Victory Brewpub

Victory is a great brewery. I'm glad to have it in the area. Still, I wish the brew pub was a bit closer. It's about a 45 minute drive from Philadelphia, but is completely worthwhile. Upon walking in, I was surprised. The brew pub, which is tucked away in a forgotten corner of a suburban housing development, is huge. Despite the size, and I'd guess it seats around 200, the place was packed. I was visiting with my good friends Allie and John and we had to wait almost an hour for a table.

Waiting here isn't really an issue. You can make your way to the bar and order drinks. Everything comes in two different sizes, and the prices on beer are reasonable. Victory boasts an impressive beer list, 22 Victory taps, four of which are hand-pump. While you're ordering at the bar, marvel at the growler filler that seems to have come from the future. Victory has their standard rotation, as well as one offs, rare, and out-of-season beers. I had the delicious Zeltbier, an Octoberfest style lager that is so new that I couldn't find a shred of information about it online. Growlers are on sale on site ($15) and cost between 7 and 11 dollars to fill. It's a great deal on some brewery fresh beer.

You can also visit the on-site store while waiting. They have interesting merchandise for sale, although I'm always confused as to why I can't buy koozies at breweries. The atmosphere overall is a bit weird, it's large and crowded like a beer hall, but filled with families, yuppies, and suburbanites. The service was a bit lacking too. Once we were seated, it wasn't bad, but we saw tables sit dormant for upwards for 20 minutes while parties crowded the door waiting for seats.

The menu here has a lot of interesting options, and I love that they suggest a beer pairing for every menu item. It's divided into two parts, a standard menu that consistently offers traditional bar and pub fare, as well as a large rotating menu that offers seasonal and special dishes.

I opted for the spicy pork loin topped with blue cheese and pear on a bed of sweet potatoes. There was a lot going on with this dish, and the chef perfectly blended the flavors. I was quite happy with my choice, especially considering this is the kind of place where I'll usually ordered a cheeseburger and not expect too much. Allie ordered the same dish I did and was also satisfied with it. John ordered a jerk chicken grinder that was a great rendition on a fairly standard sandwich. As a side we ordered fries, and were served with a bowl of steak and sweet potato fries topped with leeks. The fries, like all the other dishes we had, have an extra touch that put them above what you'd normally expect.

Bottom Line: I like victory's beer, and I like this place. It's way too far out of town for me to become a regular, but the option for limited edition beer and the cheap growler fills are definitely a draw. Everyone should visit at least once.

Essentials:

420 Acorn Lane, Downingtown, PA 19335

610-873-0881

Hours: M-Sat 11:30-12, Sun: 11:30-10

Avg Ent: 10-17

Cash Only: No

Reservation: Not taken

Best Of Philly: Chicken Wings

I don't need to write too much, because my best of Philly chicken wings write up is likely to be a repeat of my previous entry on Moriarty's. I won't focus on the less than finer points of this establishment and get right to the wings. They're nearly perfect. For my taste, the sauce is spot on. It's spicy, but not over done. It has the classic buffalo flavor. I want to taste it right now just thinking about it. For size, these wings are great. There aren't many places that serve up full wings, and Moriaty's serves up large, full wings. They're cooked just right, with a crispy skin and tender meat underneath. No breading. And any chicken wing is incomplete without celery and blue cheese on the side. Again, Moriaty's doesn't fail. I don't love this place, but the delicious wings make me a regular customer. These are truly the best wings I've found in Philly.

Deals on Food in Philadelphia

If you haven't signed up for Groupon or their daily email, I highly recommend it. Today's deal is for the Marigold Kitchen, which I wrote about all the way back in June of 2009. It's definitely a good deal on a charming BYOB.

Also, I'm not on to repost, but I'm sure a bunch of people still need to bear about the excellent deal at Bridget Foy's. $10 on a Wednesday night will get you a 1/2 lb burger and a beer. With 60 minute IPA on the list and a menu of burgers with thoughtful toppings, I'm aiming to hit this up soon.

If you haven't signed up for Groupon in the past, I'll happily take your referral. We both get $10 credit after your first purchase. My email address is wgkealey at gmail. Let me know of other deals, let me know where you find the best ones. Opentable.com just launched a group buying programs where they offer half off $50 gift certificates from a different spot each week. Check out the current deal here.

Fractured Prune donuts

Driving down the Costal Highway in Ocean City, MD is fun. And while cruising with my friend Dan, he pulled into the Fractured Prune. Now I'm not crazy about donuts and I thought this joint had a dumb name, but when he walked in to order a half dozen, I followed him nonetheless.

Upon entering, I was pleasantly surprised; nay, blown away. After navigating through the small crowd of hungover bros, we stepped to the counter. Behind the register was a conveyer belt of hot fresh donuts pouring into a small bin in the staging area. They were just old fashioned, regular donuts; no glaze. Even by themselves they would have been some of the best donuts I've ever tasted.

Here's the trick, they're basically made to order donuts. They have several glazes, and more than a dozen crushed toppings. They will basically make anything you can think of, but the menu consists of the most tried and true. You can have their take on a reese's cup: peanut butter glaze with mini chocolate chips. Or my personal favorite: mocha glaze with crushed oreo crumbs. You can check out the whole menu here.

Bottom Line: They start with awesome donuts, and they're hot and fresh. Topping them with great glazes and ingredients only makes things better. These are delicious donuts, and this place is open to franchise. Please someone hop on this for Philadelphia and I'll do my best to personally keep you in business.

here's a picture I didn't take: