Make reservations immediately.

Iron Hill Brewery, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Attended the soft opening on Sunday evening and we were already impressed. Timing was generally good, service was super friendly and competent. Management was an obvious presence. Love the arts & crafts meets steel & industrial decor.

Started with soups (only critique was that they came out at the same time as the other appetizers, but temperatures were good on everything so it was not an issue really). Shrimp and scallop bisque was what you'd expect, creamy but with hint of cayenne. Gumbo was prepared correctly, rice not mixed in, but underneath, spiced for a northern audience, but definitely not for the timid. Could easily identify the okra and filet gumbo powder in spite of the heat.

Cheddar plate offered a flight of mild to sharp (Ale & mustard, Welsh extra sharp, and double Gloucester) served at the perfect temperature and with pear chutney and candied walnuts - all combinations of which were wonderful. Thought I tasted a hint of ginger in the chutney? The raspberry wheat ale was really nice with this dish.

Stan had the Voodoo shrimp in a barbecue sauce with streamed rice and sour cream and pronounced that it was mildly spicy with good flavor.

Garcia pizza had portobella, shiitake, oyster and crimini mushrooms, red onion, fontina, mozzarella and herbs. This one was even good cold as leftovers for lunch today. Crust of medium thickness and though a fair amount of flour underneath, had a good flavor and texture on it's own.

Come hungry if you plan to order the four cheese and woodland mushroom lasagna. It is a hefty portion, beautifully presented. This is a sturdy dish that does not fall all over itself when you cut into it. The flavors are savory and earthy and I really liked the inclusion of pine nuts here. I would have liked a hint of sweetness somewhere in this dish to balance it out for my taste buds, but not everyone would want that I am sure. I have leftovers, so I am going to hit it with a tiny bit of balsamic reduction to see how that is...

My second beer was Pig Iron Porter which will win over even ardent Guinness drinkers. I find it less bitter than Guinness with a more complex flavor.

The food was even pleasing to discriminating younger diners at the next table who reported the mac and cheese to be "great."

Iron Hill has a cohesive menu with a good mix of beef, poultry fish and vegetarian options. Presentations are interesting, flavor profiles are solid. Appetizers are imaginative and full of flavor. Beer, though not featured in the food (maybe it should be?) makes itself the star of the show. A note: definitely try the beer sampler - 6 or more 4 oz. glasses, of which even the light beer is good.


The Lancaster location opens to the public on Wednesday, November 28. I am not sure that is soon enough.

Places to not go.

The Farmhouse, Stanley, Virginia
This was dinner the second night of our most recent trip to Virginia. A big disappointment after dining at Joshua Wilton House.

Why? The appetizers were completely forgettable. So much so, that I actually can't remember what they were. The entrees however were not forgettable because they were awful. The scallops were bitter and though creatively plated, I ate two of them, then gave up.

Stan requested a butterflied filet, medium rare. It arrived unsplit, and though cooked correctly, it had not been cut properly and an uncomfortable wrestling match ensued as he tried to saw through it.

"Did we want dessert?" they asked. Mmmmm, no thanks.

To be fair, the staff was very friendly, including the chef whom we met. We really liked them, which made us want to like the food. But I won't lie to you, it was just bad.

The marketing quotes Bobby Flay who seems to have had a great meal there. But I think his comments are from about two years ago, and either no longer apply, or maybe he only had breakfast. Now breakfast was a whole different animal, actually quite good, but cooked by a woman who told us she was not a chef, but just liked to cook a little. Go figure.

Funck's Family Restaurant, Annville, Pennsylvania
Went for dessert. Had a slice of red velvet cake (because there were no better options), and it was very cold, and bereft of flavor. They should not be permitted to give it away.

KoKoMo's Sports Bar, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Ordered a coke and a diet coke. BOTH tasted like diet. Then found out, that the waitress knew this before we ordered and didn't tell me. Probably an oversight.

Ordered the appetizer sampler. Mini-burgers could have been more interesting - some condiments, or onions or something? Please? Potato skins were good. Chicken strips, mozzarella sticks & fries & boring sauces to dip stuff in. Well, it was only $10 - not a big loss. Seafood bisque was way-thick and yucky and tasted like seafood base. Ordered ribs - pre-cooked, but okay. It's a sports bar, we weren't expecting slow-roasted or anything from scratch. Ordered stuffed shrimp - yuk. THEN - we want to pay and leave - and their credit card system isn't working. So the waitress asks me to go to the ATM they have in the bar. (So now it's going to cost me extra to pay for my meal, but, you do what you gotta). ATM goes out of service as soon as I try to use it. I tell the waitress and she tells me I have to go and stand at the ATM and wait for the manager so he can see that I can't get money out. (What the heck?) So I wait. He doesn't show.

Then my waitress tells me it's now obvious that the machine is out of service, the manager is not coming out and could I go to the bank across the parking lot. So I did and I even still left the her a tip.

We try to be understanding and reasonable, but this is the single worst dining experience we have had in years.

Fatt Boys Steakhouse and Tavern, Lebanon, Pennsylvania
No avoiding this one, as Stan loves the whole biker vibe and this place sort of has that (upscale, wannabe biker who spends mega-bucks buying Harley-branded everything that is). A place that truly caters to the biker crowd would probably not serve $7 Cosmopolitans.

I have to admit that the work on the restaurant decor was done well, it is pretty in there. But that's really not what I was looking for. I was looking for solid bar food at a reasonable price and if they had good ribs, that would be a bonus. No luck.

To be fair the food was not bad, it was just boring. Crab cakes were bland, and we are nearly certain the ribs had BBQ from a bottle - and not even a good bottle.

We also found our bill at nearly $60 for 2 (including 3 drinks, 1 appetizer, 1 entree and 1 sandwich) to be a little hefty.