The Whip Tavern

1383 North Chatham Road
Coatesville, PA
$39 for two pints, one appetizer and two entrees

She Said:

He took me on a date today - sweet! We took an hour drive out to the rural part of Coatesville, PA, taking in all the scenery and rusticity (is that a word??), and stopped for lunch at The Whip Tavern.

It's in an old building full of charm. There was a big fireplace when we walked in and open beams on the ceiling. The decor is all fox hounds and hunting horses. The fare is mostly from the British Isles, which I simply love.

We both started with a draught Tetley pint. This is a great ale and a safe bet if you're faced with a list of regional beers that you don't know. In hindsight, I should have gotten a Guiness. It would have fit better. Next time.

We split an appetizer of Welsh rarebit. It was my first time having that little treat. English Cheddar and Stilton cheeses blended with Smithwick's Irish Ale (another great ale) and served with toasted crostini. It was really, really delicious and I am bound and determined now to make it at home.

For the main part of the meal, I had their Beef on Weck. It's close to what you might think of as a French dip but much heartier. Thinly sliced beef served on a Kummelweck roll, served with au jus and horseradish. And chips, of course. I never heard of a Kummelweck roll but I am very glad that I tried it. It's a soft roll with a thin crust and it's just covered with caraway seeds. More seeds than you can possibly imagine. (When we were done, there were caraway seeds EVERYWHERE!) In looking up this sandwich, it turns out that it's German in origin, rather than from the British Isles. Still, it was delicious!

We were too stuffed for dessert but we heard that the sticky pudding was amazing! Again, next time.

Charlie's

336 Kedron Ave
Folsom, PA
$13 for 2 singles, 2 specials and 1 black-and-white shake

He Said:

There are some unbelievable dining experiences in this world that everyone should try at least once. Let's see, there's Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia, PA, El Bulli in Spain, Chez Panisse in Berkely, CA, and Noma in Copenhagen, just to name a few. And while these are, indeed, fine eating establishments, I think that it's high time that an oft-overlooked gem gets added to this list. That restaurant is, of course, Charlie's Hamburgers in Folsom, PA.

Ok, maybe Charlie's doesn't have the same snooty ambience as those other places, and maybe if you don't order quite right you might get yelled at, and maybe the buns are just a tad greasy, but when you take your first (and second and third and fourth) bite of that skinny little burger with super creamy cheese (I suspect that it's Velveeta) you just can't help but to let out a little moan. Mmmmmmm. That's some damn good eatin'!

Now, I do understand that it may be a little intimidating to order at first if you don't know the rules so I am here to help you out. Here's an example of a perfect order:

"Hi. I'll have two double cheese loaded, one special, two bags of chips and two black and whites for here." Then you go sit at the counter. Or the window bar. There are no tables.

See? Simple really. Just remember a few basic facts and you are good to go.

One: No fries. You will definitely get yelled at if you order fries. This ain't no Burger King!
Two: No bacon, lettuce, mushrooms, guacomole or anything else weird.
Three: Charlie's is not open on Tuesdays. Never has been, never will be.
And four: If you go, please pick up a few burgers for me. I am always in the mood for Charlie's!

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She Said:

Charlie's. Just the name makes me drool. No, I'm serious. I now have to go clean up my keyboard.

OK, sorry, that was a bit gross. But, oh my ever-lovin' goodness, these are the best hamburgers on the planet! We get to go once, maybe twice, a year. We're actually starting to try and calculate whether or not it's worth the drive just for the heck of it. I'm thinking it is.

These burgers are yum-inspiring. There is no speaking for me while eating one of these, unless it is to proclaim my disbelief at how good they are. I was introduced to Charlie's years ago when I lived closer than I do now. The ride was about 15 minutes and, looking back, I don't understand why I didn't get there more often. My kids loved it, I loved it - everyone loved it! Now it's about an hour away - I missed my opportunities!

While I'm still a little frightened when approaching the ordering counter, I hold my head up high and order two singles with everything (or maybe I should be saying "loaded" - I don't know) and a black-and-white milkshake (they're big enough to split with your loving husband and made with some of the best-tasting ice cream I've ever had).

Sidle up to the counter, order yourself some of this goodness, and enjoy the ride! It's a pleasure worth seeking again and again.

Maybe I'll see you there this afternoon!

