DOLC: Willow Street Restaurant.... and Diner

Willow Street Restaurant and Diner has long been a favorite go-to of ours for breakfast out... no matter what time of day it is.  They aren't open 24/7 like some other diners, but that's okay.  Willow Street isn't exactly known for it's after hours night life.

Weekend mornings are our preferred hours for Diner breakfast.  Stopping in see Sherri at 'The Diner' and have her lavish us with pots of blessed coffee and plates full of comfy goodness..... yeah, that's what it's all about. (Try the Eggs Luxembourg!)

Since our idea for 'Diners of Lancaster County' originated over breakfast at the WS Diner, it's only fitting we begin with them.

The plan is this:   We will visit every Diner-like restaurant in Lancaster County, and order a comparable meal from each.  Then, we will apply our highly unscientific and wholly arbitrary opinions in describing our experience's.   It should be a hoot!

The meal:

• A ham and cheese omelette with home-fries and toast (His favorite). 
• A "house" cheeseburger and fries, however they offer it (Her favorite).
• A pancake to share, because pancakes are a goodness that diner's should nail perfectly.
• Coffee for Himself, and iced tea for Herself.
• Pie to share, because PIE, dammit.

 Here's what The Willow Street Restaurant and Diner (In Willow Street, whowouldathoughtit?) gave us to fill our order:

Their omelette features finely chopped ham and cheese mixed well with the eggs.  This trip, the usually perfect waitress Sherri slipped a cog and didn't ask what cheese I wanted.  Possibly, she just remembered.... it that kind of place.

The omelette was well done, to the point of being slightly browned at the edges.  Now, I know some eggy mavens will go all frothy mouthed at an omelette that's not light and creamy, but it happens I like mine done firm and almost too well done.   It's a thing. If an omlete has any "raw" or mushy bits, I will get gaggy. My eggs must always have the whites completely cooked. It's a thing I have.

The home fries.... well, that's an issue.  You see, WS diner has a secret way to order them, which Sherri clued us into a few years ago.  Ask for the 'Deep Fries' instead of home fries.  What you get will be the crispiest and most addicting breakfast potatoes ever.  We LOVES us some deep-fries, and order them every single visit. I ask for them cooked hard. Then they are like thick potato chips. We have been known to steal them from each other's plates.

The toast, my preferred Rye bread version.  This visit it was almost bordering on too well toasted, but not quite.  Heavily buttered, it begged to have some Orange Marmalade spread on... which the restaurant provides in the inevitable single serving containers, racked up like soldiers in the middle of the table. Marmalade is a huge win for me. Not all diners have it, and it is a personal favorite.

For Himself, this is how such a meal is done.  THIS is the epitome of a tasty diner breakfast.  Sure, some creamed chipped beef, sausage gravy over biscuits, or even eggs benny might be chosen on occasion.  That said, a simple H&C with home fries.... that's got my name all over it.  Color me happy.

Herself can speak of her burger without much help from me.  I'll say this... it was a good, hand made, basic burger. Not fancy and no special zippity do-da condiments to hide the meat. It could have maybe done with a pickle on the plate, but that's quibbling. It came with mayo. It was cooked well-done, a preference was not asked, but with this type of diner burger I am okay with that. It maintained its flavor and was not dried out. A good, no frills burger.

The burger was served with fries. WS has chosen to go with the crispy coating fries. Not my personal favorite. I prefer fresh cut or house made chips. Their fries were well cooked though, and as tasty as they could be for me.

Moving on to The Pancake!   Nothing beats a good pancake, even when it's sitting there next to a burger and fries.  Heck, that makes it even better.

WS Diner serves up a plate sized basic pancake, light and fluffy, and nicely cooked with the GBD look (Golden, Brown, and Delicious).  We like ours buttered, and usually with the Maple. Occasionally, I (Himself) will go for the jam instead of the syrup, but only sometimes.

Two thumbs up on the WS Diner's pancakes.... worth every bite. I love carby good pancakes and WS's do not disappoint. they are also HUGE, so if you are a light eater, just order one. 
 

Coffee?  Yup.... they have coffee, and it's good.  Sensibly they serve a carafe to the table, since they also use those cute little white cups that diners everywhere in the world use.  Iconic, but way too small.  Having the carafe there saves many steps, and growls.

