New Hope PA is Ice Cream Lover's Paradise

By Charlie Sahner

During the 1960s in places like Philadelphia and Central New Jersey the most exotic frozen treat around was a "neapolitan", those xeroxed squares of layered strawberry, chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

When visiting Gerenser's ice cream shop in New Hope back then, I'd be astounded by exotic flavors previously unimaginable. My fave at the time: honeydew.

Today, I also like Shawn's hand made ice cream at Zoubi Food; my family buys a pint of mango flavored almost every week. And the high cream content and overall quality of the Thomas Sweet selection at the Last Temptation (pictured above at 115. S. Main St.) is awesome in all its splendid caloric excess. Most recently, I was impressed by the coffee crunch, with bits o' bean in every bite.

Dunkin' Donuts also has some frozen things, and I've heard there's good ice cream at Weenie World. There's Rita's if you like ices or their type of soft serve, and a friendly but unmemorable purveyor near the bridge.

New Hope is truly an ice cream lover's kind of town!

Suzie Hot Sauce in New Hope PA Gets a New Owner and Facelift

New Hope PA Food King Louis Expands Empire Further West with New Bakery

By Charlie Sahner

Louis Zanias, owner of popular New Hope PA restaurants Karla's and Zoubi on West Mechanic Street, several months ago opened a catering/bakery operation and has now apparently been approved to open a full retail bakery at an adjacent location he owns at the corner of New and Mechanic Streets.

Of course, New Hope PA already has an eat-in French bakery (not that Louis is French or the new bakery has seating) further north by the river, but a high quality bakery of any type would be welcome in this particular section of town, not far from new (albeit unsold) housing, parking, Village II and stereotypically doughnut seeking law enforcement personnel.

Louis is a cunning businessman and landowner who's not afraid to play hardball in expanding his empire, in this author's view.

He is also smart, and a new bakery is good news for New Hope.


(above: existing cake/catering operation)

Shopping -- Randolph & Main Opens in New Hope PA

New Hope PA shop Randolph & Main has opened at 42 North Main Street, and describes itself as "an eclectic blend of specialty foods, unique gifts and convenience items."

It's located on the ground floor of an old house, and the lighting, wall treatments and merchandising are generally top-notch and the owners charming, which offsets the not unusual New Hope identity crisis characterized by say, waiting to pay for your chocolate rugelach while the customer in front of you picks his Lotto number.

In fact, the store lists as its primary offerings "lottery, cigarettes, cold drinks, ice cream, snacks, greeting cards, unique gift items, specialty foods and custom baskets." Mostly what stood out were t-shirts, beverage coolers, several gifts and cards, some interesting gourmet items, ready-made specialty food baskets, and lots of coca-cola signs. The wraparound porch is a nice touch, the outdoor displays tasteful.

Where the store seems heading is toward a greater emphasis on specialty foods, a niche ill served in New Hope PA since the departure of Variete, but one also under pressure from grocery chains and large discounters like Trader Joe's and Costco.

Where the store excels is in its overall aesthetic and the engaging personalities of its owners David Diaz-Stuart and Paul Weinstein. When I visited last weekend, the shop was crowded, and the mood lively and interactive.

Randolph & Main is located at the corner of Randolph and Main Streets, one block North of the Bridge from Lambertville.; 215-693-1010 or at their website.

Worth a visit.

Dining Out: Kids Not Welcome Here

The New Hope PA restaurant above not only admonishes against parking nearby and using their restrooms if one is not a patron, but also makes it pretty plain with front door signage that, frankly, "kids aren't welcome here."

In this author's opinion, a ridiculous, unfriendly, impolite manner to treat our town's visitors. Most parents are nice enough to leave strollers parked outside, but if strollers don't fit, that means wheelchairs don't fit and evacuation in a fire could be interesting.

Funny thing is, the food's not bad, but not memorable, either. The lack of hospitality leaves an impression, though.

Below, two local restaurants that are kid-friendly.

Who's Your Sugar Daddy?

A smiley, bristly Jim mans the counter for a spell at Sugar Daddy's, a candy and ice cream emporium in the Four Seasons Mall, Main Street, New Hope PA.

On his breaks, Jim also runs the Affordable Art gallery just across way. This guy knows how to keep busy and has somehow managed to stay in business over many years....a rarity, especially these days!

New Hope PA Recession Lunch Special

Click on the photo above to enlarge, and you'll see that at the low-end of the lunch price spectrum is a hamburger, sans cheese, for $13.50. There's also a "Kobe Burger" for $18...last I checked, those come from fatty, tortured Japanese calves, but what do I know?

With culinary bargains such as these, small wonder tourists are flocking to the nearby variable $5 -$20 per space parking lot (depends on owner's mood each day).

Think I'll go upriver to Dilly's Corner on Route 32.

Supersize This....

Country Fair Chocolates on Main Street in New Hope PA is famous for its chocolate-covered strawberries, but these new offerings are getting mixed reviews, at least from pedestrians viewing the sign.

Delicious, gross, or simply coronary-inducing, everyone has an opinion. That's New Hope!

Local Color: Greg Conocchioli

Well known New Hope PA resident and renaissance man Greg Conocchioli is seen above taking a break to answer questions on a hot day last week while stripping, painting, and renovating the exterior of a lovely row house on Ferry Street.

Seems his talent for design and getting things done doesn't stop there. This man about town succeeds at landscape design, retail display and merchandising, and is renowned as a cook, gourmand and product creator.

Greg is also available as an "extra pair of hands" for getting one's home or office straightened up and organized. I know him personally, and find him to be trustworthy, perfectionistic, funny, and easy to communicate with.

So, if you want a reasonable stripper, painter, cook, designer or organizer, call Greg at (215) 862-4887 or write to variete34@verizon.net.