Editor’s Note: Nino’s has new owners since this review.
For nine years, Julie and I lived in the Berkshire Heights neighborhood of Wyomissing. We loved the location – close to the highway and within walking distance of all the great restaurants in West Reading.
We also had some great restaurants closer to home. Willoughby’s on Park is one of our favorites for fine dining. Mikura always had delicious Asian-inspired meals. And I had many chai tea lattes from the Park Road Café.
But the one place we had never visited was the restaurant that had been there the longest: Nino’s Pizzeria.
Nino’s is in their 26th year of serving Wyomissing and Berks County. When we knew we were going to be moving, Julie and I made a promise that we had to have dinner from Nino’s at least once before we left.
One night after packing boxes all day, we called in an order, and I walked down the street to the little Italian restaurant in the strip mall. On many of our walks, we would see people sitting inside enjoying their meals, but the chairs were all up on the tables when I walked in, a symptom of the COVID-19 pandemic and the tight restrictions on dine-in.
Talking with the owners, it was easy to understand their decision to focus exclusively on takeout and delivery. With such a small space, 25% capacity would only allow them to seat about 12 people. And with the extra protocols around cleaning and sanitizing tables, it just didn’t make financial sense to offer table service.
But the phone-in orders seemed to be coming in at a steady pace. And I was anxious to get the food back to the house to finally try it.
Julie and I had both opted for one of their Italian dinners. Julie went with her personal favorite, baked ziti, while I ordered the homemade lasagna.
Anytime I order from a restaurant that has a large menu – as Nino’s does – I am drawn to anything that says “homemade.” The connotation, at least, is that the dish takes time to make and it is one that the owners are proud to serve.
By the time I got home the lasagna was not much to look at – it shifted around in the foil packaging so it looked like a blob of cheese atop a blob of pasta and sauce – but it sure tasted good.
The menu describes the meat sauce as slightly sweet with a rich flavor, and I can’t describe it any better than that. The lasagna noodles weren’t the thinnest that I have seen, but they weren’t thick either. And there was plenty of cheese on top. It was definitely worthy of the “homemade” distinction.
Julie’s baked ziti was also very good (and also tasted much better than it looked in the to-go packaging). The tomato sauce was a little sweeter than the meat sauce on my lasagna, probably just because it didn’t have the extra savory element to it.
Both meals also came with a side salad and homemade bread. The side salads were pretty typical – lettuce with red onion, a slice of tomato and choice of dressing. But the bread was much more than typical.
Normally when something comes with bread, I expect a slice or two. Both Julie and I got – essentially – a whole loaf of bread with our meals. We were happy to enjoy it with several more meals throughout the week.
I can say for sure that Nino’s didn’t skimp on quality or portions. And at around $35, we certainly got our money’s worth.
I’m really not sure why it took us so long to get to Nino’s – perhaps we just took for granted that it was there – but we wish we would have gone sooner.
The good news is, we didn’t move that far away so there’s nothing stopping us from going back again.
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Service: Excellent Ambiance: Very Good Price: Reasonable
I, like a lot of Berks Countians, can trace my family history back to Germany. And I also happen to love German food, like what can be found at the Reading Liederkranz, a private club that bills itself as a “German Singing and Sport Society.”
I have been to the Liederkranz many times, but it was always for events (Oktoberfest and Christkindlmarkt) and never for a sit-down meal in the dining room.
Not being a member, that was never really an option until Julie and I were invited by our friends (and members) Jerry and Lisa to join them for dinner recently.
I don’t know what I was expecting to find inside the clubhouse, but this wasn’t it. For the most part, there’s nothing remarkable about the dining area. The diner chairs and vinyl tablecloths are a dark maroon while the walls are off-white with wood around the bottom. It’s all set against a drab gray carpet. The old-fashioned numbers on the tables made it feel even more like a diner in need of an upgrade. The bar area, as well, just felt like a bar when I walked past.
The only real distinguishing feature is the wooden dance floor which is set in front of a wall painted with a beautiful Alpine scene.
One thing that was clear from the start: if you’re in a hurry, this is not the club for you. There were a few tables taken in the large dining area (it was about 6:30 on a Thursday when we arrived). After being told to sit anywhere, it was a good 10 minutes before our server came to our table with menus.
As a German club, it’s not surprising that the menu at the Liederkranz is filled with a variety of traditional German meals. But there are other additions like burgers and sandwiches. Thursday is also wing night, but we decided to pass.
Julie, along with our friends Jerry and Lisa, decided to get the weekly special – a three-course meal that started with jumbo shrimp and a salad.
It was an interesting first course, jumbo shrimp being the least German item on our table throughout the night. The salad was good if you like lemon vinaigrette because it was strong and puckery. I happened to enjoy the bite I had, but I don’t think I could have handled the whole salad.
The entree for the three-course special was sauerbraten with a side of spätzle and red cabbage. Sauerbraten is a German pot roast that has been heavily marinated with pickling spices, making it slightly sour but also very tender.
The roasted beef is almost always served with gravy, but this version was different. The gravy was thick and had raisins throughout. The sweetness from the dried fruit gave the whole dish a sweet-and-sour spin that is very pleasant and helped it stand out from similar dishes.
The spätzle (German pasta) were very finely cut noodles. They were a little crispy in some bites – so small that they seared quickly in the pan. Still, they were enjoyable as was the red cabbage – a personal favorite of mine from our visits to the Oktoberfest celebration.
