Phoenixville Foodie

Another post about .patina_mercantilecafe?! You betcha! I visited again today and had the flavorful and cozy pumpkin curry soup and vanilla latte all while enjoying my new book from . Did I also take a photo of the bathroom? Yes, because I love myself a pretty restroom. ☕️

Not the best photos, but we tried and everything was really good! We got the Failla’s Grilled Chicken Hoagie, the “Tour of Italy” appetizer and the Ham and Béchamel arancini ball. 🇮🇹

Tomorrow night at the Insomnia Cookies in Phoenixville! Free classic cookie when you come in your PJs and Insomnia swag for the first 50 people in line at 9PM. Plus limited-time Cap’n Crunch cereal and milk deluxe cookie will be released!

Team blue cheese or team ranch on your Buffalo chicken?

Buffalo chicken cheesesteak by Valley Forge Trattoria

I’m wrapping up my Kimberton Whole Foods Saturday Series with Sunday Supper! Using all local ingredients, I made a simple and spicy Calabrian Sausage Pasta w/ toasted garlic focaccia.

1. Heat a drizzle of KWF olive oil in a pan on medium heat
2. Remove the Dundore & Heister - Local, Pastured and Organic Meats Calabrian pork sausage casing and add to pan to begin to break up the sausage. Cook through until browned.
3. Once browned, pour in a jar of MarRosa's Old World Cuisine marinara sauce. Season with salt and pepper and let simmer for 15 minutes on medium-low heat.
4. While that simmers, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add your Vera Pasta radiatori pasta. Cook until desired doneness.
5. While pasta and meat sauce cook, drizzle some KWF garlic olive oil on Merzbacher's focaccia and pop in the air fryer or oven and toast to desired doneness. Once toasted, sprinkle with flaky sea salt (or whatever salt you have).
6. Add cooked pasta directly to the meat sauce and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. ENJOY!!!

Pair with your favorite red wine, or kombucha, or whatever you’re drinking these days.

told me I needed to try the stromboli from Bob’s Haven deli and it did not disappoint. Probably one of the top contenders we’ve tried in the area. This was a large and about the size of two human heads. Thin sliced meat and parmesan seasoned crust. Heads up, the marinara was an up charge. 👀

It’s Saturday! That means it’s Kimberton Whole Foods time. For this week’s Saturday Series, I made a simple, delicious PB+J Parfait with a sweet and sour twist.

To assemble, I layered Seven Stars Farm organic vanilla yogurt with Small Batch Kitchen sour cherry spread and Nutty Novelties cinnamon almond butter, then topped it all off with OT Granola granola cherry almond vanilla granola.

A perfect combo of creamy yogurt, sour cherries, salty almond butter and sweet granola. Grab all of your ingredients at any Kimberton Whole Foods!

What a treat to have a high quality gelato shop in town.

Madagascar Vanilla + Pistachio 🍦

Welcome to another Saturday Series where I highlight local KWF producers and products!

Since it’s peach season and donut peaches are my absolute favorite, I was inspired to put together this easy and fresh Summer Peach cheese board, which was perfect for hosting.

🧀 Snow Goose Goat Cheese
🧀 Fat Cat Farmstead Original
🧀 Birchrun Hills Pennsylvania Cheddar
🧀 Birchrun Hills Honey and Sea Salt Fromage Blanc
🍞 Sweet Water Baking Co. oatmeal bread, cut and toasted
🍑 Donut Peaches from
and of course some lovely prosciutto and sage from my garden 🌿

Pair with some crisp white wine and voilà! 🍷

There’s nothing better than a Kimberton Donut fresh from the .🎡

I was a sucker for ’s flavor of the week this morning and it was sooo good.

Rice Krispy Treat Iced Latte 👉🏼 iced latte topped with sweet cream cold foam, frosted Rice Krispies and white chocolate drizzle. Refreshing on a 90 degree day and not overly sweet.

Accompanied by a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese. 🥯

Today I embarked on my first sound bath at Excursion Ciders in Kimberton led by Jen who plays the Gong. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was an incredibly relaxing experience - like a massage for my ears/brain. The session was followed by a tasting of refreshing hard cider. A fantastic experience all around. Thank you Jen and Excursion!

