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.

Fujiyama Japanese Steakhouse

(menu)

For #5 on the tour I visited Fujiyama Japanese Steakhouse.  There are a few places in Pottstown where I consider myself a regular so I feel like I should disclose that Fujiyama is one of them.  Maybe that makes me biased, I'm not sure.  I do know that my visit and my account of it are probably colored by many past visits.

Fujiyama offers sushi and hibachi among other things.  They have a small downstairs bar, a sushi bar with several tables in the back, several hibachi tables on the first and second floor and a second floor bar that is larger, has more tables, a deck with tables and a stage for music.  I got to Fujiyama around 6:00pm on a Friday night and I sat at the upstairs bar.  The bar is new in the past year and the deck has a nice view where you can watch the sunset.

Dave is the bartender at the upstairs bar.  The bar is usually open Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.  Dave is very nice, but not who you would expect to see behind the bar at a sushi restaurant.  He will talk sports with anyone, especially local high school sports.  His local cable show on the subject makes him somewhat of a local celebrity.

I ordered a Pinot Grigio as usual.  Their wine selection is maybe sub par.  The wine isn't terrible, but don't go there looking for a selection.  They also do not carry any craft beer although I know there is an effort to change that.  They have Sapporo on tap and at least one other Japanese beer in bottles.  They do have a full liquor selection as well.

They have recently added a bar menu that has a different variety of selections from the regular menu. I ordered #4 on the Sushi Specials.  12 piece sashimi, miso soup and white rice.  I requested a substitution of the vegetables they serve with the hibachi dishes for the white rice, but I failed to notice if there was an upcharge for my change.  I will pay better attention next time.

These are photos of the same sashimi with the two sides I ordered.  The wait was a little long and the veg and sashimi came out without the soup.  Once I mentioned it they corrected the mistake quickly.

It's a pretty basic meal.  The sashimi at Fujiyama is always right on.  It's a typical selection of tuna, salmon, white tuna and striped bass.  I assume that these selections have the highest turnover vs other things on the a la carte sashimi menu since they are included in the specials.  Regardless, they have been fresh every time I've ordered them.  Good texture, nice and cold.  I think the striped bass sometime has connective tissue which makes it hard to bite apart, but I think that's the nature of the fish and not anything lacking in the knife skills.

The hibachi veg is one of my favorites.  There is something about the sauce they put on them that I love.  I guess nowadays we call it 'umami'.  I call it awesome and mouth-watering.  The vegetables were cooked perfectly as well.  Firm, a little crunchy.  I always think overcooked vegetables are a crime so this is one of my favorite sides - no doubt the vegetables were fresh.

I am not a connoisseur of miso soup, but this one is pretty good in my opinion.  Sweet, cloudy and a little grainy like you'd expect.  They add some small cubes of firm tofu and greens.  I believe the 'greens' in their soup is seaweed and it has a great, firm texture and a slightly bitter taste like you would get out of other dark green vegetables.

There was live music when I was in.  On that particular night it was Ryan Conroy, playing acoustic guitar and singing.  It was great dinner music for sitting at the bar and hanging out.  Not too loud or heavy.

Definitely check it out.  If you're into the live music you can find their schedule online or on Facebook.

The Brick House

Random Sunday night stop for food in Pottstown brought us to The Brick House with no cell phone to take pictures.  I will return someday and write another post with better supporting graphics, but here goes stop number 4 on the greatest food tour on earth.

I have to say I did not have high hopes.  From previous experience I think The Brick House is a place to go at night when you're already drunk and wherever you are is closing.  I love the fact that the building used to be a bank.  It reminds me of the Union National, now Univest building in my childhood hometown of Souderton.  Tall ceilings with big windows, marble and stone everywhere.  I remember the high heels of the bankers clacking on the floor and echoing throughout the bank when they had to cross the lobby.  That's the major issue I have with The Brick House, the echo.  During the day everything echoes and at night the sounds of the DJ are overwhelmingly muddled and loud.  They do however keep threatening to improve their craft beer list and the sign outside the door inviting us to check out their new beers was too much to resist.  That and Sly Fox was already closed for the night.