Red cabbage was also one of my choices for a side to go with my schnitzel.
The menu includes the “Schnitzel Ecke” (schnitzel corner) where you can choose from three styles of schnitzel and two cuts of meat – pork or chicken. I went with the “gypsy style.” The fried chicken cutlet came topped with pan-fried onions, peppers and paprika.
I’ve had plain schnitzel at Oktoberfest and enjoyed it each time. This was better. The paprika gave it just a hint of heat while the onions and peppers popped in every bite. It was just what I was hoping for.
The other item on my plate was the German potato salad. It’s a cold potato salad that features large chunks of potato with herbs and vinegar. It’s slightly sour – like a lot of German foods – but so good. I won’t eat the Pennsylvania Dutch version of potato salad, but I love this.
When she came to clear our plates, our waitress asked if I wanted to order anything for dessert since everyone else would be getting it with their meals. Julie was gracious enough to share her apple strudel with me so I didn’t have to order one of my own.
The plate had two slivers of strudel with a pool of custard and four dollops of whipped cream. Another favorite of ours from our Oktoberfest visits, the strudel is delicious. The apple and pastry crust melt in your mouth while the custard is rich and sweet. It doesn’t get much better than this.
It was a little while again before our checks arrived. Our server was very nice but it was a good thing we weren’t in a hurry. Our final tally for the night was $40 which seems like a fair price for quality food.
The waiting aside, it was an enjoyable evening with friends and good food. I would consider a membership in the future, but with 300 restaurants in Berks County left to explore, I don’t think I would get my money’s worth out of it right now. But we definitely got our money’s worth for this meal.
Danke schön, Liederkranz.
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Service: Good Ambiance: Fair Price: Reasonable
Reading Liederkranz (Members and Guests Only) 143 Spook Ln Reading, PA 19606
Valentine’s Day has always been a big deal for Julie and I. With our anniversary being in mid-August, Valentine’s always marks the halfway point in another year for us.
It’s also a great excuse to find a new place around the county for a romantic dinner.
This year was a little different for us. Yes, we stayed in Berks County – the city of Reading, to be precise – but we didn’t go to a restaurant. Instead, we celebrated Valentine’s Day with dinner at the Inn at Centre Park, a bed and breakfast and event space in the Centre Park Historic District.
Each month, the Inn at Centre Park opens for dinner – usually on the third Friday. In February, the monthly dinner was moved up a week in honor of Valentine’s Day (and Saturday dinner service was added). The meals are all prix fixe; in this case, it was a four-course meal with appetizer, salad, entree and dessert.
There was only one seating for the meal – 6:30 p.m. We were among the first to arrive which gave us a chance to look around at the elegantly appointed rooms throughout the first floor of the inn.
Known as the Wilhelm Mansion, the building that now houses the Inn at Centre Park was the home of Charles Wilhelm for more than 50 years. However, it was originally built and occupied by Reverend Mark Anthony DeWolfe Howe, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese. Our table for two was nestled at a door that featured original stained glass windows that depict two angels, one blowing a horn, the other singing.
Every nook and cranny of the house is filled with incredible detail, from the tall archways to the intricate moulding. This was certainly the lap of luxury in the late 19th Century and remains so today.
After satisfying our curiosity, we settled in for the first course: fried goat cheese with crispy prosciutto and pear jam.
It was a perfect beginning to the meal with a variety of flavors and textures. The soft, creamy goat cheese was countered by the crunchy, salty prosciutto. The pear jam sweetened the whole plate. The balsamic drizzle added another layer of sweet and sour.
The first course really blew us away and set the stage for a great meal.
In between courses, we were served fresh-baked rolls to enjoy with our salad. Homemade honey butter was already waiting on the table. Ours didn’t last that long. The soft, pillowy rolls were too good. With the sweet butter, they just melted in your mouth.
Our second course was a Waldorf salad, and while it wasn’t a revelation the way the fried goat cheese was, it was still delicious.
It was a traditional Waldorf with apples, grapes, celery and walnuts, but it was just done very well. And it was served atop large leafs of Bibb lettuce which was a nice choice for the greens.
The entree course was a surf-and-turf plate with filet Mignon and seafood cake served with green beans and mushroom risotto.
The filet was served with a simple herb butter, and it was good, but it didn’t really stand out compared to the rest of the meal. It was cooked well, but there wasn’t a “wow” to it like there was to the other three courses.
I would say the same for the risotto and the green beans. (I am not a seafood fan so I have to take Julie’s word for the seafood cake, which she felt the same about). Filet Mignon is always good, and I will never complain about eating it. It just felt “safe” compared to the other courses. That’s the best way I can describe it.
Dessert, though, was definitely a highlight. The fourth course consisted of chocolate “domes” with a ganache and raspberry center. The heaping dessert was sinful and delicious from the first bite to the last.
What really set the dish apart was the dusting of raspberry salt. Sweet and salty always works for me, and the concentrated raspberry flavor really added to the chocolate base.
Really, I can’t think of a better way to finish the meal.
The four-course meal cost $60 per person, which seemed like a very good price for the amount and quality of the food that we had. Non-alcoholic beverages were included in the price (for those looking for a little something more, the dinners are BYOB). Also, there is very limited space so reservations are must for the Inn’s public dinners.
I’m sure the Inn does a good amount of catering events throughout the year because the staff seemed very much on top of their game. Everyone’s food arrived within minutes of each other and always tasted freshly prepared. The servers worked as a team and were very attentive throughout the meal.
