Add this to the pile of 5-star praises for FRED'S in New Hope, PA (a former art colony that retains a Woodstocky vibe).
Owners Chris & Ellen Bollenbacher, longtime owners of New Hope's perennially popular The Landing restaurant, tired of all the good breakfast places in their bucolic little burg being overrun with tourists. And with that inspiration, Fred's was born - a great spot for breakfast & socializing, albeit for members only.
Most of the food at Fred's is from scratch (even their bagels). The deeply loyal member/diners can attest to being homemade, as we all have an up-close view of what's happening in the open kitchen.
And what food! My favorite is oatmeal with craisins & a generous dollop of yogurt (but about once a month I cave into cravings for Nancy's awesome chocolate chip pancakes), while my hubster opts for the homemade granola with yogurt & sliced banana. Friends of mine who are finicky southerners swear by the sausage gravy over biscuits, while others swoon at the mention of The New Thing (so called because it's not on the menu yet) of puff pastry wrapped around scrambled eggs & roasted veggies or ham.
Prices are remarkably low considering the quality - and coffee is free!
The only thing that can begin to match the food is the atmosphere.
Fred was Chris & Ellen's Bernese Mountain dog, beloved by a legion of friends & fans. Sadly, Fred died, unexpectedly, just before the restaurant, already named in his honor, opened. But Fred's spirit is still very much alive at his namesake restaurant, which has become our shrine to him. Pictures of him adorn the walls of the simple structure (a LARGE storage shed in another life - the previous owner's daughter is now Fred's premier chef) and the large dogs that make C & E's half-doored office their home seem to bring him very much to life. As a thank you to C & E for creating a place that is a welcome shelter from life's storms, I commissioned my artist husband to do a portrait of the one & only - it will join dozens already on the walls, along with letters beseeching the bollenbackers for a coveted key.
It doesn't hurt that large back windows face directly out onto the Delaware River & across to equally artsy Lambertville NJ. Made for interesting viewing this spring, as the flood waters inched higher & higher.
Fred's has it all:
* uniquely fabulous food,
* mega-talented chef,
* immensely interesting owners,
* terrific backstory,
* beloved dog whose presence permeates every corner of the place,
* knock-out view (and bags of cracked corn by the front door so you can feed the river fowl before heading out on your day)
* it's in a world-renowned center of funk,
* and boasts a wildly loyal membership (although considered a local for all the time we spend in New Hope-Lambertville, my husband & I have a 35-minute drive to get there 3 times a week for breakfast ~ and in our section of SE PA, anything over 15 minutes is considered a trek).
a couple caveats: make sure you know where Fred's is located, since there isn't a smidgen of signage & it doesn't shriek "RESTAURANT" ~ and ~ take a moment before you arrive to get familiar with The Rules, penned by Chris, (http://www.fredsbreakfast.com/the-rules/) chief among which are...
1. We don’t do grumpy at Fred’s.
2. If my wife should happen to mention that she thinks you are cute, I will shut your key off.
3. You can stop in to fill your coffee for free and not stay for breakfast, but you must be smiling and say good morning to everyone.
8. Please do not lend your key out. Your friends will not give it back. Would you give it back?
10. Even though our sole purpose is to have fun, the bank has requested that on occasion we send money to show our gratitude for them paying for the construction of Fred’s. Therefore we will issue as many memberships as necessary to keep 30 of our 31 seats full at all times. Should we find that waiting lines start to form, new memberships will be curtailed.
11. Fred’s opens daily at 6 am. and closes at 11am. The computer locks the door at 6 whether we are ready or not, and locks the door at 11. Nothing personal if you are there at 11:01
16. It is the responsibility of the member sitting in the chair closest to the door to answer the door should someone dare to knock on it.
Of course, Chris & Ellen might be hesitant to garner more pr for their IMMENSELY popular place (being a Fred's member has a cache on par with being a Freemason, only a lot tastier). But a visit to Fred's would be a great Triple D segment!
Before signing off, our thanks for featuring another fav of our's - Pineville Tavern (we have a great backroads route to P-ville from NH).
Think about it... No - book it!!!
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