Food Tripping Across Bucks County

Executive trip summary: Hitched a ride with Bucks County Food Tours, I ate, I ate, I ate, I ate, I ate & I ate.

*Trip rocked.

Juicy detailed summary: We met up with our two local foodie experts, Lynn Goldman and Alan Brown at 10am on a bright and warm Saturday in July. After introductions, we piled into a rented van and began our adventure.

With Lynne at the wheel, we navigated a number of picturesque back roads around the greater Philadelphia suburbs in Bucks County. Our first stop – Birchwood Farms.

This all natural, all grass fed farm hosts a number of pigs and cows who live leisurely around 50 acres or so. We strapped on blue ‘booties’ and got up close and personal with the livestock. Being that the farm is all natural, the raw milk we tried was absolutely delicious and their passion for natural farming and farm products was over the top (in a good way!). The meats sold in their store are actually good for you, despite being red meat because of the natural lifestyle and feed of the cattle.

Fascinating tour, and wonderful local farm that I heartily recommend patronizing.

Soon after our farm tour, we landed at the Milk House Farm Market. The place was bustling with locals eager to try their immense variety of local produce. By my count, they had over 30 varieties of tomatoes alone!

Following this road side farm market, we rode the Bucks County Food Tours train (er, mini-van rather) to a long time Bucks County staple – Ely Farm. Let me just tell you, the meats at this family butchery are a cut above the rest! I’ve never had a better steak in my life than the one I bought here! They’ve got plenty of different cuts and meats, all to die for.

Now for something sweet, and what could be sweeter than local peaches in July! Manoff Market Gardens offers numerous varieties of peaches and nectarines among other fruits. Plenty of peach related products to buy as well, the cobbler was amazing!

At this point it was time for a lunch break, over to Lovin’ Oven! They were ready for our tour with a fantastic menu of sweet tea, fresh salad, tomato soup, and choice of an omelet or open faced sandwich. Let me just summarize our meal – I’ll be back! The omelet I had was laid over fresh peaches and goat cheese with arugula – outstanding combination of flavors! All ingredients were local, fresh, and creatively combined for a memorable meal.

Our final stop of the day was Stockton Farmers Market. Now I’ve been to a number of markets, and honestly this place was the most diverse indoor market I’ve ever seen! We’re talking produce, coffee, belgian waffles, bbq, olive oil, pickles, tamales, ice cream, and that’s just touching the surface! Needless to say, I left with a bag full of goodies and a huge grin on my face. This foodie got served!

All in all, my experience with Bucks County Food Tours was outstanding. I’d recommend the tours to anyone who enjoys good eats. Our guides were friendly and knowledgeable, and the trip was a relaxing and fun way to spend time with my wife and parents (the trip was a thank you gift to my parents from my wife and I).

The trip we went on was custom fit to what we wanted to do, but they’ve got a trip for any taste, and they’re just getting started. Find them on facebook to keep up the latest in Bucks County Food, or check out their website for specific tours currently available.

And remember, EAT LOCAL!

Soup Lovers Unite!

Don’t miss out on the 6th Annual Hershey Soup Cook-Off presented by The Hershey Partnership this Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 from 11-2 at the Hershey Volunteer Fire Company Station!

I attended this event myself last year and had to post about it because it’s really worth the trip, no matter how far away you think Hershey is.

Last year they had one garage filled out with amateur cooks and the other with professional chefs from local restaurants, probably about 30 or 40 different participants in all, many with multiple soups for you to sample. You might think the pro chefs would be hands down better but I’ve got to say both sides of the contest made really amazing soups. Just really impressive, not to mention creative!

I’m talking about cheesesteak soup, asparagus soup, lobster bisque, and oh so much more. They’ve also got a number of raffles going on, I believe last year they gave out a cruise as the main prize.

So how much to get into this incredible event?

$10 ! !

That’s it! Money well spent you will agree, see you there!

TGIS – Thank God It’s Spring!

You can tell that Spring is soon upon us, if not from the changing weather or resetting of clocks, then certainly from the annual release of shamrock shakes. Luckily, Spring ushers in a much better treat for the taste buds than those strange green milk shakes – water ice.

I’ve always been a sucker for water ice, and besides National Mustard Day, my second favorite holiday has always been that one day of the year when water ice is free for the masses- the first day of Spring.

Of course, you can pick up a delicious free ice from any local Rita’s on March 20th, they’re everywhere nowadays, but for a more local favorite make sure to stop by Maggie’s Italian Ice in Mechanicsburg as they too will doll out free water ice to mark this festive occasion. I like Maggie’s for the ever changing unique menu of creative flavors: peanut butter fudge, blueberries ‘n cream, and mint chocolate chip are just a few of my personal favs.