And, of course, the venue was amazing. It’s an ambiance you can’t get anywhere else in the county.
Everything combined to make this one of the most special Valentine’s Day dinners yet.
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Service: Excellent Ambiance: Excellent Price: A little pricey (but worth it)
The Inn at Centre Park 730 Centre Ave Reading, PA 19601
Every year between January and February, I am challenged to
find some date-night worthy restaurants for Julie and I to visit. Her birthday
falls at the end of January, and Valentine’s Day follows closely behind.
These special occasions have provided us with some of our
best meals in six year of Berks County Eats reviews.
Our expectations were high for another memorable meal when Julie and I made our first trip to Judy’s on Cherry for this year’s birthday date night dinner.
Judy’s has been on our list of places to try since the blog
began. We did visit Judy’s seasonal restaurant, Plein Air, in 2014 and loved
it, but had never dined inside the Cherry Street restaurant.
We made a last-minute decision to go to Judy’s on a Saturday
night. Luckily, we called in the afternoon before service started and were able
to secure a reservation for 6 p.m. We parked in the lot across the street –
free parking after 5 p.m. – and headed inside.
It’s hard not to be impressed when walking into the
second-floor dining room. The brick walls. The vaulted ceilings. They don’t
build them like this anymore.
At our booth along the wall, the lighting was dimmed,
limited to a single table lamp. The dim lights didn’t bother us though (except
when I was trying to take pictures of the food). From our table, we had a great
view of the kitchen, which sits right in the center in the dining area. Some
lucky guests were sitting at the bar seats surrounding the kitchen, giving them
an even more up-close-and-personal look at everything.
We were greeted quickly by our waitress who went off to grab
a basket of bread to accompany our meal.
The bread basket turned out to be eight pieces of what
appeared to be pizza crust or flatbread. A small plate of oil was preset at the
table for dipping. The bread was very good with just enough herbs to give it a
nice earthy flavor and set it apart from a more traditional bread basket.
The building was once a farmers market – among other things
during its history – so it’s only appropriate that the menu includes a variety
of fresh ingredients. We tasted the freshness right away with our appetizer: browned
Brussels sprouts with truffle cream.
Judy’s menu included several small plates that we were
interested in, including stuffed figs, lamb meatballs and pumpkin ravioli, but
the Brussels sprouts won out, and we were not disappointed.
The plate of Brussels were nicely charred – not burnt – to
bring out a little bit of a smokiness. The sprouts were slightly bitter which
we thought contrasted nicely to the bright, rich cream sauce. And the addition
of fresh sage was welcomed throughout the dish.
We had ordered our appetizer not realizing that our meals
also included starter salads. In addition to Caesar salads, Judy’s offers mixed
green salads with a variety of vinaigrettes and other dressings. Julie stuck
with the Caesar while I tried the ranch dressing with basil.
Julie’s Caesar salad was very nicely prepared with plenty of
dressing, cheese and croutons. We both remarked about the size of the salads
being just right.
My salad was also excellently done. The addition of the
basil to the ranch dressing was perfect and was a nice differentiator. I also
appreciated that there were plenty of red onions, my favorite.
The entree menu was extensive and included several dishes
that I wanted to try, like the duck confit cassoulet (a bean casserole with
duck confit, sausage, ham and braised pork), winter root vegetable curry and
black pepper rubbed duck.
But the limoncello chicken with saffron aioli was my choice.
The chicken was baked in lemon basil broth and served over capellini, a
spaghetti-like pasta that was incredibly thin.
Everything about the dish was mouthwatering. The chicken had
a nice crust on it and was cooked beautifully. I enjoyed the aioli, but it was
the lemon basil broth that was the real star. The sweet basil worked
beautifully against the lemon. Sun-dried tomatoes added a little more sweetness
to the dish.
It came together as a single, composed, delicious dish.
Julie’s Frenched pork chop was another great choice. Served over a bed of mashed potatoes, it was topped with mushrooms, truffle cream and crispy prosciutto.
It, too, was a wonderfully composed dish. First, the pork
chops were done perfectly, still very juicy. (For those who don’t know – like
me – “Frenched” is the style where the rib bone is exposed). The
mushrooms had a nice earthiness to them. The prosciutto was crispy which gave
it a feel almost like bacon. And the potatoes were present in almost every
bite, bringing everything together.
Like my meal, it was an excellent dish, and one that Julie
thoroughly enjoyed.
Unfortunately as we polished off our entrees, we both
realized that we weren’t going to have room for dessert. “That’s OK,”
our waitress assured us. “You can come in again and just have
dessert.”
It’s a nice thought, but our meals were so good, I’m not
sure we would want to skip out on the main course. The price wasn’t bad either.
For our two meals, appetizer and my unsweetened iced tea, our total was $66.
We’ve paid more for similar portions before.
Our service was very good, too. We had a seasoned server
with a dry sense of humor that we both appreciated. She was attentive
throughout the night refilling our drinks and checking in on us while other
members of the team brought our meals.
It was one of our best meals we have had overall; it
certainly lived up to our high expectations.
We are already looking forward to our next visit.
BCE Rating
Food: Excellent
Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Excellent
Price: Reasonable for Finer Dining
In October 2017, we made a visit to Gino’s Grille just outside Shillington. The restaurant had just opened two months prior, giving Gino’s a second restaurant. The original – Gino’s Cafe – continued to operate a few blocks away.
