Mike's Brick Oven Pizza

(menu)

Anyone looking at these posts must think I have a lonely, binge eating life.  Really there are just a ton of takeout places in Pottstown.   I should grab a friend and a sixpack soon and make more of my local pizza places.  This time, though...I got takeout for myself.  Close to my house is Mike's Brick Oven Pizza.  They're right on Charlotte St., south of what I would consider the North End.  I'm sure you're all sick of my pepperoni and plain pizzas.  Sometimes I think the basics are the measure with which to judge these places, but I wanted to mix it up so I ordered Chicken Parmesan on Spaghetti, yum!

Ordered over the phone and went to pick it up.  I was a couple minutes early and it wasn't ready when I got there, but the lady at the counter was nice and said it would be out shortly.  They have an old TV in there and a couple tables.  I hung out for a few and my food came out.  Friendly service.

On to my kitchen where food would be consumed but not prepared.  The Chicken Parm came with garlic bread and a salad.  The salad looked nice.  I have to confess that I didn't eat it, but robbed it of veggies for a later meal.  It had cucumbers, tomatoes, black olives and cheese.  Pretty good for a takeout place.

The garlic bread was made from a long roll - half of one of their sandwich rolls I'm guessing.  That's typical for these takeout places.  It was toasted, nothing special, but I definitely ate it :)

A problem that I have with takeout food is that you take things that are nicely crispy or toasted and you wrap them up so their heat steams away and makes everything soggy.   I'm sure in this case that fact made the bread less than crisp and it usually would overcook the pasta as well. The pasta really wasn't overcooked like that though.  Of course it isn't going to be like it was prepared fresh and served on a plate, but it held up pretty well to the steam bath.  The chicken was real, not reformed patties.  The portion ended up lasting me for something like two more meals so it was definitely worth the price.

I would recommend Mike's. Like a lot of these takeout places, I should go back and try their specialty or something unique and report again.  I will keep you posted.

Paleromo Pizza

(menu)

Alright...I'm going to confess something here.  Please do NOT repeat.  I enjoy eating in public with friends and family, but the real secret is that I am also kind of a closet eater.  Sometimes I eat in my car or at my house where no one can see.  I make bad decisions and they are tasty.

So Palermo has been on my list as a recommendation from a friend.  It's on Charlotte across from the Redner's and North End Wine & Spirits.   They do not deliver so as I was passing through one Saturday on my way to Boyertown's Octoberfest I thought it would be a great place to pick up some dinner.

I called in my order of a small pepperoni pizza and picked it up without incident.  The people were friendly and they have a large selection of crappy domestic beer for takeout. Great if that's what you're into.

What I'm into is eating pizza in my car apparently.  This is the closet eating part.  Not sure what my issue is, but pizza in the car is a bad idea and I do it anyway.  The pizza had a great smell which caused me to eat it in the parking lot of the very building where I picked it up.  When I pulled the first slice from the pie a lot of the cheese came off.  This could have been from the temperature - it was still very hot.  Maybe it should have cooled a bit before consumption, but that didn't stop me.  For the record, the second slice also lost it's cheese in transit to my mouth.

It was a little greasy, but I feel that my vehicular indulgence may have effected the quality of the pizza.  So, that being said, I will report that the pizza was good, possibly loose and greasy, but I will do my duty and go back and report again.  Let's call this a confession and not a review.  Please don't tell anyone that I ate a pizza in my car.

Cutillo's Restaurant

(menu)

I've been to Cutillo's about a million times.  I actually lived in one of their weekly rental apartments for 6 long strange months in about 2008.  They have a fine dining/white tablecloth dining room that's 2 floors with a nice view of the creek and their landscaped gardens.  They also have a bar with more casual seating and they have outdoor seating which I haven't ever sat at.

Steve and I decided to go to Cutillo's one night.  We usually like to sit at the bar, but when I showed up the bar was very full and loud.  It looked like they were having a business mixer or something so we decided to sit in the dining room instead.

The dining room is still nice.  It's kind of traditional looking.  A great setting for a meal with your parents or grandparents, maybe a nice romantic evening when they have the harpist.  They had a fake flower in a vase on the table with light aimed at it.  Looks nice, but it was fake.

The beer list was not very extensive.  Really just the basics, one or two crafty type beers.  I ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Our dinners came with a choice of salad so I ordered the garden salad with blue cheese dressing and Steve got the Caesar Salad.

The salads came out with a small basket of warm rolls.  I try to avoid bread, but if it comes out uninvited, I'm not going to turn it away.  The butter was in those little, gold, paper wrappers.  The wrappers are terribly annoying.  Your hands get all buttery when you open them and they can rip when you try to get butter onto your knife.  Why not bring out a plate with some unwrapped butter?  The bread was very good, it had a little bit of a raw taste inside, but I didn't mind it.

The waitress offered fresh grated parmesan for our salads and Steve took her up on the offer.  The croutons on both salads were very light and airy.  They must have been made from a less dense bread. Not a big winner for either of us, but just a matter of opinion. The Caesar was pretty standard, not especially exciting and the garden salad was good with romaine lettuce, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes.  The blue cheese dressing was pretty good with lots of small pieces of cheese.

