Now This is What I Call A Combo Meal

There are times when I crave fried chicken and there are times when I crave tacos. Then, there are the troubling times when I want both, but know I shouldn't eat both at the same time. That's where Bair's Fried Chicken steps up their game and becomes my hero. What you see pictured here is their newly christened Loco YoCo Taco and it can really help when you want both but don't want to choose.

I've had a few of them over the last month, although I never did get around to putting in a name suggestion.  No matter what they're called they are awesome. Think about it: You get the best fried chicken in York all wrapped up in a tortilla and smothered in taco fixins. The Loco YoCo makes for an awesome lunch, dinner or even a snack.

So the next time you're downtown stop by the Market do yourself the favor of trying these little bundles of deliciousness. I know you'll thank me when you do.

Bee Eye Why See: Burritos

So many of my friends on social media seem to be beyond happy when they go out to one of the big national chains for a mission-style burrito. Don't get me wrong, I'll eat at Qdoba or Chipotle if there is no better option, but here in York City there most certainly is and that option is Roburritos. Their burrito is the Best in York City (B.I.Y.C or bee eye why see).

When Anthony was working at York College the students there told him about the West York location over by the fairgrounds and it only took one visit for us to realize why it was so popular. He and Heidi and I started going back in '09 and even found we had a few connections to the good folks that run the place. Heidi used to work with one of the managers and Anthony's long time tattoo artist is close with Rob, the owner.

But don't think these connections are why we love the place. Even if we didn't know anyone involved we would keep going back for one reason and one reason only: their burritos kick ass. Rob made a pilgrimage to San Francisco's Mission district to learn all he could about how to make a great burrito and it shows. They serve huge burritos packed with meat (or potatoes for your veggie folks), rice beans and guacamole and sour cream.

If you aren't in the mood to get all these ingredients in burrito form you could always opt for the burritodilla which is the quesadilla version that you see at the top of this post, but either way you can't go wrong. And there are more and more places you can enjoy this fantastic grub. There are three different York locations and one in both Dallastown and Lancaster. Whichever is closest to you I highly encourage you to get out there and try them out.     

Lunch Spot to Check Out: Flats

 

The other day Anthony said he wanted to go somewhere different for lunch. Between us we've eaten at just about every place in downtown York. Then we realized that there was one place we hadn't yet tried right under our noses. Well, under Anthony's nose... I don't have one anymore. About 50 yards from Anthony's office is the Valencia Room (which coincidently is where he took Heidi to the College Formal a few weeks before they started dating) and in the front of the Valencia is Flats which bills itself as an "Original Flatbread Café."

I just love the menu at this place, so much so that we've been there three times in the last week. The menu breaks down into four groups of main dishes: Pizza, Quesadillas, Burritos and Sandwiches/Wraps. They also have a nice grouping of starters and salads of which I've tried the Roasted Hummus Flatbread you see on the left. It tastes just as good as it looks! They also have wings, a tomato bisque, a side salad and the option to get an extra basket of their awesome chips with a balsamic glaze and parmesan dusted on top.

On my first visit I tried  the Killer Beef quesadilla which is fact killer. The brisket was really flavorful and tender and perfectly complemented the cheddar jack and BBQ sauce. Anthony had the Ultimate Grilled Cheese quesadilla pictured on the right which is stuffed with four different types of cheese as well applewood smoked bacon and tomatoes. There are four other quesadillas on the menu too and I'm looking forward to trying them all.

On our last trip be both tried burritos. I had the excellent beef and bean burrito you see below. The beef in question is the same brisket from the quesadilla so your really couldn't go wrong paring it with refried beans, cheese and rice. Anthony went with the Spicy Chicken Crunch burrito that gets its crunch from tortilla strips wrapped up in the burrito and set off with some mango salsa.

I look forward to going back and trying some of their pizzas and wraps very soon and I highly recommend you get on down there and check them out. In addition to awesome lunch food you also get a really comfortable ambiance to kill your 60 minutes before heading back to your desk.

Bear Market: Simply Soup

I don't know weather to eat it or swim in it!
 

