If you live somewhere other than Eastern PA, you’re probably wondering why this is such a big deal. I’m finally happy to report that my area of Pennsylvania has moved out of the red zone to the yellow zone as of last Friday! That distinction doesn’t change a lot, but does allow for outdoor dining at restaurants! I ate out twice over the weekend, and I’d like to share my experience at each (spoiler – they were both great!).
My husband and kids spend A LOT of time at the Blue Mountain Ski Resort in the winter… the kids are all part of the Blue Mountain Racing program (and no, I don’t ski at all). We’re always happy to support Blue Mountain how we can, so our first foray out for dinner was to the Slopeside Restaurant at the Summit Lodge on Friday night. We wore our masks through the building, and were offered either a paper menu or to scan a QR code with our phone for the menu at the host stand. We chose paper menus and they led us outside to our table. Slopeside had probably twice the outdoor seating capacity that they normally have (you know, when we’re not in a pandemic) and there was a nice amount of space between tables. Our server wore and mask and gloves, and there was a manager roaming about at all times checking on us also. The menu is limited compared to what they normally offer. The moment of the night that impressed me the most was when our bill came, the pen came with a wipe to use on it! We’ll definitely head up there again to eat soon.
Sunday afternoon I went to The Shelby in the Hamilton Crossings shopping center for brunch with 2 girlfriends I haven’t seen since before quarantine started. After excessively long hugs that the people around us commented on, we seated ourselves. Their patio is much larger than I realized it was, and they filled it with their normal outdoor tables and some of their tables from inside. They also had umbrellas spread around so some tables were in the sun and some in the shade. Our server was of course gloved and masked, and our drinks were served in plastic glasses. Our food was brought out like it was a take out order – large handle bag with our food in to go containers. She told us to keep the bag and use it for our trash at the end of the meal. The service was responsive and quick but at no point did we feel rushed.
I’m so thankful for all of the thought and planning that went into reopening from these two establishements, and it makes me feel hopeful that we have more great dining out experiences in our future. While getting takeout during the pandemic was a great relief from cooking every single night, going out to a restaurant and having the clean up taken care of too was an added treat!
Where have you eaten out so far and how was the experience?
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