jfr's Profile
dinner halfway between Warminster and Collegeville, PA (just outside Philly)
A little more centrally located might be El Sarape on Rt. 73 in Blue Bell. Also, Ambler might be a town to consider. There have been many postings about places to eat in Ambler on CH.
The Commissary. . .
This brings back memories. It's funny -- I am not really a carrot cake person but I did enjoy theirs. The Commissary's matchbooks had a carrot on them, too. I still have one of their matchbooks.
Private dining in Philly - max 40 people
You might consider the room on the second floor of the Independence Visitor Center across from the Liberty Bell. I have attended a couple of functions there and have been generally impressed. I have no idea who does the catering or if you can select your own caterer. Just a thought for a different venue.
Seeking Lunch Between Hbg and Philly
On a Monday, Stoudt's might not be open at lunch. They used to be open for lunch on Fri/Sat/Sun. We have made plans similar to yours in the past but had to find a place other than Stoudt's on a weekday. It is possible things have changed. As a backup, we have enjoyed the Drafting Room and can recommend it.
Dining Suggestions for Pennsylvania, namely Grove City,Cranberry and Pittsburgh area DDD
Thank you for the Log Cabin story. As much as we enjoy Rachel's, Iron Bridge, and Springfield Grille when we are in the Mercer area, I always remember stopping at their Hickory Grille in Hermitage one St. Patrick's Day. I ordered the corned beef and cabbage. It turned out to be a plate of cabbage with bits of corned beef. Thinking of jarred spaghetti sauce, I suggested, to be accurate, they should call it cabbage flavored with corned beef. According to our waitress, I was not the only one to complain. The waitress apparently was going to steer others away from it. That said, my wife did enjoy her meal off the regular menu.
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Springfield Grille
1226 Perry Hwy, Mercer, PA 16137
Hickory Grille
1645 N Hermitage Rd, Hermitage, PA 16148
Log Cabin
31 N 2nd St, Coplay, PA 18037
Breezewood--any hope for a good dinner and breakfast?
I agree with CrazyOne. When I first saw this post, I was going to give a one word answer, "no." Bedford is not that close, especially for breakfast if you want to return to your motel room. The last time we stayed in Breezewood (we used to travel across PA many times each year), we ate at a bar called Wildflowers. OK but not CH-worthy. If you are a militant non-smoker, be advised that smoking is permitted. For breakfast, Denny's Diner is the best of the lot. We used to stay at the Wiltshire Motel until Mr. and Mrs. Wilts retired. It was one of the better independent motels across PA. I used to joke with them that they could do more business if there were a restaurant in town. And, CrazyOne, thanks for the Green Harvest recommendation. We stayed overnight in Bedford in August and had breakfast at the Landmark - average, at best.
State College--never found a good restaurant!!!
I reread your posts and the others. I stand by what I said -- some interesting places but none appear to be exceptional. If we lived in State College or that was our destination, there are a lot of places worth going to for lunch or dinner. (you knocked Spat's, Kelly's, Faccia Luna; even Elk Creek got a "nothing special" from one poster.) As much as we have enjoyed State College over the years, we don't get off I-80 anymore to eat there (and I think all on CH might agree that I-80 can be a food wasteland without specific recommendations).
State College--never found a good restaurant!!!
I was hoping for more encouraging replies to your post as we used to get off I-80 when returning from Erie just to stay and eat in State College. Basically, from our recent experience and from the replies here, there are a lot of places to eat in the State College area. Some are interesting but none appear exceptional. A couple of years ago, we ate at Zola based upon the hype on CH. Major disappointment. With Milheim being recommended as the best in the area, that is sad commentary on State College itself. Milheim always seemed like more than 15 miles from State College when driving through there. Doesn't look like any reason to go out of our way again.
Doylestown - Rehearsal Dinner
With a group as large as 50, there may be someone who might have difficulty with stairs. If that is the case, that would probably leave out Knight House. Both Villa Barolo and Baci have been better in the past but are still pretty good. It has been approximately a year since we have been to either as there are better places for dining. All comments have been quite accurate, so this is all I can add.
One Night in Allentown
I was waiting for someone from the Allentown area to respond but I guess I will have to get things going.
You might look into Sangria on Hamilton which I think would be within walking distance. Friends in the Lehigh Valley have recommended it to us but we haven't had the opportunity to go there yet. I believe its Web site is www.sangriaallentown.com. This is the best I can do for Allentown within walking distance of the Holiday Inn.
Borders of the Philadelphia board?
If you look at the postings from the poster that wants a New Hope posting to remain on the Pennsylvania board, it appears that the poster is from New Jersey. I don't think a New Jersey poster should dictate that all Bucks County questions belong on the Pennsylvania board rather than the Philadelphia board.
Borders of the Philadelphia board?
