Oak Hill Inn, Orwigsburg, PA

So, we recently took a trip - just the two of us (the adults in the household, that is) to the Oak Hill Inn, Orwigsburg, on a whim. We initially stopped in to buy a gift certificate for someone else and decided to stay for dinner. It was a Saturday night and we were feeling underdressed by a mile - shorts and t-shirts, but the staff (after asking if we'd be more comfortable out on their new deck) said it would be "fine" if we dined there as is.

We were seated at a cozy booth for 2 and found the cloth placemats and candlelight a beautiful surprise for a Schuylkill County restaurant - don't get me wrong, there are lots of places for a decent meal in Schuylkill, it's just that the ambiance is severely lacking.

The appetizers were a little slow, but worth the wait. As a bonus, in the meantime, we were surprised by the crackers with flavored spread. My husband's coconut shrimp appetizer was a decent size - 4 jumbo shrimp crisply done to perfection, but he was a little disappointed that the pina colada dipping sauce turned out to be more like orange marmalade. All in all, he still really enjoyed them. My artichoke hearts wrapped in prosciutto with gorganzola were broiled to perfection and had all the salty/creamy flavors that I apparently had been craving without realizing it.

Other diners started coming in table by table, and though the sign says "casual fine dining," I guessed that we were the only "street casual" people there. Others were nicely dressed and looked like they were celebrating some occasions.

The salads were mediocre, with splinter-thin slices of cucumbers and what looked like bagged lettuce. The dressings, however, are all homemade and deserved a more worthy pairing than the base on which they rested. The bleu cheese dressing was flavorful and tart.

After the shock of being able to have husband-wife conversation sans kids wore off, our dinner started to arrive -a basket of 3 beautiful homemade, warm yeast rolls that arrived with a larger-than-golfball serving of butter. We thought that they could cut back on wasting this much butter and put the cost into a better salad.

My husband's black and bleu filet mignon over portobello mushroom in balsamic glaze was cooked so well that you could cut it with a fork. It had just the right amount of "bleu" on it and made me satisfied in my decision to not order the trifecta of bleu cheese for app, salad, and dinner entree. (I was a little on bleu cheese overload as it was). Instead, I had a delicious, tenderly broiled seafood sampler. The crab cake was tangy and sweet, and the haddock made me forget I was eating fish. The scallops were buttery and not too overdone.

The sides were done well, too. The cole slaw had a sweet cream base and was shredded to just the right consistency. The roasted red potatoes seemed to be tossed with a little cinammon (?) and complemented the steak entree nicely. Portions were just right and we were full before the end of the meal.

The restroom break proved a little concerning. It seemed like the bathroom would be more appropriately fitted to a grandmother's tastes. The flowered wallpaper/ decor was a little outdated and I think was left over from the previous restaurant/ owners. And, the handle on the paper towl dispenser was broken. It just didn't fit with the overall nice food atmosphere.

Once I arrived back at the table, the dessert list was offered. They all sounded scrumptious, but having no room left meant we opted for the homemade chocolate peanut butter pie and carrot cake to go.

The service was good and the waitress checked in with us frequently to see if we needed anything or tell us how long until our food arrived.

It felt a little strange leaving under the glare of other patrons' eyes, but my shorts and t-shirt exited the front door happier than when we entered.

Sbarro's Granite Run Mall

So, I had to quick run to the mall to return something today and decided to take the kids to Sbarro's for a quick slice of pizza for lunch. Turns out, the pizza had just the right amount of cheese and crispness to its crust AND they offered a kid's meal complete with jello or pudding. I was, however, disappointed that it didn't offer any veggies as a side and came only with a small fountain beverage, of which there were no healthy choices. The play yard seemed fun, but seeing as my youngest daughter just had immunization shots the day before, I couldn't help wondering when was the last time they cleaned the equipment?

All in all, a decent enough meal and setting for the price - $7 and change for 2 slices of pizza, jello, and a small drink.

