Bucks County Taste » People

The year in food: Bucks County 2011

Lynne Goldman — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:39:34 +0000

It’s common at this time of year to look back and reflect on the year that has been. It’s been a good one for Bucks County food. I’ve been privileged to write about many interesting people and great food. As I reviewed my posts, I decided that rather than do a “best of” piece, I’d share some of my favorites with you.

The year began cold as always but we were warmed by a wonderful scotch dinner at the Yardley Inn. This is an annual affair which takes place on the Sunday of Martin Luther King Day weekend. Even my husband – the bourbon aficionado – enjoyed the event and changed his mind about scotch (!). I have been a fan of single malt scotch for quite some time so it was heaven for me. Sitting down at our table and seeing five glasses of golden liquid at my place setting sent my heart soaring. And each of the scotches was paired with dishes that complemented and enhanced them. Chef Eben Copple created the menu and walked us through the background of each whiskey. To read more about the event, click here.

Another way to warm up in the middle of winter is to forego the usual Superbowl fare and go for barbecue instead. In February I posted about good BBQ places in Bucks. It’s a great list to draw from and certainly beats nachos for a football afternoon.

In March I had my 15 minutes of fame (probably more like five). I was part of the audience for the Diners, Drive-ins and Dives episode at the Pineville Tavern, and, well, the DDD producer liked my “sound bite” – a lot. Imagine my surprise, as I sat at the crowded PVT bar watching the episode for the first time and I saw my face on the big screen TV. Yikes. It has been fun this year as the episode is replayed (many times) and friends happen to catch it, not expecting to see someone they know on TV. Thanks to the Pineville and their great ravioli. You can read about it at Here Comes Guy Fieri.

In June, my partner, Alan Brown, and I launched a new venture called Bucks County Food Tours. We take folks on five-hour tours of some of the best food in Bucks, visiting bakeries, farms, cheesemakers, ice creameries, orchards, butchers and more. It’s a delicious and interesting day, meeting the people who produce and grow great food in Bucks. To learn more about the tours, including itineraries, click here.

One of our regular stops on the tours is oWowCow Creamery, now in Wrightstown as well as Ottsville, where we get a chance to chat with owner and ice cream maker John Fezzuoglio. oWow Cow relies heavily on local and organic ingredients for their innovative and fresh ice cream. Read more about them here in a post I did when they opened in Wrightstown this past July.

On Bucks County Taste I’m always trying to give exposure to what’s good in our own backyards, so to speak. But I can’t be everywhere at once! That’s why I asked you, my audience, what places you’d recommend as “don’t miss” food in Bucks. The result is a page full of restaurants, markets, ice cream, farms and other food producers. Check out the list here and add any of your favorites using the comment feature.

One of our favorite meals to eat out is breakfast and Bucks County is fortunate to have many good places. In our post, Breakfast in Bucks, we focus on three particular restaurants – Fred’s Breakfast Club (New Hope), the Vintage Grille (Fountainville) and Vera’s Country Café (Ottsville) – and then list almost three dozen breakfast spots in Bucks and nearby. Peruse the list and see if you can find a new breakfast place to try.

I don’t do many restaurant features but this year gave me the opportunity to do several, among them Hickory Kitchen in Doylestown and the Café Blue Moose in New Hope. Hickory Kitchen is one of our favorite places for barbecue, but that’s not all they do. The menu is versatile and truly has something for everyone. Café Blue Moose, which just opened in New Hope, is a youth-run restaurant. Skylar Bird, its owner and prime force, employs only teens. The enterprise used to be only a weekly event at his family’s converted mill but now Skylar has brought it to a permanent location in New Hope next to Zoubi’s on Mechanic Street. Read the post to learn more about Skylar and this new restaurant.

The Coffee Scoop is another of my favorite posts and one of the only organic coffee roasters in Pennsylvania. From their home in Pipersville, Karen and Warren May roast, package and distribute fresh organic coffee beans. I learned a lot about coffee while doing the article and gained a new appreciation for freshly roasted coffee. Read more here.