Seven Stars Inn

263 Hoffecker Rd, Phoenixville, PA 19460
$89 for one appetizer and two entrees, no beverages

She Said:

This one was a poll winner a while back and we never went because, well, because we started eating sensibly and losing a little weight. But, I logged onto their website yesterday and found out that Tuesdays are BYO night! Huzzah!! So I made an early reservation and we headed out tonight. We brought a bottle of Ridge Zinfandel with us (around $28).

Um, I'm going to tell you that the amount of food you get is enough to choke a horse - especially if you get one of the steaks! I didn't get one of the steaks - this time - but what I did have stuffed me full to the brim. Here's how the food went:

1. There was a bowl of cheese and crackers on the table. How fun! We each had one (we knew we were in for a big dinner).

2. We split an appetizer that wasn't even on the menu (the waitress suggested it) - it was a jumbo lump crabmeat cocktail. Simply delicious! It was chunky crab but delicate and very flavorful - plus their cocktail sauce was excellent.

3. The warm sourdough bread that they served with perfectly softened butter was splendid. So light and delicious - great!

4. The dinner came with a tossed salad, your choice of dressing. I went with Russian, since I haven't had it for quite a while. The salad ingredients were very fresh and crisp - well done!

5. As an entree, I had the Sautéed Lobster, Shrimp, Scallops, Crabmeat in wine and cream sauce. The scallops stole the show - they were sublime! Truly sublime! And that huge piece of lobster tail in there? That was no slouch either! The sauce was wonderful - decadent and scrumptious.

And that's all she wrote. (I'll let "He" tell you about his dinner.) Oh, the dinner came with 2 veggies, which were fine. I had the pickled red beets and creamed peas. Those were not really anything to write home about but who goes to Seven Stars for the veggies?? I could not get over the price. If you don't pay for beverages and can't possibly eat dessert, it turns out that, even if you pay $34 for an entree, it just doesn't cost that much for 2 people to eat there. An incredible surprise!

We will be back. Probably next Tuesday night. To have dinner with our new friends, Mr. & Mrs. Very Rich (we want them to adopt us). Great meal - great dinner companion (as always). I'm very glad we went.

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He Said

Last night She and I finally got over to the Seven Stars Inn located in the beautiful outskirts of Phoenixville, PA, and I must say that I was very impressed. The first thing that I noticed was the building itself. Chock-a-Block full of history and charm. Fancy-ish but comfortable. I believe that the restaurant was established in 1736 or 1492 or 10,000 B.C. or something old like that. Nice place. Really nice. The next thing that I noticed was the service. Everyone there was very nice and actually seemed pleased that we decided to grace them with our presence. We were about to be seated at a table when the hostess noticed a tiny stain on the tablecloth. She was not happy. She sat us at a different table and proceeded to get someone to change that tablecloth. I liked that.

Then there's the food.

I ordered the House specialty which is Prime Rib. You know that giant slab of meat that flips Fred Flinstone's car on its side? Yeah, that's what I had. This thing was GI-NORMOUS! It was 32oz or 40oz or 10,000 B.C. or something huge like that and was absolutely delicious! Perfectly seasoned, well cooked and, did I mention, GI-NORMOUS! I also had some side dishes which were all fine, but the star of the show was definitely that steak.

Top off all this greatness with the fact that Tuesday's are BYOB nights (making our huge dinner less than $90 for two!) and you've got yourself some regulars, my friends. Plus, the Inn is only about 10 minutes from our house. Sweet!

Jimmy John's 'Pipin' Hot Sandwiches

1507 Wilmington Pike West Chester, PA
Total: $10 for 2 specials, 2 small fries and 2 black and white shakes; $4 for 2 junior dogs

He Said:

Mmmm...hot dogs. Who doesn't love hot dogs? I know that She and I do and that has set us on a life long quest to find the perfect wiener. The next contender was a place that I have seen about a thousand times in my life but never stopped in - Jimmy John's out in West Chester, PA. The place has been there since 1940 and it (charmingly) shows. Wooden booths that look like they have about 100 coats of paint on them, black and white photos of customers from years gone by and trains. Man, do they have a cool bunch of trains, many of which cost a quarter to see them run. Very fun.

Ahh, but what about the hot dogs, you ask? Well, I think that the life long quest continues as these were not the best I've ever tasted, but they certainly weren't bad. I knew that we were in my kind of place when we were served by a slightly surly girl who yelled out our order to the cooks in the back. We ended up getting two kinds of dogs, the "Special Frankfurter" which had a pretty substantial casing (which took a little getting used to - POP!) and the "skinless" hot dog, which surly girl called a "Junior". Both dogs were good (I liked the "Special" a little more than the "Skinless" and I think that She was the opposite) but the rolls were great. Very soft and fresh.