I ordered a special. It was a salmon dish.  The specials came with a complimentary dessert, creme brulee.  It was a nice feature for the price, but didn't influence my decision.  The way the dish was plated was a real turnoff.  Everything was sort of shifted to the right side.  It was like they forgot to put something on the left side or like the person plating paid zero attention.  I know plating does not effect the taste of the food, but it felt wrong, especially in a white tablecloth restaurant.  The salmon was cooked well with capers, tomatoes and artichoke hearts in a white wine sauce.  The potatoes and green beans were standard.

Steve ordered the broiled sea scallops.  The plating of his meal was similarly unappetizing.  The scallops were just kind of dropped on the plate.  There was nothing outstanding about the scallops either.  They weren't over or under cooked, but they didn't have a perfect sear on them or anything.  The white wine, lemon butter, lobster cream sauce was unimpressive. Tasted a little like a seafood bisque.  Not delicate, just one, flat seafood flavor.

Like I said, I'm not a big dessert eater, but the creme brulee was well torched, nice and crispy on top.  It was a little too sweet - even more than usual I think.  Nice presentation here though.

I was kind of disappointed with Cutillo's.  The service was good and the view is nice, but the food - the most important part - left some things to be desired.  I'm not going to rush back there for the next special occasion.

Carousel of Flavor

Carousel Website

Some more pics from the Pottstown Mercury

On Sunday, September 14, The Carousel at Pottstown held its 11th Annual Carousel of Flavor.  11th?  Yes, the 11th.  I have been living in the general vicinity for about 11 years and I only started hearing about this event a couple years ago.  This year I almost missed it and it was on my list of events I wanted to go to.  I'm not sure why I didn't hear about it until a couple days earlier, but it is frustrating to me that such an inclusive community event is not better advertised.  Also, their website is not very detailed or well updated.  If you're looking for a volunteer opportunity maybe you should give them a call.  Or maybe I'm dense, or maybe I blocked out the image of that terrifying rabbit on their poster.  In any case, I got word just in time this year and even though I had a few other things scheduled I was able to stop by for a couple hours.

The carousel is an historical tourist attraction in process of being restored and this event raises money for the project.  You can read more about it on their website.  Carousel of Flavor is held on the 100 block of High Street.  The street itself is closed and a couple of those big tents are set up.  Out in front of borough hall they sell tickets for $1 each to purchase food and drinks and you can also catch a trolley ride there to go see the carousel which is located on King Street across from Memorial Park.  There are vendors selling crafts and things which I did not visit.  Then there are food vendors and then a tent for beer and wine vendors.  The vendors are all supposed to offer small dishes so people can come and try several different things.  Unfortunately the items weren't that small and we only got to try a few.  Not all of the vendors are from Pottstown, but they are all in the general area from King of Prussia to Douglassville.  So as far as my 19464 restriction, I am reviewing this event and not the individual establishments necessarily...

Steve and I started with some brisket tacos from Talk's Tavern and OMG Mac n Cheese from Oscar's Catering.  The brisket tacos were pretty awesome.  They were served in soft flour tortillas with caramelized onions.  The white sauce or liquid the beef was in was very thin and made for messy eating, especially when the breeze was blowing.  Better keep your taco upwind.  The flavor was not Mexican in any way like I was expecting, but the beef was tender and savory.  Really good.

The OMG Mac n Cheese was good.  It looked like it had been baked and had been made with a roux like good homemade mac n cheese is supposed to be made.  I thought the flavor was good, but not bold.  It needed more salt at least.  I'm one of those people that like a little overdone crunch on the edges.  There wasn't any of that, maybe that's good for some people.  It was good though.  The portion was nice for the price and it was served hot.  

Next, we visited the beer and wine tent.  One of our favorite bars, Craft Ale House was serving beer.  They were pouring local Pottstown brews from Sly Fox (one of my favorite hangouts in Pottstown) as well as Dogfish Head Punkin.  The owner, Gary and his wife Melissa were pouring and Patrick was there from Sly Fox talking up the crowd and helping with the taps.  Tilted Kilt and Pub 990 had beer in the beer tent too, but it was Rolling Rock and Miller Lite if I recall accurately.  That's not really my kind of beer - I guess it's good they had something for everyone.  Manatawny Creek Winery was there pouring wine which I did not try that day.  They do a decent job for a local PA winery.      

After a beer or two I was on to Grumpy's where I was greeted by Sheila, one of the owners.  They had a Sloppy Thanksgiving Sandwich that was an open-face turkey sandwich.  It had cranberry sauce, filling and a think slice of turkey all covered in a turkey gravy.  I love that salty/sweet/tart thing you get when you mix all those flavors together.  It was pretty traditional and the flavor was good.  I had to find a seat so I could eat it with a knife and fork, but that wasn't much of a problem.

