A Hop and a Skip Away: Day Trip to Brandywine, Pennsylvania

New York City does not have the corner on fine dining. Some of my favorite places to visit and dine at are only about two hours away. 

Last year we visited my friend Patty in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where we had the chance to try the delicious tapas of Iron Chef Garces at Chifa and a few other restaurants he owns with his brothers. 

This year I went back to visit the Brandywine area of Pennsylvania and visited the Simon Pearce Glassblowing Workshop; Restaurant located in West Chester, PA. You can learn how to blow your own glass or enjoy a tasting of wine in their beautiful riverfront restaurant. Chef Karen Nicolas (who used to work at Gramercy Tavern) does her magic with seasonal and local ingredients. The meat and vegetables are supplied by local farms and served by a knowledgeable staff. I had tender octopus salad and pan-seared striped bass with artichokes.  At the end of the night, I was given a loaf of nice warm olive bread baked right out of their kitchen. 

Festive brunch with homemade and local ingredients

Weekend Trip: Philadelphia

For years my friend Patty has been inviting me to visit her home in Philadelphia.

This past weekend a bunch of friends and I hopped on Eastern Bus on the Lower East Side of New York City.  

A 7pm bus got us there in time for our 9 o'clock dinner reservation.

We sampled 20 or so tapas style dishes for a delicious meal at Chifa, one of four
restaurants owned by Garces Brothers.

The next morning after a brisk walk by the Delaware River all of us started cooking
and then sat down to a three hour brunch including scrambled eggs with truffles and gruyere, mimosas, fresh-picked strawberries from a local farm and a few side dishes.