It is just stupid cold here in the White Rose city these days. I don't know about you, dear blog reader, but when the cold weather gets me down I reach for soup. Since I am a really lazy stuffed panda I don't take the time to make my own and I also am not a fan of the sodium packed canned stuff. Luckily for me there is a place to get awesome scratch-made soup in Central Market.

Simply Soup has a huge variety of recipes to warm you on even the coldest day as one look at their menu will show you. When you try any of their soups you can really tell that they are made with skill and care. Everything I have tried from there has been amazing so far. Pair the soup with one of the excellent grilled cheese sandwiches they serve you get one hell of a filling and rewarding lunch.

They aren't just for lunch though, because they also offer pint and quart containers to go. If you don't know what you're making for dinner tonight and you don't feel like going out either you can get some to go like Anthony, Heidi and I do. This week we got the Chicken Noodle you see at the top of this post and paired it with a mixed greens salad. If you're having people over get a few quarts and have them simmering on the stovetop when your guests arrive. They'll think you did all the hard work and you will have the upper hand on them, and isn't that what friendship is all about?

No matter if you decide to pass it off as your own or you give the credit to Simply Soup one thing is for sure: you'll have a great meal and warm yourself up.

Bee Eye Why See: Cheesesteak

 

In doing my research for my B.I.Y.C. (Best In York City)  post about cheesesteaks I've gained almost a pound. That may not sound like a lot to you but I'm not even a foot tall so I think you get the idea that I ate a whole lot of cheesesteaks. In the end I came back to the first one I had when I started the blog back in August.

Pepper's Grille at Central Market are masters of taking tried and true favorites and putting their own unique spin on them to take them to a whole new level. Their Bacon Cheesesteak is a fine example of just how they turn it up to 11. I'll be honest: when I first heard about the bacon steak I didn't know if I would like it. I thought the bacon might make it a bit too salty. But when I had it I found that the bacon brought the perfect balance to a cheesesteak.

Just take one look at these pictures and you'll all see the care that owners Steve and Ginger put into all their creations. Everything that goes into the steak is fresh and of super high quality. The rolls come all the way from Philadelphia: aka Cheesesteak Mecca and Steve also gets his secret ingredient for flavoring the steak all the way from Virginia.

It all adds up to one of the best things you'll ever eat, and I've had enough of them that I need to get myself on a diet. There are many places to get a good cheesesteak in York but Pepper's it one place to get a true masterpiece of steak, bread, bacon and cheese. It's even better than my own!

Bee Eye Why See: Mac & Cheese

 

When winter comes there are a few specific dishes that I reach for that warm me up both physically and mentally. One of my biggest comfort foods is macaroni and cheese and my bar is set quite high. I was lucky to land in Anthony's house for many reasons. Not only is he the kind of guy who keeps his teddy bear around for his whole life, but his folks could both really cook. Susan made awesome mac & cheese and the only box to be found was the box the noodles came in. And the cheese came in solid form not squeezed out of a pouch. None of that blue boxed crap for us.

With my storied mac & cheese history in mind let me say that not only is the Varsity Smoke Shack's version is easily the best in York City and some of the best you'll ever have. Their particular version is not a casserole style, so if that's what your into I beg you to have an open mind. The baked variety is also great, but this is a frying pan base preparation utilizing a béchamel based sauces. It is made toorder so it always arrives piping hot and bursting with flavor.

On a cold winter's day it makes the perfect side to one of Varsity's awesome sandwiches that I blogged about last month. While its on the menu as a side, two of them would serve to be a filling and satisfying meal all on its own. One of these days I'm going to get them to cut up a few strips of bacon in it and the result may make me weep. But it is the best mac & cheese you'll have in York all on its own and you should run and get some ASAP!

Bee Eye Why See: Fried Chicken

A bear about to be stuffed with Bair's!

I can't believe it's taken me this long to get around to writing this blog post. Nearly 20 years ago when Anthony brought me to York for college we got some fried chicken at Central Market. And that same stand is still there selling some of the best fried chicken you can find in the area. Bair's has been selling fried chicken at the market for almost as long as Anthony and I have been alive. And it's not just the name that keeps this bear heading to Bair's; their chicken is the drawing card.

