Mummer

I had a tableside prepped Caesar recently at the Duling-Kurtz House in Exton. The salad and the rest of our meal were excellent.

And I thought that slice pix was to protect his trivia persona. Somebody told me that Rich was the Ken Jennings of Quizzo.

See the Wanamaker show. It hasn't moved, but now it's at Lord and Taylor across from the SE corner of City Hall. There also is a model train exhibit in the Reading Terminal; you'll be at the adjacent market (RTM) at some point. There's nothing wrong with a good hoagie or cheesesteak, but when you take your car to John's Roast Pork or Tony Luke's in South Philly, be sure to include a roast pork with sharp prov and greens. Hollyeats.com is right up your alley re: not too fancy. There are many RTM posts here, I don't need to add another one.

Fin means $5? What's the origin of that? ← Sounds like: German for five.

I stopped at the Norristown Planet Hoagie on Tuesday morning after an appointment. I was impressed by the options and the freshly sliced meats. I picked it up before 11, but didn't eat it for an hour. It held up (and mingled) well. Good bread. Since I was so early, there was not buzz.

Not an oxymoron, but rather an institution (at least when referring to Lafayette C.I.). ← Lafayette is always a stop between the airport and my brother's place in the Detroit 'burbs.

Stopped by tonight for one with chili and onions (called a Coney Island chili dog) and another with sauerkraut and brown mustard (the classic,) to go. Great look! The glistening, grilled dogs slightly larger than the toasted rolls with enough fixins to overflow just a little. Large, random sized chopped onions. Smaller than the Pittsburgh dogs from my high school days; similar to Detroit Coneys - now there's an oxymoron. Great taste! Spicy, but not overpowering, dogs with a nice crunch. No repeating this evening. Tasty kraut and chili. Lots of toppings and condiment options. I bypassed the milk shakes, floats and fries as I'm not looking for a bypass. Probably two dozen options for both toppings and beverages. And a little nostalgia, as I lived in the Louella mansion for a couple of years while working a couple of blocks away. I'll be back for more. Is there a better endorsement than that?

It is quite likely that I'd be there, probably with some Philly friends!

$3 drafts, including Belgians, 4 to 6. They extended the time for our gang at the bar before dinner.

And Katie, too, for putting it together. (And don't tell anybody, but their beers at happy hour could be the best deal in town.)

Gino's also had the local KFC franchise. Some of their outlets were chicken only; others had burgers and chicken. Their big burger actually had some meat between the top and bottom of the patty. I think they sold to another chain, perhaps Roy Rodgers? Marchetti also owned an upscale restaurant, San Francisco, in a converted house off Lancaster Pike in Wayne, just East of the current location of the Farmers' Market.

At Varmint's Pig Pickin', the farmer (a man who knew everything about that pig, including the squeal) ate the tail. Varmint had already given him the head, feet and other offal, if my memory serves me well. Everybody sing: The farmer ate the tail...

The people on this board are eager to participate when they have something to contribute. I've heard murmers about The Hotel Hershey, but it isn't casual and I don't know enough to post a recommendation. Perhaps you can try your positive approach on another board.

Astral Plane - an oldie, but goodie!

Passerelle is under the same roof as indoor tennis courts, but it is attractive with nice grounds. I haven't eaten there in years, so I can't comment on the food. You may want to check 333 Belrose, with a lovely patio, up the street.

After tasting your wares at the Moshulu dinner, I'm eager to check out your new spot. I hoped you'd resurface in town when I read that somebody else was feeding the tourists on the river. I've a fondness for Rx's neighborhood since my gigging nights at the never-to-be-forgotten Walsh's Tavern. Break an egg, Tim!

I stopped at the Yocco's at 625 W. Liberty in Allentown last weekend. This location, an easy on/off from Route 22, was the closest one to my Pocono's route. The neighborhood has seen better days - could this be the original location? - but there's free parking across the street. They don't sell pierogies at this store, so I ordered a third dog. (This store has a few tables and a beer license, but neither was part of our daytrip.) Small, but crunchy and tasty. If you don't specify, they put yellow mustard and raw onions onto a basic roll pulled from a steamer, then add the grilled dog and the signature sauce. (Google Yocco's and you'll see some interpretations of the sauce.) OK, it's not the best I've ever had, but the fixins' and that crunchy casing add pizazz. The cocktail sized napkins they put into the bag say Hatfield, and that third dog was just fine after I nuked is gently at home. I wish I could have one now.

Attaboy, Rich!

Mama's this afternoon. They're only open at lunch time on Tuesdays and they're not open all that late on Wednesdays thru Saturdays. Call them at 610/664-4757 to order ahead. It's fun to watch the busy grill and pizza action on weekend evenings. This is a cheesesteak hoagie with fried onions. I like the flavors that the veggies and oil add, but I won't give up my cooked onions. They throw a handfull of pizza cheese nuggets into the the meat as it nears completion, flatten it on the grill and dump the already cooked onions into the mix. Here's a shot of the second half on a dinner plate. You didn't think I'd start playing with my food for a photo until I'd finished the first half, did you? Quite a lot of food for $7.90. I need some pointers on electronic photos, but you get the picture, right?

Each of us had an huevos platter with beans and rice. We shared the rest, including the chorizo side, Chinese restaurant style. The side was generous and tasty; loose sausage on a small plate has to have some run-off, after all. One tamale was spicy chicken, the other spicy pork. The cornmeal wrapping the pork was a red orange color similar to the chorizo run-off. Both were very tasty. Each taco had a large spoonful of guacomole and the filling in a flour tortilla shell. We told them they could put all of them on a single plate, which had several juicy lime slices and some cucumber and radish slices. There are several other tacos on the menu, but only the two tamale choices. We finished the basket of fresh chips with good salsa before the eggs arrived. We sat at one of the outside tables on a beautiful Sunday morning and were fininshed in an hour. They kept our coffee mugs filled. With three coffees and a Mexican Coke, the bill was $45. If I were to brunch again with fewer people, my first choice after eggs would be both tamales. Be sure to schedule an afternoon nap!

I'm in...I could really go for some huevos rancheros!

John's uses a terrific seeded roll and spinach as their greens. Mom (she's probably there; check out her wedding picture on the wall) thinks rabe is too bitter. I made a run to Isgros's for cannoli on a recent Friday. John's had no more rolls when I arrived around 2; all that saliva for nada! There weren't any reasonable cheater parking spots near Tony Luke's, so I ended up at the Passyunk Ave. hot dog truck - another Holly recommendation.

Nudy's Cafe, tucked away by the tracks on Conestoga Road in Devon is great for breakfast and lunch. Not at all fancy, just good. America Bar & Grill in Chester Springs and Epicurean in Phoenixville (same ownership) have good food and they're serious about their bars. Both have entertainment, also.

1500 or 1600 block on Pine - North side of the street. It was a beautiful room. I recall Sal Montezinos (sp?) as the chef. I can't remember details of the only meal I ate there, except that we were taken (by request) to see the wine cellar that was used for private dinners. The waiter told us about a recent dinner served to a group that flew in from Texas.

I'm back in town, anxious to eat something other than institutional food. Just called to be added to the list. Looking forward to seeing see some old food buddies and meeting some new ones.