As my regular readers know, I am fortunate to dine out a lot. I come by this genetically: a magnet on my mother's refrigerator reads, "My Three Favorite Words: Let's Eat Out." But on January 6 I had a truly memorable restaurant experience at Twelves.
Twelves is housed in a former bank in the middle of West Grove; you walk by the old vault on the way to your table.
Everything on the menu sounded so delicious that we had a tough time choosing, and our waitress only complicated matters by mentioning the evening's specials. I had almost made up my mind to order the three-course prix fixe menu until she mentioned the crab cake special, with smashed potatoes, asparagus and roasted carrots. Yes, please! My date was not dissuaded from his original choice: the short ribs, with roasted brussels sprouts.
The food was served beautifully and was so tasty that we just stared blankly across the table, savoring every bite. My crab cake was spectacular; his short ribs were melt-in-your-mouth tender. He commented that he didn't realize brussels sprouts could actually be tasty.
Fortunately we saved room for dessert: I had the homemade chocolate ice cream (too cold for ice cream? Never!) and my date had the cheesecake, which he loved.
What added to the entire experience was the relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere of the place. It's hard to describe; the adjective I keep coming up with is "intelligent" (that's a good thing). There aren't a lot of tables, so everyone gets special attention (it also means you need a reservation). The party of four next to us was celebrating a birthday, and the honoree's dessert came with "Happy Birthday" written on the plate in what looked like chocolate sauce.
The next day I was raving about our evening and I learned that Twelves has a special meaning to a gym friend of mine: she went there on her very first date with the man who will become her husband this spring. It's already a special place for us, too.
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
RENOVATIONS: Stimulating the economy
The financial news out of Wilmington has been fairly grim of late, but apparently someone still has money to play with. Today I drove down Old Kennett Road and saw a few huge houses being built, and others were getting serious additions. I saw some gracefully curving walls of windows and Tudor-style brickwork on one big place. Three or four HVAC trucks were parked outside of one large home on Kennett Pike, and a flatbed filled with lumber was headed down Nine Gates Road. One majestic house right at the state line appears to be undergoing a major renovation, including a new roof; I later found out that it's actually a brand-new replica of the classic early-20th-century house that used to stand there but had to be razed because of mold problems.
Closer to home, I saw some Amish workers renovating the stucco house on South Union and Mulberry Streets in Kennett Square; Wayne Simpson is the architect. I'll always think of it as "the pink house" because it used to be painted the color of Pepto-Bismol.
Closer to home, I saw some Amish workers renovating the stucco house on South Union and Mulberry Streets in Kennett Square; Wayne Simpson is the architect. I'll always think of it as "the pink house" because it used to be painted the color of Pepto-Bismol.
WEST MARLBOROUGH: A short monthly meeting
Because the West Marlborough supervisors had met just the week before to approve the 2016 budget, their regular January monthly meeting was a brief one.
Roadmaster Hugh Lofting Sr. reported that the township road crew hopes to receive some grant money this year to stabilize a steep bank along Rokeby Road that slopes down to the Buck Run. Residents have brought the problem to the supervisors' attention several times in recent years.
Township engineer Al Giannantonio said there had been no zoning or building permits issued in December. There was no police report.
Roadmaster Hugh Lofting Sr. reported that the township road crew hopes to receive some grant money this year to stabilize a steep bank along Rokeby Road that slopes down to the Buck Run. Residents have brought the problem to the supervisors' attention several times in recent years.
Township engineer Al Giannantonio said there had been no zoning or building permits issued in December. There was no police report.
WEST MARLBOROUGH: Some new faces in the township garage
The West Marlborough Township Board of Supervisors met on Monday, Jan. 4, to reorganize. William Wylie will remain chairman. Jake Chalfin will be vice chairman. Hugh Lofting Sr. will remain township roadmaster and emergency coordinator.
Shirley Walton will remain secretary-treasurer; she and the township road crew (Hugh Lofting Jr. and "Brother" Wilson) will receive a 2.5 percent cost-of-living increase.
Dwight Yoder of Gibbel, Kraybill & Hess, based in Lancaster, will remain the township solicitor. Al Giannantonio of Yerkes & Associates, based in West Chester, will remain township engineer. Because building inspector Eddie Caudill has retired, Ed Latshaw of LTL Consultants, a municipal engineering and code enforcement firm headquartered in Oley, will take over the building inspector and zoning officer roles.
Emery Jones Taylor and Roy Jackson were named to fill vacancies on the township's planning commission. Tom Brosius will remain the planning commission's chairman, and Anna Myers will remain secretary.
"Anna, how many years will this be?" Tom Brosius asked her.
"I have no idea," she replied, not even looking up from her notebook.
Tom Roosevelt arrived a few minutes late to find that he had already been chosen as planning commission vice chairman, but barely had time to sit down before the brief meeting was over.