I don't understand why there is an issue with Bucks County. Current postings on the Philadelphia board include such suburbs as Lansdale, Souderton, even Honey Brook, plus Malvern, Wayne, New Hope (Bucks County), and one for outdoor dining in Montco/Bucks. Why would Bucks County be any different than Lansdale or Souderton or, especially, Honey Brook? While Honey Brook is in the far reaches of Chester County, it really is closer to Morgantown and Lancaster. Things seem to be working well with the division of the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania boards. While occasionally there are postings that could go on either board, CHers seem resilient and the topics get covered.
driving nyc to pittsburgh
I am going to operate under the assumption that you are taking I-78 to I-81 to the PA Turnpike at Harrisburg. We haven't made this trip in a few years but we used to stop at the New Stanton exit not far from Pittsburgh and eat at La Tavola. Another thing we did once was stop in Shartlesville on I-78, visit Roadside America (a large model train layout with a $5 admission charge, though it might have increased by now) and had lunch as the family-style PA Dutch meal at Haag's Hotel. This might not qualify as great food but it was a fun stop and the food was pretty good. There are plenty of threads on Harrisburg on CH. Hope this helps as there hasn't been much response from those who have made the trip more recently.
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Haag's Hotel
3 N Main St, Shavertown, PA 18708
Tavola Restaurant
400 West Sproul Road, Springfield, PA 19064
Finer dining in Lancaster
About five years ago, we stopped for lunch at an Isaac's Deli. If members of your group are used to real NY delis, they may not like Isaac's. My wife enjoyed her sandwich. I had either pastrami or corned beef on rye. Let me put it this way, we have never stopped at another Isaac's Deli again. When driving in the area, my wife might say, "Oh, look, an Isaac's Deli." From me, complete silence. Apparently, the soups are generally good but I think your group is looking for something a little more than Isaac's.
Finer dining in Lancaster
I am glad to hear someone say ok to the Pressroom. My wife and I do stop there when in downtown Lancaster for lunch. Of course, lunch is different than dinner and the Pressroom doesn't get the play that Gibralter and Jeffries get on CH. Jeffries should probably be your first choice but the Pressroom makes a good choice for the other night.
Anything good near Parx Casino?
Let us not forget Applebee's and TGIFriday's, too. Actually, the Friday's is probably the best restaurant near Parx, which is pretty sad but in keeping about postings about Bensalem on Chowhound. We went to Toscana 52 for lunch one Saturday but we found out later we didn't get a lunch menu. We ordered sensibly from a very small portion of the extensive menu, but we feel Toscana ripped us off and we have never returned. It is very popular; if you are going for dinner you will not be surprised about the offerings and the prices on the menu and the food is pretty good. I haven't eaten at any of the restaurants currently in Parx but it might be worth at least checking them out.
Dining Suggestions for Pennsylvania, namely Grove City,Cranberry and Pittsburgh area DDD
I stand partially corrected. E&C started as a Canadian chain but is now American owned. Just over half its locations are in the States now. Also, to get to New Wilmington, I think you would go through Volant. There should be a bakery there with shoefly pie. Think it would make a good side trip -- lunch at Iron Bridge or Rachel's and shoefly pie not far away. This is all in the same direction from the outlets in Grove City.
Dining Suggestions for Pennsylvania, namely Grove City,Cranberry and Pittsburgh area DDD
We go to this area fairly often as my son's in-laws live midway between the outlets and the Iron Bridge Inn. Rachel's is our first choice but we rarely eat there because the wait is always close to an hour. Iron Bridge Inn is our second choice and for some reason the wait is shorter there. As mentioned, they have common ownership. In defense of Elephant & Castle, it is a Canadian chain and the food was pretty good the time we ate there and we would return. Another time, we ate at My Brother's Place not far from the mall. Decent for sandwiches but not what I would call a CH-type recommendation. Thank you yayadave for mentioning Yellow Creek Inn. This gives us another place to try next trip to the area.
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Yellow Creek Inn
1171 Franklin Rd, Jackson Center, PA 16133
Iron Bridge Inn
1438 Perry Hwy, Mercer, PA 16137
Driving NYC to State College on I 80
When we used to drive across Pennsylvania on I-80, here are the places we stopped for sandwiches. All were decent but none were NYC-CH places. In Blakeslee, exit 284, Murphy's Loft (a mile south of I-80). The Powerhouse was open for dinner only. In Berwick, Villa Capri. There are several places in Lewisburg that CHers recommend but we always ate at the Lewisburg Hotel as were interested in a sandwich with decent surroundings. In Watsontown, the Watson Inn is good. Hope this helps. We were always willing to drive a few miles off I-80 for something decent.
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Watson Inn
100 Main St, Watsontown, PA 17777
Lewisburg Hotel
136 Market St, Lewisburg, PA 17837
Villa Capri
11 Mulberry Sts, Berwick, PA 18603
Murphy's Loft
Hc 1 Box 1381, Blakeslee, PA 18610
black bass hotel or other for lunch near New Hope?
Here is the CH link to the mixed reviews - http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/732713?tag=search_results;results_list
Look on the bright side. If you are the group of 50, they will give you good service and make everyone else suffer.
