Our Long Weekend in Virginia: Part 1

My wife and I hit the road for the first time in a while this past weekend. Our destination was Virginia, where we spent a night in Staunton before heading southwest to Richmond, the state capital, for a couple more days and nights. Those of you who have read some of my old travel postsContinue reading “Our Long Weekend in Virginia: Part 1”

The Reading Terminal’s Most Overlooked Sandwich

Near the end of the post I wrote about my last visit to Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market, the possibility of my next stop there including a roast pork or meatball sandwich from DiNic’s was raised. I returned to the Terminal for lunch Thursday and it turned out to be the latter. I’ve enjoyed meatball sandwichesContinue reading “The Reading Terminal’s Most Overlooked Sandwich”

Pat’s and Not Quite Geno’s

The two most iconic steak shops in Philly are unquestionably Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks. They sit across the street from each other and have been rivals for many years. Pat’s was founded in 1930 by Pat Olivieri, who is credited as being the man who created the cheesesteak. Geno’s goes back toContinue reading “Pat’s and Not Quite Geno’s”

Lunch at the Yardley Inn of Bucks County, PA

My wife and I had a lovely Saturday afternoon that was centered around lunch with our friends Tom and Bernadette.  They live in North Jersey, at least a couple hours from us, so we decided to pick a place that was relatively close to the half-way point between our two homes and settled on TheContinue reading “Lunch at the Yardley Inn of Bucks County, PA”

Potential Consequences of Digging In on Ukraine

I’ve written about Robert D. Kaplan, a favorite writer and international affairs analyst of mine. One of his favorite sayings is that in order to avoid tragedy, leaders must think tragically.  That’s what renowned foreign affairs Realist, Professor John J. Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago, does in the piece linked to below. He examinesContinue reading “Potential Consequences of Digging In on Ukraine”

The Orchestral Music of Sibelius and Shostakovich

Most of my favorite composers plied their trade entirely or primarily during the 19th century. Two exceptions are Sibelius and Shostakovich. Shostakovich was the only one in the club to be born during the 20th century, while Sibelius straddled the 19th and 20th centuries, with much of his output coming during the 20th. As IContinue reading “The Orchestral Music of Sibelius and Shostakovich”

Returning to the Reading Terminal Market

It’s almost beyond the point of debate that the Reading Terminal Market – a.k.a. The Terminal – is Philadelphia’s most iconic food-related institution. The two indoor markets that eventually evolved into The Terminal were founded in 1859. For as long as I can remember, it’s been a combination farmers market and atmospheric food-court. It’s alsoContinue reading “Returning to the Reading Terminal Market”

When a Gorgeous Setting Isn’t Enough

In a recent post that was partially about the lunch my wife and I enjoyed at the three-century old Spring House Tavern, I mentioned that there were several other historic taverns and inns within a few miles of there. We visited another from that group – the Joseph Ambler Inn of North Wales, Pennsylvania –Continue reading “When a Gorgeous Setting Isn’t Enough”

Oh Brother: Serving Cheesesteaks in the Shadows of History

With Only moderate success, I’ve been trying to push myself to get to the handful of elite cheesesteak shops that I still haven’t tried. And to that end, today’s lunch was at Oh Brother, which is in Old City, a now long-trendy neighborhood at the northeastern edge of Center City. It also borders and intertwinesContinue reading “Oh Brother: Serving Cheesesteaks in the Shadows of History”