Snacking is a thing.... but it can be a good thing. A soul healing thing. A reveling in life thing. A reminder why life is worth living... thing.
Something this simple....
Take a small wheel of Cana de Cabra cheese and center it on small plate. Microwave for 15 seconds. Arrange a spread of Export Soda crackers on the plate, and a small ramekin of jam. Serve, with a knife to spread. I chose Pineapple Salsa this day, but it could have been Fig jam or Tomato jam.
Assemble, chew with eyes closed and soul open to what is good in life.
If you are going to snack, make it an experience!
Ever enjoying the delights of whiskey, there is an unending parade of new experiences out there.
Even here in PA, where the LCB throws darts at the list to decide what we mere peasants may purchase.
In this case, a Glendullan 12 year old, one of The Singleton offerings.
Now, there are as many ways to drink whiskey as there are whiskey drinkers. Neat (Straight). Neat cooled. Neat chilled. With a few drops of water. With a single ice cube to serve both cooling and watering.... which is how I like mine. I make my ice with filtered water, and find it blooms the whisky flavor nicely. A friend takes a slight splash of room temperature bottled water, and thinks the same of his method.
I'm certain fistfights have happened over this question, if not wars. So be it. It's all silly though, and I'm right. Right for myself, anyway.
The world of whiskys is myriad, and to each his own. Thus, I'd like to expand a bit here on the blog and discuss the whisky I'm tasting at the moment, sharing my enjoyment.
Today, The glass has an ice cube and two fingers of Glendullan 12 year old single malt Scotch. A Speyside Scotch, which by nature and tradition is a bit spicy, and quite smooth. The Glendullan 12 does not disappoint on this front. Some of the best whisky comes from this region of Scotland, with good reason it seems.
The Glendullan gives the taste of the peat, but not in a fashion to blow your socks off. It doesn't cover the cask, nor the distillation. At 80 proof (40%) it's not a rough Scotch. Slightly sweet, but richer in the caramel and fruit flavors associated with the barrel aging.
At $40 a bottle here in PA, it's not an expensive or high-end fancy whisky to impress the friends with. On the other hand, it delivers flavor and quality far outside it's cost, making it an excellent value. Not a Scotch to toast the high life with, but an everyday sipping Scotch that reminds why life is good.
Drumore Diner, 1426 Lancaster pike, Quarryville. A few miles down Rt 272, past Buck.
These are the folks that took over RD's old restaurant a while back. We held off going to visit til they got settled in for a time. Getting a restaurant off the ground is HARD WORK, and frankly those first few months can be hit-or-miss.
I walked in the door actively comparing the place to RD's, one of the best foodie havens that ever existed. Truthfully, it was unfair to The Drumore to make that comparison, and Herself turned on her 'conscience' mode and snapped me out of it. 'NO" she said..... "Just take them on their own merits, like any other place". (I felt that was only fair. We have always prided ourselves on being fair, and only comparing a place to other similar places of it's nature.)
Okay... Okay..... Grumble growl..... but I do miss RD's barbecue, I do.
We Stopped in at The Drumore Diner on the weekend, on our way to do a bit of grocery shopping. A late breakfast, and a chance to see what the new place is putting on the table.
Decor wise, not much has changed. Some paint here and there, new pictures on the walls, but that's about it. I suppose, what more was needed? It was a turn-key restaurant, ready to operate from it's last owner. Just a country diner, with it's future resting on the quality of their food and the people serving it up. It was clean, busy, and loud. A lot of people seem to be going there for breakfast.
Herself ordered a "gourmet" muffin, and some sort of cheese omelet thing. She can tell you her thoughts on the egg thingy... best I leave it at that.
The muffin turned out to be an Otis Spunkmeyer offering, like convenience stores sell, only unwrapped and on a plate (I suspect it is part of their food delivery, somewhat better than convenience store brand, but not much). I can't imagine it's exactly the same thing that Sam's Club sells at $8 for 15.... but it pretty much tasted like it. The restaurant missed a serious bet here, giving up the chance to make their own fresh. Muffins are pretty easy to gin up, even on a busy morning of prep. Fresh muffins and Sticky Buns can define a breakfast place, if well done. Here I agree 100% fresh baked goods with breakfast make the difference between "okay" and "wow"
For breakfast, I ordered scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, wheat toast and homefries "cooked hard" with a side of bacon. Nothing was wrong with my meal; but there was nothing remarkable about it either. I will say their potatoes are okay, although they asked me what "cooked hard" meant, and I thought that was weird.
Oh..... They don't have sticky buns. Sigh. (*Rage flips the table!*)
As for my Brekkie, I figured a nice egg sammich would do the trick. Something simple, and a chance to see what flavors the Drumore could bring to the plate.
So, a Bacon and Egg sandwich, on sourdough toast.
