Sweet Potato-Encrusted Crabcakes

I didn't originally intend to order this dish. No, I had my eye somewhere else on the menu - but then I saw it walking towards me from across the room. And - in a move so smooth she must have pulled it a hundred times - the waitress comes over and all but wafts a neighboring table's lunch plate in front of me before setting it down to rest, tantalizingly just out of my reach. Clearly, nothing else on the menu mattered anymore. There was only one thing I was hungry for (though, admittedly, I wasn't even sure it was a crabcake at first glance).

The cake itself is entirely juicy, white lump crabmeat. The sweet potato gives a subtle sweetness that has just enough texture to distinguish the crabmeat. The flavor of the crust plays especially nicely with the roasted red pepper aioli, served on the side. And as always, the Greek side salad is fresh and bright, tossed in a perfectly balanced vinaigrette and wonderfully creamy feta cheese. Definitely a new favorite!

Where you can enjoy this yourself:

Canal Street Grille
27 East Afton Avenue
Yardley, Pennsylvania
http://canalstreetyardley.com/

Chicken Orzo Soup

I love a good soup. Especially when it's unexpected. I've never had a bad meal at this restaurant, but I was fairly indifferent when I ordered the chicken orzo with my lunch entree. It was one of those, 'Oh, it comes with a soup? Sure...why not?' moments that I now look back on and laugh at, since with just one bite they converted me from 'indifferent' to 'completely, madly in love with.'

The first spoonful of this soup will make you sit up and take notice. The flavor is simple - and simply - "bright." The slight creaminess is a nice backdrop for what can really only be described as a bright burst of ingredients - the soup is decidedly chicken, but then - out of nowhere! - there is a real zing of lemon. It's completely unexpectedly, and doesn't dull as you dig deeper into your cup. It's brilliant. The orzo contributes to give a nice body to the soup, and the carrots and a subtle sweetness. This is the perfect soup to precede a meal, warm up to on a cold day, or even enjoy in the summertime, given the strong lemon presence. It isn't overwhelming, but should really be included in the name since it plays such an important role of this soup.

Where you can (and definitely should) enjoy this yourself:

Canal Street Grille
27 East Afton Avenue
Yardley, Pennsylvania
www.canalstreetyardley.com

BEST Philly Cheesesteak

My family and I once went to China for three weeks. Enter Jimmy D, the driver who met us at the airport upon our return home. It was late, we were tired, but more importantly we were STARVING. So Jimmy D took care of us. An Italian born and raised in Philly, Jimmy D knew everything about the city - including where to find the absolute best food. So after an 18 hour flight, we took a detour going home, for a short stop in South Philadelphia to visit the only REAL place to get Philly Cheesesteaks.

Let me tell you, these cheesesteaks are about as real as they get.

Recently, I found myself late at night driving through South Philly. I was starving. There are so many great places to eat in Philadelphia, but I only have eyes for one as I'm traveling through town (it should be noted I have them in my cell phone, AND in my gps, just for those chance times when/if I might be driving around the area). Close up on the roast beef Italian choice, pictured above: succulent, juicy roast beef is piled just high enough on a freshly baked roll that's crisp on the outside but fluffy on the inside. The spinach adds a nice flavor of salt to each bite, and the extra sharp provolone could ONLY be from a local master - we're talking high quality cheese you'll cut yourself on, it's so sharp. Each bite is better than the last. The freshness and quality of the ingredients just make your mouth sing the whole time you're eating (which sounds impossible...but that's just how good it is).

There are lots of locals' stories about who eats here and how often (apparently the Philadelphia Eagles order the whole team Tony Luke's cheesesteaks for breakfast every morning before practice). I'm sure most of the stories are true. All I know is this is the only place in the world I will order a cheesesteak!

Tony Luke's [original location]
39 East Oregon Avenue
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
www.tonylukes.com

Roasted Vegetable, Mozzarella, and Pesto Wrap

I love roasted vegetables because they're easy, healthy, and filling. Wrap them up with some fresh mozzarella (preferably room temperature) and pesto, and you have a lovely little lunch that will both warm and fill you up. This tomato wrap was stuffed to the brim with freshly prepared mushrooms, peppers, and eggplant, then topped with the cheese and a spread of pesto, accompanied by a little cup of balsamic dipping sauce. And the fries were really great!

Where you can enjoy this yourself:

Groveland Grill
5960 Easton Rd (611)
Pipersville, Pennsylvania

Homemade Donuts

Admittedly, every once in a blue moon, I like to indulge in a Dunkin' Donuts chocolate-iced donut. The light, fluffy texture makes me feel like I'm eating a chocolate cloud, and I get a kick out of the fact that I can finish the whole thing in about four bites.

