cd's place: rock and roll's delicious rumble with breakfast, lunch, & dinner

Nearly everyone resembles regulars at Boyertown's CD's Place—whether you casually waltz in for brunch, or if you are embracing your obsession with above-par diner food displays. The small town café, peeking from a corner of North Reading Avenue, comfortingly resides in one of three once-notorious “cup” ice cream stops assembled in Berks and Montgomery counties in the early 1940s. However, if you speed indoors, the illusion of a soda, milk-heavy spot is shattered—but only for something better.

Chris Dietz, owner & chef of CD's Place, unleashed his breakfast, lunch, and dinner café to the local dining scene eight years ago, come February, offering closeby empty stomachs simple, comfort cuisine that doesn't cut corners to affect the integrity of his food. From slapping fresh, never frozen slabs of beef and scrapple on his flat-top, to preparing his own 20-ingredient rub for his jerk chicken, Dietz tackles all the eatery's tasty concoctions himself, all while socializing and talking shop in an always-booming dining room.

Confessing that he knows over 90 percent of his everyday clientele, the local haunt also celebrates other small businesses doing simple stints, including supporting Bally-based Butter Valley Harvest, which provides the owner with fresh produce, even through winter. While he regularly trots specials that do include locally-produced goods, the standard CD's Place menu marvels in some of the area's best brunch bites, including the generously-sized Jamaican omelet that packs the New Hanover-native's jerk chicken cozily aside sautéed onions and the dutch-inspired three-egg beauty, the country-style potato, and onion roundup.

Of course, Dietz would be amiss to omit appropriate accompaniments for your morning platters, including his crinkled cottage fries, homefries, all necessary meats (bacon, scrapple, etc.), toasts and, if you live in hungry man's delight, short flapjack stacks, and even full stacks, done in regular, blueberry, or chocolate chip. His endless array of fresh, from-scratch soups, sandwiches, wraps, burgers, and baskets will please all variations of personal taste preferences, and we hear that his “slaw dog,” made with mustard, onion, and the namesake, is a favorite amongst many.

The mouth-watering, guilty pleasured lineup is what keep patrons repetitively revisiting, but the dining room flooded with memorabilia from Dietz's other obsession—music—is what keeps CD's cushioned on being named one of the best decorated hub's in town. With black-and-white photograph-lined tabletops sourced from his own album collection, ticket stubs, concert posters, musical instruments situated on the walls, and even, a rock-and-roll mural painted by his daughter, Aleah Dietz, the whole eye-catching package of the past “cup” shop is successful in being a necessary, must-visit addition to the borough of Boyertown.

Find CD's Place at 237 North Reading Avenue or online at www.cdsplace.com (he does catering, too).

Hours of operation are as follows—Tuesday & Wednesday, 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Thursday & Friday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Saturday,  7 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. – noon.

( This post also appeared in print and on news, not blues. Enter a contest to win a $20 gift certificate to CD's Place, by clicking here. )

raved roadside retro: the jukebox cafe

Jukebox Café—since 1995—has put chrome-trimmed, elvis photo-decked diners to shame. nestled on a bend of south reading avenue, the nostalgic, above-average café celebrates all-day-breakfast in a snappy setting specked with leather-lined turquoise booths, pink countertops, an old-fashioned bubble jukebox, and of course, pin-ups of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean.

Conceptualized by Sandy L. and John E. Hilbert, the area's 15-year-old go-to breakfast, brunch, and lunch spot has been a constant hustle since opening day, when the managing couple premiered their soda shop-inspired eatery to the Boyertown crowds, mashing their love for coffeehouses with the simple structure of a retro diner.

The black-and-white checkerboard-floored space opens everyday, Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., slinging original, luxe updates of fifties comfort food, while celebrating the best of the season peppered through various selections. For example, as fall is prime apple and pumpkin season, items like hot apple stuffed french toast, apple bread french toast, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin soup, and pumpkin pancakes currently line their regularly-updated menu of specials.

 

Previous seasons also followed suit, including their attractive “Peach Mania” roundup as seen this past summer, that roundup, as seen this past summer with fresh slices pressed into sandwiches. 

