Rich Pawlak

Chinese New Year is feb 7, I believe.

McMenamins Tavern in Mt Airy is kid-friendly, and I speak from experience. With lots of options ((well, that isnt really an issue for your YET). Also the new Iranian restaurant in the former location of Roller's (Leban just reviewed it), is also pretty damn family friendly, and a better Persian restaurant than the Persian Grill in Lafayette Hill.

Anyone been to the Black Lab Bistro in Phoenxville? Comments, recommendations?

The beer is NOT the same since it's been brewed in Newark, NJ. It had a distinctive tang that is now missing, and the overall color is a darker yellow. Poor execution of a classic pale lager.

OK, I've gotta get over to Chcik's for that stuff; sounds quite interesting! Last night in our weekly beer chat, The No Bull Inn, on starchat.net (11PM EST), I sampled the latest Oatmeal Stout and Scotch Ale from Saranac, from their 12 Beers of Winter pack. The oatmeal was good and roasty, if a bit thin for an oatmeal stout; the Scotch Ale was quite nice, good caramel notes, and a nice silky mouthfeel.

Mcmenamin's Tavern in Mt Airy serves up a terrific Irish stew, made with lots of Guinness. It's a great winter coat.

Fountain Room at The Four Seasons, Martin Hamman, Exec Chef The Ritz Carlton XIX at the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at The Bellevue Rae, at the Cira Centre

Yeah, I noticed the same thing about nearby diners downing their burgers, lots of yums and umms and compliments. Was almost tempted to order one, but I wanted that BBQ pork sammie.

Orval Leffe Brown Qwak Maredsous 8 Boon Marriage

Coney Joe's in Morrisville, PA has closed after about a year's run or so. I really enjoyed their large dog and the distinctive meat sauce they offered with that dog, as well as their take on the NJ Italian dog. And their fresh cut fries were top notch. Gotta be the location, as 3 food -oriented businesses, in the same section of the shopping center, a BBQ store, ice cream parlor and candy shop have all also closed. Sad. Casino Tony Goes, around the corner and in the same shopping center as Coney's is still open, but their dog didnt come close to the big beefy one at Coney's.

Having had both on my last trip to Portland for the OBF in '06, I would have to give the nod to Apizza Scholls, whose thin crust wasnt actually that thin, but whose yeasty flavor and good char on the bottom had me first thinking that they were baked in a wood burning oven. The Margherita pie was quite nice, but that Tartufo Bianco pie with the white truffle oil was just off the hook.

Has anyone thought to send a PM to Bourdain on eG, as he is a regular poster on these boards? Might clear up any questions as to when and where he was while in Philly. He could have done a lot worse than the Rose Tattoo, an underrated restaurant IMHO. I dont know what it's like since Sean Weinberg left as the chef a coupla years ago, but I've always thought it was a damn fine casual under the radar place to eat. Funny anecdote about Bourdain: got into a profane, beer-fueled conversation (yes, utilizing many Yuenglings) with him at one of the annual press parties for The Book and The Cook at Jack's Firehouse. we debated how, as a chef, he could even TASTE his cooking after all of the cigs he smoked. Claimed he had a better palate than mine, having never met me before that night. He also autographed the upper portion of a female fan's breast while standing at the bar next to me. "Even SHE knows I have a better palate than you, Richard." he said triumphantly. The guy's a hoot.

I heard a rumor that Bonk's had closed outright a few months ago, so I guess that is the case.

Any descriptions/captions for these pics?

I've always enjoyed any of the Long Trail beers when I can find them, especially Double Bag and Hibernator.

I am very impressed with this year's Blue Point Winter Ale, from Long Island. Rich, silken, with pronounced malt and a nice sharp hop bite. Very nice balance. Would probably taste great with Xmas cookies, creme brulee, mincemeat pie, even. Next to their barleywine (which doesnt seem to be available here in NJ), this is Blue Point's most impressive brew to date.

I would check Roger Wilco in on Rte 73 in Pennsauken as well as Joe Canal's further down Rte 73 in Marlton. Another good store might be Corkscrewed, John McNulty's store on Rte 70 in Cherry Hill, near the D&Q Plaza.

I was there on Tuesday. My pork sandwich was quite smokey, and the sauce quite spicy, so I wonder what happened with yours, Jeff... I'd re-try again. Miller smokes everything on site, so I cant imagine the differences between your sammie and mine.

He's the former food critic for the NY Times, who has now taken to freelancing for various publications, the Inquirer included.

Yes they do. At least I see them quite regularly in the Downingtown store, and I'm told that The Whip Tavern orders them from there, so there's a steady demand. After I first saw them, I emailed Wegmans and asked if they regularly stock them, and they replied that if there's ever anything I wanted, I should ask the bakery manager. So it's worth a shot: if you don't see them in the Wegmans near you, ask the bakery manager if they could whip up a batch for you. They have the recipe... BTW, they're pretty good. ← Kummelweck in the Princeton store! But no roast beef from Schwabl's, so what's the point?

Finally made the 90-min drive to the new Station Bistro in Kimberton, just off Rte 113, near the Kimberton Inn. It is owned by friends of mine, Nancy and Craig Miller, and I was actually surprised by what I found. They have carved out a warm and cozy 40-seater out of stone walls, slate floors and big windows. A roaring fireplace is set in a corner with some seating for coffee or wine sipping. Open kitchen, reminding me more of a sandwich shop than a hip restaurant. Nice wooden tables and chairs, yellow napkins, flowers on the tables, simply done. The menu is straightforward American-Mediterranean, with the added menu items of smoked ribs, pork, turkey. Kid-friendly, with several high chairs, fortunately, since I had the twins with me. Here's what the twins and I enjoyed for a late lunch: an outstanding pasta e fagioli (4.25), which the twins devoured quickly, so I asked for my own damn bowl. A great soup on a cold day. Fried calamari (7.99), prepared in-house , I was told, was a big bowl of small rings and a half dozen tenticles, ungreasy, very tender, with a chunky tomato sauce for dunking. Rings were a little too small for that though. But the kids loved the calamari! Twins shared a veggie burger platter (5.95) and a hot dog platter (4.95), two of a half dozen kids' entrees on the menu. Hot dog was grilled, and it was--a hot dog. Veggie burger was nice, moist, mushroomy, tasty enough to order an adult version. Kids' plates came with a white/wild rice mix and really nice fresh whole green beans. Kids ate every damn one on both plates and all the rice. Portion seem large, even on the kids' stuff. Nancy Miller brought over a crock of thier French onion soup, demanding I taste it. The broth is enhanced with bourbon, and quite nice. Not a big fan of onion soup, but this was different, and a nice wrinkle on the standard beef broth based soup. For my entree I chose the BBQ pork sandwich (6.95), and it was a stunner. Huge brioche type roll, large mound of slices of smoky meat and a pretty spicy BBQ sauce drizzled over. It packed some serious heat. Craig Miller IS a pepper head, so I should have known. And he is also quite skilled at smoking meat, and this was a good example of his skill. Great sandwich. Honey BBQ sauce is also offered, I was told, "for those of us who can't take the heat," said Nancy. Had a cup of coffee (1.50) while the kids played with (provided) crayons and placemats. There is a coffee bar within this restaurant, as they open in the early AM for coffee and pastries. The coffee is from that really good roaster in West Chester (name escapes me), their "house blend", and that's a great coffee! Took a rack of ribs (20.95) home for dinner. They were quite nice, also nicely smoked, rubbed with spice mix and grillled to order, and topped with sauce. Some of the very best baby backs I've had in a long time, very lean, yet quite moist (I'm sure the long drive home helped with that a bit). All in all a nice, sweet little place, already a place with some regulars, after just 3 weeks open. No pretense here, no cutting edge cuisine, but solid, well made stuff. And wait a few more weeks for specials to be added to the menu (they serve the same menu 11AM-9PM), most likely just on weekends. And in the spring, Craig Miller is already thinking crayfish boils, etouffe, jambalaya and gumbo. I'll make the 90-min drive back out for that stuff as soon as it shows up! Station Bistro 1300 Hares Hill Rd Kimberton

I think Slack's Hoagie Shack executes a fine hoagie; I participate in thier online football pool each week, and one week did well enough to be awarded a free hoagie of my choice. I found an outlet in Mercerville, NJ, closest to my home, and chose their new Godfather hoagie, with aged prov, prosciutto, capicola, roasted red peppers, salami, etc., on a seeded roll. An oustanding sandwich even if it wasnt free.

Already does: newmanwineandspirits.com

Thanks for posting this article. You gotta wonder why he doesn't plan on doing business with PALCB ←

I would NEVER consider even an informal pub crawl without contacting the bars in advance, and asking them to acccomodate you. It's just good manners, and you will find that most places will be more than accomodating with some notice. And Abbaye isnt at all Belgian either; the name is misleading. And the quality of food is not even close to that of the other places.