Black Bass Hotel
Four of us met at the Black Bass for lunch on a Saturday in May. There was a luncheon event going on at the same time. Service was horrendously slow and our server was a bit clueless about this (we actually started placing bets with the couple at the next table about when any of us might see food). The food at lunch was decent but not memorable except for the time involved. We were all thankful for the great view. Sorry to hear how terrible dinner was. Your experience confirms our decision about not returning.
Lunch in King of Prussia??
I have always liked Creed's near the Radisson Hotel. I have seen others recommend it on CH, too.
Road trip NJ to western MD via PA on I-78 (Bethlehem, Allentown, Harrisburg)
Roadside America is definitely an original. After seeing it for years, we were glad we stopped approximately four years ago. Deitsch Eck is a good recommendation, too. But, depending on your timing, if you are already in Shartlesville for Roadside America and don't want to backtrack to Lenhartsviille, you might consider Haag's Hotel for the PA Dutch family-style dinner (served all day). This place, too, is an original. Although not a CH-type recommendation, we were glad we stopped here after Roadside America. Roadside America and Haag's Hotel are what we still refer to as the true Shartlesville experience.
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Deitsch Eck Restaurant
RR 22, Lenhartsville, PA 19534
Haag's Hotel
3 N Main St, Shavertown, PA 18708
Chester Springs Dining Recs?
Thank you for reviving this post. I must have missed it the first time. We used to stop at this turnpike exit for lunch many times a year when our son was in college in Erie. Now it is only a couple of times a year. We always alternated between Eagle Tavern and Arthur's at the Inn at Chester Springs. (We preferred Arthur's because it had better sandwiches.) We also tried the chains -- Isaac's Deli (terrible); Red Robin (ok), and Pizzeria Uno (pretty good) but now we have Ron's and the Drafting Room as possibilities. Never realized they were that close to the turnpike (just checked maps online). Again, thank you. We need some variety, I mean good variety.
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Drafting Room
Colonial 100 Shoppes, Exton, PA 19341
Good food along I-84?
For Punxsutawney, the hotel has a decent restaurant which faces a park. On the other side of the park is the library where Punxsutawney Phil lives. There are also fiberglass Phils painted by local artists around town -- after saying this, hope they are still there. The best restaurant is just outside of town. It is called Mary Jean's, or something close to that. Punxsutawney is a pleasant stop while driving across PA but might be a little far off I-80 for someone driving at warp speed to Michigan.
Visiting Pittsburg and Grove City This Weekend , (Need Rec's) Thank you
We have eaten a couple of times at Elephant & Castle. It is close to the outlets and not bad for a chain. In Mercer on Rt. 19 are Rachel's, Iron Bridge Inn, and Springfield Grille (dinner only), which are probably the best in the area. Local places, closer to the outlets, are My Brother's Place and a Mexican restaurant. Neither are CH-type recommendations but, like many places throughout PA, depending on what you order, can be decent. We have eaten at both and have not been unhappy.
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Springfield Grille
1226 Perry Hwy, Mercer, PA 16137
Iron Bridge Inn
1438 Perry Hwy, Mercer, PA 16137
My Brother's Place
3240 Millers Run Rd Ste 1, Cecil, PA 15321
Dinner between PIT and Seven Springs resort
I was hoping someone else would reply as it has been two years since stopping in the area for lunch. There are two Italian restaurants in New Stanton not too far from the turnpike exit. The one whose name I remember is La Tavola at 400 South Center Avenue. It has a bar and you should be able to eat at the bar. Hopefully, it is as good as it was two years ago.
Erie, PA Wine Trail Musts?
It has been a few year since we have been to Erie (our son graduated college) but I remember breakfast at the Freeport being very good. They smoke their own bacon, etc. Smugglers Wharf was always my wife's favorite place to eat in Erie (there are restaurants from a CH perspective that might be better but it is good). As for wineries, we made it to several. One or two were better than others but that's what makes for a fun tour. I think there are only five and they are all near each other.
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Freeport Restaurant
# 89, North East, PA 16428
Options around Sesame Place (Langhorne) and Crayola Factory (Easton)
It is interesting that your reserch turned up the Kopper Kettle. I know people who love the place. I've been there twice in twenty-five years and have driven past it on my way to eat at J.B. Dawson's (another six miles away). J.B. Dawson's is my favorite non-Italian restaurant near the Oxford Valley Mall/Sesame Place. Isaac Newton's is also a good suggestion (and the ice cream afterwards) and Newtown is easy to get to from where you will be. It is a far more pleasant area than Rt. 13 at Under the Pier.
Options around Sesame Place (Langhorne) and Crayola Factory (Easton)
One possibility is J.B. Dawson's south of the Oxford Valley Mall. They have three or four restaurants in the Philly/Reading area. They are not a chain in the sense of all the other places around Sesame Place and the Oxford Valley Mall. I am often in the area and J.B. Dawson's is about the only place I would go to with toddlers that is not a true chain (take everybody's word here -- the chain places are too many to list). From the times I have been there, the quality can vary, but I would rate it pretty good for the area and worth a try.