If you’ve a regular reader of Bucks County Taste you probably know of my love of cheese. I had the opportunity to interview Nina and Jonathan White of Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse, where they produce fine artisanal cheese and fresh baked goods. I also learned how to make matzah from Nina. What fun. Read more about Bobolink here and see the video of matzah making here.

One of the most exciting developments in Bucks County is the increase in access to local and organic foods. Distribution is always the challenge but two organizations, Suburban Organics and Winter Sun Farms, offer new ways of getting quality food into your home. Suburban Organics delivers organic food right to your doorstep. Learn more about this Ottsville company here. Winter Sun Farms uses the CSA (community supported agriculture) model to distribute freshly frozen (right at harvest) vegetables and fruit, cleaned, cut and ready for cooking all winter long. Read the article about them here.

Learning about Castle Valley Mill, the first grain mill to operate in Bucks County in decades, was one of the highlights of the year for me. Seeing the mill machinery first hand was fascinating. Even more exciting is knowing that soon (hopefully this spring) Mark Fischer, owner of the mill, will have the old, water-powered mill operating too. Check out the article and photos here.

Wrapping up the year was a story I did after speaking with local chefs, “Holiday memories: the good, the bad and the ugly.” I asked them about their food holiday memories and was warmed by the responses as one after another they shared family stories of preparing and eating. The big surprise was the prevalence of Jell-o! Ah well.

I hope it has been a good year for you and your family, and I hope that the New Year is an even better one. Wishing you good health and good eating.

Don’t miss this!

Lynne Goldman — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 14:25:46 +0000

What do you think the “don’t miss” food experiences are in Bucks County and nearby? A delicious burger, a delightful cocktail, a perfect view? Or how about the “feel” of the place, and the way the bartender or wait staff know you, and what you like. What are your favorite experiences and places to go for food, be it restaurants, bars, markets, farms, wineries, or ice cream shops? Share your delights with us the page – (click here) Don’t Miss This!

Passing of Miles Slack, Jr.

Lynne Goldman — Fri, 27 May 2011 14:00:47 +0000

Many of you may have known Miles Slack. Some of you did not. But I bet many of you ate his vegetables and fruit, sold at a small farm stand by the road in Furlong, along Forest Grove Road.

The sign says “The Center Farm,” so don’t be fooled. The farm itself has been in the Slack family for years. Miles’ brother, Fred, farms the land adjacent, and sells some of the best tomatoes in the county come July.

I only met Miles once or twice at the stand. He taught me the easy way of preserving tomatoes one day. I was hesitating over a box of “hurt” tomatoes he was trying to sell me. The thought of standing over a pot of boiling water in August to get the skin off of three dozen tomatoes didn’t appeal to me. “No,” he said, with a smile. “Here’s how you do it.” And he told me to wash and core the fruit, cut off any damaged spots, and lay the tomatoes out on a baking sheet. Place the sheet in the freezer, he explained, and after the tomatoes are fully frozen, pop them in a ziploc bag and throw them in the freezer. “Then, when you want to use them, place the frozen tomatoes in a pot in the morning, and let them defrost all day.” It’s a small thing, but not really. I’ve been using this method for a few years now, and always think of him – gratefully.

My heart goes out to Wanda, Miles’ wife and her family now, since I just learned that Miles passed away in early May at the age of 86. Please read all about him here in his obituary in the Intelligencer. May he rest in peace.

Lobsters in the garden

Lynne Goldman — Fri, 27 May 2011 12:00:44 +0000

I was seeing RED everywhere. Then signs for “Lobster.” Then…Trinity Episcopal Church. Huh? What exactly was going on in Solebury, and where did lobster come into it?

