Family-friendly restaurants are never in short supply in Berks County. But the holiday season brings Santa and even more family fun around the breakfast or dinner table. See our list of restaurants offering dining with Santa this holiday season:
Sunday, December 6
Doc & Bubba’s Mohnton December 6 & 20 | 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Doc & Bubba’s is hosting two brunches with Santa on Sunday, December 6 and Sunday, December 20. Brunch runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with Santa arriving at 11:30 a.m. Music and carolling will be led by Erich Cawalla. Santa will make a bonus appearance on Monday, December 14 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for pet photos during Paws and Pizza with Santa.
Sunday, December 13
Folino Estate Winery Kutztown December 13 | 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Babbo Natale is arriving at Folino Estate Winery on Sunday, December 13. Reservations are available from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. for a family-friendly brunch. The cost is $78 for adults and $30 for children ages 5-12.
America is indebted to our veterans, and Veterans Day is an opportunity to say “thank you” to the brave who served and fought for our country. Many local restaurants and eateries are celebrating our military on Veterans Day with free meals, free coffee and discounts as their way of saying thanks. See the list below as we update it with Veterans Day specials as they are announced:
Free Meals for Veterans 2026
Alebrije Wyomissing
Alebrije’s Wyomissing location is offering free meals to veterans from a special menu on November 11. The free meal is available for dine-in only and beverages are not included.
American Diner West Reading
The American Diner is offering a free breakfast item to all veterans on November 11. (Offer excludes steaks, beverages, tax and gratuity). In addition, the American Diner has a year-round 10% discount for veterans and active-duty military.
Annamarie’s on Main Birdsboro
Veterans can receive a free breakfast, lunch or dinner at Annamarie’s on Main. For breakfast, Annamarie’s is offering a free egg, homefries and meat combo. For lunch and dinner, veterans can receive a free classic burger.
Austin’s Restaurant & Bar West Lawn
Austin’s is offering free meals to veterans and active duty on November 11. Show your military ID or wear your uniform to receive free meals up to $20 in value.
Christine’s Creekside Inn Birdsboro
Veterans receive a free meal (up to a $20 value) on November 11 at Christine’s Creekside Inn. Reservations are required and fill up quickly.
Coastal Grille Wyomissing
Like its sister restaurant Austin’s, Coastal Grille is also offering free meals on Veteran’s Day. Show your military ID or wear your uniform to receive free meals up to $20 in value.
Exeter Family Restaurant Exeter
The Exeter Family Restaurant is offering a free entree to military personnel – both active and veterans. Show your military ID to receive the deal.
JD’s Steaks Sinking Spring
JD’s Steaks is offering veterans a free JD Original on November 11. The cheesesteak comes topped with a choice of cheese with or without onions. A valid military ID is required.
Jukebox Cafe Boyertown
Boyertown’s Jukebox Cafe will be offering free breakfast to veterans from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on November 11. Four breakfast options are available: egg, meat and cheese sandwich with potatoes and coffee; two eggs, potatoes, meat, toast and coffee; two pieces of French toast, meat and coffee; and sausage gravy and biscuits with coffee and home fries or hash browns.
Klinger’s at the Airport Reading
Veterans can receive a free meal of up to $20 (or $20 off if the bill is higher) on Veterans Day at Klinger’s at the Airport.
Morning Fuel West Lawn
Morning Fuel is offering a free classic breakfast – two eggs your way, bacon or sausage, breakfast potatoes, and white or wheat toast – for all veterans (with ID) on November 11.
Schell’s Dairy Swirl Temple
Veterans can get a free small soft serve cone or dish from Schell’s Dairy Swirl on November 11.
Temple Family Restaurant Temple
Breakfast is on the house for our military veterans on November 11 at Temple Family Restaurant. Veterans are invited to enjoy a free breakfast special – two eggs, hash browns or homefries, sausage or bacon, and coffee – between 6 and 10 a.m.
Wyomissing Restaurant & Bakery Wyomissing
The Wyomissing Restaurant & Bakery is partnering with Y102 to offer free breakfast for veterans on November 11. The breakfast buffet is available for free to veterans from 6 to 9 a.m.
Adelphia Seafood West Lawn
Adelphia Seafood is offering a free take-and-bake dinner for veterans on November 11. Visit Adelphia’s West Lawn location and choose from salmon, crab cakes or cod, each served with roasted potatoes and fresh vegetables.
Carsonia Park Grill & Bar Reading
Carsonia Park Grill & Bar – formerly Klinger’s on Carsonia – is offering a free meal (up to a $20 value) for veterans on November 11.
