Phillips Mushrooms has opened a new retail shop at 1020 Kaolin Rd., south of the Five Points intersection. Fresh, dried, jarred and prepared products are for sale in the beautifully restored homestead, which features a splendid mural depicting the history of the farm by Unionville artist Lou Marshall.
I stopped in on a rainy Saturday and one of the owners, Linda Steller (her father is Marshall Phillips), gave me a tour of the shop and the brand-new kitchen, where they plan to offer mushroom cooking classes.
The shop, called "The Woodlands," will have an open house from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 7. Their regular hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
(Thank you to my dear friend Judy F. for this tip! She said she had driven by, seen the Woodlands sign and wondered what it was.)
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Up a creek
The April issue of "Main Line Today" has an interesting piece on the Stroud Water Research Center, complete with a photo of director Bernard Sweeney standing on the snowy banks of the White Clay Creek. The writer is J. F. Pirro.
"Today, Stroud—like water—seems to be everywhere. Its 50 employees (40 on the scientific staff) are spread out, but not too thinly. Stroud is now a local, regional and global operation. Its activity stretches from small freshwater ponds in the Antarctic to the world’s two largest rivers, the Amazon and the Congo."
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Reflections of the Wall
Congratulations to my friend Larry Kesterson of Downingtown, who won a national photo contest sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Larry is a U.S. Army veteran and a hugely talented photographer for "The Philadelphia Inquirer." His photo, "Found on The Wall," will be featured on the group's 2012 calendar. Though he's not shown in this photo, Larry's father, Maj. Charles Kesterson, is also named on the wall: he was killed by a land mine on May 4, 1966, at age 30.
For information about the Memorial Fund, visit http://www.vvmf.org/ and http://www.buildthecenter.org/.
Sake Hana
Sake Hana, an Asian/sushi restaurant, has opened on Route 41 in the new-ish Acme shopping center, and as a gym pal said, "You wouldn't know you were in Avondale."
Their sushi is very good and presented beautifully, and the menu also includes a wide variety of Asian dishes. I loved the seaweed salad, a particular favorite of mine. I thought the prices were reasonable.
The manager came over and chatted with us and seemed very eager to please, and the place was doing a land-office business on a recent Saturday night.
Sake Hana is also family-friendly, and the staff went out of their way to accommodate a child in my friend's party with a peanut allergy.
Their sushi is very good and presented beautifully, and the menu also includes a wide variety of Asian dishes. I loved the seaweed salad, a particular favorite of mine. I thought the prices were reasonable.
The manager came over and chatted with us and seemed very eager to please, and the place was doing a land-office business on a recent Saturday night.
Sake Hana is also family-friendly, and the staff went out of their way to accommodate a child in my friend's party with a peanut allergy.
A quick lunch
You're hungry in Cochranville, and time is limited. What do you do?
You can stop in at Limestone Pizza & Grille, 3161 Limestone Road (Route 10). A friend and I had a late lunch there on Saturday and really enjoyed it. I had a tasty turkey sub and my friend had a very good Greek salad, and the service was almost immediate. Several other tables were filled, and a few customers also stopped in to pick up their to-go orders. They're open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
You can stop in at Limestone Pizza & Grille, 3161 Limestone Road (Route 10). A friend and I had a late lunch there on Saturday and really enjoyed it. I had a tasty turkey sub and my friend had a very good Greek salad, and the service was almost immediate. Several other tables were filled, and a few customers also stopped in to pick up their to-go orders. They're open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Good-bye gutters
The newest vandalism at the crumbling Red Rose Inn in Jennersville: somebody has stolen the copper gutters from the vacant structure. The empty hooks are just sitting there. Also, a couple of the shutters are askew, a few of the entrances are covered with plywood and some of the wooden columns are rotting. It's really a shame to see.
Pick-up line
I was stuck in traffic on Route 7 this morning, in a downpour, and had time to observe the orange truck next to me. It was from a company called Delaware Pooper Scoopers, whose mission is "making life easier for pet owners by cleaning up and removing waste (feces) from customer's yards, pens, and/or living areas." On the website the owner said she started the business while she was working full time, going to school at the University of Delaware, and spending her limited free time cleaning up after her 130-lb Bouvier named Cosmo.