A bit delayed in posting about my birthday dinner at , but here it is! It’s always a pleasure getting to dine here and experiencing the seasonal menu. This hidden gem of a fine dining restaurant is nestled in the village of Birchrunville in an old general store about 15 minutes outside of Phoenixville. There is still an operating post office attached and, fun fact, you have to go through the post office to find the restrooms. The dining room is warm and unpretentious and the service has always been impeccable. Even better that it’s a BYOB so you can splurge on an appetizer or dessert (or both in my case). Reservations are hard to come by, so call now and be flexible!

Do I count cheese and wine as a complete meal? Yes, yes I do. But also has many more menu options! In addition to their boards, they have appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches and flatbreads. Outside of their wines, they have cocktails, mocktails, beer, espresso beverages and Italian sodas. Swipe to see their current food and beverage menus. They also have cold wine to go for our BYO restaurants. Pro tip: get their patatas bravas and hand-pulled mozzarella 🙌🏻

Photos from my tour at the Wharton Esherick Studio museum - a hidden gem in our backyard. The tour was a fascinating look into Wharton’s unique homestead, paintings, woodwork and other oddities. This is just one of the many museums that the Phoenixville Public Library offers complimentary passes to in our area.

Golden brown and buttery, Pennsylvania Dutch soft pretzels just hit differently. 🥨 from in Spring City.

Our second visit to Van Horn’s American Contemporary Cuisine did not disappoint! It’s such an affordable date night option with the ability to BYO and various meal price points for all budgets. The atmosphere is warm and contemporary with some funky art and classic rock tunes playing. People all around us were asking about their famous cheesesteaks (which was delicious), but we also really enjoyed their seared tuna and crawfish special, fried burrata appetizer and the complimentary honey ricotta toast. The menu has something for everyone but definitely has a Cajun/creole theme. What are some of your Van Horn’s favorites?

I was today years old when I found out serves mini fish bowls! I think this one was called Canal Water. The server said she usually adds Swedish fish too but they were just out today. 🐠

Flash giveaway! I was gifted an extra quart of homemade Buffalo Chicken soup from . Comment with your favorite soup flavor and I’ll randomly select one person to drop the quart off to tomorrow. Must live within 5 miles of Phoenixville yo be eligible.

My morning latte today is brought to you by the wonderful . I love that we can get authentic Brazilian coffee and food right in our backyard. I’ve been obsessed with their cheesy pao de queijos and chicken and cream cheese coxinhas since they opened. They have many many other sweet and savory pastries and a full breakfast and lunch menu that I haven’t explored yet. If you’ve been, let me know what I should try next!

I took the opportunity today to work remotely at Work2gether, Phoenixville’s newest flexible work space. The facilities are beautifully modern and equipped with everything you might need including wifi, three-pronged outlets, monitors, private offices, fancy coffee machine, nitro cold brew on tap, beer on tap and refreshments. I loved that they even had a little Irish coffee station set up for St. Paddy’s Day! I took a walk around the corner to grab some pork soup dumplings and fried rice from Dim Sum Court to enjoy while working. Highly recommend for all you remote/hybrid workers who might be looking for a change of scenery like me.

New local business alert for all you soup lovers! 🥣 We got ourselves a chef that just moved here from West Chester and is serving up weekly homemade soups by the quart. has worked in some of the best local restaurants and started up his side hustle where he’s using local ingredients to make quarts of fresh bruschetta in the summer and comforting soups in the winter. Follow his IG page for his weekly flavors, like this delicious Tuscan Spinach and Chicken Tortellini, and to place your order. He lives in Phoenixville and can meet, deliver or do a pick up from his porch cooler. I’m looking forward to trying more soup flavors and his cult-worthy bruschetta!

I grocery shopped at Kimberton Whole Foods for the first time today and was amazed at how fair their prices were! I decided to look up some of the same items at the Giant in Phoenixville to compare prices and a lot of the items I got were cheaper at KWF. Plus, I enjoyed a hot latte from their cafe while I shopped. I also mentioned I was a first time customer to their employee and she excitedly gave me a welcome bag with samples and coupons.

