Jeff L

This is really a great reference. Kudos to those responsible, lots of hard work. Now if I can figure out how to get this into my palm pilot!

Not sure if it's true or not, but I heard that a Denny's or Perkins Pancake House may be going into the space. This would not be a good thing in my opinion and I really think the borough would fight to keep them out. Fact is though, Newtown really needs a breakfast restaurant. There is Pat's Colonial Kitchen which is terrific but the space is so confining, it becomes difficult to relax there. I agree with Mano about Goodnoe's food and think he's being too kind actually. I ate there maybe twice in the past 20 years with a large group and vowed to never go back, no loss there. But the ice cream, that's another story.

I have had their beef and liked it very much. It was a porterhouse and it grilled up great. I have also had their fresh eggs. Kevin ← Funny you mention Porterhouse, it's my favorite cut. Interestingly, I didn't see it on their pricelist. Nice to know they do have them. I do a lot of smoking pork, has anyone had any experience with their pork shoulder?

I do desire some fat/marbling in my beef. This is the exact same issue I have with Aaron's meat market in the PA Dutch Farmers Market in Newtown. Aaron has told me people won't buy it unless he trims the hell out of it. I assume from your post that they won't butcher on premise or special order for you? It seems kind of dumb not to if they don't. Overall, was the quality of taste cost justified, aside from the lean issue?

James, let me know when you plan on coming, I'm just 5 minutes away. I too was saddened to hear of the closing, it is indeed a newtown institution, one of the few remaining non-yuppie places the town has or had. My daughter worked there for a while and really enjoyed the place. I'm so with you on the peanut butter ripple, my all time favorite. Now we both know it's no Capogiro, but it's as good as it gets in Newtown.

Someone just told me about this palce on 206 in Lawrenceville the other day and I wondered if any of you have been there and or tried any of their products. It's fairly close by and I am tempted to sample some of the beef and pork but thought I'd put it out to my fellow EG'ers first. http://cherrygrovefarm.com/

I really do love Louisa's. I think a weekend trip to CM is in order soon. All I gotta do is hit the redial button on my cell!

No I haven't been there. The place across from Belmont's garage? Looks like it may be good, I remember passing it a few times. I'll try it and let you know

They have been in Philly since summer 2003, too bad you missed this thread. Try locating a store in your area that carries the product. It may not be that days offering, but I can promise you that you've never tasted anything like it, anywhere. Check the website and look under where to buy Good luck and good eating! ← I've been to Italy 4 times in recent years, so I've had the real deal many times. Nocciola e cioccolatto, sigh, there is nothing better on earth...... That's why I'm interested in these folks! Hmm, they carry it at my local Whole Foods. Now to see if they stock nocciola. Thanks for the info! ← Just keep in mind the flavors they concoct daily would be hard to find anywhere else. Some flaovrs they've had in the past include: grapefruit campari, rosemary & goat's milk with creamy marscarpone, marscarpone fig with big chunks of fresh fig, Cilantro and lime, Goat milk and honey, persimmon and black plum, Quince, Asian Pear and Bitter Chocolate, Salted Bitter Almond and Wild Turkey/Poached Pear. Get the idea now? This is a one of kind deal, I'm not even sure if you could find these combinations in italy. Keep in mind when buying at Wholefoods, it won't have the same texture as when buying it at Capigiro but it's still better than anything else I've had anywhere in the world.

They have been in Philly since summer 2003, too bad you missed this thread. Try locating a store in your area that carries the product. It may not be that days offering, but I can promise you that you've never tasted anything like it, anywhere. Check the website and look under where to buy Good luck and good eating!

Is this their only place? Sounds like the real deal to me. As you can tell, I'm not particularly fond of Rita's and I am officially done with explaining my reasons why!

Yeah Jason, really nice shots. You might even rival Philadining! We went to Brasilia Grill last Saturday night and it was quite good, not great. I actually prefer the saltiness on the meats but hardly detected any there. I also didn't much care for their sausages nor did anyone else who had the rodizio. The quality of the rodizio meats was top flight, better than the place I recently hosted in Northeast Philadelphia. They had plenty of salt but the meat in NE Philly wasn't close to the quality of Brasilia Grill.