But this? This is in an entirely different league. We split this homemade donut between three people and I could barely finish my portion. We watched them douse it in cinnamon sugar ourselves and it was served to us so fresh it was still warm. This is a dense little mouthful of heaven, with a richness in flavor and texture that shoots every commercial brand out of the water. And the cherry on top (literally!) is that every donut ring comes with the donut hole that was popped out of its middle. How cute! AND delicious!

Where you can enjoy these yourself:

Fred's Breakfast
13 East Randolph Street
New Hope, Pennsylvania
http://www.fredsbreakfast.com/
*But! The donuts are typically only available on Tuesday mornings.

Now, the thing about Fred's is that it's all a big secret. You can read more on their website about details, but the general gist is that you need to be a member in order to dine at the 31-seat counter surrounding the open kitchen. How do you become a member? By recommendation of a current member! It's an exclusive breakfast club with a retro-diner feel and very casual atmosphere, located right on the Delaware River. If you happen to know someone (like me!) who is a member, ask them for a Guest Privilege card to check the place out. Fred's is one of New Hope's best kept local secrets.

Salt-N'-Pepper Onion Rings

Crispy, seasoned rings of fried onions...talk about great comfort food! Not only are these rings COLOSSAL, but the added salt and pepper into the batter adds a nice, seasoned flavor that raises the bar. They also aren't greasy at all, so you feel a little better eating them.

Where you can enjoy these yourself:

Ted's Montana Grill
1512 Main Street
Warrington, Pennsylvania
http://www.tedsmontanagrill.com/

The service here is great. We were out on a Friday or Saturday night, and our waitress was honest and realistic to us about how things were in the kitchen - for instance, she recommended we order our burgers on the rarer side given how things were going back there, and after taking her suggestion, they came out just perfect to our tastes. It's worth noting when you have great service, I think it really enhances the overall experience.

Eggs Poached and Over Medium on Toast

Nice cut view of the eggs over medium

Cut view of the poached egg

For about my first twenty years, I was strictly a scrambled eggs girl. I was particular (still am) about my scrambled - golden brown, thank you! - but it wasn't until I hit college that I started exploring my options. That's when they say you can really find yourself, right? Well, I found something even better: omelets. And ever so slowly since, I've begun to come out of my shell (get it? shell?? we're talking about eggs!!) So now that I'd started my next phase, Real Life, it seemed only appropriate to expand my horizons just a few varieties more.

Eggs over medium is a nice introduction to the runny side of eggs, especially for us golden-brown-bone-dry egg eaters (I find it a great way to test the waters without totally committing to a plate full of goop). Cooked in a frying pan and flipped twice over, the yolk is runny - and gets absorbed nicely by the toast - but the white is fully cooked.

Poached eggs are simply that: poached. The egg is gently dropped into a pot of simmering water and removed once cooked. Similar to the egg of medium, you typically get a runny yolk and also cooked white, though the texture is a little...well, thicker and slimier. (Can't say it was my favorite. But worth a try!)

What I like about trying different types of eggs is that each variety is almost like a snack. So if it's really not to my liking, it's just another two or three bites and it's over...and if it's right up my alley, I can order another one no problem! I'm slowly making my way down the list of Ways to Eat Eggs. I've got four down so far. Maybe with my next stage of life I'll get it up to six. I'll get there eventually.

Where you can enjoy this yourself:

Fred's Breakfast
13 East Randolph Street
New Hope, Pennsylvania
http://www.fredsbreakfast.com/

Now, the thing about Fred's is that it's all a big secret. You can read more on their website about details, but the general gist is that you need to be a member in order to dine at the 31-seat counter surrounding the open kitchen. How do you become a member? By recommendation of a current member! It's an exclusive breakfast club with a retro-diner feel and very casual atmosphere, located right on the Delaware River. If you happen to know someone (like me!) who is a member, ask them for a Guest Privilege card to check the place out. Fred's is one of New Hope's best kept local secrets.

BEST Roast Beef Sandwich

There is nothing like farm-fresh, local ingredients - especially when it comes to meats. Made to order, however you want it, None Such Farms uses their own beef in their roast beef sandwiches, and you can taste the difference. The meat is always rare - or so juicy you'd think it's rare - and flavorful, you'll never be able to go back to your normal grocery store meat again! I like my sandwiches piled with red onion, lettuce, tomato, oregano, red wine vinegar, and a little black pepper. The great thing about farm store too, is odds are you'll get fresh bread (if not baked on premise, baked somewhere nearby), which of course makes any sandwich as much as it's filling.

Where to enjoy this yourself:

None Such Farm
4493 York Road, 4458 York Road
Buckingham, PA
http://www.nonesuchfarms.com/

Their website lists two addresses: as you're driving along York Road, the entrance to the actual farm is on one side of the road and the barn-type building housing the None Such Store (and roast beef sandwiches!) is directly across on the other side of the road. The latter is immediately off the road with a parking lot just outside of the store - and the farm itself is pretty easy to identify on the other side.