Steve decided on the Hot Beef Slider from CD's Place.  There was more than one example of a pulled pork slider among the food vendors and I think that's a pretty typical offering for walking around and eating outside.  I'm sure they all varied in style and quality as well, but the beef slider was something I don't normally see.  It was really good too.  It wasn't barbecue flavored like a lot of pulled meats are so that was a plus in the unique department too.  It was juicy and tender the way things get when they have been cooked all day.  The bun was standard.  CD's does catering, they might be worth a look.

The participating restaurants were apparently tasked with decorating their tables which I didn't see much of.  Some of them seemed to be really into the event and excited to be there and meet people while other restaurants didn't make much of an effort to be creative or even show up on time.  

There were also a lot of desserts at the event.  I imagine part of the reason for that is because they can be made in advance and they don't need to be kept hot or even cold for most of them.  I'm not much of a dessert eater so I didn't try any, but if you have a sweet tooth I bet you would have been satisfied here.

Next year I am going to try to skip breakfast and sample more food.  As an event I think it is a good format.  There is no charge to be there so all types of people and their dogs and their babies could attend.  The tickets were only a dollar and the food selections were as little as 2 tickets so you could spend as little or as much as you wanted really.  Anytime I get to stand outside and drink is a good time too.  Love the fresh air and chatting.  

China Bar

I didn't ask for a menu and I can't find one online so I will add it here sometime in the future.

I've seen this place lots of times in my travels but I had never been there until this past Thursday night.  Steve and I ventured out and drove past it a couple times before actually getting there.  We parked on the left side of the building and walked in.  You walk into the dining room and the bar is in another room further in. It was a little dark and no one greeted us.  We decided to head into the bar.  The place is a little shabby, but clean.  Not modernized or anything, I wouldn't take a date here until after we were already drunk.

We sat at the bar and were greeted by the bartender who I believe may have been the owner as well.  I saw quickly that only the standard beers were on tap: Bud, Miller Lite, Coors Lite, Yuengling, some kind of line up like that so I asked about bottled beers.  There was a takeout cooler on the other side of the bar and we were directed there to peruse the selection.  Steve made the trip over (I was not so optimistic) and he reported back that there was nothing more interesting than an entire shelf of 4Loco.  Wasn't that stuff banned?  I asked for white wine and the bartender said they had White Zinfandel.  Then he found a bottle of Moscato.  Neither is my cup of tea so I ordered a Stoli and club with a splash of cranberry.  Steve got a Lager.  For the record, the beer prices were pretty good with $2 mugs and $3 pints.  We were carded and the bartender used our first names when returning our cards and followed up to make sure my drink was made properly too.

We asked for food menus and they were pretty standard for a chinese place.  They have lunch specials that looked ridiculously cheap.  That's worth a look on another day.  They have all the regulars, soups and egg rolls, chicken, shrimp and beef with different sauces and veggies, bean curd and steamed options and then a back page with specialties.  Steve didn't want to go with the standard so he ordered Braised Duck with Lychee.  I ordered Beef with Spicy Garlic Sauce.  We both got Wonton Soup and an Egg Roll. The additions were a good deal at only $1.99/person.

I think it at least twice as long to get the food than it should have.  Our bartender may have been cooking it as well as getting our drinks.  There were two other guys at the bar though and it turns out they were quite good conversationalists and both had some opinions about the current state, past and future of Pottstown.  I love chitchat about Pottstown - certainly everyone has something to say.  I was sad to learn in this conversation that the bar closest to my house, Brian's, was shut down last weekend.  Too bad I didn't get to try their food yet, I hear they had goat.

Our food did eventually come out.  It was preceded by a bowl of straggly, fried Chinese noodles.  You can almost see them in the upper left hand corner of this picture.  They were super tasty.  Both Steve and I could see ordering just those after a couple of drinks.  We were also given a sweet sauce - my guess is duck sauce and a spicy mustard, one that would certainly clear your sinuses.  The bowl of soup was a nice size.  It was flavorful enough, a pretty standard Wonton.  The pork inside was maybe a little dry.  The egg roll was fried crispy with a thick shell and it was good with both sauces.

The duck came out with lots of lychee which was the reason Steve ordered it in the first place.  There were maraschino cherries too which I wasn't personally excited about.  The dish overall was very sweet, too sweet even to kill with the plate of white rice.  The duck was cooked so much that it was almost impossible to cut.  It was dry like when you overfry wings to the point that you can chew through the bone.  It was so unnatural I wondered if maybe the duck had been freezer burned and that's how it got so dry.

The beef and garlic sauce had a surprising variety of vegetables including broccoli, carrots, celery, asparagus & string beans.  I can't say for sure if they were fresh because of the sauce, but they were nice and firm.  The beef was typical of American Chinese Food, sliced thin and tender in that odd way.  The sauce was a little thick for my taste, but spicy which is what I was looking for.

So, my curiosity has been satisfied.  I know what China Bar is all about now.  The service was friendly and personal even if it was a bit slow.  I recommend sticking with the standard offerings on the menu and not ordering something from the 'specialties' menu.  If you're looking for a snack, the egg roll was good and those little Chinese noodles were totally awesome.  I may swing in there again for the nice conversation.