Despite what appeared to be creating its own competition, Gino’s Cafe is still going strong. A few weeks ago, we made our first visit to the flagship restaurant in Gino’s portfolio.
Unlike Gino’s Grille which sits right along Lancaster Pike,
the Cafe is located off the main drag in a strip mall on Broad Street, across
the street from Geoff Penske Buick GMC.
Taking up just one storefront in the strip, Gino’s certainly
doesn’t have the largest dining room in Berks County but the tables are packed
in, and they needed everyone of them when we visited on a recent Saturday
night. We arrived early – Julie, Jakob and I. It was around 4:30, and the Cafe
was already busy. It only got busier. By the time we left, there wasn’t a seat
left.
Our waitress arrived fairly quickly to take our orders and
we had our salads within 10 minutes of sitting down.
The salads are simple with lettuce, some tomatoes, a slice
of cucumber and red onion that was sliced paper thin. It wasn’t anything
special, but it served its purpose.
We had a much longer wait after the salads. Twenty minutes
went past and instead of food being delivered to our table, we received a
basket of garlic bread that we assume was meant to be delivered with the salad,
if not before. “I think this is for your table,” I heard our waitress
say.
In the cramped confines of the Cafe, the waitresses had
nowhere to hide their frustration – and sometimes, confusion. We were seated in
the first row of tables, right in front of the counter and the soda fountain
where drinks were refilled. I heard the waitresses trying to figure out who
should take the next table that arrived. I heard confusion in the take-out area
about order numbers.
It’s the type of confusion and controlled chaos that
probably happens at a lot of places. But here, with no place to hide, I could
see and hear it all unfolding in front of me.
The good news is that our meals were delivered right after
the bread. I should also note that the garlic bread was very good. The bread
was sliced thin and every piece was very buttery with just enough garlic to
give it a nice flavor. I could have eaten them as a snack.
For my entree selection, I had a hard time deciding. For a
small restaurant, the menu is disproportionately large. There are more than 25
options in the pasta section of the menu, and that doesn’t include another 25
or so dinners that are served with pasta on the side (not to mention the subs,
burgers, pizza, salads and wraps).
Eventually I settled on the “Chef Tortellini” which had tortellini pasta with Bolognese sauce, peas and mushrooms. I always enjoy tortellini, and I’ve had it plenty of times before on the blog, but I’ve never had it with Bolognese.
I enjoyed the combination of the tortellini with the
flavorful meat sauce. I thought it went very well together. The Bolognese had a
nice, meaty flavor to it. But I didn’t think the mushrooms and peas added much
to the overall dish. I certainly didn’t mind them being there, but neither
flavor really stood out against the strong sauce.
It was also a heavy dish. I had to take half of it home with
me when the meal was done.
The same was true for Julie with her baked ziti. It was your
typical baked ziti with a sweet marinara sauce topped with mozzarella. The
addition of a little ricotta cheese gave the dish a bit of creaminess and a little
different texture from other baked ziti dishes we’ve tried. It was very good,
but like my own, half of it came home with us at the end of the meal.
Gino’s has a decent kids menu, mostly pasta with a few
sandwiches thrown in (and pizza, of course). We ordered Jakob the kids’ ravioli.
The pockets of pasta were smothered in a mound of mozzarella cheese. The
full-size raviolis were good, but Jakob probably would have been happy just
eating all that cheese.
(At one point I gave him one of my tortellini and he kept
asking for more of my food instead of eating his own).
Our final bill at the end of the night was right around $40.
It’s a fair price, especially for the hearty portions. And other than the
garlic bread arriving late to the party, our service was good. What I saw and
heard just seemed like the staff wasn’t exactly working like a well-oiled
machine, at least during our visit.
Still, we found Gino’s worth a visit. Maybe next time I’ll
request a table by the window, at the far end of the dining room, away from the
commotion.
BCE Rating Food: Good Service: Good Ambiance: Good Price: Reasonable
The Works at WyomissingWhen we were still in college, Julie and I started going regularly to the Works at Wyomissing for their Tuesday night trivia games. For years, it was our place. The service could be hit or miss, but the food was good and it was always a great time with friends.
One by one, our friends started moving away, or having kids,
or both. The routine got monotonous, and it was harder to find players.
Eventually we stopped going altogether. It had been at least two years since
our last visit to the dining and entertainment destination, but now that we
have our own toddler, it seemed like the right time to go back for some food
and fun.
It was a Thursday night around 5 p.m. when we arrived. The
hostess was on her phone and seemed inconvenienced to have to take us to our
table. She never smiled and barely said a word as she took us to our table. We
weren’t even sure she was going to bring the high chair because instead of
saying “I’ll be right back with your high chair,” she said,
“enjoy your meal” as she walked off. (She did bring it).
Our waitress was much more pleasant with us and our little
Jakob, who always seems to bring out a smile from our servers.
There weren’t many people in the dining room – a few
families, one couple and a group of college students were all that were found
in the spacious dining room.
Our orders were taken quickly, which was good because Jakob
was hungry and restless. We wouldn’t have felt as awkward about him acting up
if there had been more people, but in the near-empty cavern of the dining area,
every little noise echoed louder around the room.
Thankfully my Caesar salad arrived quickly and Jakob was
occupied with a couple croutons. The salad was pretty hefty for a starter, but
it was good, your typical Caesar.