I was, of course, suspicious. Lobster? In Bucks County? I’m a snob. We go to Maine every year and gorge ourselves on very, very fresh lobster. We sit on a beach on an island in the middle of Penobscot Bay and go at a one-and-a-half-pounder with a rock some glacier left behind, bottle of white wine shoved into the sand nearby. Does it get any better? I don’t think so. Well, maybe after the second one. And a couple of s’mores.

So I have a tendency to avoid eating lobster that has more frequent flyer miles than I do. But…these folks seemed to be having a good time. I hit the brakes, parked and went over to find out what “Lobsterfest” was all about, and how I could get me some.

Those of you familiar with this spring tradition at Trinity Episcopal Church of Solebury are probably snickering right now. You can’t just sashay your way in on the day of Lobsterfest and expect to get one. Ha! See, you have to buy your lobster dinners ahead of time, so that they can order enough lobsters for the day of the fest. Makes sense. (‘course I begged and pleaded innocence. They gave me an extra one.)

Still, my basic question hadn’t been answered. Most church suppers around here consist of pork and sauerkraut, roast beef, spaghetti and the like. But lobster? That’s ambitious.

Stephen Wilson, director of Youth Ministries at Trinity Episcopal, filled me in. Sixteen years ago the Trinity Youth Group (known as “TYG” if you’re cool) decided they wanted to do a service trip. A lot of students are doing this these days, from Habitat for Humanity to helping out Katrina victims. But the teens had a different idea. Why go so far away when there were neighborhoods and folks who might need their help close by? They decided instead to go to Philadelphia, spend a week (residential), and help with their hands and hearts. “Mission Philadelphia” was born. Now the group of over 40 teens goes every year, just after New Hope-Solebury lets out for the school year. The Lobsterfest helps fund the effort.

It started with fixing up and painting projects but then they found Urban Tree Connection, a non-profit organization in Philadelphia that helps urban communities convert vacant lots into gardens and green spaces. The first spot was at 55th & Pearl in West Philly, next to a public housing building. There the Solebury kids built up the garden, creating raised beds. Local kids work to “earn” a plot that they can farm and then keep the produce for their family.

Next they worked at 608 N. 53rd St., a lot surrounded by row homes and the former site of a house that had been knocked down. It had been a chop shop, but last year it became a garden. The TYG teens planted about a half acre lot. What happened afterwards surprised even Stephen Wilson. “It touched off a firestorm of community activity,” he explained. “It was no longer our ‘baby.’ The community took over, and even kids from Drexel and Ursinus came to do service projects there.”

This year, after three days of pre-work during the year, they’ll go back to N. 53rd St. with plants donated by None Such Farm, and help from Temple University professors about proper technique. Drexel University is also kicking in some money to help the kids set up a rainwater collection system for the garden.

So I guess you want to now know how to get some lobster because it’s for a very good cause, no? The pre-order deadline is TODAY, May 27. Go to their website to order online or mail in your check. You can still order after May 27 up until the day of the event, Saturday, June 4th, but it will cost $5 more. (That’s because the lobster will cost more to get that close to the event.) The lobster is in fact coming from Maine, via New York, where a member of the church goes to pick it up and hustle it back to Solebury.

Here’s the menu and prices:

Lobster Dinner (to eat at Lobsterfest or take-home): includes 1 1/4 pound lobster, corn-on-the-cob, coleslaw, roll, ice tea and lemonade for $30.00
An extra 1 1/4 Pound Lobster is $20.00
Clam Chowder – Single Serving is $5.00
Clam Chowder – Quart-To-Go $12.00
Hamburgers, hot dogs, pretzels, sno-cones, sodas, and freshly made desserts and other concessions will also be available.
You can become a Lobsterfest Patron. A $100.00 donation includes 2 lobster dinners and a listing in the event program.

The event is more than just eating lobster (it is?). There will be live bands, a silent auction and raffle, and crafts and games for children. Folks bring lawn chairs and hang out. See you there.