Proximity Cafe

(menu)

I owned a Keurig for a few months and recently decided to trade it in for a french press.  I sold the Keurig on Craigslist and realized that the press I want is currently out of stock.  That was over a week ago and my point is that it has been at least that long since I've had a good cup of coffee.  So, I was out yesterday morning and remembered that I saw a 'now open' sign on Proximity Cafe which is on the corner of E High St and Moser Rd, kind of over near the hospital.  I wouldn't normally review a place I had just stopped at for a drink, but it's a coffee shop and I was getting coffee, so what the heck.

Part of my thought process that morning was, "Where can I get a good cup of coffee to go in Pottstown?"  I couldn't think of a place.  Whether you like the company or not, Starbucks makes good coffee and there isn't one of those...takeout coffee from a diner is questionable and Dunkin' Donuts is not what I was looking for.  I honestly had no idea what Proximity was going to offer but it was worth a shot considering the alternatives.  There was also a 'drive-thru'; how convenient.

I pulled onto Moser Rd where there is an entrance to the parking lot, but no visible sign of this 'drive-thru'.  I kept going and made a right around the building into the alley where I found the 'drive-thu', but I was at the wrong end of it.  I kept going around the block which ended up being quite a detour, but I was determined.  For the record, the entrance is on High Street, before the building if you're headed toward Sanatoga / Limerick.

I pulled in after locating the entrance and on the wall above the speaker is an abbreviated version of their menu.  Just coffee drinks.  There was a drink listed called the Montana which is a cup of coffee with a shot of espresso.  That sounded pretty awesome and maybe that extra shot would make up for all the dumb tea I'd been drinking at home.  They use Tall, Grande and Magnum for their sizes which I absolutely despise.  Tell me how freaking big they are, not their useless, fancy names.  In any case, I ordered a large and I believe I got a Magnum.  I was charged $3.50.  

I pulled up to the window and was greeted by a friendly barista who took my money, made change and brought my coffee quickly.  It's a funny window and she had to kind of stoop to reach through, but she did it with a smile.  There was no place to leave a tip at the window and I'm not even sure of the standard for a coffee with espresso anyway.  

I was on a conference call for work, so I actually pulled into the parking lot to park and listen.  It also allowed me to take pictures safely.  The coffee was a little on the acidic side, but roasty and strong.  It looks like they have a variety of coffees if you want.  I assume what I got must have been the house blend.  It was definitely higher quality and strength coffee and just what I was looking for.  The packaging is simple and unbranded, maybe to keep costs low.  

While on my call I looked up the rest of the menu for Proximity and read some other reviews.  It turns out this place has breakfast and lunch and live music and they have a philosophy and believe in building a strong community.  Read their mission.  It's not specific, but it sounds genuine to me.  I can't wait to go back and spend a little more time there, meet the employees, have a breakfast sandwich and use the free wifi.  

Parma Pizza

(menu)

#14 had to be done.  When you move people send you all kinds of stupid coupons in the mail hoping to gain you as their newest customer.  Most of these I went through and recycled.  Others I set aside only to let them expire before they could be used.  This one was special though.  It was for a whole free pizza.  You don't see that every day and the expiration date was fast approaching.  I called Parma Pizza on my way home one Wednesday evening.  I waited until I was about 25 minutes out and ordered a pepperoni pizza.  The coupon was only for a cheese pizza, but I explained this and they took my order right away.

Then she said it would be an hour.  I almost argued with her because that seemed crazy.  "An hour?!"..."Yup."  So, you can't argue with an honest estimate of time and it was a free pizza after all.  What did I expect, special treatment?  Good thing my favorite bar was on the way.  I could kill the extra 35 minutes or so.

When I got to the restaurant to pick up my pizza I was waited on pretty quickly.  My pizza was sitting out, in the box but hadn't been cut yet.  I guess an hour was perfect timing.  They sliced it up and charged me less than $3 for my pepperoni and I was off.  The worst part about picking up a pizza is having to smell it the whole way home so I put it way in the back of the Prius so I wouldn't be tempted to pick on it before I could get a good picture.

Somehow the pepperonis were all askew when I opened the box.  It remained flat the entire time I had it so maybe that happened when they put it in the box.  It's fixable though and I've seen a lot worse.  The cheese was still in place.  I straightened the pepperoni and dug in.  This is everything I have wanted in a pizza plus a whole lot of extra grease.  It was tasty grease though.  The flavor of the pizza was definitely affected by the pepperoni and its accompanying grease.  The amounts of cheese and sauce were perfect in my estimate.  The dough was well done and a little crispy the way I like it, but with a chewy center on the outside.

This is probably the best pizza I have had in a while.  I didn't even try to mop off the grease.  I will return to Parma Pizza as a paying customer one day soon and I will be sure to plan on a little extra time for my order.  No wonder they're so busy.  (Best 'welcome to the neighborhood' coupon ever!)