Old Country Buffet, Springfield, PA

We woke up on Saturday, July 12, and realized there were no eggs in the refrigerator and we were running short on milk. My 2 year-old wanted pancakes and I was hungry for French toast. There was only one solution: head to Old Country buffet for breakfast, where we could sample everything...

Mind you, OCB is one of my least favorite places. I don't typically like buffets and hate having to reach over the crowds just to get some syrup or a napkin.

But, my husband and I packed the baby and toddler into the car and set off about 9:00 a.m. to try to fill our void bellies. Here's what we found:

Wait time: Very brief...only 3 couples/families in front of us. It only took about 3 minutes to pay at the register and get a ticket for the table. The buffet lines were not that crowded and we didn't have any crashes with other diners.

Service: Very good...From the cashier who told my daughter that "we've got lots and lots of pancakes for you, baby!" to the table waitress, who took each dish as we completed it...we enjoyed the service.

Food: Plentiful and tasty. Everything seemed fresh and was replenished often. The salad bar was fully functioning at 9 a.m., a feature that I particularly like, since I can get veggies and fruits into my family for breakfast, too. There were plenty of healthier options, too. My daughter enjoyed the offering of yogurt and granola, as well as the fruit for her pancakes. The downside is the greasy fare, which can be quite tempting for everyone. My husband had fried chicken with his eggs for breakfast. So, there truly is a little something for everyone.

Facilities: The dining room appeared clean, considering how busy this restaurant gets. In the midst of breakfast, our potty-in-training toddler decided it was time to try out the toilet and our Elmo potty seat fit nicely on the toilets. The bathrooms seemed relatively clean, except for the water all over the sink. I tried wiping it off so I could put her up there to wash hands, but there was soap, too and I ended up making more of a bubbly, slimy mess on the counter. The good news is that on our second potty-training mission, we used the larger, handicap restroom stall, which had a baby changing table and its own individual sink with paper towels. This made it easier to wash little hands.

Overall Nibbles: I give this restaurant 4 nibbles for breakfast...hungry families get fed fast and there are a variety of healthier options.

Olive Garden- Springfield, PA, Wednesday, July 9, 2008

After a month of anticipation, my nibbler husband and I took the kids and set out to try the newest addition to the chain-restaurant family in Springfield, PA. We decided to go early enough to avoid the 75 minute wait time we were told about the week before (on a Monday night, no less...). So, at 4:35 p.m., I used the call ahead seating feature only to be asked, "when will you arriving?" This got me thinking...do they place your name on the list according to where you are located? Nahhhh...
I was told there was a 20 minute wait.

Wait time: We arrived 15 minutes after I called and waited in the lobby for another 20 minutes. We then were led to a table near the front of the restaurant only to be moved upon arrival to the back of the restaurant...could it be the 5 month old and 3 year old we had in tow?

Our order: Tour of Italy, Eggplant Parm, salad, breadsticks, 2 unsweetened iced teas, one chocolate milk

Quality of Food:Taste was ok, cheese was skimpy all around, from left over shavings from the grater that were dumped on our salad to the sparse parmagiana melt. Salad was fine, breadsticks came out warm.

Service: Slower than average speed--and we had 3 different wait staff, friendly... to the point of hanging out at our table and telling us her daughter speaks 3 languages - (Lady, is that going to make our food come out faster?)

Facilities/Ambiance: Comforting, warm decor. Nice lighting. Noise levels were through the roof! I couldn't hear our conversation across the table, but could hear everyone else's. The bathrooms are located way behind the bar, across a VERY slippery tile floor that is downright dangerous when wearing sneakers (!) and carrying a 3 year old to the potty. The grease needs to be addressed, otherwise there will be an accident. Bathrooms were kept clean and no excess water/paper towel pile ups.

Overall: It's the Olive Garden, folks... but for a new franchise, we expected much more. On a scale of 1-5 nibbles, with 5 being the best, I'd give it 2 nibbles.

Maybe they can get it together for next time we need a quick OG trip...