Kelly Drives: Delicious Sandwiches, Fun on the Farm, A Neighborhood Bar, and More!

Hey, tonight on Kelly Drives, I hope you bring your appetite. We're going to enjoy some delicious roast beef and roast pork sandwiches. That's a lot of meat. Oh, a lot of meat. Tour a cool farm. Who wants to go in the corn maze? You ready? All right, let's see. Ten going in. We got to make sure ten come out. And chow down on some pizza and seafood. What table number is this? This is table 50. Table 50. Great table. That's the table. When you come, you want the Bob Kelly to you. Pack your napkins and grab a spot on the couch. Kelly Drives starts now. I'm not getting lost. You're in charge. Which way should we go? Let's see where it takes us. I don't know. We'll be right back. Hey, everybody. Welcome to Kelly Drives. You know what we love to do each week. We jump in the car, go for a ride, and check out some of the great spots in our area. I hope you're hungry tonight. We've got a great show for you. First stop, roast beef, roast pork. I know you may think South Philly's the best, but come on, follow me. Philadelphia, right across the river, known as the cheesesteak capital of the world. Over here in Washington Township, they say forget about that. We got Louie G's Roast Beef and Pork. Whoa, hold on. You're not Big Lou. Oh, my God, no. I'm Gianna. How are you? Hi, Gianna. How are you? Good. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you as well. I've heard all about Big Lou. Yes. But tell me about this spot. Hot roast beef, hot roast pork. That is a specialty here. Pork tenderloin up bottom round flat. They go in slowly cooked for eight hours the roast beef, two hours for the roast pork. As soon as you walk in, you just smell beef and pork in the air. I did. I just smelled it. Oh, my gosh. Is Big Lou back there? Yes, he is. Do you want to go see him? I want to meet Big Lou. Come on, let's go meet Big Lou. You need a hat and you need an apron and a shirt. So put this on. You want to meet Big Lou? Yep. Wow, Bob, you look amazing. Now that's how we do it. Let's go meet Big Lou. Big Lou, here we go. My gosh, you're looking great, man. First of all, the smell when I come in, you can't just want to just. Oh, that's right. You know, big old roast beef and roast pork sandwich. That's what we're known for, roast beef and roast pork. So what's the background? Come on, give me the back of the story. Well, my father started out of Camden, you know, over 60 years ago. And, you know, he had Luigi's Steakhouse and Pizza Parlor. Yeah. And then he's, you know, he was always known for his roast beef and roast pork. So he handed down the recipe to me. And then I did it, you know, I took it over and ran it for many, many years. I have a son. It's Little Lou. Yeah. And I handed down him the recipe. Little Lou? Where's Little Lou? Big Lou, you take the rest of the day off. Little Lou's gonna show me how we slice it. The thinner, the better. The thinner, the better. The thinner, the better. That's what I always say. The thinner, the better. The thinner, the better. The thinner, the better. Look at that. Can I taste that stuff? You can taste it. See how it is. I like it. I like it. A little juicy. Yeah. Thin is always better. That's a lot of meat. A lot of meat. I used to work in a deli when I was younger. Oh, you did? Yeah. Oh, look. You look like a pro right now. We want every customer to know everything's fresh. Yep. I love it. Now you can see it's sliced right there. Exactly. Beef au jus. We're going to dip it. Oh, look at that. You can see it still has a little bit of rareness on it, but it's also cooked all the way through. Right now, we're going to put the sharp provolone. We're going to load the sandwich up. Then we're going to add the extra garlic. Gravy on, right on top of it. All right, yeah, look at that. Can't beat that. All right, stop talking. I want to eat it. All right, Gina, I'm going to take a little lunch break here. Okay. Oh, my gosh. What do they have here? Okay, so on the table, we have a bunch of goodies. We have our classic Italian hoagie, which is Genoa salami, pepper ham, and capicola with all the works. Over here, what she's eating as well, we have our chicken cutlet Italiano, which is our homemade broccoli rabe and roasted peppers and sharp provolone. Okay, Bob, is it good? Oh, my gosh. It's delicious. Okay. Perfect. Stop. Break's over. What are you doing? You've been eating too long. How does that look, Big Lou? That looks good. Look at that. Just checking in. No matter what, Big Lou's always looking over your shoulder. Oh, look. Somebody's coming in. I need your attention. Uh-oh. Sort of like what we did on the roast beef, right? Yeah. Exactly. No dry spots here. Don't squish it. Leave it fluffy. Exactly. A fluffy, you know? Gotta have the extra gravy. We have our broccoli rabe. We have fresh whole garlic in there. Whoa. This could feed two. Big Lou, what do you think? I would say A+. Bob, this is good. All right, Bob. And lastly, you cannot leave without a cannoli here. Oh, my gosh. Look at this. Homemade? Homemade it is. Homemade ricotta cheese. And then you have famous Hershey chocolate chips on the bottom with a homemade ricotta shell. That's how we do it. Eat the roast pork. Save room for the cannoli. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Okay, now we're going to work off that food. We're going to an antique building that's got a lot of steps and no elevator. Wow, what a view. Each and every morning you see me use my Reading, Pennsylvania camera. And on top of the mountain one day, I saw this building all lit up. I'm like, what the heck is that? The Pagoda. Oh, yeah. Hey Alexa, how are you? How's it going? I love the view! My gosh, hello Reading, Pennsylvania! That's the best. So what's the history? This place was built in 1908 by a man named William Abbott Whitman. So he was a city councilman, but he also owned a quarry right here on this site. I got you. And he viewed it as a beautification project, right? He wanted to turn his quarry into something a little bit more beautiful. You can see it all over the city of Reading. What was it initially intended to be besides just a really cool piece of art or a building. Yeah, well he intended it to be a resort hotel type thing. So on the upper floors, they're smaller rooms. That's where people would have stayed. It didn't work out. Within three years, he sold it to a man named Jonathan Mould who pioneered the Berks County Conservation Society right here in this building. And then Mould gave it to the city of Reading in 1911. So what's inside? Well, do you wanna go check it out? Let's go check it out. There's no elevator. You're gonna have to hoof it up six floors. Welcome to the first floor of the Pagoda, which is going to be our kind of hotel lobby lounge concept. And in here, the newest thing we have is this awesome mural by our local artist Theron Cook. Where did you come up with the vision to paint them? Around the pole and the ceiling? Well, it was a collective, collaborative effort as far as the vision. I was brought up by the president, Alexa, and they had the vision already, and I took it from there as far as the pillars and the ceiling, and then I created the artwork to make it happen. Now this is our souvenir penny press. Everybody loves this. You put it in two quarters and a penny. Got it! It's tough there. What'd you get? Pagoda. Whoa, pagoda. I like that. You get to keep that, huh? Okay, we got to the second floor. What's this going to be? So this is going to be our main cafe space when we're open to the public and private event space when we have private events. So the building itself is done. All the refurbishment has been done. We at the foundation are implementing our business plan so we're figuring out a way how this building can help financially sustain itself. Mountain resorts were really in around the turn of the 20th century. This whole mountain had a bunch of resorts on it and there was actually a whole railroad that went around the mountain. Come on Paul show me the way. We have different plans for each room. These the one we're in is going to be the bridal suite so when we have weddings on site there will be some place for the bride and groom to get ready. So this is another floor of hotel space. That's right, that's right. Okay, so the fifth floor was just used for museum space. Right, but we're coming up to the best part. Sixth floor. Wow, look at the view. Now over here, what is this? This is Reading, PA. This is the city of Reading. There's Shillington over there, West Reading, Wyomissing, Greater Berks County. Everybody wants to know why a pagoda on the side of the mountain in Pennsylvania. In the 1890s, the Far East opened their trade borders with the West. So that was the first time we were seeing their art, their culture, their style, and it was very in at the time. This is our 1739 cast authentic Japanese bell. Whoa, that's pretty cool. I just love standing here and checking out the view of Reading, Pennsylvania. And if you're looking to take a trip to the Far East, you don't have to fly. You just got to climb six stairs. Woo, come on. Plenty of more stops to make tonight. Up next, I know you look hungry and thirsty. We're going to go to a spot that got great food and a great outdoor patio. When we come right back. Hey, welcome back to Kelly Drives. All right, up next, if you're looking for a spot, good date night, maybe a party, gather with friends, I got a spot. Great food, big indoor area, and a huge patio. Let's go to Bluebell. Bluebell, you know, it holds a special place in my heart. We shot our very first Kelly Drives segment right up the street. They told me it's Justin's birthday. Who's Justin? Right here. Today, another good spot, Panache. Panache. You know, Lorraine, we shot our very first Kelly Drive. Yes, I remember that. From your other place, Costello's up the street. I remember that, yeah, that was good. My gosh, we're back here at Panache. Yes. So tell me about it. This is a cool spot. It's a great spot. We have three bars, we have private dining rooms, a large dining room for parties. Huge outdoor patio space. We're right on the corner, so you can't miss it. Great location. What sets you guys apart? Panache is a fun atmosphere. You know, it's lively. You know, you can come with your kids. You can come with your girlfriend. We just, you know, cater to everybody. Then that outdoor patio was rocking. That's our heart and soul out there, yeah. Yeah, that