Sakura Asian Cuisine

(menu)

Lucky #13 brings us to a BYOB in the strip mall kind of behind Friendly's.  It's one of those spots that you would forget was over there if there wasn't some great raw fish just waiting to be eaten.  Sakura is a BYOB sushi place with modern decor.  I've been there before and the dining room is usually pretty empty.  I believe they do a good amount of takeout business as well.  Normally we just get sushi and sashimi here.  This time we decided to mix it up a little.  We ordered the Sashimi Deluxe and one of the entrees, Teriyaki Steak.

The Sashimi Deluxe comes with rice and soup or salad and the Steak came with soup and salad.  Sakura gives you the option of white or brown rice.  I've had both and they're both nice and sticky and a little bland, the way a side of rice at a sushi place should be.  I ordered the miso soup which was pretty standard, cloudy and sweet.  This one had a lot of green onions though, maybe a few too many, but it was a good soup.  Steve ordered the hot and sour soup.  The salad came out.  It looked like a nice, fresh side salad with ginger dressing, but we never touched it.  Too much other food to try.

The sashimi came out first.  The presentation was nice, but pretty basic.  I have seen them do some nice arrangements that look like flowers and landscapes, but maybe you have to get the bigger order of sashimi for that.  The pieces were yellowtail, tuna, salmon, striped bass and red snapper.  Typical selections for a sampler like this, maybe next time I'll pick something crazy out.  The fish was fresh.  The wasabi didn't break up as much in the soy sauce.  I don't have extensive knowledge of what's authentic or not, etc. It just seemed to me that it was a little more like play-doh than usual.

The Beef Teriyaki came out on a sizzling platter on a bed of carrots that were somewhere between shredded and julienned.  It was accompanied by some broccoli, more carrots and zucchini.  We ordered the steak medium rare and that's the way it came out.  It looked like it was cooked as one piece and then sliced and coated with sauce. and sesame seeds.  The flavor of the teriyaki was a little sweet and it was thick.  The meat was great, but a little difficult to eat with chopsticks.  We could have been less stubborn and asked for a knife, but what fun is that?  The veggies were nice and al dente.  My only complaint is that the sauce was only on the steak and underlying carrots and not on the veg.  Half the reason to have broccoli in a teriyaki is that those little flowers soak up all the sauce and make for an awesome bite.  Easy to ask for extra sauce next time or sauce on the side.

The service was good.  The waitress was not familiar and she mentioned that she hadn't tried the hot and sour soup yet so I gather she was somewhat new.  She said she was working her way through the menu and I think that's a great idea for any server so they can get to know the menu and it also implies that she enjoys the food.  Although the place is usually empty I think the service and ambiance are good and it;s a great spot to go to before a movie up the road.



  

Pub 990

(menu) 

I've been waiting years for #12 to reopen.  The former Jack Cassidy's Irish Pub has been closed since the end of 2011 when they had a fire that shut down the business.  There were constant rumors of ownership change and updates on renovations and repairs since 2011, some true and not so true.  They finally opened again on June 9, 2014 with the new name, Pub 990.  The bar seems to be much like I remember it from when it was Cassidy's.  They have lots of TVs so there is one in view no matter where you sit at the bar.  There are tables as well.  I think they will get a nice crowd when football season starts up in September.

We sat at the bar and were happy to find a couple craft beer selections.  They definitely don't specialize in craft beer, but they are trying to have something for everyone.  We ordered Troegs Perpetual IPA and the pumpkin ale from River Horse Brewing, Hipp-O-Lantern.  They also had the IPL from Magic Hat on draft which one could argue is or isn't craft beer, but the bartender made an  effort to explain what type of beer it was.  I appreciate that.

Steve ordered the Prime Rib Sandwich.  I was worried because Steve's not one for excess fat and connective tissue that I sometimes see in a prime rib sandwich, but good for him for taking risks.  One thing I liked about the menu was the option of choosing one side with most items.  I'm not much of a french fry girl and I hate asking to sub a side salad all the time.  The sides included fries, mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, veg, applesauce, coleslaw or salad.  Steve chose rice pilaf - another risky choice in my eyes, but why not?

Sometimes risk-taking pays off and this was one of those times.  The sandwich was good.  I found it a little greasy, but the flavor and au jus were solid and the steak was tender without too much fat.  Maybe it could have used a little salt.  The rice pilaf came out and looked a lot like plain rice, maybe a little brown in color.  I should learn not to judge.  I remember there was a radio show I heard where they were talking about the different styles of pilaf in different cultures - they don't all have peas and carrots cut into neat little squares.  I guess this is the Pottstown version of pilaf.  On a closer look I could see there were some onions and maybe celery that blended in with the color of the rice.  The rice was pretty good.  After a couple bites there was a nice spiciness that grew.  I still think it's a peculiar side for a prime rib sandwich, but I love that there were options.

I chose the Cuban which I ordered as a panini.  I could have gotten it as a wrap as well.  The Cuban was listed as being prepared with spicy mustard.  I usually see Cubans with yellow mustard, but if Steve could take chances so could I.  I ordered coleslaw as my side.  The panini was good.  There was plenty of meat and the bread was nicely toasted from the press and not greasy at all.  I still think I prefer yellow mustard to accompany the pickles in a cuban, but the spicy was acceptable too.  I really loved the coleslaw.  It was a little on the creamy side and a little sweet.  It didn't have that sweet/sour pickled flavor that some coleslaws have, but a different sweetness.  I would definitely order that again, even with the other sides as choices.