Shirley Walton will remain secretary-treasurer; she and the township road crew (Hugh Lofting Jr. and "Brother" Wilson) will receive a 2.5 percent cost-of-living increase.
Dwight Yoder of Gibbel, Kraybill & Hess, based in Lancaster, will remain the township solicitor. Al Giannantonio of Yerkes & Associates, based in West Chester, will remain township engineer. Because building inspector Eddie Caudill has retired, Ed Latshaw of LTL Consultants, a municipal engineering and code enforcement firm headquartered in Oley, will take over the building inspector and zoning officer roles.
Emery Jones Taylor and Roy Jackson were named to fill vacancies on the township's planning commission. Tom Brosius will remain the planning commission's chairman, and Anna Myers will remain secretary.
"Anna, how many years will this be?" Tom Brosius asked her.
"I have no idea," she replied, not even looking up from her notebook.
Tom Roosevelt arrived a few minutes late to find that he had already been chosen as planning commission vice chairman, but barely had time to sit down before the brief meeting was over.
Monday, January 4, 2016
KENNETT Y: A hopping (and lunging, and squatting) place
The Kennett Area YMCA was certainly a cheerful and busy place on New Year's morning. The gym opened at 9 a.m., and 10 minutes ahead of time eager members were already lining up outside waiting for staff to unlock the doors. Everyone was wishing each other a happy 2016 and talking about the fun they had at the Mushroom Drop (or the fun they had donning their PJs and staying home with the kids). The two exercise classes I attended were very well attended, and soon we Y regulars will start to see the yearly influx of new members who join because of their New Year's Resolutions. Welcome!
WENDY'S: Close to reopening?
By the time you see this in the newspaper on Jan. 7, the Wendy's restaurant on Baltimore Pike east of Kennett Square may be open again. From the outside it certainly looks like the renovation is complete, and there have been big "Now Hiring" banners up for a few weeks.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
PAINT-BY-NUMBER: Everything old is new again
The other night I learned, to my amazement, that there is a company that converts photographs into paint-by-number kits. You upload a photograph, and they send you a kit with the photo transformed into a canvas with lots of little numbered areas, along with little pots of matching paints. Brilliant!
The company is called Easy 123 Art, Inc., and it's based in Louisville, Kentucky. According to its website, the firm "began in 1998 with a simple product that would give anyone the experience of making their own masterpiece, and it incorporated something we all have and love…photographs. It was a modern take on the 1950’s era paint-by-number with a clever spin that initially set the stage for a mail order business. With the advances of digital technology, the mail order business evolved into an internet-based business with nearly 99% of all customer orders generated from digital photographs."
The website has a gallery where customers can show off their finished artwork. As one would expect, there are a lot of paintings of pets and kids.
I did those paint-by-number kits as a kid (this was long before the Internet, much less electronic devices), but I had no idea that so many grown-ups still enjoy doing them until I mentioned it in conversation. People tell me they find it relaxing and even meditative, much like I enjoy knitting. Who knew!
The company is called Easy 123 Art, Inc., and it's based in Louisville, Kentucky. According to its website, the firm "began in 1998 with a simple product that would give anyone the experience of making their own masterpiece, and it incorporated something we all have and love…photographs. It was a modern take on the 1950’s era paint-by-number with a clever spin that initially set the stage for a mail order business. With the advances of digital technology, the mail order business evolved into an internet-based business with nearly 99% of all customer orders generated from digital photographs."
The website has a gallery where customers can show off their finished artwork. As one would expect, there are a lot of paintings of pets and kids.
I did those paint-by-number kits as a kid (this was long before the Internet, much less electronic devices), but I had no idea that so many grown-ups still enjoy doing them until I mentioned it in conversation. People tell me they find it relaxing and even meditative, much like I enjoy knitting. Who knew!
BOOK SALE: Book pickup is on Jan. 23.
UHS students and parents will be traveling through local developments picking up donations for the annual used-book sale on Saturday, Jan. 23. Leave your donations at the end of your driveway (not at your front door or garage door) by 9 a.m. with a tag.
If your neighborhood isn't one of those covered, you can drop off your donations at any of the schools between Monday, Jan. 25, and Friday, Feb. 19. The book sale will be at the UHS gym on Friday, Feb. 26, from 4 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 27, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with the bag sale from 3 to 5 p.m.
For more information, go to the website UHSBookSale.org.
If your neighborhood isn't one of those covered, you can drop off your donations at any of the schools between Monday, Jan. 25, and Friday, Feb. 19. The book sale will be at the UHS gym on Friday, Feb. 26, from 4 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 27, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with the bag sale from 3 to 5 p.m.
For more information, go to the website UHSBookSale.org.
SHOPPING: Business comings and goings
Three commercial bits of news to share:
1. Bedbugzz, the children's clothing store on State Street in downtown Kennett, is closing down as of Saturday, Jan. 5. Best of luck to the owner, Kathleen Caccamo.
