Friday, May 16, 2014

First Road Trip of 2014: BRANDYWINE, PA - Costumes, Mushrooms, and Passions




In order to get the most of these road trip, you first need to read Merle's blog


 



Thursday,  April 3

We head out on the Belt Pkwy. to the Verrazano bridge and do pretty well until about two miles from the bridge where it slows down a bit.  The GPS, “Clarice”, reroutes us around traffic in Staten Island and until one wrong turn in NJ we do pretty well.

Our first stop is Wintherthur Garden and Museum, which is actually in Delaware, to see the exhibition of “Costumes of Downton Abbey.”  Although I never watched the television series, I could still appreciate the beauty and detail of the displays, which also included photos and vignettes from the show and its characters that really captures the fictional world presented in the series. I’m not a big fan of the British dramas or comedies but you don’t have to be to enjoy this amazing exhibition. The fictional Downton Abbey compares and contrasts the real life Winterthur of the time. Winterthur is now known for its collection of American decorative arts and naturalistic gardens.  In conjunction with the Costumes of Downton Abbey Exhibit, there is also a series of afternoon and evening lectures, afternoon teas & English brunches and an historic auto display lecture available at various times and dates. Visit the website at: www.Winterthur.org  





Lunch is at the museum in the Garden Café where you can choose from a large selection at the salad bar, selections from a hot buffet, or the chef’s “Downton Abbey” menu.  My selection from the salad bar included: roasted tomatoes with zucchini and basil, asparagus spears mandarin, smoked cheddar with sherry vinaigrette, blue cheese fig tart, poached salmon salad, yogurt dill cucumbers, and baklava.  



Our next stop is at Sweet Christine’s Bakery in Kennett Square, PA to taste their gluten free organic products.  I didn’t get the usually bland gluten free taste and you could tell a lot of passion went into their products. Their products are available on line and they are in the process of moving to a new location. Check them out at: www.sweetchristinesglutenfree.com




 We check in at Pennsbury Inn Bed and Breakfast and we are greeted by “Tucker”, the pooch of the Inn, who introduces us to the Innkeeper, Chip.  Chip shows us around the Inn and to our room which is bright and comfortable. 


Inns such as the Pennsbury always fascinate me as being in the Inn can actually transport me back to the times that they were built.  One funny thing I notice about most Inns is that there does not seem to be one completely level floor or wall.  If you rolled a marble it would take a different path in each room.

Merle and I freshen up a bit and head back into Kennett Square for dinner at Portabellos . Owners Sandra Morris and Chef Brett Hulbert treat us to a tasting of some of the restaurant's dishes. 

“There’s a fungus amongst us!”
Okay – so I am not known for my love of mushrooms. When I select a dish prepared with mushrooms I give them away to numerous friends who love mushrooms but I will not eat any.  I do not exactly know why because it does not have to do with texture necessarily because I eat things like scungilli, octopus and eel which are way worse than mushrooms! It’s more of an aversion than a dislike for the taste.  I think it may have been a Twilight Zone or Outer Limits I saw where some mushrooms growing in the basement of a house took over and ate the kids or something. 

I made a commitment to Merle that I would at least try mushrooms on this trip, because what better place than the Mushroom Capital of the World? So, I try the mushroom hummus.  Okay – not bad at all – but it’s got other ingredients to cover up the mushroom - so let’s continue.

Next are the appetizers including:  Portabella Fries with horseradish crème fresh -  Ok – also not bad – but it’s fried and has horseradish – what would be bad? Firecracker Shrimp – with a hot, sweet and sour sauce – My kind of dish. Exotic mushroom crepes – with Shitaki,  Mitaki, oyster, and Porcini mushrooms in a Madera cream sauce. Okay those are a lot of mushrooms!!!!!!  But it still has the Madera sauce.  I’m going for it – it looks great.  Okay, pretty good! I’ve survived eating mushrooms.  Merle, who loves mushrooms, is now in her glory eating the mushroom soup, which she says is the best she has ever had.  Okay.  Mushroom soup is, well, all mushrooms.  I go for it again.  Hmmm, not bad again.  In fact, it’s very good.  So I am over my mushroom phobia for now!  (At least on this trip.)  

The passion that goes into the preparation of the food and menu items is obvious
See more at:  www.portabellosofkennettsquare.com  Back to Pennsbury Inn for a good nights sleep.


Friday, April 4

One of the best things about a B & B Inn is the home made country breakfasts.  This morning we enjoyed poached pear deluxe, southern corn bread with fresh home made jams, homemade granola, pineapple & crème fresh French toast and spinach & Asiago cheese chicken sausage.  A hearty breakfast to start us on our day.  There were two other guests at the Inn this morning and we all enjoyed the fireplace while watching Tucker scout out the wildlife outside.  Tucker is the boss of the Inn and is the guardian of the outside wildlife.  The Inn is an actual sanctuary for wildlife and it is Tucker’s job to see that everyone follows order.  He notifies Chip if there has been a breech in the deer fence, he keeps the squirrels away from the birdfeeders, and I thought I may have even seen him hunting truffles at one point.  After his hard work, a well deserved nap was in order.