Lobsterfest
Saturday, June 4, 2011
4:00 to 8:00 pm

Trinity Episcopal Church
6587 Upper York Road
Solebury, PA
215.297.5135
www.trinitysolebury.org

Tidbit: The Iron Chef comes to Ottsville

Lynne Goldman — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:31:54 +0000

I had heard about this a few months ago but now it’s big news (in the Intelligencer). It seems the famous Iron Chef Jose Garces has decided Upper Bucks County is a good place to farm (really?). The celebrity chef and owner of seven popular Philadelphia restaurants recently bought a farm in Ottsville, in Tinicum Township with the aim of producing ingredients for his latest venture, JG Domestic Fine Food & Spirits. The new Center City restaurant will feature seasonal foods, meats, spirits, cheeses and more – all sourced from within the United States (not necessarily local).

My whole plan with JG Domestic is to spotlight excellent American ingredients, whether that’s spirits, wine and beer, or produce, meat, seafood and poultry. If it’s grown, raised or made here, and it’s extraordinary, we’ll find a way to serve it that showcases how special it is.”

Amanda Cregan has a nice article about Garces’ plans in today’s Intelligencer, Celebrity chef buys farm. Seems Garces thinks it might also be a nice place to bring the family too, “I loved the idea of owning a farm, raising the produce that I want to work with and giving my children a country home to romp around at in one fell swoop.” They expect to start supplying the restaurant with produce from the farm as early as next fall. Welcome to Bucks County!

Bucks County Biscotti

Rich Baringer — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 21:00:25 +0000

Have you ever had a Bucks County Biscotti? If not, you don’t know what you’re missing. As I write, I’m eating one of their Classic Anise Almond and it’s delicious. Subtly sweet with tiny anise seeds that give a little punch of licorice flavor and great texture. They’re really outstanding.

Everything—and I mean everything—that happens at Bucks County Biscotti is the result of the work of husband and wife team, Karen Riley and Craig Silbert. Amazingly, they are the sole employees. So baking, packaging, distribution, marketing—everything is done by these two.

I was welcomed into their beautiful 18th Century home in Hilltown—“The House that Cookies Built,” as Craig says—and learned how their success is the result of their hard work, dedication and passion for putting out a consistently great product.

Both have a background in food: Karen in baking and Craig in sales. They’ve lived in many places, but moved to Bucks County in 1990 from Manhattan. (Craig made a wrong turn on a sales trip and ended up in Doylestown, fell in love with it and they soon were living there.) Karen started making a variety of baked goods for the Doylestown Farmers’ Market and eventually some restaurants in town. Then a baby came along.

As is usually the case when a baby arrives, plans changed. Karen couldn’t keep up with the demand of fresh baked goods every day and decided to concentrate on biscotti—which have a much longer shelf life than other baked goods (about 60 days).

The business started in earnest in 1993, they moved to their current site in ‘95 and Craig joined full-time in ‘97. The rest is twice-baked history.

In their first year, they were named Best of Philly by Philadelphia Magazine. They’ve also been honored with 5 mentions (high honors) and 2 gold stars (highest honors) in a blind taste test conducted by Santé, a national food and wine magazine for restaurant professionals.

They have 7 varieties: Classic Anise Almond, Lemon Poppy, Espresso Chocolate Chip, Ginger Cherry, Cranberry Walnut (Karen’s favorite), Chocolate Hazelnut and Chocolate Dipped Classic. They also make 2 seasonal flavors: Chocolate Peppermint—dark chocolate chunks and peppermint candy pieces, dipped in chocolate and rolled in more peppermint candy pieces (available Dec. 1-Dec. 24) and Pumpkin Pecan (available late October-Thanksgiving). Incidentally, I’m now eating one of the pumpkin cookies—very yummy. Delicate pumpkin flavor, perfectly seasoned.