I'll assume her iced tea was okay.  She didn't whine about it, anyway. Their tea is house brewed and strong the way I like it. Sherri always serves it to me with two lemons. Perfect! 

Nice filling, topping, crust ratio. Now get in my mouth! 

Since PIE is the domain of Herself, I'll step back and let her take a rip at one of her favorite things.  They had a few choices: raspberry, lemon meringue, coconut custard, egg custard, and shoo fly (the demon of the pie family, YUCK!). As we never know what kinds of pie a diner will have this is one area where we may have some variances. I had the lemon meringue. A personal favorite! WS's is one of the best I have had. The meringue was perfectly firm and the lemon curd filling was smooth, lightly tart, and not overly sweet. The crust was cooked through (no one likes a soggy bottom!), flaky, and a nice base to move the delicious pie innards to my mouth hole.

How does Willow Street Restaurant and Diner Fork up? 
4 Forks for flavor.
3 Forks for atmosphere. (The decor is dated, but it is clean. Air freshener in the bathroom is usually too strong)
4.5  Forks for location. (Easy to find & plenty of parking)
4.00 Forks for your value.
4.85 Forks for service. (We have never had bad service, but we usually request Sherri. We are always seated quickly and have never waited.)
4.07 Forks overall

Diners of Lancaster County

What exactly IS a diner? 

Perhaps it's a type of restaurant, and we can list the features that make a diner a *diner*.  More likely, it's a perception in our minds, and anyplace that fits the perception then fits the name.

Lets take a shot at defining the restaurant type:  'Diner':

• A relatively small place, although this is not a given.
• Lots and lots of desserts.... most especially pie. (Mmmm...pie!)
• A counter and booths.  Free standing tables are not mandatory, but the counter is.
• Breakfast 24/7, or at least all the hours they are open.
• More pie, and cakes too. (Cream pies, fruit pies, custard pies...)
• Bottomless cups of good coffee and glasses of iced tea.
• 'American' fare, like burgers, sandwiches, and comfort food.
• Yet more pie, preferably in a revolving glass cabinet. (shining like a beacon of hope and joy!)
• Chrome, and vinyl covered seats at the counter.
• Fast service and friendly wait staff.  Even the grumpy ones are friendly.
• Condiment racks on the counter or table, containing salt, pepper, ketchup, hot sauce, sweeteners, and usually little packets of jam and jelly.
• Most of the hot foods are cooked on a flat top, and the cook is a master at home fries.
• Locally owned and operated, and not a chain store
• Did I mention pie? (*sigh* Yummy pie!)

 Myself, I believe the concept of The Diner is almost a state of mind.  Lot's of places may call themselves 'Cafe' or 'Bistro' or even 'Family Restaurant', yet when we walk in our deepest soul speaks the word 'Diner' to our heart.  We know without asking that an omelette can be had any time of day, no one would even consider charging for a coffee refill, and somewhere there's going to be a glass case showing off enough desserts to feed a football team.

Herself and I have decided to do a series on The Diners Of Lancaster County.   These kinds of places are our comfort zone.  They are where we go when we want a good meal on the quite, without pressure and without pretense.  

Til now, we've inwardly cringed against writing up our diner dining experiences, feeling that such places are off-duty for us. Now, our minds have changed a bit.  We offer our scribbling here as a way of sharing with friends.... and who doesn't like sharing a meal with friends?

For this series, we will be visiting diners around Lancaster county, ordering a matching meal at each.  Something in keeping with our comfort food tastes, and allowing us to compare apples to apples.

• A ham and cheese omelette, with home fries and toast. 
• A cheeseburger, in whatever way the place calls 'regular', along with fries.
• A pancake to share..... because life is better with pancakes.
• Coffee, and iced tea.
• Pie!  (Again, to share)

We will lead off with our go-to place, which calls itself a restaurant while still meeting every 'diner' criteria we can think of.  Stay tuned, friends!

The Revere Tavern..... (Read to the end)

The place:   Revere Tavern, 3063 Lincoln Highway, Paradise, Pa.

Dinner for two:  $107, with a decent tip.