2. A new State Store is under construction at the London Grove Village shopping center, which is on Route 41 across from the State Police barracks. That will make three in our immediate area: there are also State Stores in the New Garden and the Jennersville shopping centers, in addition to all the nearby liquor stores in Delaware.
3. Personal trainer Charlene Henry plans to open Anchor Life + Fitness in the old fire house at 112 South Broad Street in Kennett. She writes in her blog: "We will continue to offer in-home services, as well, but realize that having a facility can help maximize our teachings by providing more tools and services to our community. ... In addition, we will also have a small kitchen area where we will host small seminars, tastings, and healthy cooking demonstrations."
1. Bedbugzz, the children's clothing store on State Street in downtown Kennett, is closing down as of Saturday, Jan. 5. Best of luck to the owner, Kathleen Caccamo.
2. A new State Store is under construction at the London Grove Village shopping center, which is on Route 41 across from the State Police barracks. That will make three in our immediate area: there are also State Stores in the New Garden and the Jennersville shopping centers, in addition to all the nearby liquor stores in Delaware.
3. Personal trainer Charlene Henry plans to open Anchor Life + Fitness in the old fire house at 112 South Broad Street in Kennett. She writes in her blog: "We will continue to offer in-home services, as well, but realize that having a facility can help maximize our teachings by providing more tools and services to our community. ... In addition, we will also have a small kitchen area where we will host small seminars, tastings, and healthy cooking demonstrations."
CHRISTMAS: Thanks for the effort
Two "Unionville in the News" readers sent me the following note about local Christmas decorations:
"Sincere Thank Yous to (1) the traditional Christmas Eve roadside luminaries along William Thomas Drive (Unionvillle) and (2) the also traditional extensive Christmas lighted lawn decorations at 817 Lisadell Drive (Unionville).
We know it takes a lot of effort, as do all the individual decorations both simple and complex, and we want everyone to know how much they are appreciated. Unfortunately, in some areas the Christmas decorations seem to be tapering off a somewhat. Therefore, we simply want to offer a bit of encouragement."
In my reply to their email, I wondered whether those laser projectors that seemed to be all the rage this year (the ones that beam stars onto the side of your house) will return in 2016.
"Sincere Thank Yous to (1) the traditional Christmas Eve roadside luminaries along William Thomas Drive (Unionvillle) and (2) the also traditional extensive Christmas lighted lawn decorations at 817 Lisadell Drive (Unionville).
We know it takes a lot of effort, as do all the individual decorations both simple and complex, and we want everyone to know how much they are appreciated. Unfortunately, in some areas the Christmas decorations seem to be tapering off a somewhat. Therefore, we simply want to offer a bit of encouragement."
In my reply to their email, I wondered whether those laser projectors that seemed to be all the rage this year (the ones that beam stars onto the side of your house) will return in 2016.
FATHER DENNY: Memorial service set
Joe Van Thuyne told me that the family will hold a memorial service for his brother, "Father Denny," at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 11, at St. Patrick's Church in Kennett.
"The community has been so supportive and expressed their special relationships with Denny," he wrote.
Father Denny, a priest many years ago at St. Pat's, died in November. He ran "The General Store," a second-hand store on State Street, to raise money for brain-injury victims like himself.
"The community has been so supportive and expressed their special relationships with Denny," he wrote.
Father Denny, a priest many years ago at St. Pat's, died in November. He ran "The General Store," a second-hand store on State Street, to raise money for brain-injury victims like himself.
Saturday, January 2, 2016
NEW YEAR'S: The mushroom descends
For the third year in a row, a giant glowing mushroom descended from the crane at State and Union Streets in downtown Kennett, and for the third year, we were there celebrating! This year's event was augmented by a very cool laser light show, and the stage for "The Funsters" oldies band was moved around the corner to Union Street between State and Cypress. The crowd was jovial, the temperature was comfortable (if you were well wrapped up, that is), and I didn't see any obnoxious behavior at all. The only downside was the number of young people I saw who were smoking.
I'm told Kennett Square's "falling fungus" made the national news in a wrap-up of towns that celebrated the New Year in novel ways. And one of my readers was thrilled to see that a mushroom-raising ceremony was held at 8 p.m. for people who didn't want to stay up until midnight (she had suggested the idea months ago).
The next day a friend told me she brought out-of-town guests to the mushroom drop and they had completely misunderstood the event: They thought that at midnight a giant pinata was going to be broken, showering the crowd beneath with mushrooms.
I'm told Kennett Square's "falling fungus" made the national news in a wrap-up of towns that celebrated the New Year in novel ways. And one of my readers was thrilled to see that a mushroom-raising ceremony was held at 8 p.m. for people who didn't want to stay up until midnight (she had suggested the idea months ago).
The next day a friend told me she brought out-of-town guests to the mushroom drop and they had completely misunderstood the event: They thought that at midnight a giant pinata was going to be broken, showering the crowd beneath with mushrooms.
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