There’s no better way to celebrate the end of snow, slush, salt, and cold car seats than a free water ice- yum.

Harrisburg’s Best Restaurants (west shore)

Naturally, this is the continuation and counterpart to a previous list of Harrisburg’s best restaurants residing on the east shore of the beautiful Susquehanna River. As previously mentioned, don’t write off a restaurant without giving it a twice over and by all means, if you enjoyed your culinary experience somewhere make sure to write a positive review for them, great eateries deserve the promotion! There are countless websites where you can sing the praises of a deserving restaurant, my favorite local site is DineOutHarrisburg.com, and Yelp has a strong presence nationwide.
Here goes!

Best sushi – Zen Japanese Cuisine, 5205 Simpson Ferry Rd, Mechanicsburg. Sorry Sapporo fans, this place is tops for me in the Japanese food category. Sushi, service, and ambiance here are wonderful.

Best Pho- Issei Noodle, 54 W High Street, Carlisle. There aren’t as many Vietnamese options on the west shore but for a grand slam bowl of Pho this place does it best, really neat interior to the place as well.

Best Middle Eastern – Cedars Lebanese Restaurant, 2153 Market Street, Camp Hill. Incredible food, atmosphere and service!

Best Italian – Juliana’s Italian Restaurant, 6108 Carlisle Pike, Camp Hill. Hard to find, but completely worth the effort. This is a classy restaurant that couples great service with quality food.

Best Pizza – Pizza Grille, 3817 Gettysburg Road, Camp Hill. Gourmet pizza, full bar, and lovely interior makes this best pizza, Harrisburg Magazine voters have concurred for the past decade.

Best Korean – Spring Garden, 5 South 35th St., Camp Hill. Since discovering Spring Garden I think Korean food has become my favorite cuisine! You might not notice this place just from driving by, but its really nice inside and the food is definitely ‘best of’ material.

Best Thai – Bankok Wok, 125 Gateway Dr # 111, Mechanicsburg. This place lives up to the hype in every respect, the food is always impressive, the restaurant is completely top notch.

Best BBQ – Memphis Blues, 5202 Simpson Ferry Rd, Camp Hill. Fun atmosphere, quality BBQ.

Best Overall – I’ve got to give it to Spring Garden, the food is really incredible, the owners are extremely helpful and friendly, and the restaurant is quite nice inside. I recommend the dumplings and Jaeyook Bokeum- pan fried pork with veggies in spicy sauce. Don’t forget the kimchi!

Honorable Mention: West Shore Farmers Market, 900 Market Street, Lemoyne. Another awesome farmers market, with plenty of wonderful places to eat and snack from on the first floor and quite a few shops on the second floor.

Think I missed any or disagree? Please use the comment box and let me know!

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Harrisburg’s Best Restaurants (east shore)

Whether you grew up here, pass through on occasion for business, or just randomly find yourself in Harrisburg for mysterious reasons beyond your control, I’d like to point you in the right direction with the local restaurant scene. I’m not a professional food critic by any means, but I do love eating and with as much time and money I’ve spent trying every place to eat around here I could find,  I’ve got a pretty good idea of what’s what and who’s guaranteed to please.

You should first of all be aware that there are A LOT of dining options in and around Harrisburg, so don’t you dare consider Applebees! A good place to start is DineOutHarrisburg.com; Yelp.com is another great way to learn about the best places to eat from those who have already been there.

Now obviously opinions are merely that, so don’t write off any restaurant before you try it at least twice. Many people are quick to complain but slow to write reviews about positive experiences, so don’t take online critiques to be gospel. But enough of the preaching, you’re hungry right!? Well here goes:

Best Burger – The Jackson House, 1004 N 6th St. Lunch hours only and no credit cards but wow you’ll have a new favorite burger place after your first visit. Try the house Jackson Burger.

Best Sandwich – Nonna’s Delicioso, 263 Reily St. This little Italian delicatessen serves up amazing quality sandwiches and Italian side dishes.

Best Pizza – Brother Joe’s Pizza, 6051 Allentown Blvd. Thin ‘n crispy pies, this place looks like your average Joe’s Pizza but the quality is surprisingly noticeable.

Best Sushi – Okini Pan Asian Restaurant, 3402 Walnut St. With so many local sushi places to choose from it’s tough to name one the champion, but personally I’ve always been impressed with the sushi here. Yes it looks like a Pizza Hut from the outside.