Despite the name, they serve customers in Pennsylvania, too.
Despite the name, they serve customers in Pennsylvania, too.
Food for thought
"Dear Parents, please use good judgement when sending birthday treats to school. Cupcakes seem to be the most popular choice, but they are not the healthiest treat for our students. Please consider bringing in a healthy treat or using a non-food item to celebrate your child's birthday at school. This guideline also applies to other celebrations in the classroom.
"Also, please do not use food items for estimation jars or the like. Colorful erasers, rubber bands or paper clips are very inexpensive and don't contain sugar. Celebrating with food is the easiest way to go, but it's not always the best for the health of our students."
The principal also urges parents to pack lunches using reusable containers and refillable water bottles, noting that many plastic bags and bottles were found thrown away during the school's "Waste Audit."
Estate
Last week I received a real-estate firm's glossy, photo-filled catalog of what they call "extraordinary properties" in the mid-Atlantic area. Of course I immediately paged through to see whether their real-estate agents had any listings in Unionville. None. The closest was a 72-acre farm at 912 Providence Road, Willistown, with eight bedrooms, an underground shooting range, lit tennis courts, a heated greenhouse and a 25-stall barn. Asking price: $17,950,000, reduced from $19.5 million.
I do hope the shooting range is soundproofed. When I was a reporter I often visited a police station with a basement range and the noise and smell drove the secretaries crazy.
I do hope the shooting range is soundproofed. When I was a reporter I often visited a police station with a basement range and the noise and smell drove the secretaries crazy.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Plea bargain
According to a reporter pal, lawyers have worked out a plea agreement on the extortion charges against Aggie O'Brien. Her federal court date is set for May 10. In the ugly and high-profile case that broke last summer, Ms. O'Brien is accused of trying to blackmail a wealthy horse breeder with whom she was formerly friends. Ever since, locals have been baffled trying to imagine what dirt she thought she had on the victim.
Bridle shop
On April 7 my buddy Susan and I piled into her pickup and took a little road trip to Lancaster County. No, not the outlet malls. I'll let Susan describe our destination:
"One of the best and one of the most unusual places for equestrians to buy strap goods and supplies is Bartville Harness Shop in Christiana. Amish-owned and -operated, it’s a regional favorite for eventers, foxhunters and the Amish community. Nothing is elegant, but the quality is good and the prices can’t be beat.
"They make a lot of what they sell right on the premises, so if you have an odd-sized equine (think pairing size “S” pants with a size “M” shirt) semi- and fully-custom orders are no problem.
"Park next to a tethered horse and buggy, shop by gaslight; pay by cash or check; expect to hear a recorded message on the phone. This is a genuine “plain people” business devoid of touristy schlock and overpriced stock."
Susan had a hard time sticking to her list: she was sorely tempted by a 60-inch girth for her husband's huge horse, and a very attractive whip handle just the right size for her, and some charming leather sandwich boxes.
And continuing with the day's equine theme, on the way home she took me on a guided tour of the ravishingly beautiful Andrew's Bridge hunt territory along the Octoraro Creek.
"One of the best and one of the most unusual places for equestrians to buy strap goods and supplies is Bartville Harness Shop in Christiana. Amish-owned and -operated, it’s a regional favorite for eventers, foxhunters and the Amish community. Nothing is elegant, but the quality is good and the prices can’t be beat.
"They make a lot of what they sell right on the premises, so if you have an odd-sized equine (think pairing size “S” pants with a size “M” shirt) semi- and fully-custom orders are no problem.
"Park next to a tethered horse and buggy, shop by gaslight; pay by cash or check; expect to hear a recorded message on the phone. This is a genuine “plain people” business devoid of touristy schlock and overpriced stock."
Susan had a hard time sticking to her list: she was sorely tempted by a 60-inch girth for her husband's huge horse, and a very attractive whip handle just the right size for her, and some charming leather sandwich boxes.
And continuing with the day's equine theme, on the way home she took me on a guided tour of the ravishingly beautiful Andrew's Bridge hunt territory along the Octoraro Creek.
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