the Horse Inn- Yee haw!

Hidden in tiny alley off of Marshall, The Horse Inn filled my fantasy for food and fetish:
  the covert restaurant is housed in a converted stable filled with  leather and riding accoutrement.

This place is full of ambiance and cool history, complete with hand-crafted wooden floors with exposed brick walls. Food was first served on the premises during the early 20s, when the second floor was converted into a speakeasy.  The European hand-crafted bar unit dates back to the 1800s and a front section, made from an original door from Franklin and Marshall College, dates back to 1787.

this creatively cool Carriage house loft boasts a French chef and a selection of delectable delights ranging from land to sea, as well as vegetarian dishes.  Members of our party raved over the ever-popular tenderloin tips, which literally melt in your mouth.  Prime rib is served Friday or Saturday. Veal dishes ( perhaps the best veal in the county), chicken (black & tan chicken, chicken portabella and more), seafood (orange roughy, surf n' turf / lobster and filet, shrimp, crab cakes, fruits of the sea combo platter), pasta (penne marinara, mariner's bounty / shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels and catch of the day over angel hair pasta, Horse Inn chicken n' shrimp) and sandwiches round out the menu. There are also several daily specials, including a catch of the day. and kiddie menu.

Draft beer selections are almost all Pennsylvania brewed, while the wine list features several made in nearby Chadds Ford, Chester County, although I opted for Arrogant Frog Chardonnay in honor of my French, moody husband.

We cannot wait to go back and work our way through the menu.

Ring around the Rosa Rosa Pizzeria

all i can say is


 YES !   YES !  YES !!!!!!!

Rosa Rosa Pizzeria by F&M campus
1040 Harrisburg Ave, Lancaster, PA 17603

Go.....NOW!
 

We're Bananas for Splits @ Lickity Split in New Holland

Ice cream dreams are a new reality in New Holland.

 With two awesome ice cream trucks roving the neighborhoods for the past few years, Mitch and Gina Dissinger have expanded their Lickity Split ice cream empire to include a new restaurant at 209 E. Main street in the historic Kaufman's building.

We were excited to see the place full of energy and customers.  The cafe has real old-fashioned ice cream parlour charm, complete with pastel painted walls and vintage feeling ceiling fans.


We loved ourselves tender ( hey- watch it...this IS a family joint) with an  Elvis ~a hip shakingly good sandwich of Grilled peanut butter, banana and honey on white bread.   We also tried the tasty Kauffman’s Cuban, consisting of Smoked ham, salami, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, spicy brown mustard, grilled on crunchy Ciabatta.  The sandwich, soup and salad list goes on and on and most dishes are named named after town streets or former businesses. Other recommended locally inspired highlights include the Rubinson's Wrap, Garden Spot Melt and the Railroad Avenue.

The decor plays up the town's historic vibe with old newspapers laminated into the booth's tables and the 231 year-old building itself is a must see destination with a unique past as everything from a hardware store to an old-tyme jail.

But let's get to what makes this place really special: 

The frozen tundra of treats created with Leiby's Hand-dipped premium ice cream!
Milkshakes, Malts, Sundaes, Splits, Waffles, Water Ice, Ice Cream, Gelaties, Waffle Cones, Floats made with Root Beer, Coke, Grape, Orange and so much MORE!

The banana split we received was a gorgeous sculpture of sprinkles atop of whipped cream, with the freshest banana ever.  It's great if you like to share, but so  good, you may wanna keep it all to yourself.
We were so thrilled with the presentation we had to give our compliments to Justin, one of the ice cream artists- in-residence.

And while other local establishments may imitate, no place can match their campfire milkshake made with vanilla, malt and topped with real jumbo toasted marshmallows! It was way more fun than any time I spent at summer camp!  it was soooo amazing we can't wait for our next one!

Do yourself a favor and grab yourself something sweet at the latest Town Scoop!

Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call them at 717-354-4YUM (354-4986).
http://www.Lickitysplit.info

I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM for LICKITY SPLIT

Stay tuned for our next review-

New Holland's newest ice cream cafe ....

KEEP ON TACO TRUCKIN' -Taqueria El Jalapeno

You know the Taco Bell in Lancaster where Route 30 & 462 meet?
On the edge of the Walmart parking lot?
Okay, drive right past that craphole and go west.
Just up the street you will find a better parking lot at Riviera Pizza.
And in this parking lot, you will also find heaven in a hot fresh tortilla.

Taqueria El Jalapeno is a taco truck serving simple, inexpensive fresh mexican street food.
Tasty tacos are $1.50 each and topped with traditional cilantro and onion along with the options of mild or hot salsa.

