Maxwell's on Main (MOM'S)- Doylestown, PA

Spicy Moms Burger

Maxwell's on Main is a neat restaurant done up in my favorite style. They have wood floors, exposed brick walls with dark wainscoting, and tin ceilings. There are two bars that I saw, one was on the ground floor and the second one upstairs with another dining area. The place has a feel of an old British public house mixed with that warm and inviting Pennsylvania colonial style. 

I saw this place the last time we went through town and put it on the short list. We stopped for lunch at two on a Saturday afternoon and while there were quite a few people there, we were seated right away. They have a rather extensive craft beer selection, but since I was in the midst of a long drive home I passed and went with water. Good cold water that they kept topping off for me. 

After looking over the menus we decided to go with burgers. Mine was the Spicy Moms burger with jalapeño cheese, fried jalapeños, and a side of sweet potato fries at eleven bucks. I ordered it medium and that is what I got, a perfect medium. It was quite deliscious. Teresa went with the special of the day which had hummus on it for eleven bucks as well. She opted for the salad. She said it was good, but just a tad less than the medium-well she'd ordered (the burger, not the salad). She ate it all though, but we'll keep this in mind when ordering next time.

Overall, a really nice friendly place with quaint ambiance and excellent food at reasonable prices. We'll be back.

Catherine's- Goshen, NY

Let me start by saying that the Kobe burger I had at Catherine's hit the burger trifecta. It was good meat, properly seasoned, and cooked to a perfect medium just the way I like it. Add in the fresh brioche bun and the perfectly fried tater tots and for fourteen bucks it was an amazing burger. If you look at the picture it almost looks like a smile was burned into the cheese when it melted. My smile while eating was similar. Teresa got the Cobb Salad at thirteen bucks and it was quite good as well. The chicken was plentiful and cooked perfectly. 

Catherine's is a neat restaurant in Goshen with two floors. The top floor is a white tablecloth restaurant and the downstairs is the pub, with a small room to the side. We ate downstairs and were given both the dinner and pub menus. We ordered from the pub menus, but there were some nice choices on the regular menu. 

Service was excellent and friendly, the food was excellent, the atmosphere charming, overall a nice experience and we'll be back again soon. Oh, and I strongly recommend that you make a reservation as they do get quite busy at times. We got there shortly after they opened for the evening and were lucky to get a table.

Basically Burgers- Doylestown, Pa

We drive past Doylestown often on our way to visit grandchildren, but we never actually go through the village. In looking for new places to try I came across Basically Burgers and we decided to pop in and see what they were all about. It turned out to be a good decision. 

It is a simple place and well appointed. You place your order and pay, then take a seat and they bring the food to you when it is finished. After looking through the choices I decided on a jalapeño popper burger (two patties, jalapeño slices, and cream cheese on a nice bun) for seven bucks. Teresa went with the Rueben burger (two patties, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing) at seven bucks as well. We decided to split a large (very large I might add) order of fries at three bucks and a black and white shake at $5.25.

The burgers were quite good, seasoned properly with that crispy flat-top texture. The fries, while of the frozen variety, were crisp on the outside and soft in the middle like they should be, and hot too. The shake was just the right thickness, you can draw it up through a straw without hurting yourself. 

Overall, a darn good burger joint and you should stop in and see what I mean. We'll hit them again.

The Palate Cafe- Pine Bush, NY

Sausage French Toast

We were driving down the main street of Pine Bush today and saw this place on the corner, and it looked cute and interesting, so we popped in for a late breakfast after having fasted for our blood tests. 

Inside it is cute indeed with a French cafe feel, except that instead of Jacques Brill there was a classic rock station playing Duran/Duran. It is small, seating maybe 30 tops, and bright and cheerful. The staff was friendly and the owner popped over to see how we were enjoining our meal. She said that she'd only been open a few months. 

I was debating between a crepe and French toast and I went with the savory French toast at seven bucks. They have a different take on the dish with the sausage being cooking into the challah bread. It was quite delicious and quite filling. 

Ham and cheese quiche

Teresa decided on the quiche du jour at seven bucks which was ham and cheese. Again, the interpretation was unique with the quiche being a bit thinner and in more of a pastry puff. It was well executed and quite nice as well. We each had coffee, delightful coffee from Noble Roasters in Campbell Hall, and the total bill was about eighteen bucks. 

We will definitely be returning as I want to try the crepes, and the soups, and the pastries, and so much more. The Palate Cafe could very well become a new favorite. Stop by and see what I mean.

Cinnamon Indian Restaurant- Rhinebeck, NY

Chicken tandoori

I've had this place on the short list for about two years now ever since I tasted their samples at one of the Best of the Hudson Valley events. Unfortunately it is a bit off of our beaten path so today we made the effort to drive up to Rhinebeck and I must say I am so glad we did. The food was excellent.

They have a buffet on Sunday for $16.50, or you can order off the regular menu. Considering that we would have spent that much on an entree, we opted for the buffet. That way we could sample more options. Everything on the buffet was fresh, tasty and good. My favorite was the Ceylon chicken followed closely by the chicken tiki masala. There were plenty of chutneys for the delightful nan bread, the best being the mint chutney. They also gave us the chicken tandoori shown at top. I'm not usually a fan of tandoori as I find it dry, but this was done with dark meat and was juicy and full of flavor. 

The rice pudding at the end was quite nice with a taste of cinnamon and saffron. Overall, the meal was delicious and satisfying. We will definitely be making the trek north again.