What we ordered:  One mixed drink, one seasonal beer on tap, a bowl of signature soup, an appetizer, two entrees that came with salads, coffee, and desert to share.

What we received for our money:   A rich, satisfying, and tasty 'date-night' dinner served in a classically gentile setting, with service that made us feel like special customers.

Every once in a while, we like to get away for a nice dinner.  Just Herself and I, having a meal someplace special.  Not our everyday fare, but something outside our ordinary daily grind.  You know.... a date night.... treating ourselves to an experience as much as dinner.

This time, we chose The Revere Tavern, in Paradise.  
 
The place has been there as long as I can recall, which makes sense given it's 250+ year history. The Inn carries that age with grace and beauty, lending a lovely ambiance to the diners experience.  True to it's 'tavern' nature, the Revere also offers a comfortable bar sporting it's own light menu.

We were made to feel special from the moment we walked in, being escorted immediately to our reserved table. Service was incredibly attentive and professional. I only had two complaints that are small issues. The restaurant was not very busy, as we had early reservations and they put us in the back corner, by a serving station, so my view was poop. Also if you run cold, wear a sweater. I was very chilly, and I normally run hot. 

Service began with warm, crusty rolls and an herbed butter.   Two types of rolls were presented, two with herbs and two plain.  Herself found the herbed butter a bit too salty (a bit? A lot!) and I cannot disagree.... although I was okay with it.  Honestly, it may have been the only flaw in the entire evening.  I should note... our waiter was able to instantly tell us everything that had gone into the herbed butter upon being asked.  His knowledge of both the food and bar menus was first rate.

Salads were crisp, fresh, and Herself could barely find even a bit of wilted lettuce... and she looks hard! (I really do. I evaluate every salad I eat for the littlest bit of wilt.Wilt grosses me out, it's a thing. 😸) Basic dinner salads, relatively simple but refreshing.

For an appetizer, we shared Clams Revere, although I had but a wee nibble.... having ordered a bowl of their signature Snappy Soup.  Herself wanted nothing to do with the soup, declaring it

made from creatures of her tribe.... or something. I tasted the soup, I did not care for it. I thought snapper soup was made from Snapper the fish, not turtles. I like turtles.

 As for me, having had their Snapper Soup on previous occasions, I wouldn't have missed it.  Extremely rich, even before dosing with the provided sherry, the bowl of soup would make a fair light meal all on it's own.

Snapper Soup is perhaps a niche food.  Like Blue Crabs, or maybe Quiche..... not everyone likes it.  Those of us who do, however, *really* like it, and will go out of our way for a well done offering. Revere certainly does not disappoint on that front.  At $7 a bowl, it's not cheap, but instead an excellent value.

The clams revere were tasty. Again, maybe slightly over-salted to my taste. They are served as 5 half-shell clams, broiled with bacon, spinach, peppers, onion and Monterrey jack cheese. I was pleased with them. The clams had no grit and were not over-cooked.

For mains, we each went for our comfort zone.  Herself had mushroom ravioli:  "Sautéed wild mushrooms, baby spinach and walnuts tossed in a truffle Madeira cream sauce, over mushroom stuffed raviolis".  She went a step further and asked for a serving of grilled chicken to go with it. This was a delicious dish, that was both satisfying and tasty. The portions at Revere are generous. The chicken was grilled perfectly and was moist. It went very well with the pasta dish. I am picky about my pasta and the ravioli were cooked perfectly. No arguments on my part.  The ravioli was really nicely done. Not overdone and mushy, as so many kitchens turn out.

Lil 'ol me... I went with the beef tips: "6 oz. beef tenderloin, sauteed with onions and mushrooms in a beef burgundy sauce. Served over mashed potatoes".

Speaking for my dinner..... it was all but flawless.  Well plated, the beef was fork tender while being cooked to the medium-rare I had specified.  The gravy was intensely rich, setting the mushrooms up for success and neatly building the steak tips up to their full potential.  The mashed potatoes were flavorful, nicely seasoned, and well presented. They made a perfect counterpoint to the rich gravy and beef. I finished off his sauteed onions and mushrooms because they were too delicious to go to waste!

