While on the Summer Ag Tour, we visited our fair share of some
extraordinary restaurants and snack spots. Starting on the first day of our
trip we stopped at a United Dairy Farm for some snacks, UDF is a gas station
with A LOT of ice cream options, and truth be told it was some of the best ice cream
I’ve had in a while.
While visiting Herdmark Media, they offered us some of their
local ice cream with a variety of flavors to choose from. For the majority of
us it was the tastiest ice cream we’ve tried and we couldn’t help but help ourselves
to seconds.
Continuing on our trip, we headed to a local Amish Grocery store
where we had the chance to buy many home cooked items and baked goods.
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| Delicious candy! |
A majority of the tours that we went on were nice enough to
provide us with a meal or a snack, After the Buffalo Farm tour, we were
provided with delicious Buffalo Burgers, which 99% of our group had never had
before. Needless to say, we were not disappointed.
On our visit to Canada, we stopped and ate breakfast at a Tim
Hortons. An item I noticed was a donut called a Canadian Maple. It was very
similar to a Boston Crème donut except instead of having a chocolate frosting
on top, there was a maple syrup type frosting instead. Living in the South, we
don’t have a Tim Hortons and so being able to finally have the opportunity to
try it was great.
On our next stop in Canada, we were able to go to a local
restaurant on Lake Erie called Mackie’s. We were excited to get there because
of their recommendations of their famous “Orangeade”. Orangeade definitely had
a unique flavor similar to orange Gatorade but with a distinct taste from that.
The Great Lakes Apple Farm baked us some apple muffins and
cookies and along with that we got to drink some apple cider. The apples were
really good and we kept wanting more.
The currency exchange was quite confusing to a lot of us eating
in Canada, but Canada has some of the best food around.
The next day, we stopped at a place called ‘The Gathering
Restaurant’ in New York. With the diner closing soon, the owner allowed our group
of 24 to squeeze into the small diner filling up a little over half of the
seats, willing to stay late and cook us a meal. By the time we had all finished
eating we were left in absolute shock over how amazing the food was, with
everyone finishing nearly their whole plate. This just proves that it’s not
where you eat and how fancy it may look, it’s about the food and how delicious
it can taste.
Another place we stopped at was called the Ithaca Bakery. The
bakery had a variety of both food and baked goods to choose from. With everyone
in our group trying something new and different we certainly were not left
disappointed with how good everything tasted. One thing many of us got before
leaving was a dessert called the Turtle Cheesecake, which had the most
extraordinary taste that was different than any other cheesecake we’ve tried
before.
After our trip to Cornell, we were shown to the Cornell Dairy
Bar, where we tried ice cream made with the milk from the dairy cows at
Cornell. The flavor was so rich it is basically indescribable, but if you ever
get the chance to go to Cornell, the Cornell Dairy Bar should definitely be at
the top of your list.
For dinner that night, there was a restaurant called ‘The
Hangout’ located inside our hotel in White Haven Pennsylvania. That night they
were having a deal of 59 cent wings. Seeing that, we took that offer and had
some of the tastiest wings around.
Our night in Lancaster, Pennsylvania we ate at an Amish
Restaurant called ‘Katies Kitchen’. We got to have large meals and let me tell
you, Amish food will fill you right up and leave your taste buds tingling.
After finishing our meal, we got cheesecake to-go, however, the cheesecake looked
too tasty not to eat right in that moment. Everyone saw how delicious the cheesecake
looked, the restaurant eventually ended up selling out of it because of its
high popularity within our group.
Yet, this wasn’t going to be our last Amish meal of the trip;
and it was just a taste of what was to come next. The following day we had the
privilege to eat in an Amish home and have a home-cooked meal, which is not
common to be given to the public. We sat down at a 24-seater table and started
off with a salad that no one could stop eating, it was made with a homemade
dressing and it hands down was the best salad I’ve ever eaten. Following that,
came the main meal and sides which were ham loaf, noodles, green beans, and
mash potatoes and a meat gravy. A lot of us passed the food bowls around
getting seconds and thirds because of how incredible they tasted. The flavors
were incredible and everything I ate was so delicious and it had tasted like
nothing I had ever had before. For dessert, we had vanilla ice cream along with
a three different pies, and even with us being full we couldn’t help but have
dessert. The Amish meal was most definitely the highlight of my trip and I’m
sure a stop many of us will not forget. I don’t think any meal could ever top
the one that I had that day.
The next day, after our tour of the Certified Angus Beef center,
we ate dinner provided to us by Omahoma Bobs BBQ along with Hillsdale High
School’s FFA chapter. The brisket we had was made with certified Angus Beef and
was absolutely delicious, we also had green beans and mac and cheese along with
salad. I know if I ever get the chance to go to Ohio again, I know exactly
where to get my BBQ from.
The next afternoon, we ate at an ice cream parlor called the Ye
Old Mill, which had an extensive selection of many different ice creams. All of
us were completely stunned by the flavor and creaminess of the ice cream. The
ice cream parlor was connected to the factory where the ice cream is actually
made and it is actually a pretty popular attraction to many living in that area.
Our last stop before heading to the airport was a place called
Pierogi Mountain where the show “Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”
visited for an episode. The Pierogis there were by far the best anyone has ever
tried. They instantly melted in your mouth and were the best tasting all
around. Certainty I know if I ever return to Columbus Ohio, I know exactly the
place for Pierogis.
Out of Canada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, we had our fair
share of amazing meals, and I have a feeling that next years’ restaurants will
be just as memorable.
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| Products from Clovermead Farms |
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| Omahoma Bob's BBQ |
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| Delicious cherries from Pennsylvania. |
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| Homemade cookies and milk at Ripley Farms. Delicious cheeses made with A2 milk. |