All their biscotti are made with the finest all-natural ingredients, no preservatives. But that’s only part of what makes these some of the best biscotti you’ll ever taste. These are truly homemade cookies. And you can taste it. It’s why so many people say, “These are just like my grandmother’s biscotti!” when they first taste them. Karen hand-cuts every one of them (in a typical week, they bake 8,000 to 10,000). The chocolate covered varieties are hand-dipped. They’re all hand-packaged. And they’re hand delivered by Karen and Craig.

A faint scent of anise was in the air as they showed me around their production area, in a building next to their home. Although the mixers and oven stood silent on this day—it was a delivery week—I could imagine the buzz in there during a baking week.

Karen's cutting board worn by thousands of knife strokes.

The long shelf life allows the biscotti to be baked one week and delivered the next. Coffee shops and specialty stores from Manhattan to Washington, D.C. carry Bucks County Biscotti (Whole Foods Markets in the mid-Atlantic region, as well.). Pretty much every place that sells their product was first convinced to do so when Craig showed up on a cold call and won them over with samples.

Locally, you can find Bucks County Biscotti at Pasqualina’s Italian Market & Deli in Blooming Glen, Casa Casale and House of Coffee at Peddler’s Village, Jamie Hollander Gourmet Foods in New Hope, Lilly’s Gourmet and the County Theater in Doylestown, Main Street Java in Souderton and Down to Earth Café in Perkasie.

They also have a “farm stand” where you can buy a bag of cookies right on the side of the road in front of their home/bakery. How great is that? They tell the story how they once gave some cookies to a driver delivering ingredients. Now every so often they’re woken in the middle of the night by a truck’s air breaks. It’s this same guy heading home from a long day of driving, but not before stopping for his biscotti fix.

OK. I couldn’t help myself. Now I’m eating a Chocolate Dipped Classic. More crumbs in the keyboard, but oh, that’s so tasty.

This is more than a story of really delicious cookies. It’s the story of dedication, passion, hard work and commitment to community. It’s the story of two people (who really didn’t want their picture taken) who are, in Craig’s words, “creating memories” through those really delicious cookies.

Bucks County Biscotti
10 W Creamery Rd.
Hilltown, PA 18927
888-391-3667
…and on Facebook

Get well soon!

Lynne Goldman — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:44:18 +0000

Sending get well wishes to two folks not feeling too good these days. Send ‘em your best wishes and positive energy too!

John Fezzuoglio, owner and master ice cream maker at oWowCow Creamery in Ottsville, is down for the count from Lyme Disease. Hope you feel better real soon, John, but take it easy.
Michael Skwara, who along with his wife, Wendi, run Tall Pine Farms (they sell at area farmers’ markets) in Rushland. Michael also got hit by a tick-borne disease and spent time in the hospital last week. Please get better soon.

Take back your kitchen!

Rich Baringer — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 23:00:24 +0000

by guest blogger Rich Baringer

Not too long ago, my wife and I were talking about how interesting it is that the trendy thing to do these days is to eat like people did 150 years ago—local, fresh, natural. It may be the “in” thing to do, but I think we finally have a trend that’s worth latching on to.

Back in March, I attended a screening of the film Fresh: The Movie at the Ambler Theater. The place was packed. It was great to see so many people interested in this topic. Being from the northern regions of Bucks County, I thought it might be a good idea to try to get a screening for people in Central and Upper Bucks. With the help of some other folks, we did just that.

Take Back Your Kitchen—A Screening of Fresh: The Movie will take place on Thursday, June 24 at 7 pm at The County Theater in Doylestown. The film will be followed by a discussion with a panel of experts on local farming, locavore dining and more.

Fresh’s slogan is: New Thinking About What We’re Eating. There have been a number of documentaries on this subject recently, some fairly intense. But Fresh handles the subject in a positive way—focusing on the people who are changing the face of America’s production through smarts, respect and hard work.

