Here’s a fall foliage final approach photo from my flight this morning. This was heading in to Runway 29 at Chester County Airport (KMQS).
Final approach to 29 at KMQS.
It was a great morning to go flying. Smooth air, no traffic, friendly controllers, and the Diamond DA-40 was flying well. Then the weather came in from the northwest and I had to head back. Still, the leaves were spectacular and great to view from up in the air.
Nectar (located in Berwyn, PA, USA) offers great food, atmosphere, and people watching. Thus, I like to stop in there at random times to spur the imagination and satisfy a culinary craving. The latest excursion was for drinks and snacks as you’ll see here, beginning with the dim sum sampler for two:
Dim Sum for Two at Nectar.
Amazing flavors there. Clockwise from upper left, you have the fried dumpling, spring roll, pork pot sticker dumplings, edamame dumplings. The drink backing the platter was a berry martini (not consumed by me because you know I’m a strictly whiskey imbiber). Then we moved on to some lobster ravioli that you see next:
Lobster ravioli at Nectar.
Very, very good. It’s hard to have just one order of them. Then, just to pack things down, I went with the steamed pork rolls. This is a very creative dish. A slice of pork cooked exactly right with a sort of hoisin sauce, tucked inside a steamed roll. The roll has a consistency I’ve never had before: smooth inside with a firm outside but no “crust” like area. Take a look:
Steamed pork rolls at Nectar.
Wow. So there you have it. Another pleasant foray into food fun at Nectar. Well-made drinks here, too, and a staff that knows what they’re doing. This place gets it right every time.
Republic serves a quick (if noisy) lunch at their place on New York City’s Union Square. I’ve been stopping in here for years and have never been disappointed. They have those giant noodle dishes as well as a selection of others over rice, which are more to my liking. Here’s a look at the fried wonton appetizer:
Fried wontons at Republic.
That’s a great way to start the meal. The sauce is tangy with lots of flavor and just a touch of heat. And those wontons are packed with diced stuff that will get your taste buds excited. Moving on to the main course, I went with the grilled pork chop over “broken rice,” which is how the menu describes it. Take a look:
Grilled pork chop at Republic.
That’s a tasty bowl full of goodness. The portion seems a little small, but with the appetizer, it’s the perfect amount. Seating at this joint is a little crowded, giving you the opportunity to eaves drop or meet new people. Enjoy every meal!
At the West Chester Story Slam you’ll hear great tales told by regular people. I attended a few of these before stepping up to the plate to tell one of my own. The rules are simple: 5 minutes or less, a true story, and consistent with the theme. Well, last night, the theme was “panic switch.” The stories were brilliant, including one about a guy and his wife camping in the woods that was alternately chilling and hilarious. I told one about a 1997 business trip to Cozumel, Mexico. I was in a dive bar with the fellow I was doing business with when a couple of Norse Vikings thought we were checking out their women. One huge guy (think Chewbacca from Star Wars) comes across the room, picks me out of my chair like a little kid and starts screaming at me in Norwegian or something. I escaped with no damage, but the panic switch was flipped. It must have been a good story, because the three judges awarded me first place for the night. Here’s the screen shot from the Story Slam website:
What a thrill to be a first-timer and win the prize! Too bad I won’t be around for the November Story Slam to compete for the 2012 championship. I will definitely be attending as many of these that I can next year. They’re held at Victory Brewing Co. in Downingtown, PA on the second Tuesday of the month. See http://www.wcstoryslam.com for more info. Stop by, enjoy some food and micro-brews, and of course, the great story telling.
The Bent Page 
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