Johnny & Hons Bar & Grill Muhlenberg
Johnny & Hons Bar & Grill is offering “a meal and beverage on the house” for all veterans on November 11.
Julie’s Country Cafe Boyertown
Breakfast and coffee are on the house for veterans at Julie’s Country Cafe. This Veterans Day, Julie’s is offering four free meal options: two eggs, homefries bacon and toast; two-egg ham and cheese omelette with homefries and toast; two pancakes or French toast with bacon; or SOS or sausage gravy over toast with homefries.
New Hamburg Diner Hamburg
Breakfast is on the house for veterans at the New Hamburg Diner. On November 11, veterans can receive a free meal with a choice of two eggs with potato and toast, a western omelette with potato and toast, or cream chipped beef over toast with potato. Meals are available from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Veterans Day.
Veterans Day Discounts
3rd & Spruce Drafthaus West Reading
At the 3rd & Spruce Drafthaus, veterans receive 25% off their entire bill from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on November 11.
Airport Diner & Family Restaurant Kutztown
The Airport Diner is offering both a 10% discount and a complimentary cup of coffee for all veterans and active duty military on November 11.
B2 Bistro + Bar West Reading
All veterans and active military receive 50% off at B2 Bistro on November 11. Valid military ID is required.
This Veterans Day, Backwoods Brothers is offering a 25% discount for all veterans.
Cafe Folino Wyomissing & Muhlenberg
Cafe Folino’s two locations are honring veterans with 10% off plus a free drip coffee on Veterans Day this year.
Crave Cafe Sinking Spring
On November 11, Crave Cafe is offering 50% off meals plus a free cup of coffee for service members and veterans.
Doc & Bubba’s Mohnton
Vetearns and active duty service members receive free dessert plus 25% off their table at Doc & Bubba’s on Veterans Day.
Ganly’s Irish Pub & Restaurant Sinking Spring
Ganly’s is offering 50% all food for veterans on November 11. Drinks are not included.
Heidelberg Family Restaurant Robesonia
The Heidelberg is offering veterans 10% off their entire bill on November 11.
Morgantown Diner Morgantown
Veterans receive 20% off at the Morgantown Diner on Wednesday, November 11 in appreciation of their service.
Pizza Como Temple
Pizza Como is extending its thanks with a Veterans Week offer. From November 11 through November 15, veterans and active duty military receive 50% off their orders, dine-in or takeout.
Reading Country Club Exeter Township
The Reading Country Club and Jack’s on the Green are offering 10% off dining and 10% gear and apparel in the pro shop.
Route 61 Diner Muhlenberg
Route 61 Diner is offering a 25% discount to veterans in honor of Veterans Day, November 11.
Year-Round Military Discounts
American Diner West Reading
Since 2019, the American Diner has offered a 10% discount year-round for veterans, active duty military, police and law enforcement and firefighters.
The Bree’s Knees Coffee Co. Bernville
At The Bree’s Knees Coffee Co., teachers, first responders, nurses, active duty and veterans are eligible for a 10% discount every day.
Brewers Bar & Grill West Reading
Brewers offers a 10% discount every day on food for all first responders, police, firefighters, nurses, doctors and veterans.
Cooked Hen Shillington
The Crooked Hen offers a 15% discount for first active duty military and veterans, as well as police officers, firefighters, EMS & paramedics, dispachers and corrections officers.
Klinger’s at the Airport Reading
Veterans can receive a 10% discount on food and non-alcoholic beverages year-round at Klinger’s at the Airport.
The Knight’s Pub Reading
The Knight’s Pub offers a 15% discount daily to first responders and military personnel, with valid ID, as part of its Knight’s Salute program.
Morgantown Diner Morgantown
The Morgantown Diner offers a veteran’s discount of 15% every day.
Toss of the Town Boyertown
Veterans and active duty military personnel receive 10% off at Toss of the Town by showing their military ID at checkout.
A good lunch spot is more than good food. It has to be fast and close to home (or work) and have good food.
Living in Wyomissing, we have a lot of great lunch spots around us. One of those is Gourmand Cafe.
For a few years, the cafe felt like it was open sporadically. Gourmand was running two food trucks and a catering business. At different times, they also had a stand at the Fairgrounds Farmers Market and a short-lived cafe in West Reading. All of this took time away from the cafe on Berkshire Boulevard.
Hours are more regular now with Gourmand serving breakfast and lunch every day but Monday. Julie and I stopped in on a September Friday just before noon. A catering order was heading out the door as we walked in. There was one couple ahead of us at the order counter where an employee took their order then delivered their drinks before taking our order. We were pre-warned that our food might take 20-25 minutes because she was also on grill duty.
