“And on the eighth day Man created Beer.” What an appropriate slogan for a unique establishment. Emily, Sam, and I rounded out our recent family trip to Pittsburgh with lunch at Church Brew Works – a brewpub located in the meticulously renovated St. John the Baptist Church in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. Both inside and out, [...]
The Carnegie Inn & Spa in State College, formerly the Carnegie House, recently re-opened with redesigned guest rooms, an award-winning chef, and a brand new organic spa. And Nick and I were thrilled to be invited as guests to the opening celebration. It was perfect timing, too — just three days before our second anniversary [...]
Last week I had the honor of judging a competition for local chefs. That’s right. Chefs who typically work their magic behind the scenes sharpened their knives, packed their frying pans and portable stoves, and came out to the farmers market to compete in a friendly cooking competition. Contestants included: Jamsion Steffan and Gus Aranguiz [...]
What kind of treats will you find in your Easter basket tomorrow morning? Milk chocolate bunnies or marshmallow peeps or colorful jellybeans or speckled malted milk balls? I know one guy who is hoping for a basket full of nothing but peanut butter eggs. I’ve told you before that no Wiley can resist the combination [...]
It will most likely be several years before Nick and I are able to make a trip to Italia, seeing as how we have a little Bambino on the way. Fortunately, my mother and I discovered several Italian treasures in our own backyard during our tour with The Fork and The Road last week. On [...]
I previously shared reasons why we love Pennsylvania, and I have another one to add to the list: the Laurel Highlands. The Laurel Highlands are a region of the Allegheny Mountains located between Pittsburgh and our humble home of Duncansville. I lived in the area between ages 4 and 6, and Nick’s job takes him [...]
Last Sunday afternoon we returned to LIFeSTYLE in Bedford. But this time, instead of finding one long table inside the quaint Italian shop, we found clusters of tables scattered throughout. And the chairs were positioned to face a sleek countertop covered with bowls of onions and shallots, bottles of oil, pots and pans, and a [...]
My ten-year high school reunion is next month, but I was able to catch up with an old friend in the comfort of her own bakery a few weekends ago. I met Amy in second grade when she moved to Pennsylvania from Germany. (Ironically, both her father and my father-in-law were stationed at the same [...]
On the morning of our first anniversary we paid tribute to our Mexican honeymoon with traditional chilaquiles of garden tomatoes and poached eggs. Later in the evening we drove 30 miles south to a trattoria that transported us to yet another country known for its simple, seasonal cuisine. LIFeSTYLE is an Italian gem in Bedford [...]
On Saturday, Nick and I ventured out for our first night in our new town. I can’t say there’s a thriving cultural scene here, but the establishments are quaint and historic and the people are friendly and hardworking. Plus, we have family close by. Nick’s father grew up in nearby Altoona, and his aunt and [...]