Over the years I've had just about everything on the Bair's simple yet comprehensive menu. It ranges from wings and sandwiches to nuggets & strips but my go to is the Number 5 consisting of a breast, wing, leg & thigh nestled next to a huge pile of Dutch potatoes. It's totally worth the hour and a half I have to spend licking my oily paws.

The chicken is always crisp on the outside and moist and tender inside which, let's be honest, is what you're looking for in fried chicken. It is quite simply the perfect late night/post bar food, which makes the fact that they're only open till 6 kind of a bummer, but that's par for the course with the market. I'm hoping the revitalization of the Market District leads to more of these great businesses saying open longer. In the meantime you just have to get yourself to the Market by 6 PM Tuesday through Friday and by 3 PM on Saturday to get some of this awesome "Four Paw Rated" fried chicken. It is, by far, the Best In York City!

Market Watch: D.I.Y. Cheesesteak

As much as I love eating out in York City there's only so much time a stuffed bear can spend away from the apartment. But living in the Market District can even help when it comes time to whip up some home-cooked deliciousness. With Anthony out of town and Heidi off partying with the Holy Hound crew I was left to fend for myself this past Saturday. I had a visitor who I was trying to impress so I bounded over to the Market and picked the fixins for a hell of a meal. Here is a step by step of what I made:

 

I picked up a pound of these thinly sliced steaks from J.L. Miller & Sons which put Steak 'Ums to shame.

 

Then I also got a pepper from Charles Family Market and headed home to make magic happen. First I cut the pepper and cooked it till they got a bit soft.

 

 

Next I tossed the steak on top of the peppers and cooked it until the steak was browned, but still juicy.

 

Once the peppers and steak were all ready to go I nestled them in a roll and covered the mixture with a few slices of extra sharp provolone. After about 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven they came out looking like this.

 

 

I know, right? I'm sure you're dying for one and the best part is all you have to do is go to the market and pick these items up and make one for yourself. Or are you more lazy than a stuffed panda? I thought so. You eat your crappy delivery cheesesteak, I'll stick with my market sourced masterwork

Bee Eye Why See: BBQ

Two Meat Platter: Ribs & burnt Ends with baked & green beans

I can't believe it has taken me this long to do my "Best In York City" post about BBQ. The York City establishment that Heidi, Anthony and I have frequented most over the last four years also happens to be the best BBQ place in all of Central PA, let alone York. When Lou Smith got laid off from the York Harley Davidson factory he and his partners Erika & Jim started selling southern style Bar-B-Que around town. They did well enough that they were soon able to open a storefront on West Princess St. and Big Lou's BBQ was born.

Brisket Platter with green beans & baked beans

One of the best complements I can pay this restaurant is that I have no favorite item there; every thing they make is awesome. They feature all the classics of southern style que: brisket, ribs, burnt ends, chicken wings and pulled pork and they are all top notch. I can only eat them one at a time (like the brisket platter you see on the left) but Anthony gets two or three meats at a time. His favorite combo to get is what he calls "The whole Farm Yard" with pulled pork, burnt ends and chicken wings. You can also get the brisket and pulled pork on a sandwich which makes an excellent lunch.

We often eat at Lou's for lunch and when we get platters we invariably end up skipping dinner all together that night. To say that Lou's generous portions fill you up is an understatement. And it's not just the main courses that keep us coming back time and again; the side dishes are worth eating all on their own. Save for the top notch Mac & Cheese and the coleslaw just about all of them have meat in them. The baked beans have ground beef  and the green beans have pork and they all have boundless flavor.

I could go on and on about this place, but suffice it to say I give them my highest review: Four Paws. You really shouldn't just take my word for it, you should head down to Lou's and forget that you've every been to a BBQ chain restraint. There's no need to thank me.

Bear Market: LettUsKnow

Anyone who reads this blog knows by now that I love eating at York's central market; so much so that I've put on a few pounds since we moved to the Market District. It's a classic conundrum: you want to eat at the Market, but you don't want to have a big sloppy burger or giant piece of pastry for the fourth day in a row. So what does an adorable little (but not quite as little as I was a few months ago) teddy bear do for lunch on a Saturday?