We were fine with the wait and took a seat by the front window. (A couple came in behind us, received the same news, and left).
A terrace of wicker baskets and ribbons hung above the dining room. Generic food-related primitive signs hung on the walls with simple phrases like “stay awhile” and “eat.” They stood in stark contrast to the menu board behind the counter which was hand-drawn with little flourishes on the ends of the letters.
Thankfully for us, our meals arrived quicker than advertised, about 15 minutes after we placed the order. And in true Gourmand fashion, the portions were huge and the presentation was top-notch.
I ordered the sub-bourbon burger which featured a patty soaked in maple-bourbon glaze topped with bacon, onion straws and Cooper sharp. On the side, an intimidating mound of French fries.
The burger was huge, a half-pound patty that was thick but cooked perfectly. It had a mild sweetness from the glaze, but it wasn’t overpowering. The Cooper sharp was the right cheese choice, beautifully melted to hold everything together. It was delicious and satisfying.
It was almost too satisfying because I barely touched the mound of French fries. They were good, simple shoestring fries, but most of them went home in a takeout box.
Julie went with one of her favorite sandwiches – a tuna melt. Gourmand’s version is nothing like any other tuna melt in Berks. It’s served open-faced with melted Swiss, not uncommon in itself, but then Gourmand adds bruschetta and balsamic drizzle. The side of seasoned pretzels – cinnamon sugar for Julie – were placed in the middle of the four slices of rye.
The result was a plate with barely a speck of whitespace and a dish that goes from a traditional hand-held sandwich to a meal that requires at least a fork for cleanup work. The tuna itself was delicious. It tasted freshly made. The bruschetta, balsamic drizzle and tuna made an unexpected combo, but they worked really well together.
The seasoned pretzels are a classic Gourmand side, lighter than fries but still substantial. Like me, Julie couldn’t finish her meal, taking more than a quarter of it home with her.
Both our meals were $12 so our final total was around $26 with tax, a great price for the amount of food. (We skipped drinks and stuck with the free water). And despite warnings to the contrary, our food arrived quickly and was exactly what we were hoping for.
I’m glad Gourmand is back to its consistent hours. Maybe we will be back more consistently.
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Ambiance: Good Service: Good Price: $$
Gourmand Cafe 945 Berkshire Boulevard Wyomissing, PA 19610
And, as we found out, you can also get some good Lebanese food at Mediterranean Medley.
We arrived at the market shortly after 11:30 on a Friday. Julie and I walked the aisles as we waited for one of the stands to “call” to us. As we approached Mediterranean Medley, Julie saw the beef and lamb gyros on the menu board, and our decision was made.
There was no line at the time so they went to work on the order, shaving the meat off the rotating spits behind the counter. In just a few minutes, we had our meal and headed to the quieter side of the market and the seating along the west wall near Clover Hill Winery.
Julie ordered the gyro that caught her eye from the start. The meat was a lamb and beef blend that was shaved thin and served on a pita with lettuce, tomato, onion and tzatziki sauce.
The meat was very well seasoned – a good mix of both meats for that unique savory flavor that only comes from shawarma. The pita was packed full with meat and toppings, and was flavorful on its own with just a little hint of sweetness.
I also got a gyro, but I opted for the chicken souvlaki for mine. Instead of shaved meat, it was tender chunks of marinated white meat chicken. The meat had a very nice flavor to it, but because of the chunky nature, I didn’t get chicken in every bite. (Unlike Julie’s where the shaved meat was a more consistent presence).
The tzatziki sauce was very good, though it lost its thickness over time until it was dripping out the bottom of the pita by my last bite.
Though both of our gyros were good, I would definitely opt for the lamb and beef next time.
Julie and I also picked up a little treat for later. Mediterranean Medley’s baklava looked too good to resist – and it tasted even better.
The container had a square of baklava – three to four inches on each side – cut into two triangles. The flaky phyllo was layered on top a decadent mix of honey and nuts. It was exactly what we were hoping for.
Our total was $27.50 for the gyros and baklava. It’s a little on the high side for the market, but the gyros were filling and satisfying.
In addition to hot foods, Mediterranean Medley offers a range of prepared foods and baked goods. On a previous visit, I picked up a loaf of sourdough from Laissa’s Baked Goods. The loaves run between $12-$15, depending on the style. We used them for breakfast sandwiches and as sides for our soups throughout the week.
I also picked up a small container of Mediterranean Medley’s baba ganouj. The eggplant-based spread had a great smokey flavor to it, perfect for my wraps that I enjoy for lunch during the week.