Julie had ordered a cup of French onion soup for an
appetizer. It was always a favorite of our friend Mike during our trivia days,
and it was still good. Ordering a cup meant that it wasn’t the typical
presentation – cheese covering the top of a crock. But the smaller portion was
still good with plenty of gruyere on top and a nice amount of onions inside.
Because we were also tending to Jakob, it took us a little
longer to finish our appetizers, and our food arrived while I was still
finishing up my salad.
For my entree, I ordered the steak frites. The 10-ounce
sirloin was sliced thin and served atop a bed of crispy Parmesan fries. The
steak was good but didn’t have a whole lot of flavor to it.
As I write the blog, I’m looking back at the menu and
realize that it was supposed to be served with garlic butter and a spicy aioli.
I had neither, which probably explains why the steak was a little
underwhelming. It was still a good cut of meat, but the garlic butter would
have been nice.
The fries were very good. They were thick-cut and tossed
with plenty of Parmesan cheese. There was just a lot of them, especially
considering the entrees are also served with two sides. I ended up eating only
a small portion of the fries and taking the rest home.
Not wanting to be a complete pig, I ordered asparagus and
corn on the cob for my sides. The asparagus was fine, but they were cooked a
little past al dente and were a little softer than I normally like.
The corn on the cob was good, but I was honestly expecting
it to be cut in half like I see at many restaurants. Instead, it was a full
cob. Thankfully, Jakob has all of his front teeth that he needs to bite into,
and enjoy, corn on the cob so he helped me with it. It was good and tasted
fresh so I had no complaints there.
Because she really wanted the soup, Julie decided to get an
entree salad for her main meal. The barbecue chopped salad featured chicken,
chopped lettuce, red onion, tomatoes, avocado, corn, tortilla strips, black
beans and ranch dressing.
The grilled chicken was tossed in barbecue sauce. We’ve
always been fans of the Works’ barbecue sauce and it was good on the salad. The
avocado was a nice touch and the ranch dressing went well with the mix – just
like eating it with barbecue wings.
Like all things at the Works, the portions are huge and was
stacked high on the plate. It’s definitely a filling salad.
With the Works being such a kid-friendly place, the
children’s menu is large – both in the amount of food and the physical size –
four pages that kids can color with a four-pack of crayons that are provided.
We went with a safe bet: chicken fingers with Jakob’s
favorite fruit, mandarin oranges. The orange slices were gone in what seemed
like seconds. He was a little slower with the chicken, but then he dipped it in
Julie’s ranch dressing and it went a lot faster.
All three of us left the table full after a $50 meal. It
wasn’t the cheapest meal we’ve ever had, but it also isn’t bad given the
portions. (We also had a $30 gift card,
which is always helpful).
The real fun began after the meal. While I waited to take
care of the bill, Julie and Jakob went off to the game area where she won him a
new bouncy ball from the claw machine. From there, we headed upstairs to
Ballocity, the Works’ indoor ball pit.
When it first opened, we were very disappointed to find out
that adults could only enter if accompanied by a child. Having Jakob along
meant it was our first time to experience the attraction. Toddlers are free
with paying adults – $3.95 after using the $1 off coupon that was on the kids
menu.
Jakob and Julie had a great time while I waited outside.
They played for about a half-hour before we headed home.
While the service could have been better – and that has always been the case at the Works – it was still a great night out. And for $65, we had three meals, played games and took a turn through Ballocity. It sure beat a rainy night at home.
BCE Rating Food: Good Service: Fair Ambiance: Very Good Price: Reasonable
The Works at Wyomissing 1109 Bern Rd Wyomissing, PA 19610
I will admit that before last week, the Heritage Restaurant
in Morgantown was not high on my list of places to visit.
I’ve passed the Heritage Restaurant many times and have never felt the urge to stop. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, a relic from the times when I-176 and the Turnpike didn’t connect and drivers were funneled along Route 10. The motel behind the restaurant certainly doesn’t make it look any more appealing.
But, as they say, never judge a book by its cover.
The restaurant has clearly been updated inside with simple
decor in the dining room. The walls are painted gray and are adorned with
photography while the seating is made up of wooden tables with darker wooden
chairs. While there were only a handful of tables occupied in the dining room,
the bar area – which has a separate entrance – was full, which explained the
jammed parking lot.
I was invited by fellow writer (and Heritage regular) Cathy
Cuff-Coffman to a prix fixe dinner at the Heritage, a new concept for the
restaurant but one that they were excited to try out and potentially make a
part of the regular offerings.
Our meal was being hosted in their new private dining area.
What was formerly the billiards room has been redone to host private functions.
One wall features exposed stones while the other three are decorated simply
with historic photos that capture the construction of the highways that connect
in Morgantown.
A single long table was set with six chairs on each side.
Five couples had won their seats through drawings in the restaurant and on
social media, having their names drawn from more than 166 entrants. And then
there were the two writers at the end of the table, reporter’s notebooks in
hand.
Before our meal service began, we were introduced to owner
Tamara King. King has owned the restaurant since December 2017 and during that
time has made several upgrades to the dining area and hired Chef Brandon Pennypacker
to update the menu. The idea for the prix fixe meal is to give Chef Brandon an
opportunity to flex his creative muscle and put together a five-course meal
with a cohesive theme. For this meal, the theme was spring: spring flavors,
spring colors and spring-inspired foods.
Chef Brandon introduced each course as it was presented, and
spring colors were on full display with the arrival of our first dish – a corn
soup with fresh pico de gallo, pork belly and avocado crema with lime.
