Recently in restaurants Category

We went to the White Rose for dinner Monday night, and when the host asked if we wanted in the dining room or on the "heated patio," I pointed the patio mainly out of curiosity.

I wondered what it would be like out there now that the temperatures have cooled. I noticed that the restaurant was planning to install a heavy plastic curtain when the item passed through the city's HARB agenda. I wondered how much that would actually help. But on Monday, I have to say, it wasn't too bad on the patio. Granted, it was a warmer day and I suspect the heat wasn't cranked up too much, but I was OK while we ate dinner.

I'm always cold, so I was still a little chilly, but I've been colder inside restaurants.

Anyone else eaten on the patio since they put up the plastic?

On Friday night, I went home from work to find that both my fiance and I were too lazy to cook dinner.

So we debated where to go. We talked about some downtown options, but it was raining a bit (and I had spent all day in the rain at the York Fair) and we didn't want to walk through it. So somehow, the conversation turned to the suburban options.

We headed to Chili's in West Manchester Township. People were waiting outside because there it was packed inside. The host told us the wait would be 45 minutes.

No, thank you.

We headed out and toured through the parking lots of several nearby restaurants. Same situation: people packed into the lobbies, spilling out the doors.

Eventually, we said forget it and headed back into the city, parking our car behind the White Rose and heading in. We still had to wait - maybe 15 minutes - but at least we got to do so in chairs at the bar.

And there was a Chesapeake burger (that's the one with the hot crab dip on top) at the end. So worth it.

We should have just headed downtown in the first place.

Bistro 19 is one of those places I've often thought about going, but I didn't get there until this week. I like to get downtown for lunch, but my schedule doesn't always allow it. But I had some interviews downtown on Thursday, so I was able to head in for lunch.

I had the monte cristo, and my lunch partner had the pulled pork. Both were pretty yummy. I was a fan of the skinny, beer-battered fries, too. I wasn't sure what to expect price-wise, but both of our sandwiches came in at about $8 each. Not bad. It was pretty busy that day, and I saw quite a few juror tags around the room. But we were in and out in about 40 minutes.

I couldn't help but notice a good number of people milling around the Double D's stand in the square on our way out. Hot dogs appear to be a pretty good business.

(File photo at right taken by Paul Kuehnel.)

Today I had a 1 p.m. appointment with someone at the York Coffee Company, and my stomach was growling.

On the counter, there was a glass case of Confectionately Yours cookies. I've heard about this new York cookie biz. I'd seen people become fans on Facebook. I'd seen the jar at Mezzogiorno, but it was always empty. So I'd never had one.

A few at the coffee shop had peanut butter cups on them. I cannot resist peanut butter cups. So I bought one ($1, I think?) and it was yummy.

I did a Google search when I got back and it looks like the business has a blog, though it hasn't been updated in a while. The Facebook page looks more up to date (and, it assures me, the Mezzogiorno jar has been filled).

Today, I decided that I need to venture out to city restaurants more.

I get in a rut and stick with my favorites. But there are quite a few out there that I haven't tried: Pho Bistro, Esaan, the new Mi Caldero Restaurant and Deli. Those are all relatively new, but I know there are some longtime restaurants I haven't been to, either.

And there are a few I tried once and haven't made it back. I had a yummy ... something ... at La Carreta once, but I haven't gotten back in. I've been meaning to return to the Colonial Coffee Shop for breakfast, but somehow haven't.

I need to come up with a rotating schedule or something ... and figure out how to fund it. But what restaurants should I put on my list?


(The photo above, by Bil Bowden, shows Esaan co-owner Sam Delp giving a sample of Thai dessert to a customer.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the possible opening of a new restaurant on North Penn Street and wondered what it is.

Turns out, I should have asked food reporter Wade Malcolm. He had a story last week about two new spots (the one at the former Lovie's Restaurant location and another in Central Market) opening, both hoping to call themselves Sabor Latino. And that's not allowed.

So apparently, the North Penn Street restaurant decided to become El Sabor Latino and the Central Market stand went for Mimi's Latin Flavour.

Read Wade's story here.
 

The other day, I noticed a "coming soon" sign for Sabor Latino in the first block of North Penn Street. It appeared to be in the same location that Lovie's Restaurant once was. (I didn't even realize Lovie's was gone ...)

When I ran "Sabor Latino" through our archives, I found some old stories about a restaurant of the same name but located in the 500 block of East Market Street. But the stories were from 2002 or earlier, so I don't know if that restaurant is still around.

I'm not sure if the North Penn sign is a new place or maybe a relocation of another restaurant but having another option can't be bad.

Last evening after work I went for a walk downtown and noticed a three new businesses.

First, on North Queen Street we saw a sign advertising restaurant space. It would be great to have a neighborhood place to grab some grub. Here's to hoping it's open after 6 p.m.




Less than a block after the restaurant space, there's signs all over a vacant warehouse right next to the train tracks. More loft apartments. Sounds like a cool idea. Here's to hoping the rent is less than $1,000.




Finally, we were walking up North George Street and saw a sign saying a new restaurant is coming to the former MB & Company, 19 N. George St. There's a press release taped to the window that says the new place will be called Bistro19. I took a picture of it (I didn't have a notebook with me) but it turned out a little blurry, so here's a staff file photo of MB & Company, which opened in August.




 

Forgive me if I'm just behind on this one, but over the weekend I noticed a sign for a new Thai restaurant at the old National Grill, in the first block of North Beaver Street.

Esaan has a Web site up with its menu posted. Looks yummy. The site says it will open in early 2009.

Yesterday, I had lunch at Mezzogiorno in Central Market.

It was hopping, as usual. We had to stalk for a table for a few minutes before snagging a pair of barstools.

While eating, I saw a friend, two sources that I'd recently interviewed and a political candidate. I noticed several people chatting with each other as they passed or having conversations from opposite sides of the bar.

It made me think about places where everyone knows each other and socializes over food. I wrote a story a year ago about Colonial Coffee Shop on South George Street, which attracts a crowd of regulars for breakfast. They chat about the world's problems, and some made longtime friends on the way. And it seems both of the city's markets have become places to not only eat and shop but also meet with friends.

So, where else does this kind of thing happen? Do you have a favorite lunch or brunch spot in the city?