So, verdict is that it's a bar, with bar food, but the bar food was good.  The service left a little to be desired.  We were there for a late lunch so it was that odd time when there isn't much of a crowd, but maybe the service is still slow.  There were two girls and a guy behind the bar.  The guy took our initial orders, but didn't stay real close.  I assumed that the ladies behind the bar should have been taking care of us as well, but the service from them was slow and it took me a while to get my check and cash out.  I'll definitely go back to catch a game sometime and I hope the service is a little better next time.

Mannino's Pizzeria & Eatery

(menu)

#11. This is turning into a takeout tour. So, in this area there are several restaurants that are shaped like cups, like soda cups. From a little looking up, it sounds like they were built in the 1940s as outlets for a local dairy to sell milk and ice cream. There are two others in the area. One of them is on Charlotte Street in the North End of Pottstown and it is operating currently as Mannino's. I ordered a small Vegetarian Stromboli over the phone. The guy that took my order asked me to hold a couple times. I understand he was new. Nothing bad, but it was a little confusing. I ordered sauce on the side. He assured me that all strombolis come with a side of sauce.

The inside of the restaurant had some sit downs tables and a counter up front where I went to pick up my order. It was clean and the man who brought my order was nice. They had a wall of fridges filled with takeout beer. Nothing very exciting, but a couple selections that could be considered craft beer. They were all labeled on the wall above the fridges with prices.

My stromboli was affordable and I was considering measuring it, but I was really hungry. I'm going to call it 10 - 12 inches. The side of sauce was a nice size. Usually you get those tiny cups. This was more substantial. I like lots of extra sauce.



Upon internal inspection there were lots of veggies including broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms & peppers. The flavor was really excellent. There was a lot of mozzarella cheese but that didn't mask the fresh flavors of the veg, especially the bitter flavor of the dark green broccoli and spinach. The broccoli was still firm too which added texture.

Maybe a half-eaten piece of stromboli isn't the most appetizing image so I apologize, but I thought this picture showed the veggies the best. I really enjoyed this stromboli and I'm ashamed to admit how much of it I ate. I will tell you that both ends were mostly bread, but I'm not sure if there is a way to make a stromboli without that happening. Looking at the menu and thinking of the upcoming colder season, I think I will be making use of their delivery services soon. Yum...

Tornetta's Pizzeria

(menu)

#10: Double digits, more takeout.  I stopped by Tornetta's on my way home one afternoon.  I have been to Tornetta's plenty of times and they were also my go to delivery place when I lived in Gilbertsville.  Maybe it's cheating to get takeout from a place I'm so familiar with, but I did say every place in Pottstown.

I suppose it's a little gluttonous to order a pizza all by yourself, even if they don't know you're going to eat it in one sitting.  You do get more pizza per dollar with the larger sizes, but I went with a small pepperoni pizza for my conscience.  I even threw in a house salad to convince myself further.  I ordered over the phone and they said it would be 20 minutes.  It was a little more than 20, but close.

The salads at Tornetta's are pretty excellent.  Better than you would expect from a pizza place.  Their House Misto salad is a mix of romaine and iceberg lettuces and comes topped with cucumber, tomato, red pepper, red onion and sweet peppers.  I'm not a big fan of sweet pepper, but I appreciate that this is not your typical container of iceberg with a couple shaved carrots on top.  The ingredients are fresh and the dressing was good - ranch in this case.  The description of the salad says it contains olives but I honestly don't remember there being any in there.  

I have seen Tornetta's do a better job on the pizza.  It was cooked well, but it looked like someone picked up the box sideways and let the ingredients slide off a little.  The pepperoni was bunched up together leaving sections without any.  I rearranged the pepperoni and ate the pizza.  I like the sauce on their pizza, it isn't too sweet.  The pepperoni was decent, but nothing special.

Overall this was not Tornetta's best performance, but based on past experience I will definitely be back.  I think they make the best buffalo chicken around which you can get on a sandwich, on a pizza or in a stromboli.  I'm getting hungry thinking about it.  Their takeout beer selection is excellent with standard brands and a selection of craft beers that is impressive for the size of the place.  For Eat In you can order single beers, but most craft beers have to be purchased by the six-pack or in the large bomber bottles.  Their history of delivery service has been consistently good.  Not the most glowing review for today, but they are definitely on my recommended list.

iCreate Cafe

(menu)

Number 9 on the Pottstown tour was some takeout for a change.  I had noticed this place a couple times driving on King Street, I saw their Facebook page and finally two people mentioned it to me directly so I stopped in.  Just the decor at iCreate is enough of a reason to swing by.  They have a couch and a couple cafe tables with different types of seating in the front, a small bar/counter and loads of other tables with traditional seating as well as upholstered chairs and couches in the back.  It is very eclectic and comfortable like someone's home with a little extra cafe seating.

