Category: Pennsylvania

The Hershey Pantry – Hershey, PA

We were recently in Hershey, Pennsylvania and we were meeting family for breakfast. They suggested we go to their favorite place, The Hershey Pantry. This restaurant was packed and there was a wait. The good news is we did not have to wait too long.

Looking over the menu there were several great options to choose from. I kept changing my mind while waiting for the waitress to come over and take our order. Once she arrived, I settled on ordering the Egg Sandwich on Pretzel Roll. The pretzel roll was amazing. It was extremely sweet and soft. On the roll was egg, ham and American cheese. The cheese was creamy, which is always perfect with eggs. The sweetness of the roll complemented the saltiness of the ham. I was a perfect sandwich. It also came with home fries. These were a little unique; they were sliced potatoes verses cubed. The thinness of the potato was nice to each with just a little salt and pepper.

The Peasant Omelet was also ordered. This was a slightly different omelet from the traditional style omelet. Wrapped in the egg was feta cheese, bacon, and onion. Then it was topped with a sprinkling of paprika. The feta cheese gave a slight tang but nothing overwhelming. The bacon was a nice crunchy and salty element. This dish too came with the home fries.

Breakfast was so good at The Hershey Pantry. The service was fast, but we never felt rushed. And the waitress kept the coffee flowing.

If you are in the area, check them out. Their website is www.hersheypantry.com

Enjoy!

T

Duck Donuts – Hershey, PA

When visiting Hershey, Pennsylvania I was looking for a place to get fresh donuts. I came across Duck Donuts and popped in the take a look at what they had to offer.

This was the cutest donut shop I had ever seen. It is duck themed, so there were rubber ducks everywhere plus cute donut themed products. They had a little shop where you could buy everything.

When I got up to the counter, I checked out their menu. They had so many options. It was really overwhelming. You really need to go there with an idea of the flavors that you are looking for.

You can order however many donuts that you want. They are all made fresh to order. It is a great concept. The batter comes out of the dispenser and drops into the hot oil.

You can watch the whole cooking process. Which is exactly what I did.

Once the donuts come out of the oil they are drained and then taken over to the counter. This is where they are prepared with the toppings that were ordered. Whether it’s sprinkles, icing, jelly, cinnamon and sugar, or even Oreo cookies, the choices are endless.

Then your hot, fresh donuts are handed to you, and you are ready to go. You can eat them there, while they are still warm. Or take them home to enjoy. Even if you eat them the next day, they are still soft and fresh.

This is an amazing concept. Upon further research, Duck Donuts is a franchise and there are shops opening all over the country. Check out their website to see if there is one in your area. If you are visiting Hershey, then you must stop by and have a donut.

www.donuts.com/hershey

Enjoy!

T

Boro Bar & Grill – Harrisburg, PA

I was in Harrisburg for a wedding recently and there was some time to kill between the ceremony and the reception. I was looking for a place to grab a quick drink and some munchies. Boro Bar and Grill was the perfect spot.

The restaurant is in a perfect location along the Susquehanna River. Since it was winter the patio doors were closed, however, I could image how nice it is during the spring. The mozzarella cheese sticks were a good starter. They felt extra stringy when they were bitten into when still hot. The kids at the table had a fun time eating them. They were served with a marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

The Freedom Fries were a large basket of French fries. They came out pipping hot. They had a nice crispiness.

The soft pretzel logs were a classic soft pretzel. They were very doughy, which was sweet. They served mustard on the side for dipping. I am not a fan of mustard, so I ate them plain. They would have been great with beer cheese.

The last starter that came out was the Sausage N’ Honey. These were a unique menu item that sounded delicious. The sausage was cut up into bit size pieces. They used a hickory smoked Cajun sausage. This sausage had a surprising amount of heat. It kind of sneaks up. The honey that covered the sausage added a nice sweetness to the heat. It was the perfect complement. This was a great stop. They had a nice menu of burgers and wings.

If wasn’t going to a wedding reception, I would have tried something else. Check out their menu at www.borobar.com

Enjoy!

T

Lancaster Brewing Company – Lancaster, PA

I was in Lancaster, Pennsylvania recently for a wedding. The area is absolutely beautiful. So much beautiful farmland.

While we were there, we wanted to check out one of their local breweries, Lancaster Brewing Company. It was a rainy day, so it was the perfect day for a brewery.

They had a nice selection of beers to choose from. I did try a sour beer, which was great. But what I was really intrigued by was how the bartender mixed different beers. She made a Chocolate covered strawberry. This combined their Double Chocolate Milk Stout and their Strawberry Wheat. It really tasted like a chocolate strawberry.

I also tried her combination of the Strawberry Wheat and the Fresh Roasted Peanut Butter Ale. This was just like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was great. I have never seen this done before, but I am definitely going to do this at other breweries in the future.

They had a big selection of menu items to choose from, including a special Oktoberfest menu. I started off with the Kartoffelsuppe. This is a German potato soup. They used local bratwurst, potatoes, cabbage, and sweet onions. This soup was very light. The flavor of the bratwurst was amazing, it helped add extra flavor to the soup. The onions did add sweetness and the potatoes helped to add texture. It was perfect to eat on a rainy day. I could have eaten another bowl.