What a great way to start the meal. The corn was reduced down
to form a base that was creamy but textured. The mix-ins took it to another
level. The fresh pico was my favorite part – especially the bits of tomato that
burst with a perfect sweet flavor. The salty, crunchy pork added a completely
different, but no less enjoyable, flavor and texture to the meal. Throughout
the dish, the avocado crema added a sweet and creamy flavor, with a little sour
lime thrown in.
It was a very impressive start and just a preview of the
great food still to come.
Our second course was a strawberry salad. It featured
spinach and kale topped with a basil poppy seed dressing, fresh strawberries, dragon
fruit and candied pecans, served with fried goat cheese.
The salad was excellent. I loved the addition of the mildly
sweet dragon fruit and the earthy indulgence of the candied pecans. The goat
cheese croquette was also good, but I didn’t care for it as much as part of the
salad. I didn’t care for how the molten cheese blended with the chilled greens.
Separately though, it was good and something that no one else in Berks County
is trying.
Chef Brandon has a diverse culinary background. Since
graduating from the Pennsylvania School of Culinary Arts, he has worked in 17
restaurants in greater Reading and Lancaster city. Stops have included the
Hitching Post, Virginville Hotel, Blackjax and Billy Burger. For the last 10
months, he has been the lead at the Heritage Restaurant and has worked to remove
canned and prepacked items in favor of creating more in-house.
All five courses highlighted what can be done when a
talented chef is given an opportunity to experiment with different styles,
techniques and ingredients. Nowhere was that more evident than our third
course: three scallops each served with its own unique accompaniment.
Chef Brandon introduced them from right to left. First, the
mint pea was a thick puree that was reminiscent of the best pea soup with just
a touch of mint to add a little brightness. In the middle was a sun-dried
tomato pesto (more on this in a moment). And on the left, a saffron orange
aioli. I appreciated the tanginess but I have never been a big fan of aioli.
But the sun-dried tomato pesto may have been the best thing
I have tasted in a long time. Instead of pistachio, it featured crushed
almonds. It had a wonderful smoky flavor throughout, and it worked so perfectly
with the buttery scallop (which were all cooked perfectly, nicely seared
without being burnt). I have never been a fan of seafood of any kind, but I
would gladly order scallops every day if they came with that pesto.
Tamara had told us that in his quest to put together the
perfect menu, Chef Brandon had gone through 15 iterations of the menu and tried
many different items. One of those, a blueberry venison sausage sounded amazing
but was “awful.” Thankfully, that didn’t make it onto our plates as
an entree.
Instead, we were treated to wagyu steak with lemon-lime finishing salt and chimichurri sauce, served with a couscous and quinoa mixture that was also topped with lemon-lime seasoning.
Wagyu beef, as Chef Brandon pointed out, is a type of beef
from Japan known for its high marbling and richness. A meat with high marbling
has more fat in the lean cuts, creating a more flavorful meat. It was clear
from the first bite that the meat was high quality. I would normally order my
food a little less pink than what was presented, but it was so good that I
didn’t mind at all.
What really set the dish apart was the lemon-lime finishing
salt. There was enough on the meat to give a taste, but there was even more
dusted in the corners of the plate. And adding that little bit of extra salt
turned this into an A-plus dish. It managed to bring out even more flavors from
the meat and was the perfect compliment.
I enjoyed the chimichurri sauce with the beef as well. It
added a tangy layer to the dish. But honestly, I would have been content with
just the sweet salt.
Chef Brandon tell us a little more about the course we’re about to eat.
When there is so much flavor on the plate, the quinoa and
couscous just couldn’t compare. It had a light seasoning, but the grains felt
boring compared to the other items on the plate and those we had already tried.
Four courses in and we were anxious to see what would be
coming for dessert. We had tried a lot of food, but the portions had been
perfect so there was still just enough room for the special treat that would
complete the meal.
The dessert course was a sight to behold. Each plate
featured a sponge cake topped with fresh strawberries, chocolate mousse,
chipotle raspberry sea salt, another layer of sponge cake, banana whipped cream
and a strawberry sugar dust.
Photo Credit: Cathy Cuff-Coffman
I don’t think there was anyone in the room that didn’t love
this. With just the chocolate mousse and perfectly baked sponge cake, the dish
would have been a winner. But the addition of the sea salt and the sugar put it
over the top.
First, the chipotle raspberry sea salt hit in so many ways.
The added salt enhanced all of the sweet flavors while the chipotle gave it
just the slightest bit of heat that was surprising and wonderful.
Then there was the strawberry sugar dust. Chef Brandon
described it as a homemade Pixie Stick. He took dehydrated strawberries and ran
them through a food processor before blending them with sugar. It really did
taste like a candy topping, a concentrated sweetness that helped highlight the
natural sweetness from the fresh fruit.
I don’t think there could have been a better way to end the
meal.
Owner Tamara King with Chef Brandon
The prix fixe dinners are a new concept for the Heritage.
Everyone received comment cards and were asked to rate every part of the meal –
but from the table talk, it sounded like rave reviews from all those in
attendance.
Now that I have experienced the Heritage for the first time,
I am looking forward to returning and bringing Julie and Jakob along. I’m sure
I won’t be getting wagyu steak or a strawberry salad, but I’m confident that I
will love the burgers, sandwiches and entrees found on the regular menu.