Best Indian – Aangan Indian Cuisine, 3500 Walnut St. Never mind the ugly exterior of the building, the inside is really quite nice and the food is wonderful. They specialize in Indian and Nepali food and have a wonderful buffet. Quite a few Indian places around the burg but this place is tops.

Best Vietnamese – Rose’s Vietnamese Cuisine, 2306 Walnut Street. You’ll probably drive by the place the first time, but you’ll know why you turned around to find it after you taste the food. Not much to the interior of the place, but definitely my personal favorite for pho and other Vietnamese dishes.

Best Middle Eastern – La Kasbah, 913 N 2nd St. Incredible Moroccan food, order anything on the menu, but don’t forget to try the tea!

Best Latino- Las Delicias, 2060 Derry St. So it’s not the nicest part of the city to be sure, but for authentic Spanish-American food this is it. Nothing impressive about the look of the place inside or out but the food makes it all worth it.

Best Italian - Zia’s at Red Door, 110 North Second St.  A private and upscale atmosphere, high quality food, and extensive wine list make Zia’s a great pick for Italian.

Suba Tapas Bar

Best overall – Suba Tapas Bar, 272 North Street. Suba is the upstairs part of an Italian restaurant called Mangia Qui and they share the same kitchen. Both places are incredible, but Suba gets my personal nod for best overall place in Harrisburg to eat. It’s not cheap, but the atmosphere, service, drinks, and tapas are so worth it.

Overall Runner Up – Bricco, South 3rd & Chestnut Streets. A close second behind Suba, Bricco is an upscale Mediterranean restaurant with an elegant atmosphere and outrageously delicious cuisine. You will leave impressed from a dinner at Bricco.

Honorable Mention – Broad Street Market, 1233 N 3rd St. I love this market plain and simple. The hours are a little funny so check before you go, but there is such a wonderfully diverse collection of food available for purchase at the market. One building is for food vendors, the other is for groceries and miscellaneous goods.

Think I missed any or disagree? Drop a comment.

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Restaurant Review: Bricco, 31 S. 3rd Street, Harrisburg

After winning a $50 gift card from a contest facilitated by the {now defunct} local events calendar Spotobe.com, my lovely girlfriend and I stopped in for a romantic evening at the most talked about restaurant in Harrisburg. I will say that I’ve been here a number of times for lunch and always left impressed, but I still had this feeling that somehow the place was over hyped.

I could not have been more wrong.

If you’ve never been inside Bricco, the place has a classy and modern New York City type of feel to it. You quickly feel relaxed and comfortable as you peruse the menu and extensive wine list. The lighting, music, and pace of the restaurant is just perfect. Our server for the evening was nothing less; attentive, courteous, and knowledgeable of every single aspect of the drink and food menus. Very impressive, in fact, I’ll go so far as to say I’ve never had better service anywhere, ever.

After a few complimentary samples from the wine list we decided on drinks and focused our attention to appetizers. We decided on 3 cold small plates, similar to tapas; house made pickled vegetables, grilled asparagus, and eggplant with raisins, pine nuts, and roasted peppers. All three dishes were exquisite, and I especially enjoyed the pickled vegetables, they were just exceptional and bursting with flavor.

Following the appetizers, I decided on the Bricco Bolognese and my counterpart ordered the Sage Pappardelle. Wow. I can hardly express how impressed I was with the quality and flavor of these extraordinary dishes. The Bricco Bolognese was a combination of house made sausage, meatballs, pancetta, chicken, mortadella, tomato sauce and polenta that was just amazing down to the very last bite. The portion was rather large and loaded with meat but believe me there was not a bite spared when all was said and done. The Sage Pappardelle was a more delicate dish, but no less incredible. The raised duck, red wine and pancetta ragout just melted in your mouth and was so succulent that we couldn’t help but finish the entire plate. We enjoyed the food so much that we unfortunately left no room for dessert!

That will have to wait for another day, but I am certain I’ll return to Bricco. While the lunch menu is wonderful you really must make a dinner visit to truly experience the brilliance of the food and atmosphere of the restaurant. Bricco has firmly established itself in my mind as setting the standard for fine dinning well beyond Harrisburg.

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Bube’s Brewery- A Must Experience

If you’re into unique dining experiences, themed feasts, quality beer, or pirates, you need to put a visit to Bube’s Brewery on your to do list. Located in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, this 19th century brewery and museum contains 4 extraordinary restaurants, live events, an unusual store, and an art gallery displaying works from local artists. Bube’s, (interestingly enough pronounced “boo bees”) has a very rustic, vintage atmosphere, as everything has been preserved as it existed years ago.