We head out to Longwood Gardens .  As we all know too well, the winter was brutal and Spring, so far, is more of  “Slinky” so there are  no outdoor blooms quite yet so we head for the Indoor Conservatory Gardens.  There are flowers of every variety and color imaginable.  There is also a pipe organ display which is pretty amazing.  You could spend hours in the indoor Conservatory alone but we had a schedule to keep so we head off to one of the two restaurants.  







There is the Terrace Café,  and 1906, which is the more formal sit down restaurant where we will have lunch today.  Our waitress Iva starts us off with a Brioche bread with sweet butter and a complimentary chefs presentation of English pea puree.  It is the tiniest dish I ever had but it was immense in flavor.  Merle explained what the term “amuse bouche” means.  We shared ½ dozen raw oysters and a flatbread with buttered lobster, artichokes and garlic parmesan.  I had the Rainbow Trout with white Asparagus, swiss chard, heirloom radish salad and a side of black garlic puree.  We ended with a dish of Cappuccino crunch ice cream.


We head off to The Woodlands at Phillips for a private tour of Phillips Mushroom Farms. 





We start in the gift shop where there is every imaginable item, book, or gift in mushroom form and fresh, dried, and jarred mushroom foods available.  We also see a short video about the larger state of the art Warwick Mushroom Facility in Warwick, MD.  Phillips is the largest grower of specialty mushrooms in the United States and distributes to locations east of the Mississippi.  I thought mushrooms just grew in dark, damp areas and you pick them at that’s that.  We would soon learn more information about mushrooms than one would imagine existed.   And it is fascinating.    

First off, I see once again the passion that the people in Kennett Square have for their trade and their products.  The Phillips family is no exception.  This is a third generation family run business and mushroom growing is a serious business.  Jim drives us to the office where we have to remove all jewelry or loose items and don a “beautiful” red hair net.  We also have to sign an agreement about our movement in the facility and health regulations.  Unlike their new facility in Maryland, the Kennett Square farms are what you might call down and dirty, but in a good way for mushrooms.  We enter various “stark” buildings which have different rooms with different environments depending on the type of mushroom being cultivated and harvested.  There are Portabella, Crimini, Shitake, Oyster, Maitake,  Beech, Enoki, Royal Trumpet and Pom Pom just to name a few.  And each one is grown in very different ways than the others.  Wild mushrooms have their own varieties. Even though I never liked eating mushrooms I always liked the smell and feel of mushrooms for some reason.  As we enter room after room of growing mushrooms, I can actually distinguish the different aromas of the different mushrooms. The growing of the mushrooms is very detailed and labor intensive.  The exact procedure varies from variety to variety but is all based on “substrates” on which “Mycelium” will grow.  Mycelium are the thread like cells that is the vegetative growth of the fungus.   In nature – it can be a log or tree.  On farms like the Phillips Farm, they actually create the substrates. All mushrooms are hand picked.  For more information on the farm, the new facility and mushrooms in general, go to:  www.phillipsmushroomfarms.com 

We head back into Kennett Square to the Tree Top Suites; the two bedroom apartment where we will be staying for the night.  It is a perfect place to stay and be right in the heart of Kennett Square.  Go to www.treetopsuite.blogspot.com   

Owner Kathi Lafferty, is also the owner of The Mushroom Cap,  a store with, you guessed it, mushrooms!!!, including gifts, fresh and dried mushrooms, books, and their specialty – Snack N Schrooms mushroom chips.  Check out the web site at: www.themushroomcap.com

Dinner is at Taste of Puebla, an authentic, gourmet, Mexican restaurant.  I think that there are two key indicators as to how good a Mexican restaurant will be.

The guacamole and the margaritas.  We enjoy the Mole Poblano which is comprised of dry Chile anchos, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, almonds, raisins, plantains,  and chicken broth.  This version has no chocolate. We also have the traditional steak Fajitas.  The most enjoyable surprise was the  “Aguas Frescas”.  Homemade drinks from fresh fruits.  Merle and I try the lime and cucumber which is perfectly sweet and sour at the same time.  Dessert is the Pastel Tres Leches which is homemade cake soaked with a mixture of three milks.   Once word of this restaurant gets around town, it should become very popular.


