Copperfield's Pub- Montgomery, NY

Copperfield's Pub is a place that, regrettably, I have not visited in some time. I think the main reason for not doing so is the close proximity to home. We have been trying to ht different places and have neglected our own back yard. Today I had a craving for a good burger, I'd had a veggie burger earlier and I needed to cleanse my palate after that fiasco, so we decided to stop by Copperfield's to see if they are as good as we remember. 

Copperfield's has been around for over thirty years and is still run by the Purcell family. It is long and narrow inside. The design is of an Irish Victorian Kildare Pub with plenty of wood and charm. We ate in the back sunroom. 

After quickly looking over the menus we decided on burgers. I went with the ranch burger at ten bucks which had bacon, cheddar, and ranch dressing. Excellent burger and it came with some wonderful waffle fries. Teresa had the pub burger at nine bucks and she said hers was excellent as well. Although the beer menu is quite extensive, with many craft beers on tap, we passed and went with ice water. 

Overall, a great place to grab a bite and a drink. The prices are right, the food very good, and the service friendly and attentive. They do get quite busy on the weekends. I promise it won't be so long before we head back again. They have a website for more information. 

Victory Brewing Company- Downingtown, Pa

I have family in Downingtown, Pennsylvania so Victory is a must stop to have a pint, fill a growler, or pick up some bottles to go when I am in town. They do serve food, but I've had mixed results with it. Not so the beer as it is always excellent. The one thing I keep meaning to do is get a flight, but I usually know what I want when I get there. 

My new favorite of theirs is Dirt Wolf, a double IPA wiggling in at 8.7%. It has a nice flavor without a heavy alcohol ease. Storm King Stout is right up there too. It is an Imperial Stout at 9.2% and goes well with chocolate. 

But Hop Devil is still my favorite. At 6.7% it's a nice American India Pale Ale that I love with a burger or pizza and has a nice drinkability. 

When I want something lighter I go for a Headwaters. At 5.2% you can have a couple of them and it seems to go well with a burger, steaks, fish tacos, or just about anything. 

Rushing Duck Brewing- Chester, NY

In the quaint little village of Chester there sits the Rushing Duck Brewing Company. The tasting room, no food served here, is in the back of an old warehouse off Main Street. The place is small and unassuming, but they produce some amazing beer. 

I popped in on a Saturday afternoon and the place was hopping (sorry, bad beer pun) but I got served rather quickly by the friendly and helpful staff. I went with an eight dollar flight to get a sampling of about a third of their offerings. Read them from left to right. The Baby Elephant, an IPA weighing in at 4.4% was quite refreshing with a moderate hoppiness. Next was the Naysayer Pale Ale at 5.27% which was quite nice. The middle one was the Beanhead, a coffee Porter at 5.7% which was amazing. Fourth up was the Divided by Zero at 6.8% and it was good. Last was the War Elephant, a double IPA and a  stronger version of the Baby Elephant weighing in at 8.6%. Nice.

The winner was the Beanhead and I brought home a growler of it for fifteen bucks. 

Overall, excellent brews and friendly staff. Stop by sometime,

Pomodoro- Downingtown, Pa.

Pomodoro is a new Italian restaurant in Downingtown. It is located a couple of blocks from the Victory Brewing Company, which may help them out. They've only been there two months now, but when we stopped by on a Sunday evening there was a twenty minute wait for a table inside. Even though it was getting a bit chilly, we opted to eat outside where there was no wait. 

Teresa and our daughter went with the gnocchi at fourteen bucks. The portion was large and the meal was excellent. Brian went with the sausage and pepper hero and I opted for the meatball parm at eight and eight fifty respectively. Brian said his was very good, and mine was good. We got slices for the kids. 

The service was excellent, the food good, the prices right, and the ambiance nice. I hope they continue to do well and we'll be back. Oh, and they are BYOB. Since they are so close to Victory I'd recommend picking up a growler and bringing it with you. 

Taco Maya- Exton, Pa

Taco Maya is a really neat little Mexican restaurant with great food at low prices. I got two tilapia tacos and a barbocoa one for $7.50 and Teresa got a three taco plate for the same. Everything was fresh tasting so I asked the girl at the counter and she said they make everything there as needed. The staff is friendly, the food good, and the ambiance nice. Stop by sometime.