There’s Will Allen, who is a leader in the urban farming movement. He leads with passion and energy. There’s Joel Salatin, who is known all over the world as a sustainable farmer. In his website, he writes that he is “in the redemption business: healing the land, healing the food, healing the economy, and healing the culture.” And there’s David Ball, who through his family grocery business is supporting local farmers and giving his customers locally produced food at affordable prices. These, and others in the film, are challenging the status quo—and winning.

In the same way, our panelists are doing similar things right in our own back yard: celebrating local food and producers, using local ingredients, raising food in a natural and sustainable way.

Our local food panelists are:

Christy Devlin of Green Eggs and Cakes in Sellersville
J. Ryman Maxwell of Down to Earth Café in Perkasie
Tom Murtha of Blooming Glen Farm CSA in Blooming Glen
Henry Rosenberger of Tussock Sedge Farm in Blooming Glen
And our own Lynne Goldman of Bucks County Taste

(I’ll be there, too.)

You’ll leave the theater excited about what we can do to make the things we eat better tasting and better for us. You’ll be energized to see what we can do to make the communities where we live thrive. You’ll be ready to Take Back Your Kitchen!

Take Back Your Kitchen—A Screening of Fresh: The Movie (click here to register)

Thursday, June 24, 2010
7:00 PM

The County Theater
20 E State St.
Doylestown, PA 18901

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance by going to The County Theater’s website (click on “Shop”, then “event tickets”).

Local food blogs – part one

Lynne Goldman — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:47:52 +0000

As I’ve been getting to know the local food scene, I’ve met some great people, including some gifted food writers and cooks. Here’s a few food blogs by local chefs, home cooks and bakers. When I get my act together, I’ll make a separate page on Bucks County Taste listing all these great writers and cooks.

Caviar and Codfish. Robin Damstra has been publishing this beautifully written and photographed food diary since 2007, when she started cooking. Her tone is intimate, warm and honest. She is a fearless cook and shys away from no ingredient, something that impresses me, even though I will eat just about anything put down in front of me. She lives in Stockton, NJ, and forages the countryside of Hunterdon and Mercer counties for quality ingredients, humanely raised meats, and good bourbon. A girl after my own heart. In her own words,

This blog chronicles what’s coming out of our apartment kitchen and, sometimes, the glorious experiences we having eating in someone else’s. I post the food that I’ve loved, and will tell you about the farms I frequent, and maybe even bore you with my moods. It’s my kitchen diary, for you to peek in. I was never much for keeping secrets, anyway.

Check out Robin’s latest recipe for Softshell Crabs Over Creamed Spinach.

The Cookie Scoop shares delectable recipes for all kinds of baked goods, from biscotti to whoopie pies. Written by Susan, The Cookie Lady, baker and owner of The Bucks County Cookie Company, who sells her delicious cookies, brownies, blondies and scones at local farmers’ markets (Stockton, Doylestown, Wrightstown). As Susan says,

I love cookies. I have been baking and cooking all my life so you could say I am a self-taught (dare I say, home schooled!) baker, learning a lot from watching my Mom, Grandmother and Mother-in-law in the kitchen…and lots of trial and error! This site is a journey of my cookie company, Bucks County Cookie Company and my family, friends and beautiful Bucks County!

Her latest recipe? Chocolate Chew Bars. Yum.

Stay tuned for more local blogs and enjoy Robin and Susan in the meantime.

Look for Bucks County Taste on Facebook and Twitter!

2009: A year of Bucks County Taste

Lynne Goldman — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:37:42 +0000

Mark suggested we each do a “My Favorite Posts of 2009″ piece. Why not? Everyone else does a summary at year end. And since it coincides pretty closely with our first full year publishing Bucks County Taste, it also felt right.

So I started skimming over our articles, month-by-month, starting back in November 2008. Hmmn. Like that one. And that one, too. (Scribble, scribble) Oh, that was a great interview…they were so nice to us…those ribs were fantastic…have to get back there…and so forth. Memories.