The hot food at Mediterranean Medley was good, but I was a bigger fan of the baba ganouj. That’s enough to keep me coming back for more.
BCE Rating Food: Good Service: Very Good Ambiance: Fair Price: $
Mediterranean Medley Fairgrounds Farmers Market 2934 N. 5th Street Highway Reading, PA 19605
There are times when I wish I knew more about cooking, especially seasoning. Even with more than a decade of food blogs under my belt, there are times where I don’t have the words to do justice to the flavors that I’m tasting.
I first tried Sizzling Island in the fall of 2024 while they were operating a second location inside the Reading Downtown Food Court.
This wasn’t just my introduction to Sizzling Island, but it was my introduction to beef legume, the delicious Haitian stew that I instantly loved. In my Instagram post at the time, I described it as “bursting with flavor,” the most detailed description I could give.
The downtown location closed in late 2024, but the Fairgrounds location is still going strong. I visited the market stand during the summer of 2026. When I arrived, there was a short line ahead of me – a group of four college students who just barely beat me to the stand.
Sizzling Island is at the north end of the market near the Bellevue Avenue entrance. The stand looks a bit chaotic. Flags of countries in Central and South America hang above the order counter. There’s a faux-roof on the stand, green metal sheeting that matches the artificial turf that covers a small wall at the end of the stand. Along the base of the order counter were woven potholders and a pair of potted plants.
I placed my order – beef legume with a side of plantains – and waited. Most of the food at Sizzling Island can be found on the steamer table. A variety of stews, soups and sides sizzle in the pans. However, there were no plantains ready so all I could do was wait.
I normally eat an early lunch so with the clock passing 12:30, I was extra hungry. It was only 15 minutes from the time I ordered until I had my food, but if you had told me a half-hour had passed, I would have believed you.
The beef legume was everything that I remembered it being. The beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender with bursts of flavor – garlic, peppers and other mild spices – in every bite.
The “legume” part is a mostly mashed vegetable medley that the beef is stewed in. It’s not the prettiest dish to look at as it takes on a green-yellow hue from the spinach with little pops of orange from the larger pieces of carrots that haven’t been mashed up.
I don’t really care what it looks like, it tastes amazing.
On the side, I had black rice (duri djon djon), another Haitian specialty. Sizzling Island’s version uses long-grain rice with green peas that have been cooked with even more seasonings and spices to give it a unique flavor of its own.
The plantains, unfortunately, were not as sweet as I had hoped for. They were OK, but I wished I had ordered something that was already on the warming table instead of waiting for the plantains.
The beef legume meal cost $19. It’s on the higher side for the market, but the portion was enough for two meals so I felt like I got more than my money’s worth.
I may not be able to tell you every flavor or every spice I tasted at Sizzling Island, but I can tell you the food is worth trying for yourself.
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Service: Good Ambiance: Fair Price: $$
Sizzling Island at the Fairgrounds Farmers Market 2934 N. 5th Street Highway Reading, PA 19605
During the holiday season, one of the most popular dishes in Berks County is potato filling. A unique local side dish, filling is a mash-up of mashed potatoes and stuffing that has served as a side for Pennsylvania German families for generations. If you want to try this traditional dish, at the holidays or any time, here’s where you can find potato filling in Berks County in 2026:
While the restaurant is best known for its BBQ chicken (and with good reason), Kauffman’s also serves some of the best potato filling in the area. Get it alongside chicken, roast beef or ham any time of year. The restaurant also sells filling by the quart, pint and tray at Thanksgiving.
Berks County’s spot for Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, the Deitsch Eck offers potato filling among its many traditional entrees and sides. Other authentic PA Dutch offerings include scrapple and lettuce with hot bacon dressing. Filling is also available by the pound for holiday pre-orders.
Temple Family Restaurant is one of the many local diners that have potato filling on the menu. Most dinner entrees are served with a side – get your potato filling with their chicken croquettes, smoked sausage or roast beef.
Enjoy potato filling with your favorite entree or sandwich at the 5th Street Diner in Temple. Smoked sausage and roast turkey are served over filling while it’s available as a side for hot sandwiches, steaks and chops, and classic dinners.
Kutztown is Berks County’s hub of Pennsylvania Dutch culture, and the Airport Diner in Kutztown serves potato filling both with roast turkey and as a regular side.
American Diner West Reading
The American Diner in West Reading promotes its “home-made filling” as one its regular sides. Meatloaf, sausage, roast beef and roast turkey are all served over the classic Pennsylvania German side dish too.
