Bridgeport Rib House – Bridgeport, PA

I first patronized the Bridgeport Rib House at their second former location the creatively named Conshohocken Rib House.  That closed some years ago, but the original in nearby Bridgeport is still producing great ribs and a fair price. There is not much in the way of ambiance.  This is a biker bar that serves great [...]

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Penn’s Tavern at the William Penn Inn – Gwynedd, PA

Penn’s Tavern is the casual dining room at Lower Gwynedd Township’s historic William Penn Inn.  The WPI shimmers during the winter with thousands of miniature lights.  The circa 1714 Inn is one of the premier dining locations in Montgomery County and offers banquet facilities and three dining rooms:  The semi-private formerly members-only exclusive Commonwealth Club [...]

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MaGerks – Fort Washington, PA

It is a pretty good bet if MaGerks was around when George Washington and his troops were marching by during the Revolution, they would have stopped in for a sandwich and a beer.  The former Bent Elbo Tavern reinvented itself last fall as MaGerks, the third outpost of a Maryland-based restaurant operation run by area [...]

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Mandarin Garden – Willow Grove, PA

I remember reading about the Mandarin Garden in Philadelphia Magazine some years ago.  Larry Kane, in a 1994 interview, declared it “the best Chinese food in the world”.  That is probably an exaggeration, but it is very good and the menu has a larger than usual number of dishes that are not the “usual fare”. [...]

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The Inlet – Somers Point, NJ

This restaurant has had many incarnations over the last decade.  For a while it was The Waterfront, then it tried to go upscale chic and was Sails.  They changed their name to The Inlet last year but the menu stayed upscale chic and not very good.  A new menu drew a return visit and I [...]

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The Whip Tavern – West Marlborough, PA

“My kingdom for a yorkshire pudding” How I came upon The Whip Tavern and what ultimately led me to make the long trek there is a food-related stream of consciousness.  I have loved yorkshire puddings with roast beef (or prime rib) since the first time I tasted it in 1987 at the Pocono Hershey Resort [...]

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Big Jims “In The Run” – Pittsburgh, PA

I saw Big Jim’s “In The Run” on Guy Fieri’s ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’ and when a trip to Pittsburgh presented itself  just after Christmas I thought we’d make it a point to stop there for dinner.  The place was famous for their wedding soup and their gigantic portions, among other things, on the Food [...]

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The Original Pancake House – Various Locations

I first learned of The Original Pancake House on a Food Network special which featured their apple pancake and another item that intrigued me:  The Dutch Baby.  After learning that the closest locations of this nationwide chain were in Northern New Jersey or Western Pennsylvania, I filed it away and said “if I’m ever in [...]

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Butcher & Singer Steakhouse – Philadelphia, PA

Butcher & Singer is the latest in a crop of high end steakhouses to open in Philadelphia.  Stephen Starr took the old location of Striped Bass and reworked it as a modern day steak and chop temple.  The concept and the meal work in this corner location, once the home of Butcher & Singer brokerage. [...]

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Dock’s Oyster House – Atlantic City, NJ

I thought I had reviewed Dock’s Oyster House in Atlantic City before, but evidently I have not. Simply put:  It is my favorite restaurant that does not specialize in steak.  (Peter Luger’s in New York (Brooklyn) and The Chophouse in Gibbsboro, NJ top the steak list.) The short history:  Dock’s has been around 1897 serving [...]

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Hightstown Diner – Hightstown, NJ

I happened upon the Hightstown Diner en route from New York City to Philadelphia.  Hunger hit and the Hightstown exit of the New Jersey Turnpike seemed as good as any place to get off and look for a place to eat. I’m glad we did.  After we were seated in this expanded original New Jersey [...]

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Phillips Seafood – Philadelphia, PA in the Sheraton.

I first visited Phillips Seafood at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore back in 1991.  I recall the meal being very good and when Phillips replaced Shula’s Steak House in the Philadelphia Sheraton I was anxious to make the trip in town to try it out.  I am pleased to report the Philadelphia location is on [...]

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The Pub – Pennsauken, NJ

I have driven by The Pub in Pennsauken, NJ since as far back as I can remember, always wanting to try it, and for my 35th birthday a few friends who’d been there said “we’ll take you there”. It was an experience.  The restaurant, it’s current incarnation built in the 50′s with six huge fired [...]

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The Broad Axe Tavern – Blue Bell, PA

The new Broad Axe Tavern is fresh off a multimillion dollar renovation.  The restaurant, dormant for the last half dozen or so years, has finally reopened with a menu that tries to be fresh while keeping a nod to the Inn’s historic past. There are no remnants of the old Broad Axe, famous for it’s [...]

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Ocean City Seafood Co. – Ocean City, NJ

We’ve resolved this year to eat out more and try new restaurants this summer at the Jersey shore.  Our first experience, at the new Ocean City Seafood Co. in Ocean City, NJ is an experience I hope we don’t duplicate or we’ll be back to cooking and ordering in.

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