Worth the trip? I think so, but probably as much to just see the joint as to eat the dogs. Chooo-chooooo!

Heh. I love trains.
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She Said:

There are few things in this world that I like more than hot dogs. Any kind - steamed, grilled, fried - whatever. I love 'em. We took a trip to Jimmy John's 'Pipin' Hot Sandwiches today for lunch. I was really looking forward to their "Special Frankfurter," as reviewed at HollyEats.com.

Naturally, we were shy as we'd never been here before and it sure gave off the air of being one of those local places where everyone knows how to order since they've been eating here since 1940. But we muddled through and ordered two special frankfurters, two small fries and two small black-and-white shakes. Our order was ready in less than 3 minutes, I swear. We looked down at these squat, plump hot dogs in their interesting-looking bun and wondered what made them "special." There was nothing on them. Nothing. These were two naked dogs! We walked to the fixin's bar and fixed them. I opted for mustard and sauerkraut.

We sat down in a booth at the back of the place and took a bite. POP! Seriously - they popped. These hot dogs are in natural casings and I suppose I'm just not used to that. Every bite popped and it sort of unnerved me. The hot dogs were very tasty and my choice of mustard and sauerkraut was perfect but I couldn't really get past the popping skin.

We weren't completely full at the end of our meal so I headed back up to the counter to try something different. I ordered two skinless dogs - one with chili and cheese for Him and one with just cheese for me. These are their junior dogs. They are split down the middle and filled with whatever you ordered. Still served on these terrific rolls, they were quite a bit different than the Specials. It's all about the texture, baby! I added ketchup, mustard and fried onions to my dog and enjoyed it thoroughly. Everything was very soft and tasty.

The place itself is worth mentioning. It's full of trains - they're all over the place! And while the tiny children who were in there were initially quite annoying, it was something else to see them watching the trains and model airplanes in the cases (25 cents to set them in motion). The booths and tables are very 60s old-fashioned - lots of coats of paint on everything but I don't think they've been updated in a very long time. It's charming and there's something fun to look at no matter where you rest your eyes.

But was it worth the 45-minute drive? Nah. The food was good but I'll keep on looking for the hot dog to end all hot dogs.

Black Lab Bistro

Phoenixville, PA
12/12/07 6:00 PM

Dinner was $110 for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and 2 desserts.

He Said:

"Be stern", I told myself. "No quarter asked or given! Ruthless reviews!", I decided as She and I headed to the Black Lab Bistro, a smaller but finer restaurant in the heart of newly refurbished Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Well, maybe I can be ruthless next review because, frankly, try as I may, I could find no fault in the entire evening.

We got there early, because we're old and that's what old people do, and were seated immediately by a very friendly hostess. The entire staff, all night actually, was superb. Courteous, helpful and not all up in your grill, if you know what I mean. I started my meal off with the Duck Confit Gyoza which was, ohmygod, delicious. Little duck egg rolls in a mango hoisin sauce. Wow! Then for dinner, because anything worth doing is worth over doing, I got the surf and turf. Filet Mignon (rare, please) covered in Bearnaise sauce, a nice sized broiled lobster tail and some assorted vegetables. I took my first bite of the filet and .....

*THUD*

Once revived, I launched into the lobster with drawn butter and ....

*THUD*

I think that the fainting was starting to annoy the staff but they were very kind and hardly mentioned it at all. Everything was cooked to melt in your mouth perfection. The rare steak was actually rare (but not purple), the lobster was firm but tender and ohsosweet. Even the veggies were tender and tasty. The Kentucky Pecan Tart with Bourbon Ice Cream that I had for dessert was very good but the real star of the show was the entree. Absolutely fabulous. Two enthusiastic thumbs up.

Oh, and did I mention the wine that we brought with? It was an unbelievably good 2003 Miner Cabernet Sauvignon. The waiter popped the cork (with ease, which is always a relief at a BYOB), I took my first sip and, you guessed it,...

*THUD*

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She Said:

The one in which I am as politically incorrect as I can be. I moaned and gasped through my appetizer - Bella Foie Gras (Sour Cherry Gastrique Sauce, Parsnip Puree, Micro Cilantro) - I do so love me some foie gras! I made yummy noises all the way through my entree - Veal Tenderloin Medallions (Tart Apples, Cippolini , Cider Reduction) served with smokey mashed potatoes, green beans and herbed carrots. And I was reduced to giggles by my dessert - Chevre Panna Cotta, Macerated Gran Marnier Strawberries with Pistachios.

