mod*betty

Hubby and I walked to The Black Lab in Phoenixville last night and had what I consider my first really good meal there. We have been there a handful of times and it was OK, but not truly compelling, but last night it totally hit the spot. Caesar salad- nice bite and good cheese (reminded us we need to check out our local Raimondo's Cheese! shop the next time we are on Bridge Street) Hubby had burger, I had Swordfish with lemon/garlic orzo, which was sooo tasty!!! I walked past someone's dinner on the way to the table, and they seemed to have some sort of rice/pasta in a creamy sauce, perhaps a risotto, and so I ordered this thinking that might be what they had. Sooo good, I am jonesing for the orzo right now. Swordfish was nice too. :-) Flourless chocolate torte to finish, rich and chocolatey, definitely hitting the spot as well. Nice to see the place bustling on a Wednesday night! In other Phoenixville gastronomic news: Brown's Cow Ice Cream shop has opened on Main Street, they are scooping Bassetts and also have a selection of homemade looking tarts/pies in the case as well. Again nice place to walk to, though it totally undoes any calories burned by getting there! They have a few tables and benches outside and have turned a somewhat unremarkable block into a destination. Word has it the Vale Rio diner will be replaced by a Walgreens, which will be within 1/4 mile of 2 other pharmacies of course. Money seems to be the motivator with this sale, per usual. Also going along with that, the Fountain Inn is slated to become a Starbucks.Don't know how this will affect Steel City's business. Also, there is a new coffee house/ gallery that just opened up on Bridge, same block as Black Lab, did not catch the name but will have to investigate. Beth, psyched she found her Majolica gift certificate when cleaning out the desk!

Please provide with address etc, so I can add to my local list!

I couldn't help being reminded of this famous exchange: Lucy Van Pelt: It's too early. I never eat December snowflakes. I always wait until January. Linus Van Pelt: They sure look ripe to me. :-) Beth, who very much enjoyed the nectarines I ate earlier this week, ripe and juicy!

Best way to experience Philly 'tude is to order your drink from the steak window at Pat's. -------------------- Or even order it at the drink window! I recently had a toothless guy working the window loudly call me FATTY because I wanted a Diet Coke. And while I sometimes complain about my physique, I definitely am not in the Fatty category.

Wow! Great minds are thinking alike - as we are going to Pittsburgh for MY birthday in August, to see the Warhol among other things (Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob, the Incline...) We will be there for 4 days or so, so if there are any interesting unusual places to get a variety of meals-snacks whathaveyou we'd be interested in those as well. someone has already recommended the Sunday Brunch at the Grand Concourse, has anyone ever been? Thanks! Beth aka "mod Betty" especially this weekend at Bawlmer's Honfest!!

being a newbie to the area there are a lot of these participating places that I am unfamiliar with and have never been to. Can anyone recommend which would be of note, as far as value and food? I am sure that there are deals to be had and places that might be more approachable for some of us at this price point than their usual ones. Thanks! Beth

The Wegmans near me carries these and I love to use them with Angel Hair pasta with garlic, chopped fresh tomato and fresh basil - light summertime pasta!

thought this might be the best place for this link! http://www.danburymint.com/heirloom/product.asp?code=SPB-01 Imagine, you can stage your own Cheese Steak Wars right in the comfort of your own home!

There is a 5 guys Burgers on 202 between West Chester and Delaware- we stopped there once on the way to Rehoboth and it was OK. The burgers were good, but the fries were a bit raw & limp. It seemed to take quite a while for our order to be made, even though we were some of the only folks in there- they ease the pain of the wait by having buckets of peanuts in the shell on each table, but eating them made me less than hungry for what we had ordered. My vote for best burger is just over the line in DE at the Charcoal Pit. Definitely the 202 location for ambiance too.

Hubby and I have been trying the local pizza joints near our new home (in hip and happening Phoenixville, so sez Philly Weekly!!) Alas, we have not found any that we could say is our favorite so far or has been in any other way memorable, except for perhaps its girth. They all seem to be sufficient in filling our bellies but otherwise uninspiring. Both of us grew up in different states and have slightly different opinions as to what we consider a good "pie" (me/Boston area/Regina Pizza is my absolute fave-thin crust/tangy flavorful cheese/ him/Delaware/Grotto's/more a sauce fan than me.) but neither of us have been satisfied with anything we've gotten so far. I am totally aware of the fact that we could be surrounded by numerous unremarkable local pizza joints. I am wondering if someone could define for me what Philadelphia Style Pizza is comprised of, and what the best Philly style should taste like. Also, where could we taste an example of this type of pizza, so we can at least calibrate ourselves to our new area? Maybe what we are getting is simply what it is supposed to taste like here and we just don't know it. Thanks a bunch!