After my meal, the Heritage is now at the top of my list of
places to re-visit.
BCE Rating Food: Excellent Service: Excellent Ambiance: Good Value: N/A
Heritage Restaurant 6016 Morgantown Rd (Route 10) Morgantown, PA 19543
In the first five years of Berks County Eats, we have taken 19 road trips to select restaurants around Pennsylvania – some near, some far; some good, some bad – but all of them notable.
We’ve done less road trips recently – only two in 2018 – but there are a select number of noteworthy restaurants still worth traveling for and writing about.
One of those is Lancaster’s Belvedere Inn.
The Belvedere was recently ranked as one of the Top 100 most romantic restaurants in the country by users of OpenTable so it seemed like the perfect place for a pre-Valentine’s Day dinner.
Among the growing downtown dining scene in downtown Lancaster, The Belvedere is the elder statesman. The Victorian-style mansion was converted to a restaurant in 1998, long before the city’s recent restaurant Renaissance.
The restaurant sits on the corner of Queen and Lemon Streets, and while it doesn’t offer private off-street parking, there’s a public garage right behind the restaurant (we spent $4 to park).
Candlelight and mirrors add glow to the dining areas. Highlights of the dining room – really two or three rooms that have been opened up to create a space that spans the depth of the building – include a stunning chandelier, a large fireplace and the leopard print carpet (still trying to understand that one).
The Belvedere’s menu is fitting of a romantic restaurant: higher end entrees with a range of appetizers and desserts and a robust drink list.
As we were celebrating, Julie ordered a roasted vanilla pear. The mixed drink was made with vanilla vodka, St. Germaine, roasted pear puree, pineapple and citrus soda with a ring of sugar around the glass for even more sweetness, which is what she was looking for.
I had been to the Belvedere once for a business meeting so I knew all about their famous grilled Caesar salad, and I was thrilled to see that they had a petite version on the dinner menu so we could both order it as an appetizer.
Caesar salads are always enjoyable, but the Belvedere’s grilled Caesar is on another level. First, grilling the Romaine just adds such a different feel to it and somehow enhances the flavor that’s already there. The dressing is excellent, and it’s topped with plenty of croutons and cheese.
On my first visit six months ago, I had the full version as a lunch entree (with grilled chicken). I thought I had overhyped it for Julie, but she was not disappointed. It’s an excellent start to a meal – or a meal in and of itself.
Getting it as an appetizer allowed us to try some of their other entrees. I decided on the four-hour braised short ribs, served with red wine demi, green beans and three cheese macaroni gratin.
The meat was excellent with enough fat to make it flavorful but not too much to take away from the meat. The demi was semi-sweet and really helped highlight the flavors of the meat. It was very well done and very satisfying.
I enjoyed the macaroni gratin – a grown-up mac and cheese with a flavorful crust on top. The green beans were fine and made better by the fact that they were also sitting in the red wine demi. Overall, I was very happy with my choice.
Julie was also happy with her decision to order the crab-stuffed lobster tail, a special of the day.
It was one of the best lobsters she has ever had. The crab and lobster were both very good and neither overpowered the other. And she was thrilled to not find any crab shell in the filling.
It was served with fingerling potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Both were simple but enjoyable.
As is usually the case when we enjoy a romantic night out, we couldn’t leave without sharing dessert. All of the options sounded decadent, but we decided on the layered chocolate mousse.
It featured chocolate mousse, vanilla cake, Grand Marnier, orange zest and raspberries. It was sweet and satisfying. The mousse was chilled, making it much denser and more solid. The cake was nice, but my favorite part were the bites with raspberry. The fresh berries just added a nice flavor note.
The meal was close to perfect. The only real hiccup was that the assistant server didn’t bring the rolls and butter around until after our entrees. Honestly, though, we could have done without the rolls. It’s not that they weren’t good, but we had more than enough food with what we had ordered.
On special occasions like Valentine’s Day, we always expect to spend more than we would for almost any other meal, and that was the case here. Our final total was $120, and while we won’t go out of our way to spend that on a meal, we don’t mind it once or twice a year.
Between the food and ambiance, it is easy to see how a restaurant like the Belvedere could make it onto anyone’s list of most romantic restaurants.
After our visit, it certainly makes our list.
BCE Rating Food: Excellent Ambiance: Excellent Service: Very Good Price: Expensive
The Belvedere Inn 402 N. Queen St Lancaster, PA 17603
Some restaurants serve a very specific niche. They identify and fill a need for the community around them.
In a college town like Kutztown, there are students from all walks of life. Along Main Street, there are what feels like an endless number of restaurants that are casting a wide net – pizza and bar food that appeal to a wide range of students and locals, alike.
But then there are places like Hive, a local organic farm-to-table cafe.
The appeal for Hive is that it doesn’t have mass appeal. It’s tucked away along Sacony Alley, only one street off Main Street, but it feels like a mile away. The alley is quiet. Instead of storefronts, it’s dominated by the backyards – or back parking lots – of homes and businesses.
The “front door” for Hive looks more like the backdoor to a warehouse. Essentially, it is. The space that houses the cafe is repurposed industrial – a large room that would otherwise be very sterile and cold if not for the vibrant metal tables and chairs, the beautifully drawn menu signs, and the shelves of organic produce.
It was a quiet Sunday, just after 12 noon when we arrived. There was just one table in use. We claimed the other four-person table and brought over a high chair for Jakob before placing our order at the counter.