is great. Everyone loves the patio. We have fire pits. It doesn't matter what time of year. You don't even feel like you're in Bluebell. It just kind of transports you to a different area. I love it. What is this gigantic thing? This is a vodka and pineapple. We infuse our own pineapple vodka and it sits for two weeks and then we bottle it and use it for our signature cocktail. Is it ready to be tapped? Actually it is. Can we tap that? Yeah. Pineapple martini. You're the best Jackie. It's fruit juice. It's good for you. Yeah, it tastes like pineapple. What I love about your spot is you have multiple different rooms with all different experiences. You want the fine dining. What table number is this? This is table 50. Table 50. Great table. That's the table. When you come, you want the Bob Kelly table. Let's start with what do you have here? I have salmon with risotto. It's one of our most popular dishes. Absolutely amazing. Can't go wrong with this. What is this stack right here? That is our ahi tuna. I'm sorry to ask you with your mouth full. Pineapple corn salsa. Pickled ginger and seaweed salad with a shrimp garnish. You have the seafood, you have the steaks too, right? And you got the pizzas. And you got the pizzas. And right next to the dining area, we have what? The pizza bar. Pizza bar, yes. Oh my gosh, you can order the full menu right here? Right here at the bar. And what does she have in here? She's having the lobster mac and cheese. How is it? Oh, it's fabulous. Really? Oh, what's that over there? That's different. That's our artichoke special. I know you wanted one of these before we started. Oh, you know it. Look at this. The famous. Beautiful. Espresso martini. That's the one. Oh my gosh. Look at these lovebirds in the corner over here. What do they have? I got the chicken panade. Are you going to be able to eat all that yourself? I don't think so. I think I need to go. We need a takeout, Christina. What is that one there? That is bucatini bolognese. Delicious meat sauce, homemade. Go ahead, get in there. I know you want to. Tiny bolognese, delicious meat sauce, homemade. Go ahead, get in there, I know you want to. Oh, this is cool. Yeah. This is what sets us apart from everyone else. Best patio in Bluebell. Yeah. And I love it. You got the covering for when it's sunny. You got the heaters when it's a little too chilly. Yes, fire pits, especially in the fall. And the covered bar with the TV screens. Yep. It's got to be great for game day. Absolutely. Football, basketball, baseball, we always have sports on. You probably got some great sunsets here, too, right? Yeah, we do. We don't have one this time of day, but I do have a guava sunset for you. What? Guava sunset. One of our featured cocktails. What is this? What is this? Tequila. Guava syrup, simple syrup, delicious. Lime juice, fresh lime juice. You did it again, Jackie. You did it. To many sunsets at Panache. Cheers! We still got more stops to make tonight on Kelly Drive. Up next, put on your overalls. We're going to the farm. You know they call New Jersey the Garden State. Well, we're going to go to a place. They got a big old garden. They're doing the produce. They're doing the flowers and even a corn maze. MC Farms, I love it. Family owned, family operated for what? Your third generation? Yeah, third generation. We have fourth generation running around as well. How many acres all together? 86. The big pumpkins, the small pumpkins. What else do you have? We'll be right back. We have mums, we have corn stalks, we have some pre-cut vegetables as well, sweet potatoes that we grew. So all this stuff is grown right here on your farm? Yep. And then all the big areas out here, you have what, apple picking, pumpkin picking? Mm-hmm. And the corn maze? Apples, pumpkins, corn maze, sunflowers. Now how do we get out there? Do we just have to walk down this road here? No, you just have to get on the hayride. Hayride, let's go! Okay, we're here, everybody, off the track now! Who wants to go in the corn maze? You ready? All right, let's see. 10 going in. We got to make sure 10 come out. Is there anything scary in here? Do you guys just get in here with the tractor and just drive through? Yep, plow it all down, make a nice path. Make sure you got your stepper counter on. Come on. So about how long does it take to kind of go through? Probably about 10, maybe 15 minutes, depending on how old the kids are. They like to do their own thing. I thought she was going to say how old we are. Is it a family business? Got the whole family involved? Yep. Me, my husband, my daughter, my parents, his parents, friends, family, everyone. Hold on now. Wait a minute. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. We got a traffic jam here. Four-way stop. Don't get lost. I'm not making a decision. I'm not getting lost. You're in charge. Which way should we go? Let's see where it takes us. I don't know. Wrong way? This could be a long day. Jessie, you pick. Which way should we go? Should we go that way? Straight ahead. Oh, no. You've got to be kidding me. Well, there's only one other way to go. All of this at some point is going to get, you know... Yeah, once this is ready, this will be combined, and this was grain corn, so it'll go towards cows or any type of livestock. Oh, you hear that? The cows are going to eat all this. Make a left right here. Make a left. This is it. We made it. I see the opening. Come on. Let's go get some apple cider. Stop. The tractor dropped us off smack in the middle of a pumpkin patch. This is cool. So they're coming, you pick them right off the vine? Yep, we pre-cut them for everyone so they don't have to worry about bringing a knife or anything. So they're pre-cut off the stem. You just come out here and pick your pumpkin and then bring it back and pay for it. A saxophone squash? Mm-hmm. Exactly! They look like a saxophone. I love it! Alright, everybody find the best pumpkin! There you are! Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O. All right, who left their bike in the middle of the field? The apple orchard, yay! On one side, we have Golden Delicious. On the other side, we have Red Delicious. Don't pick that! Yeah. And this, you know, you don't see too many sunflower patches. Yep. Something totally different, right? Yep, and people love them. Make sure before you leave, you get your picture taken on the giant sunflower. Oh! Next, a neighborhood bar that actually was there before the neighborhood. Here at Second and Poplar in Northern Liberties, you know, over 220 years ago, before Northern Liberties was even a thought, there was the Standard TAC. Music How do you guys fancy yourselves? I think a little bit of everything up here on a chalkboard. We do, we do. That's why it's on a chalkboard, because we change it all the time. I like that. It's called Standard Tap. We started, one of our big things was to be all local beer. We have it all on draft. So let's start with two beers. All right, two beers. Let's start with the Delco Fest. Delco Fest. From 2SP, right out there in Delco. And then maybe we'll do the international pills as well. When we first opened in 2000, local beer was really, really hot. Cheers. Cheers. Boom. And it was really, it was really kind of revolutionary to have a place not have national brands. It's still very unusual that we support only local brewers. Well, it was in the beginning and that was unheard of because there wasn't as many to fill the tap and fill the, you know, we had a choice of three breweries when we opened and now we have tons, right, which is great. And you can also eat at the bar too. Oh yeah, I much more enjoy eating at a bar than than drinking at a restaurant, so it's great. What other cool, like, high-end drinks would you have? Because you got your shot, your beer. We got the Cosmos, so we're going fancy with the Cosmo. We do the Lavender Paloma is one of our most popular ones. A what? Lavender Paloma. So Paloma has, like, a little bit of grapefruit and a little bit of... Let's try one of those. Yeah, let's get one going. Tequila and grapefruit, that's definitely part of a classic one. But this one, we also use a little of the lavender-infused simple syrup. Oh, this is good. It's pretty good. Yeah, right? Real good. Right? It's nice and balanced. Yeah, it's really good. This is one of the dishes we've had on here, it's a classic. This is the chicken pie. Now that's a different kind of chicken pot pie. So it's not a chicken pot pie. I guess. That's why it looks different. Right? So the pastry, it goes all the way around the chicken. And so it's like a chicken ragu, so it's fresh chicken from a local farm. Put inside the pastry. Right. So you get your own pie. Hold on. Are we talking about Otis food? Where's Paul? Where's Paul? Come here. Where's Paul? He's enjoying the food. There he is. The other half of the brain is behind the operation here. So how did you get involved in this? Well, William and I worked in restaurants. together I was a bar manager at some spot and we kind of bonded on our love of beer and then also for me it's making a connection to local food like so here it's an example some great local oysters didn't we have a chef Patrick Bones made a really lovely dressed oyster thing here so what we have is chive oil and some smoked trout roe and then so just you know I like your concept how you guys have it it's a real relaxed feel feel You know, the history behind the building and that you took the bar and the food and kind of put that together. Yeah, it's about relationships. The same way we have the relationships with the local breweries and stuff, we have relationships with, for instance, the chicken purveyors, which has inspired a dish, our chicken pie, so we have an actual farmer show up. Hold on, this guy's almost done it down here. Oh, I love crab dip. Do you mind if I try it? Yeah, go for it. Oh, my gosh. What are you, like, coming about here? This is a cool spot. Well, I moved to the neighborhood 20 years ago, and I always tell William, who's a good friend, that I grew up here, right here at Standard Tap. It's home. Come on. The one thing I learned today, there's nothing standard about the Standard Tap. Cheers! Cheers! Well, that's a wrap. Hope you enjoyed tonight's editions of Kelly Drives. You know, you can watch Kelly Drives all day, every day. All you have to do is download the Fox Local app. I definitely need a car wash, maybe throw some gas in so we can go for a ride next time on Kelly Drives.