[i noticed that Pretzel for breakfast thing when I moved here too, since there is an honor system "put 60 cents in and take a pretzel out" box in my break room at work . I noticed many folks eating them at breakfast. I asked about it and a lot of folks gave me a look like, "well of course pretzels for breakfast, what, they don't do that everywhere?'' I don't mind a bit as I have always been a soft pretzel fan- doesn't hurt that I come from a family of saltaholics. I remember getting small soft pretzels at the Sears Candy Counter at the Natick Mall in Natick Ma when I was a kid, 3 for a dollar, not only tasty but economical! I also remember making soft pretzels in home ec, and would make them at home too. Not exactly like the real ones, but warm with kosher salt on top, and a bit more porous-- all the better to slather butter on.....num num...well, lets just say they hit the carb lovers spot!

I come from the land of the bean and cod and know that we have our own names for things that are used nowhere else- tonic for soda, frappe for milkshake etc. I am trying to learn the "correct" names for things here in our new home state of PA. Somebody help me out here -- what is a zep? Is it different from a sub or a hoagie or a grinder? What other words to I need to know so I can order my food? I sound really bad saying "whiz wit" but at least I am trying!

Just forwarded the list to the gals...will keep you posted!

Someone at work was telling me about these places, and they are definitely on our list of things to check out (get in line...) but I thought that it would be more appropriate for when the weather got better. Though I can't complain about 60 degrees in Feb! Thanks for the link.

Thanks everyone for your welcomes and suggestions! I circulated the kopbarscene website and somehow it was decided that we would go to Harpoon Louie's in Phoenixville!!? My husband and I went there once when we first moved to the area, just for the novelty of going to a place that looks like it should be "down the cape" but really is well inland in a land locked state no less! Since I knew the place had a certain legitimate retro look to it, and I had been trawling tiki sites all day I said, well, why not? Alas we were unable to sit at the bar, but found a booth in the same area. The gals took the scenic route back from the ladies to make sure they saw all the decor- blowfish, aqua naugahyde, you name it. The drinks did their job and the next thing you know I am finding out all sorty of juicy details about my co-workers! We ordered an app platter at the last minute, which was unremarkable yet fried. Our waitress seemed to find it amusing that we came there just for drinks, and as a gesture of kindness, and perhaps solidarity with the gals night out theme, she brought us a basket overflowing with rolls and butter, just at the time we needed it most. Little did we know it didn't take much to close down a place like this, and as we were the last table to leave, we joked that it must be as late as 10:30.Well, the joke was on us, as the clock in the car flashed 10:13, and it was time for us all to return home. While it did not do much for my hankering for a tiki bar and chinese food ala Kowloon in Saugus, MA. it seemed to be a hit, and we are planning on getting there earlier next time so we can sit in the aqua padded chairs at the bar!

Hello- I am new to the list, but have been lurking for months now, ever since my husband and I moved to PA. I have found the content to be enlightening and entertaining, and I have filled a notebook with the suggestions offered. I only hope that my bank account and waistband allow me to try them all! With this move I have started working in King of Prussia, which seems to be known for its mall and not much else. This Friday it has been discussed that a couple of my co-workers and I want to go out for a drink and perhaps an app after work. We all live slightly away from eachother so I thought there might be a place that we'd like close by the office (on the east side of KOP), however if there is someplace truly noteworthy close by one of our houses (Phoenixville, Pottstown and Mt Airey), I personally would not be averse to the drive. Being new to the state and the area I have maps posted all over the house and am learning the terrain as fast as I can. In any case, it will be us 3 gals, one of which is more a cocktail person than beer or wine, the other two are easy. Looking for a place that is not a cookie-cutter place filled with Friday Happy Hour folks, but perhaps something a bit more...low key and...authentic? Food options past the ususal bar food would be swell. Thanks a bunch! Beth