Phillip C.
Yelp
On the way up to Slate Run, PA, to meet a few friends for a camping trip, I stopped for my last hot meal of the weekend. It was a Friday evening around 7 PM. when I arrived. The place was crowded, but it only took a few minutes to get a table. I had pretty high expectations for the food because Sal (the owner of Marco's pizza in Lansford, PA) recommended it. His family opened this restaurant sometime within the last few years and his sister, Paula, currently runs it.
It is located on Route 309 in a place called Hometown(?). Ironically, Hometown does not have a much of a "town" feel. This restaurants location reminded me more of a diner you would see on a once-major highway. It has a gravel parking lot and the surrounding area is less than picturesque.
Despite its locale, the faux Italian facade of the building is inviting. When I opened the door, I instantly noticed the smell of anise, which I immediately associated with sweet basil. The second thing I noticed were the hand-painted basil vines all along the top border of the plaster walls. These vines emanated from the large basil plant painted on the right wall. Underneath the mural was written "Ocimum Basilicum," the genus and species for the Genovese Basil. This is the most commonly used basil in Italian cooking.
After the waitress brought us our menus, which was also adorned with basil varieties, I ordered a Guers Iced Tea, a local favorite. The menu was basil-intensive with dishes ranging from appetizers with thai-basil to desserts incorporating lemon-basil. When deciding what to order, I noticed there was no brick oven. This was disappointing, because the sister restaurant, Marco's, did have one.
I had to order their signature appetizer, the "Basil Bites." These are essentially foccacia squares with bruschetta and a healthy dose of house-made basil oil. I would recommend. Simple but tasty.
For my main course, I decided to order Sausage alla Carmela. This is Italian sausage and gnocchi, in a garlic basil pesto sauce. It was served with fresh garlic bread and a side salad. For dessert, I ordered a lemon-basil panna cota with strawberries. It was refreshing.
The waitstaff was exceptionally attentive. Everything I ordered was recommendations of my server. Based on the deliciousness of my dishes, it was clear that she knew the menu well.
After paying my bill, I stopped to use the facilities. I found the door was locked and I had to wait. I thought it odd to find a one occupancy bathroom in an establishment of this caliber. On a better note, they did have basil-scented hand soap. This was a fitting ending to a great dining experience.