Americana Diner Bechtelsville
Roast chicken over filling and smoked sausage over filling are among the regular featured items at the Americana Diner in Bechtelsville.
At the Bally Family Diner, chicken croquettes are served over potato filling while filling is also available as a regular vegetable item.
Crossroads Family Restaurant Muhlenberg Township
While the menu doesn’t have many Pennsylvania Dutch foods, Crossroads Family Restaurant does offer potato filling in his vegetables of the day rotation – and it’s always available on holiday menus.
Mondays at the Heidelberg are all-you-can-eat chicken pot pie nights, but potato filling is available on the menu every day at the Robesonia diner.
Jak’s Downtown Diner Topton
Potato filling is one of nine side dishes available at Jak’s Downtown Diner in Topton. It pairs well with oven-baked meatloaf, a hot roast beef sandwich or sausage.
Kempton Hotel Kempton
The Kempton Hotel has a small selection of PA Dutch dishes on the regular menu, including potato filling. You can also try another local specialty, Dutch fries – a cross between French fries and potato chips – or chicken pot pie.
Main Street Pub Bally
Potato filling is one of more than a dozen side options at the Main Street Pub in Bally. The restaurant offers a varied menu that includes steaks, seafood, pasta and build-your-own burgers.
Perry Restaurant Shoemakersville
Filling is always on the menu at Perry Restaurant. The Shoemakersville spot serves roast turkey, beef and pork over filling. And all hot sandwiches are served with the choice of mashed potatoes, filling or fries.
Route 61 Diner Muhlenberg Township
Several items at the Route 61 Diner are served over filling: chicken croquettes, roast beef, roast turkey and smoked sausage all come with the classic PA Dutch side dish.
Farmers Markets
Betty’s at Shillington Farmers Market Shillington
Betty’s is one of the longest-running local producers of specialty salads and sides. Their Shillington Farmers Market stand offers more than 30 products, including potato filling.
Blue Spruce Market Stouchsburg
Blue Spruce offers homemade potato filling in their Stochsburg market, available in trays at the holidays.
Hershey Harvest Temple
Hershey Harvest offers a wide array of products from Italian dinners to classic American comfort foods. But they also have a selection of Pennsylvania Dutch specialties, including chicken pot pie, corn nuggets, shoofly pie, whoopie pies and, of course, potato filling.
Shady Mountain Market Fleetwood
Shady Mountain Market lists potato filling among the more than 15 prepared meals and sides they offer in their frozen section. The market also offers wet-bottom shoofly pies, a dozen varieties of whoopie pies, and fastnachts in-season.
Smucker’s PA Dutch Farmer’s Market of Wyomissing Wyomissing
Smucker’s Salads is the place to get potato filling at the Wyomissing Farmers Market. The stand also offers pineapple filling at Easter and other traditional PA Dutch prepared meals throughout the year.
Twilight Acres Creamery Stouchsburg
Twilight Acres is more than a dairy store, it is also a place to get some excellent prepared meals and sides including potato filling and other Pennsylvania German foods.
Weisser’s Delicatessen
Weisser’s Delicatessen is the place to get filling at the Fairgrounds Farmers Market. Potato filling is available at the market stand from November through April, perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinners.
2026 Holiday Sales
Central Berks Fire Company Centerport
You can get your holiday potato filling from the Central Berks Fire Company for $4.50 per pound. Online ordering is now open – pickup is scheduled for Wednesday, November 25 from 3 to 6 p.m. Facebook Post
Kutztown Grange Kutztown
The Kutztown Grange is taking orders for potato filling and bacon dressing through November 13. Filling is available in two-pound ($9) and three-pound ($11) pans while dressing is available by the pint ($6) or quart ($10). Pick-up is Tuesday, November 24. Facebook Post
Pioneer Grange Topton
The Pioneer Grange is taking preorders for homemade filling. The cost is $7 for 1.5 pounds or $9 for 2.5 pounds. Orders must be placed by November 9 for pickup on November 25. Facebook Event
Zion Lutheran Church Womelsdorf
The Women of the ELCA at Zion Lutheran Church in Womelsdorf are once again hosting a potato filling sale this year. Preorders will be available starting in October with pickup scheduled for November 20.
Where do you get your potato filling? Let us know in the comments below or email berkscountyeats@gmail.com.
One of the best parts of shopping at the Fairgrounds Farmers Market is grabbing a meal while you’re there. Most of my visits are at lunch because it’s the easiest time for me to get there. But after a recent breakfast at Brenda’s Fresh Start Cafe, I now have a reason to shop early.
Brenda’s opened in early June, taking over the space that the Hot Spot most recently occupied at the north end of the building.