After dinner, even as well fed as we were, Herself just had to try the Snickerdoodle Creme Brulee, a favorite of hers (Two favorites actually, snickerdoodles are my favorite cookie...mmm cinnamon and creme brulee... mmm creamy goodness!).  Once again, The Revere did not disappoint. It was not overly sweet, having a simple light richness and flavor.  The carefully melted sugar topping was perfectly done. It had a delicious addition as cinnamon and was prepared perfectly. The custard was not too loose, nor was it scrambled eggs.

Rounding off with coffee, we sat back from the table and relaxed in peace.  It was a good moment.  A very good moment. 

By our standards, the Revere is not inexpensive.   That said, it certainly offers a value that exceeds the bottom line on the check. It is a classically good restaurant that is exactly what it purposes to be, fine dining in a beautiful location. We exchanged some dollars for an excellent memory, and that's priceless.

How does The Revere Tavern Fork up? 
4.75 Forks for flavor.
4 Forks for atmosphere. (This was decided after some discussion, because I was unhappy with our particular table, and cold the entire evening.)
4.5  Forks for location. (Easy to find & plenty of parking)
3.75 Forks for your value. (Expensive, but worth it.)
4.85 Forks for service.
4.37 Forks overall

********************************************************************************
We went back.  Stayed at the hotel, and had dinner again at the Revere.   It caused us to reconsider our rating, and we can no longer go with a 4.37 forks.  Due to some issues and general unhappiness, I doubt we will be back.    You draw your own conclusion, but we will take our hard earned money elsewhere I think.

 

Forklift and Palate....

Forklift and Palate, Inside the Warehouse Hotel, which is sorta inside the Spooky Nook sports complex, which is kind of a weird setup.   All this nested business stuff being located in Manheim, Pa.

We stopped in at Forklift and Palate for lunch, on a friends advice.

You know what?   I just don't want to go into all our observations there.  Most are not positive, and being negative just gets old.  Also, too many folks get their tighty whites in a twist when we gore their favorite Ox.

The place has a nice decor, even if the location borders on being a pain to find.   We had a $50 lunch for two, with a drink each.  To be honest, I wish we'd skipped it and just gone grocery shopping.   

That's about all I have to say.   There are SOOOOooooo many great places to eat in Lancaster County.... and we will be happy to keep searching out the good ones.  This place.... not so much.

It just wasn't worth finishing....

Bruschetta......I think.

Salt shaker..... killed the Bruschetta with a salt-lanche.

Caña de Cabra cheese....... snackies with exceptional flavor

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! 

Glendullan 12, The Singleton. A whiskey review

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.......

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

 

The Savory Gourmet, in Lititz...

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.

Appel Valley Butcher Shop...... A quick mini review

The necessaries:

Appel Valley Butcher Shop
531A Beaver Valley Pike
Lancaster, PA.
717-947-4241
Open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
On Facebook Here.

MEAT.  
GOOD MEAT.
ME LIKE GOOD MEAT!
ARRRGGG!!!!
(Yes, ladies he is quite the catch!)

Yeah, so just take a quick drive down past Willow Street on 222, and on the left is a little butcher shop.  It's tucked back in a way, sitting right where 741 takes a left and heads to Strasburg.

If you like MEAT.... GOOD meat.....  Just do it.  You decide if I am right or wrong here.

Today we bought three racks of ribs, a few pounds of all-beef brats (dinner!), and some meat sticks to snack on (yeah he ate all those, I ate some too. Did you know chickens love meat sticks? I wish himself had gotten a video of me chasing the chicken, to get back the WHOLE stick she stole!).   The ribs are down with a rub in the fridge, and will be cooking all day long tomorrow....

Back at the Sutter, part II

(Part I is here....)

Meanwhile, back at our room in the Inn.......
The whole point of this weekend was to be a birthday getaway gift to Herself. Having a nice room for the night was part of the gift, and it truly worked out well. (Himself is the provider of the best presents!)
With the room, all pressure was off to go anywhere, do anything, and we were okay to drink any adult beverages our little shriveled black hearts desired.

I cannot believe he chose this picture. 😒

Herself took to it like a duck being flung into a pond. The sigh of satisfaction as she dropped onto the bed (which someone else would have to make) was monumental.  Almost Homeric (I had to look this up to see if it was a real word. At least I am cute!)