Salad.

I know, I know: total cliché. The vegetable eating panda, but I was badly in need of some guilt-free sustenance and thanks to one of the market's newest stands I can have it. LettUsKnow just opened in the last few weeks but the concept is so perfect that I can't believe it hasn't been done there before now.

When you step up to the salad stand you have an infinite number of salad outcomes available to you. You start with a choice of greens such as spring mix, romaine, iceberg, spinach and baby arugula before moving on to your accoutrements. Step two entails picking 4 toppings from a list like apples, cilantro, cheese, broccoli or peppers. In step three you add the "crunch factor" with croutons, nuts, seeds or tortilla strips. Now you pick from one of almost two dozen dressings before moving on to optional add-ons.

The add-ons are proteins and cheeses like ham, different styles of chicken, shrimp and turkey or blue cheese, goat cheese and feta. When it's all put together you have a custom salad for right around $7 and when you're done you don't have to feel bloated and/or guilty. I highly recommend LettUsKnow and couldn't be happier that they have joined the market family.

Bee Eye Why See: Burgers

This is York's best burger and the contest wasn't even close.

One of the only problems living in the epicenter of the reemerging scene in York City is that it can
hard to convince yourself to leave the neighborhood. I regularly find my self deciding to just stay in the Market District for a meal rather than leave it to get a comparable meal elsewhere. But that's when the difference is between a B+ and a B-. When you're looking at the difference between a B+ and an A+ you'd b willing to go pretty far out of your way.

Luckily for me this A+ is only 5 blocks away at the Roosevelt Tavern on the corner of Penn and Philadelphia. The Roosevelt is a hallowed York institution and they have a very impressive menu that you can eat in their beautiful dining room, but I hardly ever do. And it's not because they refuse to seat stuffed pandas in there. It's because when I go to the Roosevelt I sit in the bar and order they best burger in all of York.

The Dry Aged Skyblu Farms Burger is a masterpiece on a plate, simply stated. Skyblu is the 2013 winner of the York County Agriculture Business Counsel's "Best Farm Family" and one taste of the quality of their product and you can understand why. When you take that superior ground beef and dry age it and cook it to perfection you could just eat it plain and be in heaven So when you top it with high quality bacon and gouda cheese and nestle it in a brioche bun you are beyond heaven.

This burger isn't just delicious it is also massive. While they say it is 9 ounces it seems way bigger to me. Maybe the high quality of the meat means that it shrinks far less when it's cooked or maybe they chef is just generous. Either way with the fries added in it is a very filling meal. And the real kicker is the price 6 days a week you get this awesome burger and fries for ten bucks, and on Thursday it will only set you back $7! Why would  you ever eat a value meal at a burger joint when you can get the Skyblu burger for about the same price?

When you consider the superior quality and the amazing price it's easy to see why I'm willing to walk out of the Market District to get York's absolute best burger.

Bee Eye Why See* - Latin American/Tex Mex

When Anthony told me we were going to be moving to York City I was excited to find a few new places. But there is one category of food that just can't be superseded in the Greater York area and that is Mexican food, or to be more specific Latin American food or Tex Mex. To get the best Tex Mex around you need to head to El Serrano out on East Market St (or their Lancaster location but that doesn't fit with the theme of this blog).

You really can't go wrong with anything on El Serrano's menu which is heavily inspired by the Peruvian heritage of the family who owns and operates both locations. Some times I opt for a basic dish like the Los Burros you see above, which are fantastic burritos or I go with the ever popular  chimichangas, enchiladas, fajitas and tacos.

My personal favorite dish at El Serrano is the Chuletas de Puerco which you see on the left here. Its two marinated pork steaks that come served on a sizzling fajita plate. Also on the hot plate is a quarter of a pineapple which tastes amazing when it is seared. Also, rather than having rice and beans on the side it comes with a little step-pyramid looking scoop of white rice that would seem more at home in a Chinese restaurant than a Tex-Mex place.

If you really want to experience the best of the York location be sure to go on Thursday nights so you can hear the incomparable Dante who starts to sing and play music starting at 6 PM. When he whistles "The Girl From Ipanema" it makes my food taste even better. There is no other rating I could give El  Serrano other than the full 4 Paws!

  

Bear Market: Copper Crust Company

Sometimes a teddy bear just needs pastry; know what I'm saying? Where we used to live the only place within walking distance to get (what passed for) a pastry was a gas station/convenience store and that wasn't happening. Now that we live downtown I'm blessed with more than one place to get great pastry and one of them is The Copper Crust in Central Market.

Copper Crust ticks all the boxes when it comes to their pastry case from cakes, muffins and cookies to scones, croissants and quiche. No word on if they are working on a cronut yet but if they tried to make one I'm sure it would be awesome. My usual order is a quick everything bagel but when I want a little more I go with a bacon egg and cheese sandwich on a bagel or croissant.

Today I tagged along to the market with Anthony as he did his weekly shopping and we decided to get a few things and share them. We got the beautiful cherry danish you see above (which fittingly has a beautiful copper crust) and a paris roll, which is the stunning cinnamon roll you see to the left. Other than the fact that I had to have Anthony feed me bites of each (they are delightfully sticky and I didn't want to spend the next 4 hours cleaning the fur on my paws) it was a perfect breakfast.

Copper Crust is open Tuesday through Saturday from 7 AM to 2 PM and also make a great destination for lunch with salads and lunch versions of their bagel sandwiches. Be sure to check them out!

Bee Eye Why See: BLT

Maewyn's Gourmet B.L.T.

Next up on my list of the Best in York City is the quintessential sandwich: Bacon Lettuce & Tomato. The B.L.T. is just about the most perfectly balanced sandwich in the world, and usually it is at its best when it is at its simplest. But my choice for the best B.L.T. in York is far from simple and that is what make Maewyn's Gourmet B.L.T. so great.

Obviously the star of any B.L.T. is the B and that is no exception at Maewyn's where they use thick cut bacon that they cure on the premises. You'd almost have to call the bacon candied since it has a sweet sticky cure on it that really works perfectly with the bacon's natural smokiness. If all the sandwich had on it was this bacon with some lettuce and tomato it would be amazing, but, like I said this sandwich isn't so simple.

What takes this B.L.T. to the next level is the one part I had them hold the first time I ordered it: cheese. So I guess its more like a B.L.T.C. after all. They use a combo of Boursin and Cooper cheese that is really soft and velvety when it gets warmed up. While my arteries will hate to hear this but there is almost nothing like mayo and bacon getting together with soft creamy cheese. I really need to get back to eating bamboo for a while!

So if you're looking for a good option for lunch, brunch, dinner or late night eats to go with a few beers make your way to N. George St. and be sure to wear a little green!


 

Bee Eye Why See: Wings

York's best wings are at the corner of Philadelphia and Beaver

When I decided to do a series of posts determining the best of various dishes in York City I knew that wings would have to be first up. They're just about my favorite thing to eat in the world. When Anthony first brought me to York I used to tag along when he and his college roommates went out for cheep eats. While dollar tacos from Murph's were good what I really got excited about was nickel wing night at the West York Inn.

I'm an older and wiser stuffed panda these days so when I eat wings I'm after quality not quantity or even value. And when it comes to quality wings in York the White Rose wins paws down. That shouldn't come as surprise since the Beaver St. eatery is, if not the best, than one of the top two or three restaurants in all of Central PA, let alone York.

Wings are a tricky business, because while you have to really try hard to screw them up it also takes everything working together in concert to make them amazing. Its with this attention to detail that the White Rose make their wings exquisite. It all starts with quality products and from my experience the White Rose never cuts corners with any of their meats, cheeses or produce. But simply buying good chicken is not enough, wings have to be fried just right to ensure that they are crispy and yet not burned, and cooked through without being greasy.

The wings at the White Rose tick all these boxes. They have a little crunch on their skin despite not being breaded and are moist and tender all the way through. They'd even be good enough to eat sans sauce, but there's no need for that kind of craziness. Its in the realm sauce that the White Rose really wins me over. There's nothing I hate more than ordering chicken wings and getting wing soup, where the wings come out in crime-scene like pool of sauce.

As you can see from the picture at the top of this post the White Rose's wings are very lightly sauced. So much so that at first blush you think they have none at all. That said, they don't lack for flavor in the least bit. This approach is a big bonus for a teddy bear. Believe you me, there is nothing worse than spending an hour and a half licking crappy wing sauce off you paws.

For all these reasons White Rose has the best wings in all York City. The runner up, and makers of some fantastic wings in their own right is Big Lou's BBQ on W. Princess. At Big Lou's the wings are smoked rather than fried and the sauce is cooked on so, while they are sticky, they are not dripping with excess sauce.

Park Street Pantry

Some tasty cheese tapenade from Park St. Pantry

As much as I love shopping at Central Market there are certain specialty items that just aren't available there. What good is all that fresh produce and locally sourced meat without flavored/smoked salt, honey, spices and small batch olive oils & vinegars?

If you agree and have finished your shopping at the market then all you need to do is go out the Beaver St. exit and walk about 20 paces across the street to Park Street Pantry.

Named for the Dallastown PA street that owners (and sisters) Krista and Beth grew up on this food boutique has everything you need to spice up dinner or throw a party. On my first trip there I picked up a jar of Parmesan-Asiago Tapenade (pictured here) which was awesome.

When you walk in to Park Street its a lot like being a kid in Santa's workshop. Everywhere you look is something you want. Whether you're looking for specialty chocolates or flavored olive oil there are a ton of things take your recipes up to the next level. I especially enjoyed the samples of smoked and flavored salts they offer in varities such as Hawaiian Red Alaea Salt, Fleur de Sel, Spanish Rosemary and many more. You can also buy a Himalayan Pink Sea Salt slab that you can use to cook or serve food on.

They also feature Skillet Bacon Spread which is a kind of bacon jam or reduction that was invented by a Seattle food truck and has started to pop up nation wide since then. Park Street is the only retailer in PA that is selling it right now. It tastes just as good as you think bacon jam would and is perfect to put on sandwiches, on burgers or on a spoon and then into your mouth.

If you want to take the ordinary food you make to the next level pop into Park Street and get the tools you need to spice up your meals!

Bear Market: M&M Farm

Cooking us some ground beef from M&M Farm

It may be hard for you to understand but every now and again I am just swamped with teddy bear related responsibilities. And for the last few days I have been up to my ears in teddy bear business. So I haven't been able to hang out at the Market in my usual meandering fashion over the last few days. But Tuesday was market day so I asked Heidi to pop over to the market and pick me up a few things so I could keep my Bear Market posts going.

So she stopped by the M&M Farms Stand and picked me up some hot Italian sausages and a pound of ground beef. Tuesday night Anthony and I had  the sausage with some pasta and it was pretty damn good. You could definitely tell that it was locally made as it lacked the blandness that a lot of the national brands that they sell at the supermarket sell. The main drawback was that it was frozen and it that it was not a product of M&M.

The ground beef does come from M&M's York County farm which is located down in Glen Rock. Here is where I can really rave. Once again the main difference is how much more flavorful the local grass fed beef is. We made chili with it tonight, but after we browned it we tried it before mixing it in with all the other chili ingredients. It tasted amazing just browned and drained of what little excess fat there was. No seasoning was needed to let the flavor of the meat shine through. Once it was incorporated into Anthony's chili recipe it really proved how much better local and grass fed really is.

If you're not into all this delicious meat maybe you can check out their website to buy hides and skulls, you now, for kicks. In the end getting your meat from M&M is always better tan going to a supermarket. I give them 3 paws out of 4.

Bear Market: Peppers Grille

The next stop on my blog tour of  York's Central Market is Peppers Grille. In the month that we've lived downtown I've had occasion to visit Peppers a pawful of times for both breakfast and lunch.

