Bag Fries

Everyone knows that unexpected food is the best tasting (and most celebrated!) food. One of the most common occurrences of unexpected food occurs every time you get fast food, although you may never have taken the time to appreciate it. I am of course referring to bag fries.


You know what I mean by that: those delicious extra fries that you find greasing up the bottom of the paper bag that your Big Mac/Whopper/Chicken nuggets and fries just came in. You've already enjoyed your burger and indulged in those delicious salty fried potatoes and you're just about to throw out the bag when you look in and discover, much to your delight, that your adventure into Guiltland is not yet over. There are still bag fries to enjoy, thus extending your dietary lapse in judgment another few seconds. Those are the fries that are the most delicious, mostly because you had already come to terms with your meal being over.

My guilty pleasure is enjoying the unexpected extras in life.

John Lennon at 70

One guilty pleasure that is accessible and easy to enjoy is music. And one of the greatest songwriters of all time would have celebrated his 70th birthday this past weekend. I am, of course, referring to John Lennon.

No matter where you stand on the musical or political spectrum, John Lennon wrote songs that give you pause. Lennon's ability to reach out and touch your soul, make you stop whatever you happen to be doing at that moment, is unparalleled. Anyone that can do that in today's "go go go" non-stop world is worth celebrating.

Great music is a guilty pleasure that can be enjoyed by all.

It's Spice Season

Those long-fabled, long-fantasized about crisp and cool days of fall are here again. Here in the Northeast, we've been thrown straight from the sultry days of late August into the often harsh days of November without so much of a fall break in between. The past few days have been the kind of days to chill the bones.

Thankfully, it's also spice season....pumpkin and apple spice, that is. Traditional staples designed to cut through these bitterly cold days and warm you from the inside out. Spice season is the time of year that says, "I'm ready for fall, but not quite ready for winter and hot chocolate just yet."


When I'm feeling particularly guilty, I indulge in Chaddsford Winery's Spiced Apple Wine, mulled and served hot with cinnamon sticks. Savored fireside while the football season heats up and the temperatures drop, this savory treat officially kicks off the start of fall.

This guilty pleasure is about savoring the early days of fall before they become the snowy days of winter.

Hankering for the Blues

No Mas! No Mas!

I am sure you must have noticed how much we are bombarded by an onslaught of radio and television ads from the insurance industry? It's like a right cross to the relaxation mode. From Geico to Progressive to State Farm to Allstate and beyond, there is apparently no shortage of money when it comes paying for primetime promotions. While managing risk is a wise policy, perhaps there ought to a limit to their outrageous premiums.

However, it's not their price gauging that disturbs me the most, it's their noise. These multi-national corporations disrupt every sporting event, newscast and comedy with talking lizards and witless shills. You cannot even walk through an airport, train station or a mall without seeing a very insurance-savvy Caveman living the life.

Enough already with the assault on our senses. To quote the immortal Hands of Stone, Roberto Duran, "No Mas! No Mas!"

My Guilty Pleasure is turning off the TV, turn down the lights and listening to tunes in the dark.

Crisp and Cool Days Are Here Again

The fresh days of fall are now upon us after a long summer of luxuriating poolside. As steamy as those summer days were, we’re now happy to have these forgiving days us again. The crispness of these early fall mornings is matched only by the crunching leaves on the ground outside.

The kids have reluctantly gone back to school, and football season is now in full swing. Now is the season to come back home and reconnect with the family around the table and rediscover that connection we’ve been missing all summer long. The Harvest Moon will be rising soon, and there is no better place to watch it than surrounded by friends and family.

What can be more enjoyable than a Labor Day weekend blessed with family, sensational weather and great boundless energy. The past few days have been unforgettable with temperatures in the 80's, low humidity and lots of Guilty Pleasures. From attending College Football on Friday to watching the Phillies on Sunday to dreaming big on Monday, it was a dazzling conclusion to a memorable summer.

Sultry romance is always a Guilty Pleasure.

How much do we love smooching underneath an August moon. There are three full moons when the day's are long and the weather's is steamy. The last orb of the summer welcomes the change of seasons as there is romance in the air

No matter whether I am going out on the town or hangin' at home, it's always delightful sharing a special moment with the one you love. . Guilty Pleasures come in many forms. Mine, on this sultry summer evening, is savoring my Thin Mint and being more in love each day.

Compliments of the Chef

We love to go over for dinner. Enjoying great food and receiving a complimentary sampling from the Chef is always a fantastic experience. We love being spoiled and respected. Sampling the menu with the Chef as our guide is one of my favorite Guilty Pleasures. Being in the hospitality business has many wonderful perks.

We were out to dinner at Dettera in Ambler three weeks ago and one of our former Sous Chefs was there doing what he does best and better than most. He was working the line with grace and flair. His grill was work extraordinary and vibrant sauces sublime.

Visit and try the Gnocci. It is incredible. The corn soup is worth fighting over. Order your own.

Embrace the Cake

Oh, these lazy, hazy days of August. Where the heat just settles all around you and swallows you up. But just because it’s hot doesn’t mean things are slowing down around here…quite the opposite, actually. The kitchen is just as steamy as the weather outside as we continue to cook up culinary gold right here in Jeffersonville. All the hard work and heat has each of us looking for a little relief.

This week, I’m choosing to cool off with a bite into some cheesecake. But not just any cheesecake – cheesecake with thin caramel swirls running through it. It's the kind of treat best enjoyed with friends mid-week - it's simply not guilty enough for a weekend treat. But surrounded by friends on a steamy Tuesday night in the middle of summer, cheesecake with caramel swirls is a refreshing summer pleasure.

The best thing about cheesecake is that it lingers without getting heavy. It’s the dessert equivalent of an unexpectedly cool breeze on a sticky, hazy summer day. In fact, these hot and hazy days of August are the best days to enjoy a slice of delicate cheesecake. Just one bite into this creamy treat and you’re initiated into the Guilty Pleasures Club, because you suddenly understand what guilty pleasures are all about. Embrace and indulge in the guilty cheesecake lifestyle.