The plan being showers and a nap before meeting friends on the patio and going to dinner in the fancy dining room.
Well.... showers happened, anyway... lol.  Then it became Mystery-Food-Theater 3000 as we watched the Food Channel and commented our way through the show. 

Whatever.... we do what we want.  You ain't the bosses of us! Nor probably would you want to, I suspect we are like herding cats.

The room, at $182 for the night, is not inexpensive.  On the other hand, it was darn nice little suite-ish kind of place, stocked with nice furniture, fair amenities, and.... um...... window air conditioners.  Check in at 3 (but they let us have it an hour early) and check out at 11am, with a hot breakfast thrown in for good measure.   Or not.   More on that later.

Lets get back to the festivities, shall we?

A bit after 4ish, the better half of our dinner partners arrived to take possession of their room.  Meeting up in the hallway, we all headed back to the patio on that beautiful day, there to await our last compatriot.  What's that you say?  Yet more beer and fancy mixed drinks served up by our favorite waitress, Lori?  Oh Hell Yes!
I had another pint or two of the excellent Old Speckled Hen, Herself had something Foo-Foo as she is want to do, and our friend had a nice looking hard cider.  I think we were all happy with our drinks, as they kept flowing without interruption :-Having time to relax and enjoy the atmosphere at the Sutter's patio bar on a gorgeous day is nothing short of magical.  Good friends, good drinks, dappled sunshine and cooling breezes, a great person taking care of us.... that is simply a wonderful way to spend some time.   We could feel the relaxation sinking in, as our worries and troubles faded away.

The last of our party arrived around 6, after spending the day volunteering at building a steam railroad.   We encouraged downwind seating for him, and had a beer on it's way without delay. The man had earned it! Railroading is hard work!
Here's where our grand plan for the weekend took a left turn, happily.  We decided it was simply too nice out to keep that reservation in the dining room and  voted to have dinner outside on the patio.  When Laurie (Yes, different spelling every time. ONE has to be right, right? You my love, are a mess!) let us know the Scotch Flights were available on the patio, our fate was sealed.
Yeah.... I said 'Scotch Flights'.  Just like a beer tasting flight, only with premium grade Scotch.  Three not-so-wee glasses to a flight, each designed to highlight some characteristic of the liquid gold. It was these tasting flights which had encouraged us to plan this weekend months before.

Our Bud all cleaned up (no lie, he cleans up well! One would almost never know that an hour earlier you had to sit down wind!), we laid into some tasty appetizers.  A huge pretzel bread on a plate, two cheese plates fully decked out in goodness, and a crab artichoke dip I got nary a nibble of. I got more than a nibble! It was crab and artichoke with cream cheese and warm and ooey-gooey. YUM!   The big, warm, soft pretzel was served with thinly sliced apples and a perfect crude mustard (I believe it was a stone ground honey mustard). 

A plate full of soft pretzel is a fine match for pints of cold beer, enjoyed in the open air. The apple made a nice counterpoint to the salty pretzel and deeply flavored mustard.  It all just... worked.
The cheese plate....Oh man.  What a treat it is!  Three kinds of cheese, served in goodly amounts, and accompanied by mustard, candied nuts, dried fruit, hard crackers, olives, and Pita points.
The cheese comes from a gourmet shop just up the street, which we had visited that morning.  The place fully deserves it's own review, and that will be coming up later this year.  Suffice to say... the cheeses that made it this plate were exceptional.I've said it before... I just don't see how the Sutter can serve that plate for only $10, and make any money on it.  If I wished to make cheese snacking plates at home for Herself and I, I could do no better than this. Those candied nuts on that plate are a huge win, they blend so well with the cheeses. 

Appa-snacks having been thoroughly nommed into submission, and our glasses refilled... it was on to the main course.

SCOTCH FLIGHTS!

Oh, we ordered dinner as well, each of us having something tasty to round out the evening meal.  Herself and I shared a burger which was tasty and well done.  She can tell you all about it.