I was a little awkward on my first visit.  There were a couple other people in there that were apparent regulars so they were chatting and ordering from the owner, Ash, at the front counter from memory.  After a minute of probably looking confused Ash offered me a menu.  They were sitting right there, I just didn't see them.  I ordered a combination meal, #4.  "Healthy Box" whole veggie panini, syrian salad, 4oz hummus and pita.  I also ordered a 8oz container of hummus because why not?  I took a seat on the couch in the front room and waited for my order.

The wait was a little long.  Ash prepares all the food right in the front of the cafe and he was working the whole time.  I usually don't mind a wait so much if you can tell they're working on it.  He asked me how I heard of his place and engaged me in some conversation.  He did apologize for the wait and also offered me some pita bread for my 8 oz hummus which I accepted.  My car smelled excellent on my drive home.

The panini was not quite what I expected.  It was almost more like a pressed wrap because the pita was thin.  The veggies were rolled up and pressed in a George Foreman grill according to the menu and the nice, crispy outside of this panini makes me wonder why I got rid of my own GF grill.  The texture of the pita was pretty much the perfect contrast to the veggies inside.  Eggplant can get mushy so that's important.  The mushrooms in the sandwich were also a great, meaty texture.  The flavor of the panini reminded me of this fire roasted baba ghanoush I've had.  There was this roasty, smokey flavor that was really excellent.  Whatever that 'special garlic sauce' is, I want more.  It was tangy and no vampire was going to bother me at least for the rest of the week.

I think Ash makes all the hummus to order.  I saw him back there with a blender, mixing it up.  I will have to ask him next time.  It was good hummus, topped with olive oil.  With all the wacky, flavored hummuses (what is more than one hummus?) out there this one came across as a little ho hum, but a good, basic hummus.  I was also eating all these other amazing flavors so my palate could have been overwhelmed too.  Mostly I wish the pita was toasted.  I'm sure I could request that next time.

The Syrian Salad had the most amazing smell and flavor.  I wish I knew what herbs he used in it...I wonder if his recipes are secret.   In addition to the romaine lettuce there was a lot of parsley in the mix.  I thought that balanced the acidic and herbal dressing perfectly.  There were big chunks of cucumber and tomato as well.  If you're looking to experience some new, fresh flavor combinations I would recommend this salad for sure

And here's my takeout hummus, for another day.

Go to iCreate and check it out.  He does have glasses if you want to bring beer or wine.  The food is really excellent and it's all vegetarian.  They are currently applying for a zoning variance in Pottstown so they can remain where they are.  Please support them in this and if they move, visit them at their new location.

Ice House Steaks & Pizza

(menu)

I have to say I was skeptical.  I know Ice House for it's pizza, wings and 40's, not breakfast.  Apparently they have been serving breakfast for a while now, though and the donuts were highly recommended so we had to try it.

It has been years since I made a trip to Ice House.  They deliver so it's not even necessary to make the trip if you want their food.  Since I was there last the building has been renovated.  They have nice seating in booths and spots at the counter to sit as well.  Check out their About Us section on their website for some historical information about the restaurant and building (It was an old Ice House believe it or not).  The donuts are a nod to the first restaurant that was in that space.  We got there during the week at about 10am.  The restaurant was full, but not crowded and there was no wait.

Let's start with the donuts.  They are your basic, small-ish, plain, powdered sugar or cinnamon donuts that you would normally get from a box in the grocery store, only these are way better.  We tried a powdered sugar and a cinnamon because, really, what is the plain one for?  These donuts are cooked fresh every morning and I hear that if you get there early they are still warm.  Ours weren't warm, but they were moist and kind of melt in your mouth.  If you're a sweets fan, don't miss these.

I ordered the Grilled Veggie Skillet - trying to change it up a little from my customary veggie omelet I guess.  You get a choice of toast, biscuit or English muffin - love the choices there - and I went with the English muffin.  The muffin was cooked on the flat top with some butter and not just toasted so there was good flavor from that.  The skillet itself was good with a variety of veggies.  Spinach and mushrooms are my favorite.  The potatoes are mixed right into the skillet so I couldn't order them crispy like I normally would.  I think this caused the dish to lack some texture.  Something crunchy in there would have really made it for me.

Steve ordered the King Street Sandwich with a side of thick cut bacon.  It was not a disappointment.  They delivered a sandwich you would expect from a place that has been serving and delivering "Steaks & Pizza" for years.  This was the small, 6 inch one.  It also comes in a 12 inch version.  The bacon was good, but since it was 'thick cut', you only get two pieces.  As a side it runs $1.99 so double up if you want.

The final surprise was the orange juice.  They have a pretty rockin' juicer where the oranges go in the top and it magically makes great orange juice.  It's like Willy Wonka meets oranges.  The juice was great and not over priced like a lot of fresh squeezed juice can be.

Definitely check out the Ice House breakfast, you won't be disappointed!