This was a new visit though and I was determined to have an open mind.  This time around I didn't notice the noise at all.  It was a little after 8pm and pretty empty.  We sat at the bar and I asked for a beer list.  I am sad to report that the list has not improved.  I'm not sure what they were getting at with the sign outside, but the beer selection was mediocre at best.  There was a Nitro Milk Stout on the bottle list which I assume was Left Hand Milk Stout, but they were out of that.  I ordered a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and Steve decided to order a Victory Donnybrook Stout on nitro which they were nice enough to give us a sample of.

For dinner I ordered the Crusted Sirloin, which is an 8oz sirloin with blue cheese crumbles.  I was happy for the small steak portion because leftover steak is never as good as the original.  It comes with a salad and potato and veg.  There was a choice of salad, Caesar or garden. I went with the Caesar. They also give a choice of potato: baked potato, french fries, mashed potatoes or sweet potato fries.  I skipped the potato and went with a double order of veg.  Steve ordered the prime rib special and a baked potato and Caesar salad.

The salads came out and the dressing was drizzled on top instead of being tossed with the salad like I would want a Caesar salad to be.  Despite this, the salad was quite good. A regular Caesar with croutons.

Our steaks came out in a reasonable amount of time and they were actually well cooked.  Both steaks were medium rare as ordered.  I think getting the right temp on a steak is at least half the battle.  My steak was a little peppery, but maybe that's why they called it crusted.  It wasn't too much for me, but maybe for someone who is sensitive.

The baked potato was shared. Steve ate the inside and I ate the skin.  (Can you believe he doesn't eat the best part of the potato?)  The potato was cooked through and there was a little crispiness and salt on the skin.  Not a masterpiece, but a well cooked potato - passes my test.  The other side was the vegetable of the day so I assume it varies.  That Sunday it was squash.  I was happy that the squash seemed fresh and not frozen.  The pieces of squash were unevenly cooked though.  Some of the pieces were obviously from larger sections or from larger squash all together and some of those had seeds that were larger than I'd want to eat.  The smaller, more dense pieces were undercooked.  I applaud the use of fresh produce, but the knife skills and thought in preparation were lacking.  

Overall I would go back and order a steak.  If I was going to be there often I would try to influence the beer list.  Maybe on a slow Sunday after most of the dinner customers have gone the veg goes downhill.  I would definitely give them another chance and as far as I know it is also still an acceptable place to go late night after you're already drunk.

Brookside Family Restaurant

(menu)

The morning of the 4th of July I was looking forward to heading down to High Street, getting a coffee at Grumpy's and watching the parade.  I was up early, though, and I needed to eat breakfast soon. I called around to a couple places and found that Brookside Family Restaurant was one of the few places open.  So off we went to stop number three on the whirlwind tour of Pottstown food.

An initial confession: I'm not a great fan of the breakfast buffet, although it is always tempting.  I just can't avoid eating plates and plates full of breakfast meat when it is sitting out there in a giant vat calling my name.  So, as a rule, I avoid the buffet. There were a number of people appearing to enjoy it though, so Saturday and Sunday, go give it a shot.

Upon entering the restaurant we were greeted with a smile and seated immediately.  The decor is nothing special.  It's a typical modern day diner like O'Grady's or Denny's.

I ordered coffee and water to drink.  The coffee wasn't great, but drinkable.  Coming from me that doesn't mean much; when it comes to coffee, I'll drink just about anything that's dark and wet.

I ordered something not on the menu, a veggie omelet.  The waitress didn't hesitate and just asked if I wanted cheese.  None for me, thank you.  I asked for my homefries well done, no toast.  Steve, my most of the time partner in food adventures, ordered the special cheesesteak omelet with hashbrowns and wheat toast.

My homefries came out perfectly.  Nice and crispy, just how I like them.  The omelet was oddly light in color, but had peppers, tomatoes, onions and mushrooms.  The veggies were incorporated into the egg and not folded inside.  Not sure I'm partial to one way over the other, but I believe it;s worth mentioning.  The omelet was ok.  It didn't have a ton of flavor or character.  I got what I ordered.