Good lord! There is a reason that this is our favorite restaurant, folks! This was an unbelievable meal. And stop looking at me like that! I know it's not cool to eat foie gras or veal but, damn, I couldn't help myself! (I just hope the strawberries were not an endangered species...)

Oh, and since this place is a BYOB, we brought along an exquisite bottle of 2003 Miner Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville. Tremendous!! (A DEFINITE "1st Bottle of the Night" wine - very expensive for our normal price range - I think we paid $56 for it - but OH.SO.GOOD!)

Sly Fox Brewhouse & Eatery

Royersford, PA

11/24/07 2:00 PM

Lunch was $42 for 2 sandwiches with sides, 1 appetizer, and 4 beers.

He Said:
I was suffering through a bad case of the “I gotta have a cheeseburger” blues so we decided to hit the local Sly Fox Brewhouse & Eatery. About time, too, as this restaurant has been about three minutes from our house for several years. When we first walked in everything was pretty much as I expected, i.e. very much like Applebee’s or Chili’s or any number of eateries of that genre with lots of wood, brass and interesting stuff on the walls. No problem as I happen to like that sort of place. It feels comfortable. We were seated immediately in a booth (good) and the waitress was there to get us drinks inside of a minute (better!). Since this is a micro-brewery we decided to check out their beers. I was apprehensive as I find a lot of micro-brews to be too in-your-face. Like they have something to prove. I ordered the 10 oz. Black and Tan and this is when things really started to pick up. This beer was fantastic with a capital FAN! I was really pleasantly surprised. Later in the meal I ordered their Stout brew which, while good, couldn’t compete with the Black and Tan from earlier. Man, what a beer! Now, I’m getting thirsty again.

Anyway, we proceeded to order an appetizer of cheese quesadillas which was delicious. Plenty big, too! I was already feeling full before the main meal came. I particularly liked the onions and green peppers which were very nicely sautéed. For my main meal, I really wanted that aforementioned hamburger. They have a “build your own burger” option so I went with a mushroom Swiss burger. After a reasonable wait (I still had my Black and Tan so they could have taken two hours for all I cared!) our meal came out and Wow! Another home run on the burger! The roll was exceptional. The meat was lean and tasty. The mayonnaise was, well, mayonnaise-y. I had also ordered onion rings with my burger which turned out to be pretty standard fare. Nothing to write home about but perfectly fine.

No room for dessert so we paid our bill and headed out. All in all, a fine experience and I’m sure that we will be going back soon. I would like to belly up to their bar sometime as that seemed very nice.

Plus, I heard somewhere that they have a pretty good Black and Tan.

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She Said:
This was our first time to the Sly Fox, which is all of three minutes from our house and has been open for a couple of years now. We just never seemed to take the time to go. But that changed this weekend.

There is smoking allowed in the bar area and there is also a smoking section of the restaurant. It was pretty smoky when we walked in but, as we were escorted to the non-smoking section, the smell dissipated quickly.

Most of the beers on the menu are available in 10 oz. sizes, which is great for being able to get a taste of several different beers and still not worrying about the drive home. I had two beers altogether. I started with the Phoenix Pale Ale (I'm lager-intolerant) and it was good. It was spicy and had a bit of a fruity finish. I drank that one before the appetizer came out and I ordered my next beer - the Saison Vos, which is a Belgian-style ale. It had a much different flavor from the Pale Ale and it tasted more exotic than the first. I wasn't sure if I liked that one or not. I thought I did but was reserving judgment.

After my first couple of sips of beer, the appetizer arrived. We split a plate of cheese quesadillas. They were excellent! Lots of veggies and cheese inside and the onions and green peppers were caramelized - just like we like 'em! Even better? The beer was a great match. I think it was the spiciness of the beer that got along very nicely with the spices in the quesadilla.

Lunch was a pastrami reuben on grilled seeded rye. The pastrami was lean and there was just enough Russian dressing and cheese to make it gloopy but not overly messy. I chose cole slaw as the side. It was bit more vinegar-y than I usually prefer but it was still good. There was a lot of food!

The service was very friendly and fairly quick. All in all? Nothing to complain about and lots to compliment. It was a very good experience and we will be back!

P.S. They have a game room, complete with pool tables and video games! How fun is that? We didn't go to the bar but it looked nice - we'll check it out next time.