Debi's

(menu)

UPDATE: DEBI'S IS NOW CLOSED

So, I've driven by #7 a million times and never thought twice about it until a friend said I needed to add it to my list.  I always thought it was an ice cream shop, but apparently they offer breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I tried to look this place up online so I could call for their hours and I almost couldn't find it.  I'll give you that I was misspelling the name, but I still find it hard to believe.  Anyway, I found it and they were open!  Their phone number is 484-949-8652.

Steve and I went to Debi's on a Sunday morning.  It's a nice place.  The building used to be a Dairy Queen and for some reason Debi's has kept the slogan on their sign, "Good Eats, Cold Treats."  In any case we went in and were seated quickly.  I got my coffee right away and we took a look at the menu.  A little for comparison's sake and a little because it's one of my favorites, I ordered the veggie omelet again - also goy a side of bacon.  Steve ordered Bonnie's Belly Buster.

My coffee was refilled several times, as soon as it was empty - points for service there for sure, but it took a little longer than I would have liked to get our meals.

When our food did arrive it looked pretty good. My guess is that the homefries were put through the fryer, but they were very good all the same.  Thick slices of potato, pretty crunchy and tasty in my opinion, I did ask for them well done.  The omelet was OK.  I'm always glad to see when veggie is an option for anything on a menu.  Options other than cream sauce and meat are important to have.  I do feel like the veggies in my omelet were frozen though.  I could be wrong, but the peppers and onions were kind of watery.  Thankfully peppers and onions freeze well so the veggies were in good shape, but the omelet was more wet than I would have wanted.    Bacon and rye toast were average.

Steve was surprised to see that his homefries were inside the sandwich.  A couple bites in and most of them fell out anyway.  Personally I prefer a sandwich you can actually eat, but if overstuffed is your preference this one is for you.  It was a good breakfast sandwich, nothing too special about it.

Overall the service was good, even if the food was slow. Good prices for breakfast and frequent coffee. Debi's also serves lunch and dinner.  I will be back to check them out another time.  They also serve ice cream.

Henry's Cafe

(menu)

So #6 on the restaurant tour of Pottstown is Henry's Cafe.  I went to Henry's on July 12th because they were having a special event.  I have been trying to avoid restaurants where I consider myself a regular because one goal of this project is to try new places. Henry's special wine pairing dinners are pretty awesome though and this one was a casual, picnic theme with fried chicken. I was going there, so why not post a review?  

The pairing dinners are basically a prix fixe menu with complimentary wines.  They've done a few beer dinners too.  The menu for this one is here.  The dinners vary, but usually Henry's arranges for large group seating for their special dinners.  My friend Samm and I were seated at a large table with ten or so other people. The large groups are fun to chat with and the atmosphere is like a big family.  This dinner was a little more casual and all the food was served family-style so it was perfect.  On a normal night at Henry's you would just be seated with your party.

Frank is the chef and owner at Henry's and Denise waits tables, takes reservations and I'm sure a million other things behind the scenes.  Sometimes on big nights they have other people in helping out with dishes, prepping, etc.  For the picnic in Provence it was just the two of them.

We started out with a meat plate that I didn't get a photo of.  Henry's always has great charcuterie on hand for their regular menu and that night was no exception.  

Following the meat plate was an amazing foie gras. The foie gras was cut into rounds and placed on top of a liver mousse/pate.  The dish was cold and there was a thin layer of jelly on top.  It was a big dish served to groups of 5 or so and you could scoop some out and spread it on toasted bread with two different local preserves and cornichons with tomato and onion.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  It was so smooth and had a little bit of the liver funk to it, but just enough that I don't think it would have been a stretch for most people. It melted in your mouth and left a nice, lingering coating of flavor.  The mousse/foie gras dish was made to Frank's specifications by Freeland Market.

The main course was fried chicken. Henry's is know for their fresh seafood. Frank has a selection of the feshest and best items every week. In a past life Frank was known for amazing fish and chips. Every once in a while they bring them back for a special night. I mention this because it is a similar skill. I have yet to experience the pleasure of Frank's fish and chips, but he definitely worked the magic at the fryer for the chicken. The chicken was served family style on large plates. It was crispy and seasoned nicely on the outside and moist and hot on the inside. We had plates of dark meat and plates of breast meat.

The tomato salad was served with fresh basil and fresh mozzarella.  It was a great palate cleanser after the fried chicken.

I'm not much for dessert, but it was included in the meal and it is always very good at Henry's.  This time around it was a kind of thick crepe or pancake called a clafoutis with fruit on top.  It wasn't the easiest thing to cut which we had to do because we were sharing.  The whipped cream was great and I loved the little champagne grapes it was served with.   

It was a different kind of meal for Henry's, but you can't beat the friendly, warm and fun atmosphere and the amazing food.  They have a friend that helps pick out the complimentary wines and they are always amazing for these meals.  I really enjoyed the 1989 Alsace Grand Cru Vorbourg Pinot Gris Clos St Landelin which says a lot because I'm not much for dessert wines.  

Henry's is always at the top of my list for a special night out with friends or a romantic meal.  It is a casual feel with fine dining food.  Bring an extra bottle of wine and come with people you like.  Plan to spend a couple hours for a regular dinner.