Family-run and friendly, Jukebox Café also encourages visitors to savor bites at their counter space, available in addition to their up-to-four sleek booths and tables, for an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink omelet or a piping bread bowl flooded with one of their homemade soups, available also in to-go quarts. With well-done mainstays served aside continuously-new varieties, like Hungarian mushroom, tomato bisque, baked potato, italian wedding, and vegetarian chili, this nearby establishment swirls cordial soups on-par with grandma's best.

 

Considering they spout a moniker which marvels in the glory days of sock hops and triple-thick milkshakes, Jukebox Café also trots a classic assortment of burgers, fries, and meat and non-meat eater sandwiches, including melts and BLTs. Proud to not pack any of their menu items with canned creations, the always-fresh ingredients are locally-sourced, including goods found next door at Frecon Farms.

Better yet, if you have come to satisfy your sweet tooth, you may easily slip into a sugar coma. with this step back into the fifties, they bake all of their own perfectly-pinched pies, fruit-topped cheesecakes, traditional sticky buns, and multiple-flavored muffins.

Jukebox Café is no secret, as the lines for weekend brunch attest, and the service—manned by attentive, favorable females—leaves cozy diners dashing to squeeze more and more pop-ins into their wild work weeks.

Jukebox Café is cash-only, located at 535 South Reading Avenue in Boyertown and can be reached by phone at 610.369.7272. Operating hours are as follows: Monday—sSturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Take-out is available, as well, during operating hours.

 

(Also published on news, not blues. Swing over there to enter yourself for a free slice of pie from the Jukebox Cafe!)

peach paradise at jukebox cafe

As if I couldn't be anymore excited to wave farewell to the summer season, and also, praise the pumpkin pleasures that have already claimed a place in my everyday diet, I have to announce one last award-winner(s) for the steamy season.

Peaches are one of the most perfect fruits. Vibrant and fiercely fuzzy on the outside, juicy and deliciously fleshy on the inside, the locally grown peach nabbed a necessary place in my diet over the course of the last few months. 

While I typically enjoyed noshing on an individual round just as so, what I found pleasurable was the seasonal "Peach Mania" menu at my favorite brunch spot, The Jukebox Cafe.

From glorious peach muffins, to peach and bacon breakfast sandwiches, stuffed peach sticky buns, and my favorite, fresh peach french toast, the golden trophy of a fruit reached impressive lengths this summer season, and I couldn't ignore saying "BRAVO" to the adorable fifties-inspired eatery for embracing the gorgeous gem, aplenty.

Visit The Jukebox Cafe for yourself at 535 South Reading Avenue, Boyertown or call for some quick breakfast and lunch to-go at 610-369-7272. Although you may be too late for Peach Mania--don't worry. Fall's on the brim, and autumn's amazing assortment will easily satisfy your 'buds at this must-visit morn' munchies hotspot!

the freshest of breakfast at my favorite muffin

 

Living in the suburbs of Philadelphia, it is extremely rare to find a fresh-baked bagel haven that's survived amongst the swarmed sea of nearby Dunkin' Donuts. Better yet, if you are able to pinpoint a bagel cafe that also prepares customized cream cheeses to generously slather on your toasted rounds—you may be dreamin'!

However, Phoenixville's My Favorite Muffin (which surprisingly, is also a franchise) has become my saving grace for a legitimate, morning-time morsels. Their selection of freshly-baked, sweetly-tinged chewy bagels easily peak as the area's finest. 

Manned by the friendliest bunch, who excel at relaying the tantalizing tastes of each and every bite of their inventory, I opted for the Cinnamon Toast selection for my premiere bite. Smeared with a delicious heaping of honey walnut cream cheese (all of which are prepared on premises), my local breakfasts have never been better. Even B's choice, a crunchy Swiss Cheese and onion toppled with a cucumber dill cream cheese spread, was the perfect opposite of sweetened treat—and just as addictive.