The stand is part diner, part sandwich shop with a menu that includes both breakfast and lunch/dinner items. Both parts of the menu are robust. On the breakfast side, it’s French toast, pancakes, omelettes and egg platters. For lunch, it’s burgers, quesadillas, sandwiches and wraps.
But while the menu headings all look familiar, Brenda’s offers some unique twists. Especially at breakfast. And especially with French toast.
French toast doesn’t just come with white bread or brioche. Instead, there are varied options that include raisin bread and banana cake, plus weekly specials. And during my visit, they were offering French toast flights. Each flight came with three slices of your choice from among six styles: banana peanut butter, pumpkin cream cheese swirl, banana cake, blueberry cream cheese swirl, strawberry cheesecake and chocolate cream cheese.
I opted for the pumpkin, banana and blueberry.
The cafe has limited seating – a single row of four or five stools adjacent to the order counter – so meals are packed to go. After a short 10-minute wait, I grabbed my bag and took a seat at a nearby table in the market’s communal dining area.
Aside from the styrofoam container, the presentation was beautiful. Each one was uniquely topped (though everything was dusted with powdered sugar).
I dug into the banana cake first. It was topped with fresh bananas and a sprinkle of cinnamon. The bread, itself, was delicious but a little dry before I added syrup. It had a strong banana flavor even without the fresh bananas on top.
The pumpkin bread was probably my favorite. It had a blend of spices that reminded me of a spiced cookie you eat at the holidays. With the addition of the cream cheese on top, it was more like a pumpkin roll. I could have eaten several slices of it.
The blueberry swirl was the last on the plate. Not only was it topped with fresh blueberries, there was fruit baked into the bread. The cream cheese made it extra sweet and decadent, the perfect ending to a breakfast that felt more like dessert.
At least during my visit, the French toast flight was a weekly special for $11. On the regular menu, French toast ranges from $7 for a plain short stack to $13.50 for a full stack of one of their specialty breads.
Everything coming out of Brenda’s kitchen looked good, and with decent prices across the menu, I’ll definitely come back to try more of their menu.
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Service: Very Good Ambiance: Fair Price: $
In addition to great restaurants and food trucks, Berks County has some amazing bakeries. One of those that I recently discovered is Laissa’s Baked Goods.
I first saw her stand at the pop-up farm market at the Berks County Heritage Center in September. A few weeks later, I was invited by Laissa to try some of the most popular items.
Laissa’s began two years ago. Since then, sourdough breads and other products have been sold at Mediterranean Medley inside the Fairgrounds Farmers Market. This year, the business has expanded to include pop-up events with a full schedule through the early fall.
We caught up with Laissa’s at one of those pop-up events, the one-year anniversary celebration for HoneyPop, the West Lawn-based dirty soda trailer.
Laissa’s table was filled with breads and sweet treats, and we were treated to four favorites: a loaf of sourdough, a brown butter honey Rice Krispie treat, a vanilla chai cinnamon roll and a dirty chai cookie.
We had to try the Rice Krispie treat before we left the event. With brown butter and honey, this treat was anything but traditional. It was very rich and had almost a caramel-like quality to it. In addition to the marshmallow that held the whole thing together, there were large, melty chunks of marshmallow throughout. Our youngest was obsessed over it so we relented and let him have most of it.
Julie and I saved the cinnamon roll for ourselves. It was billed as a vanilla chai cinnamon roll. Both flavors came through in the icing – it was extra sweet with hints of spice from the masala chai that also gave it a darker hue. Coffee mixed with the cinnamon filling reminded me of tiramisu where the coffee is more of a background flavor.
There was a slightly stronger coffee flavor from the espresso in the dirty chai cookie. The cookie was about the size of a hockey puck but incredibly soft on the inside with the consistency and flavor reminiscent of a molasses cookie. The chunks of white chocolate made it a more indulgent sweet treat.
Laissa’s is not all about the sweets. A big part of the product line is sourdough loaves which come in a range of flavors including everything bagel, cheddar jalapeno and garlic rosemary.
We only tried the plain sourdough, but it was very good. It was crusty on the outside and soft in the center with the familiar flavor of a sourdough loaf. It served us well on egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches for several days after.
Laissa’s Baked Goods is popping up at events in Berks County and beyond, but you can also find sourdough loaves and select treats at Mediterranean Medley and Cafe 372 at the Reading Fairgrounds Farmers Market while supplies last.
Having done Berks County Eats for more than a dozen years, there aren’t many places to eat in Berks County that I don’t know about at this point. But head outside of Berks – even just a mile or two – and there are still a lot of surprises.