Hive’s menu – full of vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian options, all organic – expands on Sundays, when additional brunch items supplement the regular lunch menu.
I ordered the heaviest out of the three of us – opting for both a noodle bowl and a smoothie.
My fin sùt sùt red Thai curry featured rice noodles, spiraled zucchini, carrots, kale, cilantro, lime wedges and scallions in a Thai curry sauce.
Like a pho noodle bowl, the sauce was a thin broth. Rather than a soup with vegetables cooked in the broth, many of the vegetables were placed on top of the noodle bed – the carrots added raw and uncooked.
The broth was definitely kicking, spicy enough to clear out my sinuses but not too spicy that I couldn’t enjoy the dish. This is where most of the flavor came from as rice noodles are rather plain on their own. Aside from the broth, it was a bowl of individual flavors, but I enjoyed it throughout.
I was also glad to have the smoothie to ease the heat – especially because the one glass of spring water – though served in a very cool beaker – didn’t last very long.
It was the “Queen Bee,” a strawberry banana smoothie with almond milk and bee pollen. I was a fan. It was sweet, but not overly sweet. It definitely helped cool down my burning mouth as well.
For her meal, Julie went with the smoked mozzarella and mushroom panini. It was served on a locally made ciabatta bread. It was simple, but delicious. The smoky flavor of the cheese really shined through. And the mushrooms made for a nice, flavorful filler.
Her sandwich came with a mixed green salad that was served as an appetizer. It featured spring mix, beets, carrots and a strong, but enjoyable, balsamic dressing. The carrots were raw and cut thick so they were a little more challenging, but the beets added a nice note to the salad. And everything tasted like it came right out of the garden that day.
Hive offers two kids items – a grilled cheese and the a PB&J. We ordered the grilled cheese because it’s something we know he has eaten at daycare. But I can tell you, they don’t serve it like this at daycare.
The grilled cheese featured a sharp cheddar that was bright orange and full of flavor. And the wheat bread from Daily Loaf Bakery was delicious, especially toasted as it was. Jakob (and mommy and daddy) thoroughly enjoyed it. He finished half of it at the restaurant. The other half went home in a box with the banana that was served as a side (he also got a juice box with his kids meal).
A lot of times, “organic” is synonymous with “pricey,” but I thought our meal was very reasonable. For a noodle bowl, panini, smoothie and a kids meal, we paid just under $40. I would pay that again for our meal.
Hive serves a specific niche, sure, but the food is definitely good enough to expand the customer base. Yes, the cafe specializes in vegan, vegetarian and organic foods. But it’s a cafe first.
And it’s a good one at that.
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Service: Good Ambiance: Fair Price: Reasonable
One of the places that has been on my list to try for a long time isn’t really a restaurant. It’s more of a grocery store. But it’s also so much more than that.
Russo Market is a little off the beaten path, away from Penn Ave along Bern Road in Wyomissing, near the Works, Building 24 and Gold’s Gym.
Julie has enjoyed many lunches at Russo, but never with me. I finally had the chance to change that on a recent afternoon.
The drab exterior of Russo Market had not prepared me for the vast market inside. The building opens up to aisles of pasta, imported sauces, beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), frozen treats, and other foods from Italy, Greece and beyond.
At the back of the market is the hot and prepared foods area. There are sheets of Sicilian pizza waiting to take another trip through the oven; a hot bar filled with meals like lasagna, meatballs and fried mozzarella; and a large salad bar that’s better than most restaurants.
There’s even an olive bar with more types of olives than I knew existed.
Guests can do their grocery shopping, grab lunch (or dinner – Russo is open until the early evening most days) and pay for everything together at the registers near the entrance. For those dining in, there’s a nice dining area with booths, tables and mini curtains to separate diners from the checkout area.
I was excited to try the pizza so I ordered two kinds: pepperoni and margherita.
The Sicilian-style pies featured a slightly thicker dough with a small crust around the edges. Both squares were end pieces so they had nice crusts.
The pepperoni pie was your basic Sicilian pizza, but I really liked the pepperoni choice. They were a little spicier and more flavorful than at some restaurants, and it made it more enjoyable.
On the margherita, I was very impressed. What looked like just a pile of mozzarella, tomato and basil actually was a delicious meal. Each ingredient was fresh and full of flavor, and even though I never had a bite with all three toppings at once, I enjoyed it from start to finish.
Across the table from me, Julie had built quite the salad for herself. Among the greens, she added carrots, mozzarella, cucumber, red pepper, pepperoni, tomato, bacon bits, croutons, tortellini pasta salad and her personal favorite, tuna salad.
Tuna salad is one of Julie’s favorite foods, and Russo has the best around, according to her expert opinion (I am not a fan of tuna or mayo so I will take her word for it).
Her eyes were a little too big for her stomach. Declaring she was getting full, Julie started skipping the salad and eating just “the good stuff.”
It’s really no surprise that the foods at the market are so good. Russo is also a wholesale distributor, supplying ingredients to Italian restaurants all around the region.
For our meals, plus a water, an iced tea, and a quart of soup to take home, we spent around $25. It was only after our lunch that we explored the market more, salivating over the bakery section with homemade cannoli, tiramisu and more desserts that we could no longer fit in our stomachs.
But now that I have finally enjoyed my first taste of Russo, I have no doubt that I will be back to enjoy even more of their Italian meals (and sweets).
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Ambiance: Good Service: Good Price: Reasonable