Japanese Gyoza

Having now established my love of dumplings, I'm always looking to expand my dumpling horizons. Also known as "pot stickers," these are the Japanese version of dumplings (apparently!) and have a slightly thicker and different skin than wontons. The ones I tried were available on a lunch buffet, and after my first I went back for a second...and a third...and a fourth. Steamed and filled with a pork mixture, they were so light and delicious I couldn't stop eating them! I highly recommend giving them a shot if you've got the chance.

Where you can enjoy these yourself:

Golden China
119 Floral Vale Boulevard
Yardley, Pennsylvania
http://mygoldenchina.webs.com/

The interior of the restaurant is classy, but not fancy - another great spot to bring friends or colleagues. The food is always fresh and my favorite is the lunch buffet - good food and great variety!

Greek Pizza

On a thin, flatbread crust that maintains a great balance between soft and crispy (and firm enough to hold all those toppings!), marvelous Greek flavors come together for a light-feeling but certainly satisfying lunch meal. Toppling with fresh olives, feta cheese, artichokes, red onions, and a little roasted pepper, and finished with a drizzle of balsamic, the flavors are great and the combination is even greater. I've ordered this twice now and have not been disappointed. A perfectly refreshing and nicely dressed side salad accompanies the pizza as well.

Where to enjoy this yourself:

Canal Street Grill
27 East Afton Avenue (->right in downtown Yardley)
Yardley, Pennsylvania
http://www.canalstreetgrill.com/

This restaurant really is a great place to stop in - with friends, family, colleagues, or by yourself. Recently redesigned inside - and with a nice seating area outside, as well - the service is great and the food is very good. A cup of soup or a side of their french fries is also highly recommended! You can't go wrong with the Canal Street Grill.

Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas

I'm not big on anything with lots of gooey, oozing cheese, so I usually steer clear of quesadillas. However, I have a great recipe for Italian quesadillas, which use a mild cheese and roasted red peppers - and being able to control how much cheese goes in has really helped open my eyes to the world of quesadillas. So when I saw it on the menu with a variety of yummy roasted vegetables, I went for it. And what a great decision!

Enveloped in a crunchy tortilla and drizzled with a Chipotle-tomato sauce, roasted peppers, mushrooms, squash, and onions are bound together with havarti (a mild cheese that has the same stringy consistency as mozzarella) to make a perfectly fresh and light summer lunch meal. The only thing better than my roasted vegetable quesadilla was possibly the cup of creamy tomato soup I started out with. The atmosphere and style of Sweet Loraine's is fresh, casual, and fun - a perfect spot for a lunch date and catching up with friends.

Where you can enjoy this yourself:

Sweet Loraine's Cafe & Bar
U.S. 202 (intersection of 202/Lower York Road and Street Road)
Lahaska, Pennsylvania
http://www.sweetlorraines.com/

BEST Tomato Pie

Unusually cut and spectacularly delicious, this super-thin crust pizza still makes it to my BEST list, even after having eaten real Italian pizza. The stiff, crisp crust and thin layer of cheese merely act as a vessel for the glorious chunks of tomato and sauce exploding all across the top layer. The pizza shines with olive oil (not grease) and the seasoning is light but good; it really only complements the three aforementioned ingredients, not adds to or overpowers. If you like pizza, or you like tomato pie, don't miss out on the best there is!!

Where you can enjoy it yourself:

It's Nutts
1382 River Road (Route 29)
Titusville, New Jersey
http://www.itsnuttsrestaurant.com/

Usually we split a family size pie and a large salad to share between four of us - but I also frequent It's Nutts with my best friend and we share the crab & avocado dip and the family size pie - just between the two of us! They also have individual pies (see below!) that don't take too long to make, in case you didn't get enough the first time (thin crust pizza - which I also found in Italy - is much lighter and doesn't fill you up as much)!

Zodiac Dining Room

Though I usually focus on one dish - my own - per restaurant, it seemed here that the other dishes ordered outshone mine, so I'm featuring a selection of foods from The Zodiac, located in the King of Prussia Neiman Marcus department store.

First: the crab and tomato soup (mine). This soup had quite an unexpected kick of spice to it - since I'm not a fan of spicy foods, I actually let mine cool and ate it after my meal to tone the spiciness down a bit. Apparently it's great for those of you who do like it hot!

Second: Fish & Chips (mine). I feature this mainly to give you an idea of the type of food they offer. To be honest, the fried fish didn't have much flavor and then house tartar sauce was a bit of a disappointment - but they do have a comfortably-sized menu with an array of American dishes sure to please everyone.

