Fall Day Trip Idea: Wyebrook Farm

We visited Wyebrook Farm at the tail end of fall last year, so we held off sharing that experience until now. Just about an hour from Center City in Honey Brook, PA, it's a great destination to get your fix of fall colors, farm animals, hot cider and a delicious farm-to-table lunch.

Grab a burger and cider at The Café window and sit outside at one of the picnic tables. We got there early but by 12 or 1pm all the tables in the photo above were packed with families making a full afternoon out of their visit. As you can see, dogs are welcome, too.

The grass-fed beef, heritage pork, pastured chicken, lamb and goat dishes served are all raised at Wyebrook Farm and vegetables are sourced from other local organic farmers. Some days there is live music and you can always bring your own wine or beer. The Café is open Wednesday - Saturday, 11AM - 4PM.

Hoagie Quest: PrimoHoagies in Ardmore

What does it mean when two cops are known on a first name basis at your local PrimoHoagies? A high likelihood that you've come to a quality place.

Jokes aside, Primo (at least the Ardmore location) does make a darn good Italian hoagie. That’s a good sign for hoagie hunters because, with more than 80 franchise locations, an authentic, high-quality and convenient hoagie is never too far away.

The Italian comes with prosciutto, hot capicola, natural casing Genoa salami and provolone. Freshly sliced meat was a pleasant surprise and packed the flavor that the Italian hoagie at Pastificio lacked. The capicola stole the show as its spicy kick really came through on each bite.

The soft vs. hard balance of the bread was just about right and made for tasteful bites without the chewy feeling. I also liked the amount of oil that was used, which is too often underdone for my taste.

I would have liked more sharp in the provolone so next time I'll go with the sharp version instead of the regular. The tomatoes were also bland and it didn't seem like the onions were cut fresh. But, hey at least they didn't ask if I wanted mayo - not bad for a chain!

PrimoHoagies is not in the same class as Salumeria or Paesano's in our Hoagie Quest, but definitely one to keep on your short list depending on your location.

Hot Dogs at The Beer Shoppe in Ardmore

The Beer Shoppe is part of the mini beer renaissance taking place in Ardmore, Pa., where I work, that includes Tired Hands and a soon-to-open Iron Hill Brewery. The Beer Shoppe is located in a strip mall near the Ardmore liquor store.

As the name reflects, The Beer Shoppe is a bottle shop with an impressive array of between 800 and 1000 bottles of beer. You can find most anything and some rather unique beer ideas. I took home the Noble Rot from Dogfish Head, which is brewed with grape must, and DuClaw's Exile 4, a macchiato milk stout made with espresso verdi.

The beer selection is reason enough to check out The Beer Shoppe, but the small bar located in the back of the store is another draw. The Draft Bar has two rotating taps that you can choose to drink at the bar or take home in a growler. Note: Mondays from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. it has half price growlers!

The back bar's Vienna hot dogs are the highlight, though. Vienna Beef dogs were used back in the Great Depression when the original Chicago Style dog with "salad" on top was born, so The Beer Shoppe menu includes Chicago Style as well as Chili, Kraut and Texas Hold 'Em hot dogs. Some dogs are a combination of the listed ingredients. I ordered the Chicago Style and the Texas Hold 'Em.

The Chicago dog comes with mustard, a pickle, onions, relish, tomatoes and a few hot peppers. This was easily my favorite of the two. At only $3.25 it’s a good deal, too.

Mina Cucina: Suburban Italian BYOB

Mina Cucina Rustica is a tiny BYOB located in a small shopping center in the Spring House/Ambler area of Montgomery County, Pa. Local residents might recognize the Wawa across the street that has been there for more than 20 years.

Exterior photo from Patch.com

We heard about Mina Cucina through my parents who have been many times and known the Bompartito family since my father coached their son in high school. The family also owns A Taste of Italy, a Di Bruno Bros. type store that is quite popular in the area.

Clearly, Mina Cucina was an ideal candidate to put through the paces of The Nana Test.

The Best Cheesesteak in the Philadelphia Suburbs?

What’s the best cheesesteak in Philadelphia? It’s a debate that has raged for decades. We haven’t stepped into the conversation on this blog mostly because we do not have a strong opinion, plus enough other locals have opined ad nauseam.

However, I can tell you the best cheesesteak in the Lansdale, Pa. area - the one that I’ll plan an entire day around getting - the cheesesteak at Ray's Pizzeria & Restaurant.

My mouth waters just thinking about making the trip to my hometown to get one. Ray’s delivers on all the key attributes of a great cheesesteak, including a good roll, quality steak and being made fresh to order.

The amount of meat stuffed into the roll compared to other good cheesesteaks is what I love most about Ray’s, though. Nothing disappoints me more than when a cheesesteak is not filled with enough meat. This happens more often than you think. Come on folks, fill 'er up. And yes, that can even include the likes of Pat’s, Geno’s, Jim’s, etc.

Just look at this shot - it's stuffed to brim.

Cheesesteak from Ray's Pizzeria & Restaurant

As you can see, I order my cheesesteak from Ray’s with sauce and onions. It's how my family has ordered at Ray’s for as long as I can remember and I stick with tradition. The sweetness of the red sauce is a perfect complement to the American cheese. Ray's also uses a healthy dose of onions, cut thick instead of chopped thin.

Guest Post: Media, Pa., is a Hit with Foodies in the 'Burbs

A guest post from one of our Suburban contributors, my sister Julie...

The city of Philadelphia isn’t the only place in the tri-state area where you can get a nice diversity of culinary delights. For the past decade, I have made the Borough of Media, Delaware County, my home and go-to place for dining out. Media is the county seat which makes it not just a dinner community but a lunch one as well – a place for county workers, lawyers, and jurors to appease any craving during the work week.