I had to try the Fried Pierogies. These were handmade, which helped make these so special. These were potato pierogies which are my favorite. They placed them on top of sour cream and topped them off with a caramelized onion and bacon combination. The onions and bacon were sweet. It was not what I was expecting. It was something different that complemented the creamy potato.

The last thing that was ordered was the Braided Soft Pretzel. They called this Philly style. It was served with a cheddar ale sauce and coarse grain mustard for dipping. The pretzel was soft and had a slight sweet taste to it. The cheddar sauce was amazing.

Lancaster Brewing Company was a great place to visit. They were very crowded. If you do not feel like sitting at the bar they have plenty of dining room space.

If you are in Lancaster then add this brewery to your list of must visit.

Check out their website at www.lancasterbrewing.com

Enjoy!

T

Beiler’s Doughnuts – Lancaster, PA

Do you love doughnuts? How about freshly made, unique flavored doughnuts? Then you must visit Beiler’s Doughnuts in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

This family-owned shop uses a family recipe and they hand roll their doughnuts every day. You can watch them make them right there in the shop.

They have a large selection to choose from. They have all the classics you would be looking for. Plus several special flavors like:

  • Nutella Cream
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate
  • Salted Caramel
  • Oero Cream
  • Key Lime
  • Pumpkin Cream
  • Tripple Chocolate

I enjoyed a pumpkin cream and the triple chocolate. They were amazing. And the size of the doughnuts were very generous. A dozen is perfect to share with the whole family (or possibly two).

Checked them out at www.beilersdoughnuts.com

Enjoy!

T

Jim’s Steaks – Philadelphia, PA

When people think of Philadelphia some people might think about the Liberty Bell or Independence Hall. However, I am guessing most people think about cheesesteaks. And choosing where to get a cheesesteak can be a daunting task. There are plenty of famous places that all the tourists go. I did not want to do that. I wanted to go where the locals go.

Throughout my trip I would ask all my waitresses and bartenders where their favorite place was. It was almost unanimous that Jim’s Steaks offered the best. So, I headed to South Street to check them out.

There was already a huge line when I showed up. Just seeing the line made me realize that I made the right choice to check them out.

The lined moved fast. Everyone knew how to order properly. I made sure that I figured out how to order before I got up to the window.

A “Wiz With” is what I ordered. This gave me a cheesesteak topped with fresh grilled onions and cheese wiz liquid cheese.

The bread was soft to begin with but with all the cheese it because squishy. The meat was chopped up really fine. It mixed together with the grilled onions. The cheese help bind it all together.

The flavor was fantastic. I could taste the sweetness of the onions, along with the salty cheese. The meat had a great savory taste. It was a messy sandwich to eat. Glad I grabbed lots of napkins.

On my way out of the restaurant, I passed the machine that slices all of the rolls. It was amazing how fast it sliced.

Plus I saw the machine that slices all the meat into the thin slices. That machine can take off your hand if you are not careful.

The line was out the door and around the block by the time I left. I hit them at the right time, around 11:30, right before the prime lunch time.

If you are headed to Philadelphia and want a cheesesteak I would recommend trying Jim’s Steaks. They were fantastic plus all the locals recommended them too. Make sure you bring cash, because that is all the accept.

Visit their website at www.jimssouthstreet.com

Enjoy!

T

Pizzeria Vetri – Philadelphia, PA

I was really hungry for pizza when I was in Philly. We found a highly rated pizza place near our hotel that we decided to check out called Pizzeria Vetri.

They were not very big inside. Most of the tables were already filled. We were able to get seats at the counter. These were awesome seats because I could watch them make all the pizzas.

They were tossing the pizza dough in the air left and right. They made it look so easy.

I could also feel the heat coming from the wood fire oven. It amazed me how fast the pizzas cooked when they went inside.

We were starving so we ordered couple of things. We started off with the meatballs. They cooked these in the wood fire oven too. They came out sizzling. These were ground chicken meatballs. They had a light and airy texture. They were seasoned perfectly and paired well with their homemade sauce.

For the pizza, I shared the fennel sausage pizza. The sausage had fantastic flavor. I could taste the fennel in each bite and the sausage was tender. The pizza crust was super thin and crispy. It had a nice smoky taste from the oven. The fresh mozzarella cheese added a great creamy element.

The fennel sausage tasted so goo we ordered it in the calzone for sharing. The calzone itself looked beautiful when it came out of the oven. It had a pretty sheen on top.

When I cut into it the cheese just poured out. There was no way I could take a bite, it was just way too hot. Once it cooled off I was able to take a bite and taste the sweet dough. It tasted different form the pizza crust, even though it was probably the same dough. The cheese added a creamy and salty element that complemented the sweet dough. The sausage was just as good mixed with all the cheese as it was on the pizza.

The food was amazing at Pizzeria Vetri. I am so glad we stopped in. They had many other pizza options to choose from. I would want to go back to try more.

Visit their website at www.pizzeriavetri.com to see their menu.

