Fresh Face: Verbena BYOB

Verbena BYOB is telling a new story in Kennett Square’s thriving restaurant scene. In a clean, elegant setting accented by simple lines, succulents, and sparkling glass, chef-owner Scott Morozin serves refined American cuisine with flavors and textures that are as intense and creative as his process.

Morozin’s passion for cooking is singular. “I’ve always wanted to cook,” he says. Raised by a single mom in a small town in Delaware County, he recalls standing on a stepstool in his grandmother’s kitchen absorbing the aromas, tastes, and heat.

“Cooking saved my life,” says Morozin, a recovering addict and Culinary Institute of America graduate who has carefully chosen great chefs as mentors and worked in numerous kitchens to hone his craft.

When he cooks, he says, “Everything else goes away. It’s fast, deliberate, meticulous, and everyone’s focused, like a flock of ducks floating on the still surface, with everything churning underneath.” Preparation is everything, and Morozin takes no shortcuts and never opens a can. He poaches, slow roasts, and uses every part of the plant in a never-ending quest for an organic, soulful balance. When the consommé is hot and clear, the sauces are smooth, and everyone is on the same beat, doing what they love, he says, “that’s success.”

Morozin wants diners to feel welcome and comfortable as they enjoy time with the people they’re with and the food he cooks for them. And he looks forward to contributing to Kennett Square and becoming part of this community that strikes the balance between refined and casual. “There’s a small-town feel, and everything is done well. What’s not to love?”