Ye Old Spring Valley Tavern (July 2019)

Ye Olde Spring Valley Tavern - Outdoor Dining Near Their Spring-Fed Pond

I dined at Ye Olde Spring Valley Tavern with two family members for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon in July 2019. The Spring Valley Tavern is open for lunch and dinner daily, except on Mondays when they serve dinner only (no lunch on Mondays). Diners can reserve a table via telephone or using the restaurant’s website.

The Ye Olde Spring Valley Tavern (formerly called the Spring Valley Inn) was built in the early 1800s in Upper Saucon Township near Hellertown. The most recent iteration was re-opened in July 2014. Indoors, patrons can sit in one of the dining rooms or at the bar. Tin ceilings, original wood floors, and wood wainscoting create a homey feel. In appropriate weather, guests can dine outdoors on the covered patio (including a bar) near the pond, fountains (although they weren’t operational on the day that we dined), and bridge. A screened-in outdoor dining pavilion is also available and particularly suited to private events. 

The Spring Valley Tavern serves international cuisine. One of their claims to fame is fresh trout, supplied by their spring-fed pond that runs under the building. The dinner entrée menu is not inexpensive, although the lunch/tavern menu offers great value with a selection of pub appetizers, hot and cold sandwiches, soups, and salads. We tried the soup and salad/half-sandwich combos as well as a grilled Reuben sandwich (served with fries), followed by a yummy slice of (made-on-the-premises) coconut layer cake. 

We enjoyed our al fresco lunch at Ye Olde Spring Valley Tavern.

Theatre: Antony and Cleopatra at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (July 2019)

One fateful meeting reshapes the ancient world when Roman triumvir Marc Antony falls like Caesar before him for Cleopatra, the enchanting Queen of the Nile. As civil unrest plagues Rome, this exotic and intriguing tale illuminates the collision of power and passion as empires hang in the balance. Shakespeare’s dark and intimate portrait of this storied affair features some of the most transcendent poetry on love and loss in the canon. In a world of great nations and greater longing, the quest for transcendence yields both tragedy and triumph in one of history’s greatest love stories.

Quakertown: Tom's All American (July 2019)

Tom’s All American BBQ - Large Restaurant Can Accommodate Lots of People

My spouse and I dined at Tom’s All American BBQ on a Saturday afternoon in July 2019. Tom’s is open for lunch and dinner on Tuesdays through Sundays (closed on Mondays). 

Tom’s All American opened in May 2019 on busy Route 309 (West End Boulevard) in Quakertown in the space formerly occupied by Yellowtail Asian Fusion and Hobo’s Bar and Grill. The restaurant is named for the owner’s late grandfather, who once ran Allentown’s All-American Diner. 

The large space offers seating in the raised bar area or at one of the adjacent semi-circular booths, or in the main dining space at tables and banquettes of various sizes and configurations. The vaulted ceiling in the bar area makes the restaurant feel spacious. Décor includes corrugated steel and wood-paneled walls.

Tom's All American serves barbecue cuisine, including dishes like “burnt ends”, brisket, ribs, and pulled pork, as well as some dishes with Southern influences (like a catfish) and even some meatless fare. We were intrigued by the table-side smoked deviled egg appetizer. As our main dishes, we ordered the smoked pork chop (with a side choice of macaroni and cheee) and the sliced brisket (with a choice of sides of tater tots, cornbread, and side garden salad). Additional sides include collard greens, okra, side salad, coleslaw, green beans, street corn [although not like what we’ve had in the South], fries, baked beans). Several sauces (vinegar, mustard, BBQ) are available to douse your protein. 

Should we find ourselves in the area again, we might revisit Tom’s All American.

Theatre: Noel Coward's Private Lives at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (July 2019)

After a volatile marriage of volcanic proportions, Amanda and Elyot have divorced and are each newly married to new, sensible spouses. Chance has brought the two couples to adjacent honeymoon suites with adjoining balconies where the fires of former fervor prove irresistible. With the comedic weaponry of Coward’s lightning cleverness and razor-sharp wit, sparks fly as the couple renews their tempestuous relationship. They fight to maintain effervescent decorum against the force of fiercer passions, but their self-restraint is no match for the kind of relationship one cannot live with or without. Lauded as “two hours of comic bliss” by The Telegraph, this delectable comedy of manners delivers scintillating satire—shaken, not stirred.