My experience with Bube’s was in the Catacombs, an incredible restaurant located 43 feet underground in the old stone cellars where enormous wooden casks used to be full of aging beer. The atmosphere is beyond unique, as the quiet stone caverns are lighted only by candlelight atop a number of dinner tables. What an experience! Not to mention that the food was great and the service superb. They even provided a free dessert to help us celebrate a birthday in our dining party. I tried a few of the house brewed beers- an IPA that really threw me off because of it’s unique maltiness and a red ale that was just perfect. My date tried a caramel apple martini that was equally delicious, and the prices for everything on the menu were very reasonable. Both the swordfish and the seafood mornay were wonderful.

All in all, dining in the Catacombs was an experience I will not soon forget, and I am already planning a return visit to try the other dining establishments at Bube’s Brewery. Those include the original bar called Alois, the Bottling Works, and the outdoor Biergarten. Themed dinners also include Murder Mysteries, Roman Feasts, Medieval Feasts, Pirate Feasts, Halloween and Christmas Feasts.

Bube’s is truly a must, try it for a romantic dinner, a fun themed evening, or just for something altogether different.

You can check out their upcoming events, menus and more at: BubesBrewery.com

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Customer Rewards Programs – Everybody’s doing it!

Like coupons? Enjoy freebies? Why not have them dropped directly into your inbox? You may already get a few from the bigger restaurants, but even the smaller shops and eateries in your area most likely have become attuned to the advantages of email marketing. I personally subscribe to a number of customer reward/e-alerts/fan clubs etc. around the Harrisburg area that you might have interest in, I’ve linked them up for easy viewing below:

• Isaac’s Restaurant & Deli
• El Sol
• The Coliseum
• Bayou
• Mangia Qui
• Ceoltas
• Blue Bistro and Wine Bar
• Troegs Brewing Company
• La Kasbah
• HersheyPark and everything else Hershey

-To name a few. Other businesses such as Masala Bistro have printable coupons right on their website, easy. And really, most any business nowadays has a web presence, so look up your favorite restaurant and check to see if they have a rewards program of some sort, they most likely will have something to entice your patronage.

Restaurant Review: Mangia Qui, 272 North St., Harrisburg

A word of advice if you’ve never been to Mangia Qui – rearrange your to do list. This place is well worth the visit! The downstairs is a very nice, quaint Italian restaurant and the upstairs is a gorgeous tapas bar called Suba complete with a high wooden beamed ceiling, colorful artwork, and detailed spanish decor.

I chose to stop in on a Sunday for brunch and eat at a table outside on North Street. The service was good and the atmosphere very relaxed, but it was the food that most impressed me. The menu had quite a few great options on it which made the decision difficult but in the end I ordered the Italian breakfast – pecan raisin sweet bread dipped in egg, sauteed, topped with mascarpone and powdered sugar served with bacon. Was I ever impressed! The Italian style french toast was outstanding and the bacon was cooked perfectly, crispy and heavily peppered. My girlfriend ordered the Mozzarella en carrozza, a delicious grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup. The soup turned out to be more of a dipping sauce but the two together were good to the last bite. Come to think of it, there wasn’t a bite left after all was said and done. The restaurant is known for using local produce and while the prices are a little higher, the quality of the food is well worth it. I’ve already put trying the tapas bar upstairs at the top of my to do list.

Restaurant Review: Anastacia’s Restaurant/Bar, 1535 N. 6th Street, Harrisburg

Who said Harrisburg doesn’t have culture? Anastacia’s Restaurant/Bar is a brand new establishment that serves up authentic Puerto Rican cuisine at its finest! I had on a number of occasions passed by their location on 6th Street as they were renovating the building and decided the place certainly wasn’t appealing enough to check out upon completion. However, after a quick glance through some of their pictures on myspace I was surprised to see how nice of an establishment it really was, not what I expected at all!

I had to see/taste the place for myself, so I decided to drop in for lunch. Now don’t be fooled into thinking that since the restaurant is on 6th Street it clearly must be a dive like I had mistakenly done, the place is quite nice. The inside is colorful and neat, with a decent size bar and dining area complete with 4 flat panel TVs and a large chandelier. Everything is brand new, but the menu is seriously authentic – they even serve up Patitas de Cerdo, pigs feet! I wish I could say I’m that adventurous, but I stuck with the stewed chicken and rice ‘n beans  which was absolutely delicious. Service was great, and I’ll be going back, maybe this time to try something a little more out of the ordinary. The menu is different depending on the day, but the prices are all quite modest.

Check it out for yourself, the owners are hard working people and have done an excellent job renovating the entire place. It’s hard working small business owners such as these that really do enormous good for the city, so show your support by enjoying some delicias latin cuisine!

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