One of those surprises was the Inn at Twin Linden. The Inn is located along Route 23, less than five miles from the Berks County border in Narvon, Lancaster County. Throughout the year, the Inn at Twin Linden is a bed-and-breakfast and special event venue. But on select Saturday nights in late summer and early fall, the Inn hosts a farm-to-table dinner.
I hadn’t heard of the Inn, nor had I heard of the dinners, until their event manager reached out and invited Julie and I to experience it for ourselves.
On a late September evening, we made the 30-minute drive south from Wyomissing to just outside Morgantown. Because of the limited parking on-site, we parked at a church across the street.
The forecast was calling for heavy rains, but there was just a light mist in the air when we arrived, giving us a chance to explore the grounds before dinner. A large firepit encircled with a dozen Adirondack chairs overlooked rolling hills of Lancaster County farmland. Behind it, a vegetable and herb garden. In front of it, bright red, yellow and purple flowers brightened an otherwise gloomy evening.
Typically, the spacious backyard would play host to the dinner, but the forecast forced us inside the renovated barn toward the rear of the property.
While the barn has received some modern upgrades – some new inside walls for insulation, new windows and improved lighting – much of the charm comes from the original features. The dark-hued wood floorboards are uneven with age. One original, wide barn door still maintains its white paint, chipping with age. In one corner, a horseshoe hangs above a mystery door with its original iron hinges.
Dinner was scheduled to start around 6 p.m., and as the time came, we all settled in to our assigned seats. Five tables of 10 were set around the barn. Ironically, we were seated next to another couple from Wyomissing along with a husband and wife from Blue Bell, Montgomery County, who were staying in one of the suites on the property.
On a nicer evening, the first course would be enjoyed cocktail hour-style as we wandered the grounds. Instead, the small plates with a teaser of a pastry were delivered to our tables inside the bar. Aptly named, the “first bite” was a small brie and apple phyllo crisp. It was merely a taste of what was to come, but it was a great first impression. The flaky crust on the inside with the creamy brie on the inside was a perfect match. It was sprinkled with parsley to give it a little earthiness to match the sweetness of the apple. It was a shame that it was gone in just a couple bites.
The first course was our first chance to experience the parade of young servers. The team consisted of mostly girls, elementary through high school, in their long black dresses and hair braided indicating they were Amish or Mennonite. (There were a few exceptions, including some older teens in black shirts and pants and at least one boy who wore a black cowboy hat). We found out at the end of the meal that these were neighbors of the Inn and its owners, recruited to learn the basics of the hospitality industry as they alternated between clearing dishes and setting each course.
Our second course for the night was a trio of appetizers: a roasted pear tart, a short rib spring roll and a crab-stuffed crimini mushroom.
The roasted pear tart was my favorite of the three. It wasn’t too far removed from the first bite, but it had its own unique flavor thanks to the strength of the Gorgonzola and the slightly sweet caramelized onions. The pastry was also a little thicker, though it still flaked with each bite.
Julie’s favorite was the short rib spring roll, which I also enjoyed. It was a very light outer shell stuffed full of tender short rib. It came on a bed of melted, smoked Gouda that was very strong.
I’m not a big fan of any seafood, but I found the crab-stuffed mushroom to be less about the crab and more about the filling and the thick-walled, earthy mushroom it was served in.
All three were very different but very good in their own way. And with small bites of everything, we were able to experience a diversity of flavors over the course of the two-hour meal.
Following the appetizers was the salad course. Everyone at the table agreed that this was one of the best salads we had ever tried. It featured organic mixed greens with roasted butternut squash, sliced apples, pomegranate, shaved fennel, toasted pecans, sharp cheddar and cider vinaigrette. The squash, cooked until soft, was a salad ingredient that I didn’t know I was missing before. Because the squash was roasted, it added a bit of a smokey flavor that was countered nicely by the sweetness of the pomegranate and the thin-sliced apples.
By this point, I would have been satisfied if we had skipped right to dessert. Instead, we still had steak and seafood to come.
Our first entree was NY strip steak served with potato gratin, root vegetable hash, red wine demi glace and fresh sage Hollandaise. The steak was cooked perfectly with the right amount of pink in the middle. The demi glace was sweet, but there was also a teriyaki-like aftertaste that was surprising. The potatoes were very well prepared, thin slices that were slightly crisp on the outside layered with creamy cheese on the inside. And the hash was very good, as well, featuring some of the same squash from the salad plus carrots and parsnips, the latter being an unexpected addition.
As the meal went on, every course seemed to be better than the last so despite having had more than enough to eat, we were excited for our next taste.