Steve also got what he ordered although I don't think he completely realized what he was ordering. Have you ever seen an omelet with red sauce?  I've seen red sauce on a cheesesteak, the inspiration for this breakfast special, but never on an omelet.  My initial thought is that the waitress should have asked, "sauce, onions?"

It is what it is though.  Can't be afraid of trying something new.  I thought the omelet didn't taste half bad.  The sauce wasn't too sweet and the texture was a bit like eggplant parmesan.  I'd be tempted to order it next time.

Unfortunately the hashbrowns were almost raw except on the bottom which is apparently where they made contact with the grill.

I was only able to get a printed copy of the dinner menu, they didn't have the breakfast menu printed.  It was a very standard breakfast menu with all the usual suspects and they were able to accommodate me ordering something off-menu.  Don't forget the buffet either.  If you have some glutinous teenage boys to feed or a hangover you're trying to bury in breakfast meats, this is your place.  They have pie too!

Juan Carlos Fine Mexican Cuisine

(menu)

So, stop number two on the culinary tour of Pottstown was a place I had been to previously, Juan Carlos on Penn and High Streets.  This time it was raining out and I had come from the liquor store so I entered the restaurant with my raincoat on, a liquor store bag in one hand and my purse in the other.  The Hostess greeted us and showed us to a table and immediately asked if there was something I'd like her to open.  I appreciate getting access to my alcohol as quickly as possible, but give me a second to take off my coat and catch my breath first.

I love the decor in Juan Carlos.  There are little alcoves with frosted glass that is back-lit and lots of stone facade.  It's tastefully done for sure.

The lady that seated us was also our waitress. She returned with our wine and poured us each a glass and before we could even look at the menus she asked if we'd like to order something.  I don't feel like she was being rude and rushing us along, but I don't think she eats out much or maybe doesn't take the time to enjoy it when she does.  In any case she offered to bring us chips and salsa.  I saw something on the menu about freshly made chips so I was excited.  What we got were warmed tortilla chips, but I'm almost certain they were from a bag...maybe they were freshly made at Herr's.  The salsa was medium spice, a little watery, but not bad.

The menu was pretty basic for a Mexican place.  They have enchiladas, chimichangas, fajitas, quesadillas, etc.  They also have some entrees with steak or chicken.  The falafel on the menu seemed strange, but who doesn't like falafel, right?  We ordered the Tequila Lime Chicken and the Combo Enchiladas with one of each type: pork, chicken and cheese.

Visually what came out was what you'd expect at a Mexican takeout place.  Yellow rice and refried beans may be traditional, but they don't present well as you can see from the pictures.

Overall the food was OK - there really wasn't much special about it.  The rice had peas in it, but was very plain.  The refried beans were typical refried beans.  

The enchiladas came out extremely hot.  They must have broiled them on the plate or left the plate under the warmer because the plate was hot as well.  They took a while to cool down.  The meat was shredded inside.  The pork was dry and the cheese enchilada was completely bland.

The Tequila Lime Chicken was tender and moist and had grill marks on the outside which added flavor.  The tequila lime sauce was thick which was surprising, and a little spicy.  I ate all the chicken, but was craving something lighter and more creative on the side.  All those rice and beans weigh you down.  I'd suggest adding a second or third option for sides like a cold bean and corn salad or even a garden salad.

The waitress offered to take our plates before we were done eating.  Once again, she wasn't being rude, just bad timing or poor observation skills.  She probably just needs more experience.  For $16 each I could say it was a little pricey for what we got.  The more fine dining feel of the space did not fit the cuisine.  The food wasn't bad, but I won't be rushing to go back.  The location is excellent, right by the Steel River Playhouse and Art Fusion 19464 in downtown Pottstown.

We saw a couple people we know there which is one of my favorite parts of going out in town.  Feeling more like a Potts-Vegas resident everyday.  :)