As the name assumes, this local cafe captures the muffin in all of its forms, too, and if you like to skip the high-carb bagel when it comes to your morning eats, consider their top-notch mini-cake sensations. The choices are endless at My Favorite Muffin, from Boston Cream, Cranberry Nut, Blueberry Crumb Cheese, Cinnamon Bun, Deep Dish Apple Pie, Raspberry Cream Cheese, Chocolate-Chip, as well as many fat-free varieties, mini-muffins, and even, muffin tops, the thing called a doughnut is no longer necessary in my must-eat-now book.

And, I'd be silly to not mention their choice of several coffees isn't too shabby either, making this one-stop-shop now possessing, like the name suggests, my favorite muffins and bagels, by far!

My Favorite Muffin, 1130 Valley Forge Road, Phoenixville, 610-933-3393

casual gourmet's gorgeous specialty sandwiches

In a hunger-crazed lunch hour, the upscale sandwich is a star. For Casual Gourmet of Limerick, their savant stage that is keen to crafting the tastiest handheld bites sings victory over all of the area's packed buns.

Since 1999, when Casual Gourmet was launched by Mary Klumpp, the pristine plates of slightly fancy midday meals marveled in the mouths of many locals. Klumpp, transforming a diffident deli to an epicurean eatery, was instantly popular.

Although through a tragic turn of events, in 2003 the proud owner was killed in an automobile accident, and her establishment was eventually purchased by the nearby owners of the Lakeside Inn. Triumphantly, earlier in 2006, a trio of female gourmands grasped the opportunity to gear the local cafe back to its original roots, praising Klumpp's past ways.

Joanne Hinmon, a proclaimed culinary connoisseur, worked closely with Casual Gourmet's original owner, and when given the opportunity to restore the casual eatery to its once hustle and bustle, requested the resources of Stephanie Montoya, a certified chef, and Renee Snow, an operator of a petite catering company, to form a tantalizing team.


Continue reading here.



Casual Gourmet, 475 W. Ridge Pike, Limerick, 610-495-6626. Breakfast served, Mon.-Sun., 8 a.m.-12 p.m.; Lunch served, Mon.,-Sun., 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Dinner served, Thurs.-Sat., 4:30-10:30 p.m., BYOB.

the punchy plate-sized pancakes of Annamarie's

Morning means one thing in Royersford — Annamarie's healthy appetite for punchy pancakes that exceed the perimeters of your plate.


It has been over 15 years since Annamarie Chestnut began offering the graceful, guiltless portions we love to grub at early hours on Main Street. Prone to preparing almost too much to stomach per patron, Chestnut's homey neighborhood eatery promotes community and comfort, all on the pleasures of your plate.


Her staff sports t-shirts that read, "order what you want, eat what you get," and it's obvious that such a motto is what they follow at the friendly and casual establishment.


Opened in 1994, Chestnut has always continued to offer new combinations and additions to her ever-changing menu, including her latest, Vuotto Bacon Pancakes. Swirling gigantic bacon chunks into her beloved flapjacks was an idea of her customer Chris Vuotto, which ended up a crowd-pleaser and appropriately became an active part of Annamarie's wipe-board menu as of this month.


Capable of pumping your pancakes with everything but the kitchen sink, including fresh fruits like bananas and blueberries and candies like butterscotch and chocolate chips, Annamarie's also offers her visitors an edible challenge. If you are able to eat three entire pancakes, which usually costs a guest $5.95, at one sitting, you will get them for free.


"Only 15 people were able to complete the challenge in 15 years," Chestnut revealed, with Pauline Yip being the first girl to tackle and conquer the challenge just this year.


The owner, a graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Providence and also, a graduate of Spring-Ford High School in 1993, additionally concocts creative french toast selections that sweetly are adored by many, including her sampling of Bananas Foster, German ApplePeanut Butter Crunch. and


Annamarie's show-stoppers continue to be endless and they don't end with mid-morning carbohydrates either. For example, native to her area, Chestnut prepares a dapper scrabble, onion and provolone super-sized omelet that almost makes any humble egg seem like a show off.


Other offerings of her outrageous omelets undeniably capture the essence of the local community's creativity, too. To note, she's always willing to name a concoction after its originator. Recently, she's been serving a taco omelet upon a regular customer's request, as well as a tantalizing egg mix with turkey.


Annamarie's eatery is cash only and serves breakfast all day, aside time-appropriate offerings of lunch options.


