Only in Bucks County: It's My Party and I'll Go To The Pub If I Want To!

There may very well be a steakhouse on every corner in Philadelphia these days, but when I was kid my parents took me to Frankie Bradley's, Arthur's, Old Original Bookbinders, or The Pub for my annual birthday dinner. Flash forward 47 years (today, to be exact) and the only one left standing is The Pub.
If you're from Philadelphia you've no doubt passed The Pub a million times... but who has eaten there, and more important, who still eats there? We do! The Pub, located in Pennsauken, New Jersey has become a new-old family tradition again for the past ten years. We were craving a good char-broiled steak and some nostalgia when we decided to go back!

Nothing has changed since 1970 (my earliest memory, at age five), which is such a good thing. The gi-normous dining room is still busy, even on a weeknight in the cold of January. Capable chefs prepare meats over an open hearth and good natured waitresses young and old, pile our table with food. My dad loves that the iceberg lettuce at the salad bar is cold and crisp, and the kids like that the just-from-the-hearth baked bread comes with a Pub knife stabbed through the center.

Our Table for 10.

             We love the decor that hasn't changed since the 1950's!

   

 

So glad that Sam is finally legal!

                                                           

My dad absolutely adores a Pub Old-Fashioned.

One AND A HALF ounces are the standard pour for all drinks!

This girl loves classic choices from an earlier time.

We also love the show these guys put on.

                    Posing with Santa in the Coat Room.

Sam at 21.

Delicious-looking cakes in the cooler.

Arrangements were made ahead of time to bring a birthday cake.

 Thank God I didn't have to blow out 46 candles!

The waiter snuck all this cake to our table- one slice of every type they make!

So my mom went home with a whole stack of cake-leftovers.

Rest assured, this Bucks County girl and her family will be visiting The Pub sometime again soon!

(I'll also admit to stealing a menu.)

Only in Bucks County: Is That a Brisket in Your Pocket or Are You Just Happy To See Me?

Another New Years Resolution: Learn to Cook a Brisket.

My friends and family know that I cook or grill out practically every day. I have my standards - and I try new things. I've taken classes from Mediterranean small bites and appetizers, to Italian Cuisine with my mentor Lina Pastore; to a Pit Barbecue class where we actually dug a hole in the ground at my old high school and cooked a pig.

Lemon Herb Marinade for Chicken or Fish:

Combine

1/3 c fresh lemon juice

2 TBSP grated lemon peel

2 TBSP Ketchup

2 garlic gloves, pressed

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dried marjoram

1/4 tsp dried rosemary

In a non-reactive bowl; then whisk in 1/4 c olive oil.

You can set some aside as a finishing sauce.

But I have a secret. This nice Jewish girl has NEVER cooked a Brisket. I've never even attempted to.
I have chicken, pork chops, burgers, and steaks under control, but I've never dared to cook a hunk of large meat in the oven. Which means no Pot Roast, no London Broil, and unfortunately no Brisket for me!

Ah... Summer.

So... who has a good recipe they'd like to share? I need to cook a brisket that can compete with my mom's! And I need to do it fast so that I can cross one more thing off my list of resolutions for 2012.

Salsa Semplice by Lina Pastore

1/2 c olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large can crushed plum tomatoes

1/2 c fresh basil, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

Sautee garlic in oil. Add tomatoes, seasoning, and bay leaf. Heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove bay leaf. Add fresh basil to sauce.  

Happy New Year!

I'll be sure to let you know how my first Brisket turns out.

 

Only in Bucks County: 14,000 Images

Take seven SD cards with over 2,000 digital images on each. Add in seven New Years Resolutions mostly about sharing, showing more appreciation, and being more grateful, and not only will I be blogging more in 2012, I will be sharing a lot of photos that I have taken for my own pleasure, with you.

Photography is something I studied as part of my education as Painter/Illustrator many moons ago. It's always been a passion and has even provided me with some income over the years. Sometimes I shoot for color, composition, or subject matter. Other times I stumble upon lighting that I just can't pass by. People are most definitely my favorite thing to photograph, but believe it or not, so are flowers.

 

Milk House Farm (otherwise known as Slack Farm, Newtown)

                     Hydrangeas, my favorite.

"Bird-In-Hand" Newtown, PA

Please don't eat the daisies!

 Frenchtown, NJ.

                                                                                  Bluebells.

               

Early March in Newtown, PA

"Watering" the flowers ;)