Enjoy!

T

Drinkers Pub – Philadelphia, PA

Walking around on Chestnut in downtown Philly my friends and I came across a bar that we wanted to check out – Drinkers Pub.

If you don’t like clowns, then some of the décor in this bar might freak you out.

But looking past the clowns, they have a really cool wall of credit cards. These were all different kinds of cards that have been left at the bar over the years. It is a very creative idea. And definitely a conversation starter.

Their menu was filled with traditional bar food. They did have something unique – eggplant fries. I had never seen this before. I figured it would be similar to zucchini fries. So, I decided to try them. They were strips of eggplant that were breaded and fried. They served a jalapeno aioli on the side for dipping.

The breading had great flavor with the herbs they mixed in. They were nice and crispy on the outside. The eggplant was a little softer than I would have preferred. Despite that I still enjoyed them. They tasted even better in the jalapeno aioli. It was not too spicy but had a slight kick.

Drinkers Pub was a fun place to hang out with friends. They had a full bar and good choices on their menu. Check them out at www.drinkersrittenhouse.com

Enjoy!

T

Yards Brewing Company – Philadelphia, PA

One of my favorite things to do when I am traveling is to check out different breweries. They are popping up all over the place. When I was in Philadelphia I made sure to check out Yards Brewing Company.

It was a little on the outskirts of the city, but my friends and I made the walk. We were so hot when we arrived that we could not wait to have a nice cold beer.

The brewery was very large. There was seating everywhere. We decided to sit at the bar so that we could get the best service.

We each decided to so a beer flight. They had several to chose from. I went after the Summertime flight.

  • IBG grapefruit pale ale
  • Heritage Surf IPA
  • Lucy
  • Knotty IPA

My favorite was the grapefruit pale ale. It had a great citrus taste that was refreshing on a hot day.

We also got a bite to eat while we were drinking our beers. The Ruben Bites sounded good. These were shredded corned beef, sauerkraut, and cheese all mixed together. They deep fried them until crispy. These tasted just like a Ruben sandwich. I really liked that the cheese was melted throughout.

Yards is a fun place to hang out with friends and drink beer. We did not stay long because we wanted to move on and try some other places around the city, however I would definitely go back.

Check them out at www.yardsbrewing.com

Enjoy!

T

Home 231 – Harrisburg, PA

Traveling through the streets of downtown Harrisburg I came across a quaint little restaurant on North Street called Home 231. The restaurant is small, so I would recommend that you have a reservation. This restaurant is a farm to table concept so the menu will change based on what ingredients the chef will have available.

On a cold winter evening, it was fitting that they had mulled wine on the menu. It was a blend of red wine, cinnamon, and brandy all warmed up. Just the smell of the wine felt like the holidays. I could taste the spices as soon as it touched my lips. There were even slices of apple in it for a treat.

We started off with some appetizers for the table. The jalapeno and avocado hummus sounded great to start with. It came with an assortment of vegetables: raw carrots, roasted mushrooms and peppers, and picked onion, tomato, and cauliflower. Layering the hummus with the vegetables onto the baguette was the best way to enjoy all the flavors. The hummus was not spicy even with the jalapeno in it. The heat was probably balanced out because of the avocado.

They had Reuben arancini on the menu that caught my attention. I was intrigued by what these would be like since I love Italian arancini. They took Arborio rice and stuffed it with finely chopped corned beef and Swiss cheese. Then they rolled each rice ball in breadcrumbs and fried them till golden brown. The arancini were topped with sauerkraut and the special 231 sauce.

The rice ball was delicious on its own, crispy on the outside and soft and cheesy on the inside. The sauerkraut had a slight sour kick and paired well with the special sauce, which was their homemade version of Thousand Island dressing. When each component was combined the flavor was enhanced. They were like little corned beef sandwiches.

For my dinner, I went with the chef’s special of maple glazed salmon. The salmon had this wondrous crispy skin that was sweet because of the glaze. Normally I do not like to eat the skin of fish, but the way the chef prepared this, I could not help but eat all of it. The salmon was flakey and paired well with the maple. I would not have expected that.

Accompanying the salmon were roasted potatoes and cubes of super crispy bacon. The bacon was amazing and added so much flavor to the potatoes. There was a pesto and maple glaze drizzled on the outside of the plate. I took the potatoes and dipped them in the sauce to add even more flavor. Having flavors of bacon and maple on these potatoes were reminiscent of what I would expect at breakfast.

Although I was stuffed from dinner I still needed to try one of their homemade desserts. I went for the homemade donuts. They were rolled into balls (like donut holes) and covered in cinnamon and sugar. They were crispy on the outside but super soft and moist inside.

They came with three sauces on the side for dipping: a chocolate ganache, a vanilla crème anglaise, and caramel. I tried all three on different bites of donut. My favorite sauce was the caramel because I thought it went best with the cinnamon and sugar.

If you are wanting a romantic dinner for two or a fun group dinner then Home 231 will be perfect. Make sure you go with an appetite because everything on the menu sounds wonderful. Check out their menu at http://www.home231.com/

    

Enjoy!

T