I, friends am a burger snob. Burgers are probably my favorite food when done right. This was a juicy burger with blue cheese, beer sauteed onions, bacon and served on a perfect roll. I added no ketchup, mayo or anything. I removed the devil fruit (Tomato. it is not his favorite and the lettuce because I honestly think sometimes these things cover or get in the way of the flavor of a good burger) the burger was also served with one of the best mac and cheeses I have ever had in  a restaurant. I almost did not want to share with Himself! But I did because everyday I aim to be a better human, or at least a slightly less wretched one. 

Our friends, a Chicken BLT which was reported as 'Tasty', but not having enough bacon to earn the name BLT.   On the other side of the table, a Shepard's Pie, which looked good.  It was said to be tasty as well. Per Lori (the best waitress ever!) it is her favorite thing on the menu. I still want the chicken tikka masala, which is her 3rd favorite. Her number 2 is the chicken and leek pie. Leek is sadly such an underrated veggie in the US. I personally love it. 

Look friends, I have to confess to a significant fail in reporting here.  Not only did I fail to get photos and good descriptions of the mains; I even failed to remember a few wobbles in the service.  A drink or two that didn't make it to the table, a missing setup I had to go ask for at the serving station, a general issue with the layout which forced servers to almost lap the building on every order, the hotel proper being blocked off for a wedding party.... (We later figured it out, it was all Kenny's fault! 😄 Sorry Kenny!) 

Honestly, we were enjoying the evening so much, the little hiccups did not matter. The servers were definitely doing the best they could to keep up. The evening was beautiful and we did choose the patio which is away from a lot of the things that make servers lives' easier. 

I'll not hide anything.  I was eye's only for the three Scotch Flights we had ordered, which arrived just moments before the food. (Himself does love his Bourbon and Scotch)

SCOTCH FLIGHTS!!  Nine different Scotches to taste and share! This IMHO is an excellent way to try scotches! We had the following that we shared among the three of us: 

MUCH BETTER BLENDS
Blends were what made Scotch whisky a global success, and the better blends are still considered the real masterpieces by acclaimed master blenders. Here are three greats           17 
Antiquary 21 yr Incredibly well-integrated, beautifully balanced, a dream blend 
Chivas Regal 18 yr A beautiful aged blend, this effortlessly balances malt and cocoa sweetness,  light fruit notes, and a soothing oaky spice
Cutty Sark Prohibition Definitely not the Cutty Sark you know. Boldly spicy, 100 proof 

WOOD MAKES WHISKY
It's a rule of thumb that at least 50% of a whisky's flavor (and all of its color) comes from the barrel. Scotch whisky almost always ages in either ex-bourbon barrels or ex-sherry barrels. Taste the difference           14.5 
Auchenstan American Oak Fruit and spice with the vanilla of American oak 
The Dalmore 12 yr A famously sherry-heavy malt; vinous, orange, even chocolate 
Balvenie Doublewood 12yr A combination of both cask types; taste the blend 

THE SPEYSIDERS
Speyside is the heart of Scotland's distilling; there are more whisky distilleries concentrated here than anywhere else on earth. There's the giant Glenlivet, the vintage-driven Glenrothes, and the seldom-seen Longmorn          19.25 
Glenlivet Nadurra 16 yr An uncommon Glenlivet: cask strength and burly with it 
Glenrothes 1998 Still consistently underrated; full of vanilla, spices, and nuts
Longmorn 16yr Almost an archetype Speyside; malt-focused, lush, fruity

Now as a reviewer of things I could sit here and tell you what was good, and what I disliked, but here is the thing, Scotch is a personal taste and no one can tell you what you should or should not like! (although I will recommend the Auchenstan American Oak, as my personal favorite! 😉)


The desserts here are a tasty way to end the meal. I had the PRETZEL SALTED CARAMEL ICE CREAM CAKE (described as being made with crushed dark chocolate pretzels, salted caramel ice cream and an Oreo crust) and himself had ordered  the KENTUCKY BOURBON PECAN PIE (described as: Butter caramel pecans, layered in rich gooey filling, a hint of Kentucky bourbon), and they accidentally brought us an apple pie slice that was out of this world. It is their APPLE CARAMEL TOFFEE PIE (described as: Buttery caramel, fresh granny smith apples, baked in our flaky shortbread crust). I don't even like Apple Pie that much, but it was outstanding! A serendipitous mistake on the part of our lovely waitress! 


