Babbo's Italian Grill, Mount Joy - Bar # 110

                                                 

Starting with this blog post I have decided to begin with a quote that I will attribute to its, if not original, then claimed author.

• People who drink light 'beer' don't like the taste of beer; they just like to pee a lot. - Capital Brewery, Middleton, WI

Today was one of those fine San Diego like days that come in the springtime in south central PA and we took advantage of it by visiting Babbo's Italian Grill in Mount Joy.  This place is known for its Italian eats but also happens to have a decent selection of craft beers on tap with a very wide selection of "traditional" as well as craft beers in bottle form in the fridge just to the side of the bar.  There were eight beers on tap with only one being of the "light" variety.  The seven real beers would easily satisfy one's desire for an IPA, Stout, Lager, or other.

We met Niki, our bartender for the day who was quick to point out that she is also known as "The Amazing Niki".  While we did not delve into the reason for the nickname we could imagine that it has been used in part to describe the amount of work she performs while on her shift.  That young lady, when not serving customers, was always cleaning or rearranging something.

At Babbo's we continued our relatively new tradition of having an appetizer and chose the Fried Sampler.  Everything in the sampler was very tasty and there was enough for the two of us that I could not have dinner after arriving back home.  If you do choose the sampler and don't share it, be prepared to bring home most of your entree in a doggy bag!

Just before leaving, we asked "The Amazing Niki" what she would recommend if we came back for dinner.  Apparently the food is so good here that she could not recommend one single item.  Every time she suggested something, she said "but you should also try" and then rattled off another menu item.  They all sounded good enough to convince both of us to return!  Check out the menu yourself right here.

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Bert's Bottle Shop, Millersville - Bar # 109

If there is a bar that fits perfectly into the parameters of why we are trying to experience all of Lancaster County's bars, Bert's Bottle Shop in Millersville may be the one.  Before we even made it to the comfort of our bar stools we were greeted by Bert, the owner.  As the afternoon progressed, it became more evident why Bert started this endeavor and why he will be successful.

Bert's has 14 beers on tap and ALL are craft beers.  There was an aisle that made us feel as though we had followed the yellow brick road to Oz.  Every shelf and every cooler filled with hard to find, top shelf craft beer.  The menu is very limited, but who wants to waste time eating with this kind of beer selection?  The food did look delicious so we were moved to sample some seasoned pretzels.  They were excellent!

As if meeting Bert wasn't enough, we were privileged to also meet Bert's Mother, Gloria, and his sister, Rhonda.  Both very lovely ladies and it was wonderful to have a conversation with them.

Again, Bert's Bottle Shop is a great place to speak with other patrons about beer appreciation, enjoy good food and admire a local boy making good on his dream.

Until next time, cheers!

 To see all the places we have been to or just to view our website click on one of the selections below:

In sequence, most recent to earliest

In order alphabetically 

In a map

Website