I belive I've already summarized Jeff's feelings about the shortcomings of Rita's. What I don't get is why you are getting so upset over some opinions that Rita's Italian ice just isn't top quality. The argument isn't that Rita's is midgrade because it is a franchise. The argument is not that Rita's isn't good because it is successful. The argument is that many of us, Jeff included, have sampled Rita's and don't find their product to be up to the standards of many other places we have tried. Nobody is faulting Rita for being a successful business, nor is anyone saying that Rita doesn't put forth an acceptable product. It's just that there are several places that serve a product which has a more natural and all-around better taste than the product they serve at Rita's. It isn't one thing or specifics, it's a conglomerate of things that lead to this conclusion. To draw some kind of comparison, I think of Cold Stone Creamery. Sure they make a delicious ice cream product, and they are successful. However, I happen to think that their ice cream itself is midgrade, and can rattle off a list of establishments that are serving a far superior ice cream product. It comes down to a matter of taste, not a matter of upsetting you specifically. ← Yeah, what he said. By the way, I am a capitalist in every sense of the word. I've owned 5 businesses over the past 25 years and certainly don't fault Rita's because they are successful. It does seem to me (and hitmanoo) that you are taking our criticism of Rita's product way too seriously. I have tried explaining my reasons for not liking the product as has hitmanoo but you still want to carry this thing on. Bottom line here is Rita's is expanding big time and franchisees seem to be making money so I really don't think anyone besides you really care if a few of us here really don't like Rita's stuff. Now can we all just get along people

Sounds to me like a ready market exists for hot italian beef sammies. They really are good when done right with a little horseradish cream sauce on top of the au jus, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

Further to my point in todays Philadelphia Business Journal: "Water Ice Franchisor is hot for more stores" Jim Rudolph has bought the Rita's Water Ice company along with several investors. He is a veteran franchisee and this marks his first foray into the world of franchisor. Current store count is 349 with plans to add at least 70 stores this year alone. Rudolph plans to have 1500 stores by 2012, just six short years away. The analogy to Whole Foods just got blown to bits, soon you'll have one of these joints on every block - oh God

Couldn't LeBan have stuck the write up of Louisa's in the middle of the damn page. Now it will be all but impossible to get in. Also, someone should tell him Waters Edge has been closed for a good while, although he is dead on about Neil. "Such globe-hopping flavors aren't uncommon down the Shore. And many credit Waters Edge chef/owner Neil Elsohn as one of the style's principal innovators in Cape May since he arrived 16 years ago. The restaurant still has one of the Shore's finest kitchens, whether you choose the blackened scallops slicked with ginger glaze, the sublimely tender veal with spaetzle bathed in brown butter, the Asian-scented black bass, or the dessert tortilla with bananas. The sleek, peach-colored dining room has a contemporary polish that fits the Sting soundtrack looping through the room. But it is the wide-windowed view that I covet most, a vision of Cape May's tranquil northern beach at sunset, the dune grass and lapping waves fading in summer's long golden light. "•

Peter Shields Inn was really quite good when it first opened and you are right about the place's beauty. I think it's dropped off food quality wise as the last time we ate there it was unremarkable. As an aside, we always loved Waters Edge and was really sorry Neil had to pack it in. I mentioned somewhere else on this board that the landlord (Gus Andy, owner of La Mer Motor Inn) and Neil never really had any great love for each other. Story I heard was that he raised the rent so high Neil decided to move on. Too bad, always had top flight meals with service to match there. Nothing tops the view either. Do you know what's there now? Is it another resto, we haven't been down for a few years

I totally agree with you here. My original point was that I do enjoy turning people on to new and exciting restaurants, mostly gleened from the PA forum. Of course, it goes without saying, I too want these places to succeed- in part for my own self serving interests of continuing to patronize great restaurants.