As the temps dropped and the patio closed up we sojourned with our friends in to the Winchester....oops, I mean Bull's Head and continued to imbibe. This our trusty readers was why we rented the room, if I (or himself) had gotten too tipsy, I could merely crawl up to our room, fortunately that was not necessary. 

One comment I would like to make; our room was at the top of the stairs on the second floor, I could not hear one peep from the bar, and I know for a fact it was rowdy down there! 

Himself slept well that night, me less so due to some amazing leg cramps. I also thought our sheets were scratchy, but I was the only one, and every one acted like I was crazy. I was teased about suffering from Princess and the Pea Syndrome. Yes, the people we surround ourselves with are laugh riots. 

We sadly awoke to very rainy weather, so my plans of Pokemon Go-ing and feeding the ducks in the park were dashed. We still got up and moving and sat down in the lobby waiting for breakfast. We were under the impression it started at 7:00am (I was corrected it was 7:30am). We waited until just before 8:00am before giving up and heading down the street to the Tomato Pie Cafe (we will do a future review on this one) for a quick, yet delicious breakfast so our friend could head back to the railroad where he volunteers and earns his stink. 

This is where I have a few less positive things to say about an all around great stay. First off if breakfast is offered at 7 or 7:30 (what ever) make sure it is out for your visitors. I looked forward to more of that magical bacon they serve! I understand things happen, especially when you are running a small establishment and sometimes people are late or things go awry. The best thing i can say is deal with them in that moment. When we complained at check-out we were brushed off and not apologized to. That was disappointing and would have made things better. 

Um.... Yeah..... I spent $74 feeding four of us down the street, when we had already paid for breakfast as part of our room fees.  Herself is forgiving of their error because she is a kind soul.  Me..... Not So Much.  

I definitely wanted to give them another chance before we posted this review though, so I called today and spoke to Christian the Manager. We talked like old friends and I could commiserate as I spent 10 or so years in hospitality. He did feel bad that happened and we talked about it. And here business owners and operators is the key to success, listen like you actually care. He did! He also respected my view point as both a person formerly in the industry and a consumer. I also loved hearing some of their plans for the future, but sadly the rest of you must wait as I am under the strictest confidence! 😉

Would the breakfast faux pas stop us from going there again? Absolutely not!  (We'll talk....) The General Sutter Inn is a gem in this area for fine food and dining, and a beautiful place to stay. Also we saw at least two weddings there that day, and they were gorgeous! As busy as they were the few minor hiccups we experienced were not enough to sour our feelings. 

The staff knows their stuff, and is a good group of people. Everyone, from the hostesses and the housekeepers, the guy who tended bar in the morning for the full English and made the most mind-bendingly good Bloody Mary's, to our lunch and dinner crew (Lori and yes even you Kenny!), and the management, Christian and team; I say keep up the excellent work! 

An addendum....
Sutter management gave Herself a gift card to make up for the breakfast issue with our room.  It was enough to cover a light meal at the pub, and was a nice gesture. 

Yesterday, while wandering Lititz, we took them up on their offer and stopped at the pub for a bit of lunch and a pint.

Herself ordered up a Bloody Mary, as the master of same was working the bar.  I had a draft pull of a house beer which was exactly perfect for the day.  For Noms, she ordered a burger (her favorite) and I thought I'd try their 'Artisan Grilled Cheese' with a cup of tomato bisque.

The Bloody Mary, excellent.  The beer, perfect.  The burger, very good indeed.  The grilled cheese........ um...... grilled cheese....... Hey, Grilled Cheese.... where are you?  Beuller?  Beuller?

Yeah.  No grilled cheese.  They forgot my meal.  Sigh. Not batting 1000 here guys. They recognized that and comped Herself the burger to say sorry.

 My final take on the Sutter?    Excellent food, good people, and Lori is waitress there, so they got that going for them.  Oh, and a damn good bartender, and spectacular beer and spirits offerings.

On the other hand..... there are a few hiccups.  Flaws in the perfection. It's almost gotten comical at this point.   Yes, we will be going back about as often as we wander up Lititz way, but we'll always be looking for the road runner/coyote moment where it all goes FUBAR.... and we will laugh when it does.