Annamarie's Place, 347 Main St., Royersford, 610-948-0590, Tues. - Fri., 6 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.; Sat., 6 a.m. - 12 p.m.; Sun., 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Also published here.

breakfast bites of nudy's cafe

As meals go, breakfast has become a celebrity. Proudly carrying the title of the "most important meal of the day," a decent breakfast can influence you and your body the rest of your awakened hours of your hectic day.

But, with all fussing over and fantasizing of what to shove in your mouth, first thing, most of us sadly settle for the normal boxed cereal, or a simple egg scramble. That's where Ray Nudy comes in — the namesake and owner of the Nudy's Café, a six location breakfast hot spot.

With locations in East Whiteland, West Whiteland, Uwchlan, Wayne, Dowington and, of course, locally at 450 Bridge Street, Nudy has sculpted a satisfying, sit-down brunch eatery that not only offers traditional morning munchies like creamed chipped beef and finely chopped hash browns, but also is borderline quirky with grilled cinnamon bun French toast and year-round pumpkin pancakes.

Continue reading here.

holiday brunch bites at the jukebox

Hands down, my favorite early day eats are from the Jukebox Cafe of Boyertown, Pa. Retro-styled, family owned-and-operated, and low maintenance, the breakfast-and-lunch-only eatery has become a staple in my small town obviously for its simple, yet quirky mid-morning munchies.

While they boost on everything breakfast, from the usual fresh fruit-topped waffles and multi-ingredient omelets, they also encourage every season's best by offering an constantly changing supplement to their already established menu.

For my favorite fall-and-winter time of the year, they embrace all things pumpkin and peppermint, and of course, promote additional turkey-themed meals. The Holiday Benedict, seen above, a rendition of the beloved eggs benedict, is sculpted on two toasty rounds of cornbread, layered with chunks of November's popular bird, and dosed with perfectly-prepared eggs and hollandaise.

The Pumpkin Bread French Toast, seen below, is similar to their wide assortment of fruit-themed stuffed crispy toasts, is crafted around bread loaves they are prepared daily within the establishment, and then smeared with a cream-cheese filling that, with the ideal blending of cream cheese, ricotta, vanilla and cinnamon, it is apparent that a pumpkiny breakfast has never shined as bright as this platter.

Other must-haves of the Jukebox include: Hot Apple French Toast, made with slices of the season's finest apples, coated with cinnamon and baked to perfection and the Crab Benedict, similar to the turkey, but loaded with an addictive serving of amazing soft-shell.

raisin-studded cinn-spins smothered in an apple cream cheese glaze

Honestly, I would rather have the real thing.

Real thing meaning, if I were to make cinnamon rolls, I would, without hesitation, prepare the dough myself. I would allow time for it to raise, knead the flour substance with my tough girl hands, and then, sprinkle and spin these bad boys into the best roll a bakery has ever had to offer.

But come on, sometimes you do not have time for that (my Mammy would be so disappointed). Instead, I devised a plan for anyone who's time-crunched, but still wants something similar to the real thing--in 25 minutes or less.

Cinn-Spins
Makes 20 mini-rolls

1 Pillsbury crescent roll tube
4 tablespoons of butter, or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
4 teaspoons of granulated sugar
4 tablespoons of raisins

Unroll the crescents onto a greased baking sheet. Do not divide into the crescent triangles, but instead, keep the dough in four rectangles. Pinch the perforations together between the triangles to seal.

Spread a tablespoon of butter onto each square. In small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle evenly over each square and then, plop each with raisins. Starting with the smaller end of the rectangle, roll up entirely and pinch edges to seal.

Slice each roll int0 five or six mini-rolls. Place the cut end down onto a slightly greased pie pan.

Bake for 16-20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool for about 10 minutes before glazing.

Apple Cream Cheese Glaze

2 tablespoons of apple juice
2 tablespoons of natural unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
4 oz. cream cheese

Bring apple juice, applesauce and 1/2 cup of sugar to boil. Let cool. Combine apple-sugar mix with cream cheese until smooth. Plop about a teaspoon of the glaze on top of each spin.