Christmas Lights at Peddler's Village in Lahaska

If you are looking for something to do this holiday season, check out Peddler's Village, especially after dark. In addition to the hundreds of specialty stores, they offer a nice holiday atmosphere.

To begin with, the village is lit with literally a million or so lights on the trees and buildings. As you walk around, you are treated to an ever changing view. The Gazebo houses a collection of Gingerbread and Marzipan houses. We went this friday and there was no line to get in, but the movement inside the Gazebo was pretty slow. It was worth it though in order to see some great designs.

There is a stand selling warm cider on the square in the center of the village. The warm it in a copper kettle over a hardwood fire. If you are downwind, the smell of the fire just adds to the charm. (IE just enough to notice but not overpowering). You can hear Christmas music througout the square area. The winery was offering complementary wine tasting.

So, if you are looking for something to do with the kids for the Holiday season, then consider a ride to Lahaska.

If you go, make sure you wear good walking shoes and clothes that are warm enough for the weather. Also, if you park in the lot near Earl's Prime note that a lot of the spaces are reserved for Hotel guests and subject to towing. One final thought is that it might pay to bring a backpack if you are planning on purchasing a number of items. Even if you aren't planning to purchase it's hard to avoid it as you go throught the stores.

Dining Earl's Prime in Peddler's Village

We visited Peddler's Village to see the Christmas Lights and to do a little shopping. We started out with Lunch at Earl's Prime. The Restaurant is located in Peddler's Village.

The Exterior and Interior is done in a modernistic style with a lot of burnished metal trimmings. Overall it is tasteful.

Lunch was being served from 1 to 3. It's a lot more reasonable than the dinners there and a lot less crowded. We were seated promptly and greeted by a very friendly and efficient waitress.

The lunch menu isn't all that extensive. We ended up splitting two Turkey Clubs between the three of us. It turned out to be more than enough. I ordered a cappucino which was $5 but worth it.

For desert, Kathy and Chris had the Key Lime Pie. It was a generous slice of really good pie. I ordered the Gelato/Sorbet Sampler with Hazelnut and Pistachio Gelato. I was expecting two golf ball sized portions and instead got a pair of tennis ball scoops which were excellent.

In summary, it's a great place to go for lunch. When we passed by later in the evening, there was a waiting line and the place was jammed.

City Kitchen in Southampton PA

A new place opened up in Southampton called City Kitchen. It's located at the site of the old Maggios in the strip mall at the corner of Second Street Pike and Industrial Boulevard. It's nothing like the old Maggios.

The interior is done in a semi modern style with a lot of chrome and steel sculptures.

When we walked in we were greeted by the General Manager and the Owner. We were seated and served quickly. The menu is decidedly Italian. The first time in, we were just looking for a late snack and had come well after the dinner crowds. They bring out bottled Southampton water (It sounds corny but it does work for a lot of reasons). We split a veal parmesian and a Caesar Salad. Both were excellent. They server the Marinara sauce on the side.

Desert was a real treat. They have a great selection of some really excellent gelato.

The combination of service and food along with our busy holiday schedule led us back twice more that week. Every time the owners and manager were greeting all of the guests and checking at the tables. It does get busy at prime time so plan ahead. The place is BYOB. If you don't want to do that, they have some great Italian sodas and lemonade to choose from.

When we went there tonight our son was with us. He had his ipod touch and noticed that they offered free Wifi. I don't think you would want to sit there during a crowded dinner hour with your laptop but it would probably be great for a business lunch.

Oh, I forgot to mention the music... it's a taseful blend of Italian oriented music including Sinatra and Connie Francis.. It's not overdone, just a nice background.

SUMMARY - If you like an slightly upscale pizzaria/italian place, give it a try...