Food Discoveries Along the Way 1: Northern Region – Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina

Along with enjoying new places and having wonderful times with family and friends, we’ve had the privilege of discovering some amazing food. This is part one of our “Food Discovery” series. So here is a summary of some of our favorites from the North.

Pennsylvania:

• Shippenville, PA: Red & White Store: We came across this very small, local grocer/butcher on our way to a winery and just had to stop. They had the absolute best Garlic Sausage and Kielbasa. So amazing! Worth a stop if you are traveling along I-80 around Dubois, PA.

Pittsburgh, PA:

Although there is so much for foodies in Pittsburgh…the Strip is a great place to go… we focused on French bakeries this trip…We found two we liked.

• Gaby et Jules: A small bakery in Squirrel Hill where you can watch the French chefs at work making their famous macarons and other pastry delights. The croissants were great, very buttery and flaky. (as a good croissant should be. ;))

• Madeline’s Bakery: Another small bakery just up from Biddle’s Coffee shop in Regent Square. We especially liked their bread and brioche. Worth a visit!

Virginia:

Smithfield, VA:

• Genuine Smithfield Ham Shop: With the pig as the city and county symbol ( or so it seems with all the pig statues everywhere), it’s no wonder the ham is tops when it comes to the food here in Smithfield. And the bacon is so as well, especially the thick sliced. Tons of flavor. There is a reason Smithfield is famous for its ham and bacon. Check out our post on more of Smithfield here.

• Old Bay Seafood Restaurant: Another unexpected local find located in a strip mall. Owned by an Asian husband and wife, we stumbled upon this place just in time for lunch. For a somewhat out of the way place, the fish was incredibly fresh; Eric’s steamed shrimp were perfect and my fish and chips were tender, with a light flaky coating and not greasy at all. If you find yourself in Smithfield, looking for a quick bite of some good fish, check out this place. It’s not much to look at but the food is terrific.

Hampton, VA

Just between Smithfield and Virginia Beach is the small town of Hampton. We found the Hampton Seafood Market and tried the clams, oysters, clam chowder and hushpuppies.

All were excellent along with the service. The friendly lady behind the counter even gave Eric extra clams and oysters because he had to wait longer than they like. (Although I think she liked his accent. 😉 )They also have a fresh seafood market next door. Not a fancy place, but good food nonetheless.

North Carolina:

• Bunn’s BBQ in Windsor, NC Best southern BBQ! Bunn’s has been an local favorite since 1938.
• Le Catalan French Bistro in Wilmington, NC. Very good croque monsieur.

Both of these wonderful places are described in more detail in our North Carolina post. Check it out here.

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Check back for part 2 of our “Food Discoveries Along the Way”. If you haven’t subscribed to our blog yet, be sure to add your email so you don’t miss our posts! Thanks for reading. And remember…Someday…is Today!