Wines and East Branch Brewing Co. across the street from the Borough, and Dressler Estate serving ciders nearby. The other newcomer is mother., with a creative menu of tacos plus beer, wine, and cocktails.
The Borough, 149 E. Lancaster Ave., Downingtown. Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Tip: Do not park in the adjacent private lot. Use the municipal lot across the street.