That's exactly what I got. Two slices of sourdough toast, some bacon, and some fried egg.
What I didn't get was flavor. The toast seemed to be missing butter. The bacon.... just blah (although he commented it was chopped up, not whole which made the sandwich easier to eat.) The egg.... screaming for seasoning. Overall it was dry and bland.
I tried to give it a fair shake, but I gave up after eating half of it. I wasn't that hungry I guess, and there wasn't anything on the plate encouraging me to keep going.
They say hunger is the best sauce.... and that sandwich NEEDED some sauce, or something. Butter on the toast, and perhaps bacon with personality. Seasoning on the egg, certainly. A side dish of salsa would have helped beyond measure.
Sorry Drumore.... It just wasn't that good a sammich.
The service was good, bordering on excellent. (Although coffee service started off slow, it made Hisself pouty. Which is adorable!) The atmosphere, just like a country diner should be. The food? Lacked heart and soul. It's hot calories on a plate, but there's no love there.
We'll go back one day soon, and see how their dinner menu stacks up. I have hopes.... but very cautious ones. In a restaurant, the plate is a canvas. The cook makes their art happen on that plate. Or doesn't.
How does The Drumore Diner Fork up?
2 Forks for flavor. (it wasn't bad flavor, just lacking)
3.75 Forks for atmosphere.
4.5 Forks for location (in RD's old location, so even though the lot is weirdly shaped there is plenty of parking)
5 Forks for your value. (The prices are VERY reasonable)
3.25 Forks for service. (Leslie was our server and she is a gem! I do have to ding a little for slow coffee service. They do a weird thing where the server has envelopes and everyone deals with their own tables payments instead of having a hostess. I don't care for this as it takes servers away from serving. In a diner setting, time is better spent allowing your servers to serve.)
3.7 Forks overall
Lititz has been renaissance-ing itself for years now. At one time the best thing they had going for them was a small town feel with a neat little chocolate company in the middle of town.
Now, they have become a destination town, with a days worth of shopping and restaurants all within walking distance of the town center. Small unique shops and interesting non-chain eateries, with a very nice (Pokemon laden (YES!) park and some beautiful old homes. The General Sutter Inn on the main square has fine dining, upscale patios with bar and dinner service, and a hella cool classic British pub with all the traditional pub fare.
Our first time dining at the Sutter, we ordered a cheese tray. The flavors were so impressive, we badgered our waitress into revealing their source. It happened to be just a block or two away.... The Savory Gourmet at 53 N. Broad Street.
Recently we made a trip to Lititz with the intention of visiting this little cheese shop, only to find it's really so much more. Very tasty and unusual cheeses, true, but also exotic meats and gourmet comestibles. They also have weird, and wild choices like crickets, scorpions, and tarantulas served in a few interesting ways.
The owners (Bill and Missy McMahon) work the counter themselves, and really throw themselves into what they do.
They are also borderline evil. (LOL. They really aren't! Himself is just being dramatic)
'Lemme 'Splain.....
You see, they give free samples of their cheeses. Like drug dealers.... "Psst..... hey Buddy...... Wanna have a free taste?" Then, while you stand there melting in happiness as the flavor explodes in your mouth.... they push yet another 'free sample' across the counter to you. Before you know it.... you Have To Have All The Cheeses!!!
Their knowledge is extensive. They know their products, and they know their customers. Trying to build a get-together and want to impress? They'll be there with guidance. Need something to
remind you why life is worth living? A special treat for an intimate dinner? Just the right pairing for a great wine? Yup.... just ask them. Not just the cheese, but other special offerings as well. Truly exceptional olive oil (from their family's estate in Italy. They are the only seller in the US and it is really spectacular!)..... spectacular fruit jams.... unusual marinades and sauces..... yeah, they got that.
The cool thing about Bill and Missy is that they are foodies too! But much like us, they are not weird or snobby about it. They get excited about your reactions to their great wares. They want to share their knowledge and enjoyment in simple pleasures with their customer's. I am thrilled they are going to put in tasting tables, because it is the kind of place I would love to sit and chat about food, cheese, and wine.
We managed to escape with only 5 outstanding cheeses, spending just $26. A very good value, to my mind, as every one of those cheeses is an experience in itself. Like..... a plate with a small round of cheese, some suitable crackers, and a little knife. Warmed to room temperature, and shared with guests as a special treat. The Gorgonzola..... oh man.... I can't wait to grill some steaks and top them with crumbles of that amazing rich cheese.
Today we shared the Horseradish Cheddar with family. Warmed in the sun, and dabbed onto soda crackers.... it was stunningly good.
If you have a hankering for some of the finer ways to impress your palate, make the trip to Lititz and stop in at The Savory Gourmet. Just remember.... keep your wits about when they start waving samples at you!
(Update) The Savory Gourmet is now open seven days a week.