The natural order of things is to start with breakfast and I've had a few breakfast items from Peppers. The first thing I tried was the beauty you see above. It is a maple bacon wrapped cinnamon bun topped with cream cheese icing. Yeah, that just happened. It goes without saying, but the combination of bacon, icing and a cinnamon bun is epic but this one really rocks.

Bacon is a real theme at Peppers. The other breakfast item I had was a breakfast BLT and like the menu says, it's just what you think. The breakfast part is a fried egg added to a regular BLT and it was a fantastic sandwich. They also have egg sandwiches breakfast favorites like pancakes and french toast. The item I haven't tried yet that I'm dying to is the brisket omelet and I think that says all you need to know.



Peppers Grille on the North side of the Market

As for lunches I've had a few of them as well and you won't be surprised to find out bacon featured in them as well. First up was a Bacon! Bacon! Burger which is chock-a-block full of bacon. It's in the ground of the patty and on top as well. I got mine sans cheese and I think that's the way to go. The bacon is really the star and it shines extra bright.

My second lunch there was the Big Bacon Steak with sautéed onions. Again, the name says it all for this cheesesteak with onions and small pieces of bacon mixed throughout. The flavors were great and the roll was perfect for the presentation and enjoyment of they whole experience.

Peppers is one of my early favorites for best of the market right along with Mezzogiorno. I give them the full 4 paws, not only for the food I've tried there but for their whole approach. You simply must try them out!



Lady Bug Baking Company & Cafe

The big bites are Anthony's but I ate plenty too

In addition to my "Bear Market" series of posts where I blog about business in York's Central Market I will also be posting other reviews/opinion blogs from time to time under the label "Brought to Bear."

When Anthony and Heidi moved us into York's Market District one of the first places I noticed in our neighborhood was the cute little yellow shop at 33 N. Beaver called Lady Bug Baking Company & Café. And when I say cute you have to remember that I know of what I speak. I am, after all, an adorable stuffed panda.

In my pawfull of visits to Lady Bug I have tried a nice sampling of their sweet treats and one outrageously delectable lunch sandwich which you can see me pictured with above.

This sandwich is the "Madison" which is house-made mac & cheese, 4 strips of bacon, spinach and marinated tomatoes on a hoagie roll which is then pressed on a Panini machine.

Yeah that's right. Mac & cheese. And bacon. On a sandwich. Brilliant!

Thankfully Anthony picked this up and brought it home to me, because it was almost as big as me and I don't know how I would have gotten it the 150 yards back to the apartment. But as good as the sandwich was, what will really keep me walking down to Lady Bug is their baked goods.


I have had coffee cake, a few types of cookies and samples of the cupcake and brownie you see here. Not only have all of them been delicious I have also been impressed that the prices are more than reasonable for such high quality products. This value allows eating sweets at Lady Bug to be more of a regular indulgence than a special occasion visit.

One look at their website will also show that they make some very intricate and beautiful cakes for birthdays, weddings and other occasions. If they look that good while tasting as good as the treats I've samples in the shop they will be a wonderful addition to your event.

When you find yourself downtown and are looking for lunch or a treat be sure to visit Lady Bug. Either get it to go, or walk back to their great little dine-in area in the back and tell 'em a tiny stuffed panda sent you.

Bear Market: My Sweet Sins Bakery

Two huge pieces of cake

Today was market day again but my funds were limited and Anthony refused to meet me at the market and Heidi was busy writing while she watched T.J. Hooker reruns. So since I had to fend for myself today I opted to eat lunch at home and just pick up some sweets during my trip to market.

After browsing all the various sweets on offer I opted for a little stand over by the Beaver Street entrance called My Sweet Sins Bakery. I'm really happy I picked them as my evening treat. I got two huge pieces of chocolate cake, one with peanut butter frosting and one with coconut. The cake on both of them was moist and flavorful but the real star of the show was the frostings. The peanut butter was exceptional and unlike most store bought cakes that are barely covered it was also plentiful.

If I could ever convince Anthony to get me a mail order bride from ToysRUs.com or take me to the Teddy Bear whorehouse (build a bear workshop) I would certainly get my wedding cake made by these folks which, according to their card, they do. I give the cake three paws out of four and I'll be back for more.