Thanks Hitmanoo. You got my thoughts exactly right. You are indeed correct about Capogiro being an entirely different product from water ice. I only used this example to speak to Rita's "gelati" vs real gelato. I wanted to point out the startling differences between artisinal product made fresh daily by hand without chemicals and I believe preservatives and Rita's offering. Rita's marketing is indeed well planned and structured. In this area, it is indeed king of water ice. For most people it is fine on a hot summer night. For others, it remains inferior in every way to way can been purchased in Philly or NY.

Couldn't agree more...especially that wine cellar...and this from a true byo guy. Not to mention the place itself, really classy nothing in town compares to the elegant building and decor.

Truth be told, there is not one specific thing that I find offensive, it's more a quality driven issue that I find not present at the Rita's I have experienced. For example, the lemon ice, which is my favorite, was short on tartness and the flecks and little bits of real lemon found in other south philly places. It was ok, not terrible. Like Aaron posted, if this is the only place serving water ice, go there. In my case thankfully it isn't. As to the gelato/gelati issue, Rita's does not make authentic gelato. They make custard mixed with water ice and call it gelati for some reason. For me, quality of ingredients and execution reign over price and portion. This is just my opinion, others will have theirs evidenced by the really long lines at Rita's in Newtown, PA. Really, I would rather drive to Philly (35-40 min South) and get the real deal than stand on line and get what is available. I must ask, do you like McDonalds? I don't and the masses clearly do... does that make me a food snob, probably. Is that something I'm ok with, you bet. Now to your music issue. I have 2 daughters who are now 19 and 21 so I come from some parental experience in these matters and music is huge in my life. You may be right with the fair weather fan comment but it is what it is. There's no denying that finding that great restaurant none of your friends know about is kind of cool, same goes with those bands the kids seek out. Doesn't make it right, just is.

Tommy, 5? Do you realize the exposure this site has? At least 15 I'd say and I'd be one of them if it weren't so damned far!

K John, your assignment is to tell Jack to open another place in Bucks County PA. Tell him I will be his marketing department if these dogs are truly Chicago Red Hots. I miss them big time from the late 60's early 70's being in Illinois at college. I remember it taking some time to get used to, but that poppy seed bun split in the middle like they do in New England along with the mustard you described, pickle, raw onion, nuff said just get it done

I didn't mean to imply that Rita's serving sizes had anythging to do with my poor restaurant example. I really wouldn't care if their regular serving size was 120 ounces, I still wouldn't like the product. That's my point here, inferior product no matter how much of it is still inferior product. You are dead on about the gelato you had in Umbrio, though I've never been to that particular town in Italy. Italy, as in most of Western Europe, gets that for a product to be truly outstanding, it must be made from only the finest, freshest local ingredients and made daily. I don't know too much about Rita's but can almost guarantee you that this concept is not happening there. It's formulaic at best just like McDonalds. As to wholefoods, not a great analogy to the topic. They are a fine quality driven food supplier with a truly insightful management team. They get it, Rita's simply has an aggressive franchise model driving sub par product. I too am a huge fan of unground music but for me, I love it when these bands get signed to a label, it's survival. Might be that I'm 55 and your kids aren't! Tune in to the fact that your kids have a major cool quotient when they discover an underground, unsigned band. Once the band gets signed, no more cachet.

I don't know about Capogiro, but the supposed originator of the product is Lemon Ice King in Corona, Queens. It's been there almost 100 years, and is listed in the tourist books as a Queens "landmark". ← This may well be true Menton but all I was saying is that Rita's doesn't come close to really authentic water ice ala Philadelphia or Queens/Manhatten. It's the McDonalds of water ice and I don't mean that as a compliment. The fact that so many of them are going up should give you a hint. If Rita's was the only water ice place for 10 miles or so, I'd go. That said we have 2 in our town, one of which is around the corner and I don't go. That doesn't stop the long lines this time of year however. To me, Rita's is like the restaurant in everyone's town that serves huge portions of inexpensive poorly cooked and executed food. You know the restaurant, it's always jamed on a Saturday night with people leaving with garbage bag sized doggy bags. Most people in this country(tho no one reading this for sure) love inexpensive unimaginative food that is delivered to the table in ridiculous portions. Back to Capogiro, next time you are anywhere near Philly, you will thank me for visiting. Of this I am sure!