What comes back to me is overwhelming. The wonderful, kind people we’ve met over the past year. Seeing (and tasting) their hard work and passion, as they create or grow or raise or cook great food right here in Bucks County. Do you know how lucky we are to live here?

So, how do I choose? Well, I’ll give you a couple and why they are special to me. Maybe you’ve read them, or if you are fairly new, maybe you haven’t. So let’s go digging through our archives.

Thanksgiving in Wycombe: Going Local has a special place in my heart for many reasons. It was my first post, and my first attempt at cooking a meal sourced completely (almost) local. It wasn’t to be my last, as I later found out, when we offered up several “all local” meals for charity and created three such dinners at our home this year. Whew. I was also very flattered when Scott Edwards, editor of BUCKS Life, approached me last month and asked if he could reprint this article in the holiday issue of BUCKS Life. Look for more of Bucks County Taste pieces in upcoming issues of BUCKS Life

The people we’ve met this year have truly been the greatest gift (well, maybe besides the Rose Cream ice cream at oWowCow Creamery). In my post, Where Everyone Knows Your Name, I talk about this aspect of dining out. Having a local place, knowing the folks there – on either side of the counter – makes all the difference. It’s a kind of community that is pretty new to me, one that it took marrying Mark for me to really experience.

But let’s get down and dirty. When Matt Maximuck took me into his hydroponic greenhouse last winter, I went nuts with the camera. Such greens! Maybe it was because it was February and I was going through color-deprivation, but I don’t think so. Greens in Winter was a great opportunity to speak with a local farmer who is moving in a new direction for Bucks County, one that many people still aren’t aware of. Maximuck’s and Blue Moon Acres are the only local places that I know of who are growing greens in winter.

Listening to Andrew Abruzzese – who is a wonderful storyteller – and getting to watch his son, Drew, run and grow the Pineville Tavern was another highlight of this year. In our post The Pineville Tavern: The Right Recipe, we write about the beginnings of this favorite local restaurant and it’s growing future. Watch this winter for an expansion of the dining room, a brand new kitchen and a take-out facility.

Basically Burgers. I smile again. More new friends. The Goddards welcomed us into their kitchen and let us film Jay at his most brilliant, cooking the wonderful burgers that have become a favorite among Doylestown natives. See The Taco Burger being created before your very eyes with our video, and read Mark’s first post about them.

And the markets. None Such Farm Market was amazed that I wanted to do a “free” article about them, and have continued to amaze me with their generosity. Pasqualina’s Italian Market in Blooming Glen are now my regular suppliers of olive oil. Well, it’s really just an excuse to go see Patty and Brian.

Ice cream, you scream…everyone screams for ice cream, apparently. One of our top posts of the year, coming in fourth, was Let’s Go For Ice Cream, with a listing of some of the favorite Bucks County ice cream places, from north to south. And in this category, along with our old favorite, Chubby’s, came oWowCow Creamery in Ottsville with locally sourced ingredients and deep, intense flavors. Look for an article on oWowCow this spring as we get ready for ice cream season (and look for both ice cream places on Facebook).

Serving up breakfast in Riegelsville is another favorite. We got to stuff our faces at a firehouse breakfast and learn what it’s all about from the best – The Community Fire Company #1, Station 42 in Riegelsville, who serve up breakfast almost every month and dinner several times a year. Thanks, Diana.

Favorite “find” of the year? Oink Johnson’s BBQ on Rt. 611. Most pleasant surprise? How many people wanted fresh, local and natural turkeys (2nd most popular post).

I could go on. But I feel fortunate in many ways. For our wonderful guest bloggers, most of whom came to me, offering to write for Bucks County Taste (for free!). Thank you Susan, Emily, Rich and Elisabeth. What great people you are. And most of all, for my special husband, Mark, who encouraged and praised me, and shared A LOT of calories.