We love the carne asada ( steak for those gringos who don't speak taco as a second language).
The carnitas (pork) are cool and the lengua (beef tongue) is lovely,
and we cherish the chorizo (spicy sausage) and perfectly good pollo ( chicken).

There are also tacos al pastor-
Al Pastor means "shepherd's style" and is traditionally marinated over one or two days in a combination of dried chilies and then slowly cooked by flame on a vertical rotisserie very similar to how middle eastern shawarma is cooked.  Taqueria El Jalapeno skips cooking on the spit, but sweetens the deal with pineapple and onion on top as tradition dictates.

Typically open 11am-11pm daily,  Taqueria El Jalapeno satisfies our cravings for south of the border cuisine in amish country.

A River Runs Thru it: FLOW Restaurant Jim Thorpe PA

Flying Squirrels and flying Sea Turtles were in our sight line while dining al fresco at FLOW restaurant in the Poconos at Jim Thorpe.

This farm-to-table restaurant was full of surprises.  Winding our way through the tiny railroard era town to find this hidden gem was a pleasure.  This lovely and adventurous dining spot is situated in a former wireworks mill that was built c.1850  and later home to a silk mill and dressmaker.
Now known as the Carbon County Cultural Project (CCCP) , it is a destination for people who enjoy contemporary American cuisine nestled neatly in unique spaces, with  modernistic design and a fabulous art gallery, complete with a creek running right through the dining room.

Seated outdoors in the cool night air,  surrounded by glowing orbs and gorgeous gardens, we ordered our cocktails and meal.  The server suggested we take our drinks into the gallery and relax as they prepared our dinner.  Artist Victor Stabin's paintings, especially his allegorical turtle series enchanted us as much as the evening's meal.

The Creativity is not only contained on the gallery walls.  As our appetizer arrived, we'd returned to our outdoor oasis to enjoy a luscious Lump Crab Cake w/ Mixed Greens with Citrus Vinaigrette,
and Citrus Turnip Confit.  Followed then by Grilled Grass fed Rib-eye accompanied by Roasted Garlic and Shallot Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus and Devils Steak Sauce.  We also enjoyed Pan Seared Sea Scallops, Baby Spinach, Gruyere Risotto avec Bacon Jus.

Oh yeah- the flying squirrels .

Highly entertaining!

Hop in the car this weekend and head to FLOW in Jim Thorpe-
It's worth the drive!!!!

There's something to eat: Tsunami on Columbia Ave, Lancaster PA

It was late on a Friday night.

As usual our choices in Lancaster County were:
The Drive Thru,
Crap,
or
Crap that was expensive.

We'd gone for pseudo-Sushi at lunch the other day and our waiter gave us a clue:
"Go to TSUNAMI!!"
he said,
"Columbia Avenue"

He went on to say the chef has been doing sushi for over twenty years.

Hey-
When I lived here twenty years ago, there was no sushi-
The only hint of Asian food I remember, other than my tiny town's Chinese restaurant,
whose proprietors also ran the local miniature golf course on the same plot of land
in New Holland, was sparse.

I was happy upon my recent return to life in Lancaster County to find
the Asian Invasion had expanded beyond the bad egg foo -not -so -young.

We stumbled into Tsunami late on a Friday-, near closing time-
As a former server, I know entering a restaurant near closing time
can create a grudge amongst staff looking to clock out.
But not at Tsumani.
We were welcomed warmly.

Greeted by a lovely woman who sat us at a four top, she handed us our menus.
We were thrilled to see Uni ( sea urchin ) listed as well numerous other tasty treats that seem missing from other local Japanese menus and venues.

Although we did not see it on the menu, we asked the waitress
if they had Yellowtail Collarbone.
Her quizical facial expression changed to a knowing smile when we replaced our words with a more familiar "Hamachi Kama".

She said "Ahh.." and dashed off to the kitchen to see if they still had any.

A few faces glanced thru the kitchen window to see who on Earth ( or in Lancaster)
would actually know to order such a simple treasure.

We also ordered some sashimi, sweet raw shrimp
(they met our request for the deep fried heads-yes!!!)
and some wonderful rolls, like the tempting
uni and spicy scallop, amongst others and a lovely house specialty aptly named "Sea World".

Everything was fresh and succulent and the eel was super crispy.

After all the other patrons were gone, we had the place to ourselves and were able open an easy dialogue with the chef/owner behind the nearby sushi bar, who was happy to stay past closing and serve up more recommended specialties.

Like it's tidal wave namesake, Tsunami has washed over our hearts and stomachs.

We're going again tomorrow.
Yum.