So, my birthday surprise for my mom was importing my sister from the other side of the state. Keri’s been here barely 40 hours and has already overtaken my Facebook wall.
Yesterday, we hit golf balls with my dad at the driving range, then I took her out to The Vineyard at Hershey for an afternoon wine tasting — she had never done one before! Then, we cooked dinner at home. Keri and I both fell asleep on the couch not even halfway through Silver Linings Playbook (um, hello, downer), and it was nice to not be the only one for once.
Today, I’m headed to the gym to pre-work-off all the deliciousness that will be PA FLAVOR this afternoon. I’d love to hit a Derby Day event in the evening, but we’ll see how things go.
I have always loved the Derby and someday hope to don a giant Derby Day hat and attend with Kentucky Bourbon in hand. In college, Cinco de Mayo always signified the end of the semester with my friends and I throwing a big barbecue banger with everyone we knew.
There’s no reason we can’t celebrate both this weekend! To do so we’re going to need some great beverages so let’s get inspired:
Breckenridge Agave Wheat. Follow me on this thought process: Tequila, of Mexican origin, is made from agave. This lovely beer from Breckenridge, CO is made with agave as well. There are way better beer options than just the old Corona, and a beer made with agave just seems quite appropriate. While not overly sweet, the agave definitely brings a little something extra to the table.
Happy Birthday to my mama! We’re starting the weekend with a mini Happy Hour at the Brewhouse to celebrate her … And there may be a little surprise involved.
There’s nothing on my calendar for Friday which is either good or poor planning because there is so much going on this weekend that I’ll never fit it all in.
Saturday, Andy and I are heading to PA Flavor — along with whomever ends up winning this week’s giveaway. But if you don’t win, fear not, there’s a ton going on Saturday. For instance, Cinco de Mayo events and The Hello Strangers at ABC. And that’s just stuff I’ve already written about. It’s also the Kentucky Derby!
When I first bought a road bike in summer 2010, I had no idea what I was doing. And today, I’m still learning. Road riding is much different than taking your old mountain bike out of your parents’ garage and going for a spin around the neighborhood. Road biking involves following rules and learning to ride with traffic.
Safety is the most important aspect of riding on the road. If it’s you vs. a car, it’s pretty evident who is going to win. However, once you learn the ropes of riding in traffic, the next question is – Where can I ride? Typically, I strive to find a route that has biker-friendly roads without too much traffic.
My biking friends and I assembled a few safe, local destinations for road riding.
Hailing from Mercersburg, Pa., — via Austin, Texas — Larissa and Brechyn Chace return for their third performance at the Abbey, with the accompaniment of long-time bassist Dave Holzwarth, with Spencer Pheil on guitar and Trent Renshaw on drums.
The Hello Strangers perform original music written by the Chace sisters with nods to Americana folk traditions, modern indie rock, Texas country-folk, and roots rock, all tied together with lilting harmonies that only sisters can create.
Everyone loves a good celebration — and on Saturday, May 11, there is going to be a lot to celebrate at the Abbey Bar.
First and foremost, Rebecca Marie Miller will be release her new solo album, Trojan Heart, with a full-band record release show. Miller — a touring member of the indie rock band The Mynabirds – will also be reuniting her former band Brave the Day — a band that ruled the midstate music scene for roughly a decade — for the first time in three years.
“I think this is the perfect way to celebrate a bunch of different things all at once,” Miller said in a recent telephone interview. “I feel like I wouldn’t have been able to write this record if it wasn’t for all the years I spent in Brave the Day, and I wanted to make it all come full circle. And with me leaving at the end of June to move to the West Coast, there was no other way to do it – it all had to come together like this.”
The release of Miller’s new album, which is currently available online and at Stash on North St. in Harrisburg, has been years in the making but she said the final product was exactly what she was hoping for.
In other words, it’s all about discovering and enjoying Pennsylvania products.
The event runs from 1-5 p.m. with a VIP reception from 1-2 p.m. featuring butlered hors d’oeuvres and additional specialty beers (including one from local brewer Millbock this year). General admission doors open at 2 p.m. providing access to more than 30 Pennsylvania brewers, 30 PA Preferred food producers and 15 PA Preferred restaurants.
by: Sara Bozich
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**Congrats to Phil!**
It’s a rare day that I’m downtown at 2 a.m. on a weekend (or weeknight for that matter, but let’s stay on topic) anymore, but when I am, I still have a hard time resisting PD’s Pretzel Dogs as a late night snack.
I’ve actually been writingglowing reviewsof PD’sfor years since they first popped up in 2006. Since then, they’ve had a few different homes, but these days you can find them on Second St. next to Sawyer’s.
They’re open Friday and Saturday nights from 10 p.m. to 3 p.m. to serve the late night crowd, and personally, I find it hard to beat the Hebrew National “no butts” hot dog wrapped in buttery pretzel goodness. Want to amp it up? Grab dipping cheese or try one of PD’s many mustards.
But enough talk: PD’s Pretzel Dogs is giving away 2 Free Pretzel Dogs Every Night We Are Open For A Year to one lucky reader. That’s a lot of pretzel dogs!
To enter, leave a comment below:
For extra entries (you must leave a separate comment for each extra entry in order for each to count), you can (Note: there are new options!):
Over the past several weeks, we’ve been exploring the similarities between certain styles of beer and wine. I’ve been throwing around words like “earthy,” “citrusy,” and “fruit-forward,” but what the hell do they mean? And how do you really taste beer or wine?
This week I want to depart from the norm a bit to discuss the tasting process and the palate. For some people this is old news, but if nothing else, it’s a good refresher course to enhance your beer and wine drinking experience.
The most important thing to understand is that your palate is unique. Everyone tastes things differently. My husband and I were recently out to dinner and ordered a bottle of Grenache from Spain. From the initial sip all I could taste was green bell pepper. I’m pretty sure Nate thought I was crazy; he tasted tobacco. Everyone tastes flavors differently, but one of the best things about sharing beer and wine is that you can talk about it. Often when someone else suggests a characteristic, it’s easier for you to taste it.