The penultimate course featured fish, a maple and Dijon-glazed pompano with autumn squash risotto, roasted Brussels sprouts and a white wine herb beurre blanc. Again, I’m not a fan of fish, but I thought the glaze was very flavorful. You could see the mustard seeds across the top of the white fish, and I really liked the combination of the sweet maple with the sharp Dijon. It wasn’t a heavy mustard consistency, but a lighter, more subtle flavor.
The risotto was amazing. It was thick and cheesy, the rice reduced to the perfect consistency. And the squash gave little pops of flavor throughout. I am going to try to recreate it at home (and will likely fail). If I had one criticism of the meal, it would be that the Brussels sprouts were a little overcooked. Honestly, I wouldn’t have missed them even if they had been cooked perfectly.
Of course, the chef saved the best for last. Dessert was a caramel apple Devonshire cheesecake. It was so decadent with thick caramel and bright fresh apples sitting atop a delicious cheesecake base. The whole thing was topped with tiny fall-colored sugar sprinkles that gave little extra pops of sweetness. We may not have had any room left after the previous five courses, but we were not about to leave a speck of that delicious dessert on the plate.
The apples were locally grown by Zimmerman’s Orchard, and many of the ingredients came from local purveyors – the steak, the cheese and the vegetables all were from local farms and markets. Some ingredients – like the butternut squash, eggs and potatoes – were even more local, grown in the backyard garden at the inn.
The cost per person is $125 which includes a true farm-to-table six-course meal. Though it is BYO, there was also a complementary cocktail – the fireside fizz with Fireball, Prosecco and cider. While the price may scare many away, it is worth it. It was an amazing meal and an amazing night. From the first bite to the last, the meal was exceptional. It was a true dining experience with a familiar, yet elevated menu. Experiences like this are few and far between in our area.
As beautiful as the barn was, I still wish the weather would have cooperated to enjoy the meal under the stars in the backyard. I can only imagine how that would have added to the ambiance of the evening.
But as it was, I would not have traded this meal for anything.
The last dinner of 2026 will be held on October 24. Look for the 2027 schedule in the new year.
BCE Rating Food: Excellent Ambiance: Very Good Service: Excellent Price: $$$$
The Inn at Twin Linden 2092 Main Street Narvon, PA 17555
After Cafe Folino opened in Wyomissing two years ago, it quickly became one of my favorite breakfast spots in Berks County.
Apparently others agreed because the Italian-style cafe has done well enough to expand to a second location in Temple, which opened in early 2026.
The new Cafe Folino is located in the former Oliver’s Place along Mount Laurel Road. The space received an interior makeover with dark tables set against bright yellow walls. On one wall, a floor-to-ceiling mural depicts a cobblestone street in Rome. A coffee cup set on a bistro table with white tablecloth in the shadow of the Colosseum. An adjacent wall features a large image of a coffee cup with “affogato,” “latte,” and “mocha” scrawled in calligraphy.
Like its Wyomissing counterpart, it’s not a large dining room, but it feels like plenty of space – mostly tables for four with a few two-seaters like the one I sat down at along the short wall separating me from the employees’ area.
It was a short wait, less than 10 minutes from ordering before my food was placed in front of me.
There are a lot of opportunities to indulge with Cafe Folino’s menu – with decadent versions like Bananas foster and cannoli stuffed, most of the pancake and French toast options could double as dessert. I went for the simple sweet cream pancakes.
The pancakes come in a stack of two, round enough to fill the large white plate and incredibly thick. A pad of butter and dusting of powdered sugar top the breakfast treats that came with a small cup of syrup on the side.
Despite the fact that there were no “fancy” toppings, these pancakes were still incredibly sweet. There was something like a light sugary crust around them that reminded me a little of a creme brulee.
All of the butter and syrup were quickly absorbed by the top pancake so I found myself reaching for a bottle of sugar free syrup by the free water at the back of the dining area, but I had no complaints as I savored each bite.
I know Cafe Folino’s portions so I knew I didn’t need anything on the side, but I ordered hash browns anyway just so that I would have a little change of pace as I ate. The shredded potatoes were done well, and I had a generous portion of them.
For the pancakes and hash browns, my total bill was around $15, not a bad price to pay for a lunch that filled me for the rest of the afternoon.
I finished my meal and hung out for another hour or so as I got some work done. It was a quiet day with only a few other customers coming and going in the time that I was there.
With the Wyomissing location so close, I probably won’t be making too many more trips to Temple, but I was glad to see the same quality, service and portions can be found at the new location, too.
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Ambiance: Very Good Service: Very Good Price: $$
