Simon Pearce Restaurant

Ms. Liz and Ms. Amy were the perfect companions at the Brandywine museum in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. This is a very pretty museum dedicated to American art and is located in a 19th century grist mill. The museum is known for its collection of art by three generations of the Wyeth family as well as its dedication to still life paintings and illustration art. Staring at art for longer than an hour does tend to make one rather hungry - so off we sauntered to the Simon Pearce restaurant a few miles away where Liz had reserved a table by a window seat overlooking the river.

Simon Pearce is originally from Kilkenny, Ireland where he dedicated himself to the art of pottery and fine glass blowing. In 1981 he moved his facility to Quechee, Vermont where he completed the renovation of an old historic woolen mill. He opened his second Simon Pearce restaurant with a retail shop on the site of the former Lenape Inn in the year 2000 in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Visitors not only have the opportunity to enjoy superb American cuisine but they can also browse for original glass and pottery in a retail store next door.


1333 Lenape Road, Route 52 North,
West Chester, PA
tel: 610.793.0948

The Franklin Fountain

Philadelphia is perhaps for me one of the most beautiful cities in the United States. It is intimate, the architecture is grand and the tiny cobble stoned streets echo a long lost era.

Before driving back to New York our last stop was at the Franklin Fountain, an ice cream salon that takes you back to the early 1900's when the local soda fountain was a popular gathering place. The two proprietors and brothers Eric and Ryan Berley named their business after a famous person - in this case Philadelphia's own Benjamin Franklin, who had operated his first business nearby.

The ice-creams and shakes are wonderfully delicious. Made with organic and locally produced seasonal ingredients I can safely say that the ginger ice-cream that I slurped on for half hour was the best ginger ice-cream I have ever licked. And their chocolate shake!!! I might even wrestle for it.

No. 116 Market Street.
Philadelphia. PA 19106

Tel: 215 627 1899