Updated Nov 29, 2020

10 Places In Pennsylvania That Make The Best Sandwiches EVER

Pennsylvania boasts some of the best sandwich shops, including iconic cheesesteak and hoagie spots.

Updated Nov 29, 2020

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Published Sep 18, 2024

The Best Apple Cider Donuts in Pennsylvania Come From This 300-Acre Family Farm

Sink your teeth into some of the best apple cider donuts in Pennsylvania at Linvilla Orchards.

Published Sep 18, 2024

Written by

Beth Price-Williams

Autumn’s return means so much deliciousness awaits us – caramel apples, apple cider, pumpkin spice lattes, and apple cider donuts (to name just a few). We have plenty of places, like bakeries, to stock up on our favorite autumn goodies, but nothing says fall, at least for me, like a visit to a farm that’s brimming with seasonal activities and treats. This 300-acre farm in Pennsylvania promises a full menu of family-friendly fun and some of the best apple cider donuts in the state.

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With its many attractions, Linvilla Orchards in Media welcomes visitors year-round. But there’s just something about taking a hayride on a crisp fall day, riding a train around a one-acre track, and indulging in so many delicious treats that make an autumn visit so special. Fall’s arrival at Linvilla Orchards means the return of Pumpkinland, an epic festival that features a two-acre corn maze, a straw bale maze, pony rides, face painting, and fishing in Orchard Lake.

alt — Flickr/Jim, the Photographer

But Linvilla Orchards offers more than family-friendly fun. It makes fall’s favorite treats, including some of the best apple cider donuts in Pennsylvania. Apple cider donuts aren’t just made fresh daily here. They’re made all day. Each is made with fresh ingredients, including the farm’s apple cider and vegetable shortening, and topped with – chef’s kiss – cinnamon sugar. Head to Foodland to sink your teeth into one of fall’s sweetest treats and grab some to take home.

alt — Flickr/Anthony Quintano

If you think the apple cider donuts are good, wait until you try the fresh apple cider from which they are made. Linvilla Orchards sells it year-round in the farm market, so you can satisfy that craving any time it hits. Keep that apple theme going with a caramel apple, a blast from the past that’s sure to whisk you back to the autumns of your childhood. Remember red candy apples? The farm has them. Save some room for roasted corn, another sweet fall treat, too.

Linvilla Grill and Café serves some mighty tasty food, from burgers and hot dogs to wood-grilled pizza, so you might want to start with a meal. Pair your food with the Harvest Float, one of the café’s newest sweet treats. Soft serve ice cream and apple cider slush are poured into a glass mug, and the float is topped with one of the farm’s famous apple cider donuts.

Find more information, including days and hours, on the official website of Linvilla Orchards, or stop by the Facebook page of this 300-acre family farm in Media, Pennsylvania.

What do you think? Do you agree that Linvilla Orchards has the best apple cider donuts in Pennsylvania? If not, who do you think earns that title? Let us know in the comments! If you’re up for more fall fun, follow the Full White Trail Loop at Ridley Creek State Park in Media. Find more hiking trails at Ridley Creek State Park, and in Pennsylvania, on All Trails.

Published Aug 26, 2024

I’ve Lived In Pennsylvania For A Significant Part Of My Life And I’ve Never Had A Philly Cheesesteak

Published Aug 26, 2024

Written by

Beth Price-Williams

We, Pennsylvanians take our food, including any discussion of it, seriously. I learned that the hard way when, many years ago, I wrote one of my first articles for Only In Pittsburgh about the best pizza joints in the city. Whoa, did I get roasted (rightfully so, looking back), but it was eye-opening how passionate many of us are about food. We know what we love and, more importantly, what we don’t love. While I admittedly love good food, I’ve never had one Pennsylvania favorite: Philadelphia cheesesteak and it’s for a pretty simple reason.

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I could easily blame the fact that I’ve never had a Philly cheesesteak, despite living in Southwestern Pennsylvania for a significant portion of my life and an hour outside of Philly in South Jersey for a few years, on being a vegetarian.

alt — LauriPatterson/E+ via Getty Images

The truth is, though, that I didn’t give up meat until I was much older. I grew up on burgers made on the grill, begged for a hot dog and popcorn when my parents took me to Hills as a kid, and had jumbo (you might know it as bologna) and mustard sandwiches in my lunch at school.

alt — Wikipedia/Ichabod

Unfortunately, I missed out on a lot of good foods during my meat-eating days because I’m picky. I’ve always loved the smell of a Philly cheesesteak and they always look so good, but, well, I never tried one because…picky.

alt — Sergio Amiti/Moment via Getty Images

I might be forgiven, though, (right?) because I’ve spent the majority of my time in Pennsylvania outside of Pittsburgh, where sandwiches (and salads) come topped with fries (thanks, Primanti Brothers), fries come topped with cheese and, for non-veggies, bacon (hello, Potato Patch), and if it’s not Heinz, it’s not ketchup.

alt — Facebook/Primanti Bros.

Despite lacking in my first-hand knowledge of what counts as a really good cheesesteak – drop recommendations in the comments – can we all agree that they’re just the tip of the culinary iceberg in Pennsylvania? Have you had an egg salad sandwich, or maybe a chipped ham (or chipped chopped ham sandwich) from Isaly’s? Heavenly.

alt — Flickr/Steve Wertz

Or how about homemade pierogis? Nothing tastes as good as pierogis at a local church fair in July or August. You might even be able to get a bowl of haluski, too.

alt — Max Sivyi / 500px via Getty Images

Let’s not forget a classic hoagie or sub (it’s hoagie in Pittsburgh), and we can find some of the best at Wawa and Sheetz. (Which is your favorite?)

alt — chas53/iStock via Getty Images Plus

So there’s my confession. I’ve never had a Philadelphia cheesesteak. What classic Pennsylvania foods have you not yet tried? Let us know in the comments! Take a peek at these classic Pennsylvania dishes that are worth a taste.

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