If you buy a lot of organic items or want to support local producers, it’s definitely worth checking them out. Super fresh produce, clean and well-stocked store and friendly employees.

never disappoints. 🤌🏻

Okay, this is going to be polarizing, but has a limited-time Buffalo Chicken stir-fry and I actually thought it was really good. Roasted chicken, carrots, celery, cauliflower, crispy jalapeños, blue cheese crumbles, Buffalo sauce and ranch drizzle. I got it without celery though because celery is just crunchy water. So, what do you think? Does buffalo chicken have any business being in a stir fry?

Collegeville Italian Bakery Pizzeria Napoletana has the BEST chicken cutlet sandwiches. The ingredients are always so fresh and the chicken is thin and crispy how it should be! Did you know they have a drive-thru for those times you don’t feel like getting out of the car? 🤌🏻

Stopped by Cafe com Leite today for their soft opening! They’re using this week to train staff before their grand opening this Friday at 5 pm. I really enjoyed my latte and Pão de Queijos (cheese ball pastries) which were served warm. I can’t wait to try more of the menu since everything looked so fresh and delicious!

I finally made it out to Birchrun Hills Farm pop up cheese shop and happy hour on their farm tonight and it was SO lovely. Beautiful sunset and farm views, heaters and blankets, cheese boards, wine, gift market, and absolutely lovely staff. Right around the corner in picturesque Chester Springs. I highly recommend checking them out this winter and trying some of their farm fresh cheeses. Great date night spot!!

It’s been a little quiet around here since we welcomed our baby girl on 11/11! We’ll be back to our regular scheduled program soon. Looking forward to enjoying some local Phoenixville beers again!! 🤗🍺

Getting artistic with the tasty bang bang Brussels sprouts and Nashville hot chicken egg rolls from . Appreciated all of the non-alcoholic drink options on the menu as a v pregnant person, too! Definitely would go back!

Can you guess the two scoop flavors?

A good cheesesteak to me = soft but chewy roll, tender meat, and cheese evenly melted and distributed. nailed it!

Welcoming this shift to low 80s and beautiful weather this entire weekend. Get out and explore our beautiful town and area! What’s a place you’ve been wanting to try, but haven’t gotten to yet?

Changed it up this morning and took an impromptu drive to Royersford for my morning coffee and breakfast. I’m pretty sure they put some sort of magic crack seasoning in their bagel sandwiches, because this is SO tasty. Love the bonus hash brown waffle that comes on the side, too! 🥯

Some Paloma’s date night dishes. Enjoyed the food and AC! Melon carpaccio -> raw oysters -> filet mignon -> basil and garlic pappardelle pasta

I’m organizing a super casual baby/toddler picnic meet up this Sunday! Feel free to BYO blankets, chairs, snacks and toys to play and hang out! I’m also collecting the most needed baby items for there. I reserved Pat Nattle Field, but the township said we can also set up across the street at the reservoir park playground where there is more shade. There’s plenty of parking and public restrooms at the new Rec center next to the field! Comment below if you’re interesting in swinging by! Older siblings welcome too obviously!🌳 🧺

Yes, there’s plenty of craft beer on Bridge Street, but there’s also bubble tea to-go! 🧋
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We loved our date night dinner at il Granaio last night! My dish wasn’t technically on the menu, but they accommodated the request for chicken saltimbocca. My favorite dish I’ve had there yet! Thin, tender chicken, salty prosciutto, slightly sweet Marsala sauce served over thin linguini. Soooo good. We didn’t have a reservation so we sat at the bar and had great service. Love the subterranean, cozy atmosphere and really love the complimentary bread and hummus dip. Outdoor seating options available, too! 🍝

I’m an enchilada girl, so that’s what I got as my first meal from the new El Limon in Phoenixville. It was GOOD, but I still love the Three Brother’s enchilada more I think. Different chicken, pulled vs. cubed. Next on my list is Los Mariachis! What’s your favorite Mexican spot in Phoenixville?