Third: Mandarin Orange Soufflé (not mine). Chicken salad - which is much more chicken than mayo, fruit salad, and fruit cake, plus the soufflé itself: a light, smooth texture with a delicate flavor of orange. This was the winner!

The Zodiac is also neat because everyone at the table gets a hot, fresh popover, strawberry butter, and a palate-cleansing hot chicken consommé (essentially broth). They also have excellent strawberry lemonade.

Where you can enjoy it yourself:

The Zodiac, Neiman Marcus Department Store
170 Gulph Road
King of Prussia, Pennsylvaina
http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/info/store.jhtml?storeId=30/KP

Belgian Waffles

First thing in the morning, what could beat a fresh, hot, deep-pocket waffle with fresh strawberries and a tower of whipped cream?? I'll tell you what: almost nothing. For me, the fresh strawberries and whipped cream are implied in the name "Belgian waffle" - just a regular waffle by itself can't be considered a Belgian waffle in my book anymore than two slices of bread can be considered a sandwich (I've learned the hard way that most dining establishments don't agree with me on this, however). At Fred's, a very special breakfast "club," they do waffles right: loaded with fresh strawberry halves and whipped cream sky high - and they won't complain if you ask for more! The thing, too, about their waffles is (what I've discovered to be a secret ingredient in waffles and pancakes) they have just a little bit of malt in their waffle mix. Or that's my best guess - a little malt and a lotta butter.

Where you can enjoy this yourself:

Fred's Breakfast
13 East Randolph Street
New Hope, Pennsylvania
http://www.fredsbreakfast.com/

Now, the thing about Fred's is that it's all a big secret. You can read more on their website about details, but the general gist is that you need to be a member in order to dine at the 31-seat counter surrounding the open kitchen. How do you become a member? By recommendation of a current member! It's an exclusive breakfast club with a retro-diner feel and very casual atmosphere, located right on the Delaware River. If you happen to know someone (like me!) who is a member, ask them for a Guest Privilege card to check the place out. Fred's is one of New Hope's best kept local secrets.

Crab & Artichoke Dip

So far as I'm concerned, "dips" should be featured somewhere in the song "My Favorite Things." What could be better?? You have your crispy, crunchy, bite-sized chips paired with a sometimes smooth - sometimes creamy - sometimes fresh - sometimes baked - creative expression of flavor. I can't get enough of good dips.

I'm a fan of crab, and a fan of artichoke - though I can't say I ever would have thought to pair the two. But it works - really well. It's a rich dip, though it's hard to decide if the flavor of crab is right and artichoke is light or vice versa. They blend together seamlessly in creamy combination that's served (ready for this?) - hot - which opens a whole new set of doors!

Where you can enjoy this yourself:

It's Nutts
1382 Rivier Road (Route 29)
Titusville, New Jersey
http://www.itsnuttsrestaurant.com/

Triple Berry Cake

What could be more romantic than a Friday night on the river watching the fireworks and enjoying delicious buffet of edibles? C'est La Vie, a little gem of a French bakery in New Hope, Pennsylvania, offers cozy seating and light catering right behind their shop every Friday night for the in-town fireworks show over the Delaware River. For the price of a ticket, this BYOB, fairly intimate event gives you a perfect view of the show; offers a delectable array of cheeses, pâtés, fresh breads, and fruits; and concludes with a dessert of your choice and coffee, tea, or absolutely delicious (if you like it sweet) hot chocolate.

My dessert of choice was the Triple Berry Cake, a light yellow cake layered with whipped berry creams and frostings then topped with a berry glaze. It was a slightly sweet cake (I would therefore recommend pairing it with tea or maybe coffee instead of the hot chocolate) and was a great way to finish out the night and start the weekend.

Where you can enjoy this (and other French pastries):

C'est La Vie
20 South Main Street
New Hope, Pennsylvania

Steamed Pork Dumplings

Ironically, I didn't 'discover' dumplings when I was in China; I discovered dumplings when I was in Italy. For some inane reason, steamed pork dumplings had never appealed to me, until I found myself in Rome, with an unusual craving, in a Chinese restaurant, and quite randomly interested in the "meat ravioli" on the menu. Since then, I haven't been able to get enough. I'm currently searching for the BEST Dumplings.

Alas, these are not them, but they weren't too bad, either. I loved the size: just small enough to pop the whole thing in your mouth! And, as usual, filled with a delicious combination of pork and I-don't-know-what-else. The skin was slightly overcooked (and to be honest the rest of our meal wasn't quite up to par) but I thought I'd snap a picture and let you know where to find these bite-sized appetizers.

Where you can enjoy them:

Janie's Asian Bistro
118 Easton Road
Warrington, Pennsylvania
http://abcpos.com/jb/

It's a large restaurant, and what's nice is it's right next to a large movie theater complex. Nice to stop in for a bite before or after a show!