Our next stop is the Market at Liberty Place to listen to some live music.  The Market at Liberty Place is a space that houses a mix of merchants selling freshly prepared foods, produce, and other retail goods. It also hosts live music and other events.  We take a look around but it is fairly crowded and there was no place to sit so we stay for awhile and then walk back over to Flickerwood Wines which is also having live music.  We are given a nice cozy spot in the back, right by the band, which tonight is John and Charrity.  The duo and the crowd are great.  I am enjoying my glass of red wine when I noticed that a large table of about 10 is now being brought food from Portabellos across the street.  What a great way for merchants to bring people together and make them really happy.  If you eat at Portabellos you can bring in wine from Flickerwood and if you drink at Flickerwood you can bring in food from Portabellos, or anyplace else.  It is a great night to celebrate as it is also Charitty’s birthday and John had just gotten engaged. Merle and I stay until the band stops playing and walk to the apartment to get a good night’s sleep. Check on updates for shows and tastings at:  www.flickerwood.com


Saturday April 6

We start the day at Country Butcher which is a family owned gourmet market.  Breakfast is at the Café and  I have a breakfast sandwich with 2 eggs,  Asiago cheese, and bacon.  The Meat Market on site has house-made sausages, that are  nitrate free.. 



The Cheese Market has local & International artisan cheeses, Charcuterie, and assorted pates, and olives.  I think we tasted more cheese than I could even keep track of.  The Deli Market has fresh made sandwiches and salads and other house-made products.  The Market has every product you could imagine and the Bakery has home-made cakes, cookies, pastries and bread.  Add that this is one big, friendly, welcoming family and staff and you can spend hours here.  In fact, Merle and I did!  Dan and Dorothy Boxler made us feel like we were long time friends.  Once again, the passion for the trade is evident everywhere you look and in everything you taste.   Dan, a master butcher, is more than happy to answer all our questions.   Look around on some of the walls and you will see some incredible artwork done by Dorothy. See more on Facebook and at www.countrybutchermarket.com

I could have stayed here the whole day but we had to get over to the Brandywine River Museum of Art.  The galleries were on three floors and included the Heritage Collection, a Special Exhibition, Still-Life and Portrait Paintings, N.C.  Wyeth Gallery, Andrew Wyeth Gallery and the Bayard & Mary Sharp Gallery.   Nice collections in a manageable space made it an enjoyable outing.

We head on back to Kennett Square again to check out some more of the local shops.  Mrs. Robinsons Teas was a small shop featuring both loose and bagged teas with a large selection of Roobis , which made Merle happy.  If we check out tea we have to check out coffee and walk down to Philter.  You think like filter?  But it also means: “1. a potion, charm, or drug supposed to cause a person to fall in love. 2. a magic potion for any purpose.”

If you are a coffee drinker this is the place to go, and the definition is perfect.  Once again, this would be a new experience for me.  I would not call myself a coffee drinker.  I have milk and sugar with some coffee added for flavor.  Philter offers hand crafted coffee.  You can choose from several fresh blends offered that are described on a board in a way much like wine is.  The precise number of beans are ground and put in a warmed filter and then brewed to a precise temperature and time for an individual cup of coffee.  Yes, each cup is brewed individually.  So, not only did I have to eat mushrooms, but now I have to drink coffee black.  I could, of course, add milk and sugar, but that would be kind of like buying a prime piece of meat and boiling it for stew.   So I drink it black and it is very good.  It is not too strong at all and you can really taste the flavor.  They also have bakery products to go along with the coffee.  It is newly open so the web site is not totally up and running but you can also visit the Facebook page.  www.philtercoffee.com

Okay – so now we walk into Ecoboutique and run into Doug. How to explain Ecoboutique and Doug?  Two thoughts :  Unique and Pay it forward.  With many of the products – something is given back to a community.  For example: With the Tom’s shoes – when a pair is purchased, a pair is given to a child in need. With United by Blue – for every product sold, United by Blue removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways.

There are many product lines to choose from.  Jewelry, shoes, clothing, chocolate, books, candles, etc.  I choose a BellaRyann bracelet.  The bracelets come in gold or silver and have a charm on it.  You can choose from Zodiac signs, birthstones, letters, sports or hobby symbols and other varieties.  The great thing about the bracelet is its unique corkscrew design.  You just slip it over your wrist and with one hand  and squeeze the bracelet to adjust the band.  I choose the silver with a sailboat charm.  Not a kayak, but close enough.

And what about Doug?  Easy. Back to that word passion again.  When you are in the store, you will hear and see the passion he has. www.ecoboutiqueksq.com


Tonight we spend at the Hilton Garden Inn.  There are several great things about this Hilton that I like:  The adjustable comfort bed that you can set to your own comfort number, the Keurig coffee maker in each room, and the indoor pool and hot tub.  We had several leftovers so we just made ourselves comfortable and finished off what we had left.  


Sunday, April 6

We had planned a few other things for today but we were able to do them yesterday so we just had a leisurely drive home today.  

The Brandywine area and Kennett Square in particular, are unique in that so many of the people we met, had this passion for their products and trades that you don’t see anymore.  People who care and people who share, and they partner together to make it all work.  What a great way to start off the 2014 Road Trips!

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