Beer & Donuts: Lancaster, PA mini-review

Hey Everyone -
So my wife and I just returned from vacation. We visited our 23 year old daughter who lives in the Lancaster area of Pennsylvania over the 4th of July, a long way from So Cal. She lives in the country, surrounded by lush greenery, cornfields, tobacco fields and cool old farmhouses (watch Witness, The Village, or check out a Charles Wysocki painting to get the vibe.) This was our 3rd trip in the past few years.

We had some very tasty food & beverages while on our trip, so I thought I'd share a bit of what we experienced.

Our first night we dined at Spring House in Lancaster. This is a micro-brewery which started in nearby Conestoga, but the owner has opened a few restaurants in the area over the past few years.

Here is a photo of their logo at their main restaurant:


This is an old brick building with high ceilings and a massive old boiler inside. Nice open floor plan, wooden tables. Their artwork is kind of schlocky horror, which I love. Here is the beer list for the evening:


I don't drink that often, but if I'm going to have a beer, it has to be a good one (I'm OK with flavored beers as well.) I've just recently started getting into dark beers lately, so I was happy to see they had some interesting choices. After a few samples, I chose the Blood Turning Black Coconut Coffee Porter (which was freakin' delicious.) Here it is with their soft pretzel appetizer, served with beer cheese and grainy mustard:


Here are their apricot glazed chicken wings (yuuuuuummy) and their Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout:


Although I don't have any photos, a shout out to Tomato Pie restaurant in Lititz (just north of Lancaster.) This is a beautiful little town, and Tomato Pie is the real deal. Everything is fresh and flaky, killer sandwiches, killer scones and killer coffee. Check it out if you're in the area.

Donuts. Freakin' donuts. Why are they so good?
This area seems to have some top-notch donut shops. If you visit Central Market in the heart of downtown Lancaster, get donuts from Shady Maple (they also have a ridiculously massive smorgasbord in Blue Ball - skip the smorgasbord, but get a donut.) There is something special about the consistency and chewiness of their dough. We also checked out a place called Maple Donuts in York (no relation) which were good, but a bit too sugary for me.

Then I found Duck Donuts. Holy tamale, you gotta love companies who bring something new (at least to donuts) to the table.
These guys are following the trend of "build your own" meal type restaurants. Start out with a warm cake donut, then choose your frosting, toppings, and drizzle:


Here is the assembly line:


And the end result:


To be continued...

 

I had the maple bacon and "strawberry lemonade;" my wife had the chocolate with white drizzle, and my daughter the coconut topped masterpiece with the chocolate and raspberry drizzle. These were unbelievably good, warm, luscious and not too sweet. Their coffee was excellent as well. Look for Duck Donuts if you're back east.

Here is your host with my lovely wife, daughter and her boyfriend. Yeah, he just happened to be wearing my band's T-shirt (shameless plug.)


Anyway, that's it for this mini-tour. Got any beer & donuts gems to share?

Nixdad

 

It is! And it was cooked perfectly.
I'm reliving the experience as we speak...

 

Is that why he always wants her to dress up like a sheep? Ewe!

SORRY!!! Just my twisted sense of humor! He's actually a very nice guy with good values, and he's good to her.

You're right, lots of good food up there. We may have been to Bube's for dinner in October 2013 (was it in Mount Joy?)

 

You won't regret it!