Local Flavor Review: Peddler's Village

If you've stumbled upon this blog over the last few months, you've heard me mention Peddler's Village more than once. It was just this past November that Hubby and I ventured up to Peddler's Village in Lahaska, PA (near New Hope, PA) for an overnight, not knowing quite what to expect. As many of you know, we were pleasantly surprised!

We are a young couple with a small child on a tight budget. We'd love to fly to Europe for a vacation. Or California. Heck, we'd settle for a few nights at the Jersey Shore, but even that can add up to a pretty penny. Coming across Peddler's Village only one hour away, with reasonable prices, was a true find. It's easy to imagine you are visiting a quaint English village. And although it is only 60 minutes away, it is a nice escape from daily life. Because of our great experience, I've enjoyed passing along Peddler's Village tidbits and upcoming events. It has been my hope that other's like us might find the awesome worth in this little getaway town!

A few weeks ago, Hubby and I made another trek up to Peddler's Village. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon, and luckily the weather was GORGEOUS. Very Spring-like for March. It was quite a turnaround from the grey and dreary weather that welcomed us on our first trip to Peddler's Village in November.

Hubby and I had an amazing time, and along with the people of Peddler's Village, we wanted to share it with you! There is so much to share about our stay, I feel like it would detract from your reading experience to relay it in a long essay kind of way. So, I will break it down into 3 categories: Lodging, Dining, Shopping.

(I've also included some photos, but I cannot take credit for them. Peddler's Village provided me these photos. Because I have a crappy camera. And the camera on my cell phone would not do this post justice. And the peddlers might get their feelings hurt if I tortured people with poorly depicted visuals of their village. And they might even put me on their "do not book this woman in our lodge ever again" list. So I am not taking any chances. Note: The photos PV provided are not of the exact room we stayed in or the meals we ordered, but they are a good representation of our experience.)

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~LODGING~

When we arrived, we were greeted by a friendly lady at the front desk who was warm and receptive. I love that. When you check into a hotel, the front desk is your first impression. And I've had some BAD first impressions with previous getaways (see here, here, here, here, here, here, and here for the run down). Being greeted kindly and informatively is a welcomed relief. The decor of the main lobby is tastefully antiquated and sophisticated. We were given our room keys and detailed directions to our lodging. If you remember from my first write up, the rooms are spread out around the village, perched over shops. And that is cool. The Tavern rooms, though, are located in the Main Building.

Our room was located roughly above the Chaddsford Winery Store. When we opened the door, Hubby and I stood for about 5 minutes with our jaws hanging open. I've never, ever, in my entire life stayed in a room so nice. Decadent. Can 'decadent' be used as an adjective for sleeping quarters? Well, it was.

First, we noted that our room was 2 stories tall. That's right. There were stairs to our bedroom. When you walk in the front door, the room opens up into a living room/sitting area. This area is adjacent to a bathroom that is complete with a 2-person whirlpool tub. That cool part about this tub is that there are swinging doors that can open up into the sitting room, so you can watch TV or admire the fireplace. No worries - if you are looking for some privacy, the doors close as well :)

Up the stairs was a loft area with a king-sized bed, TV and generously-sized second bathroom (this one had a shower instead of a whirlpool tub). It looked down onto the sitting room, which made the room feel even larger than it was. Everything was decorated and updated beautifully. One day, if I ever own a home, I want to hire the interior decorator who designed the motif at Peddler's Village to decorate my home. You think I'm kidding. I am not.

As far as lodging goes at PV, I've yet to be disappointed with our rooms. During our last visit, we stayed in a 2-Star Guest Room (I would consider the 2-Star Guest Room as the option most central between least expensive and most expensive rooms). It was just as lovely and comfortable as the Bi-Level Suite we stayed in for our recent visit. My in-laws took an overnight in December and stayed in a Tavern Room (this would be PV's least expensive lodging option), which they loved.

If you are willing to spend the money for a more lavish overnight or weekend, I highly recommend the Bi-Level Suite! If you want a budget weekend that is still comfortable and nice, go with a Tavern Room. For something in between, any of the 1-Star or 2-Star Guest Rooms (or Delux Rooms) would be the way to go.

~DINING~

(For this category, I will focus mainly on our Saturday meal, and touch briefly on our breakfast and lunch)

For Dinner on Saturday evening, Hubby and I reserved a table at Earl's Bucks County. This establishment was previously known as "Earl's Prime," but underwent some great renovations and recently re-opened. We enjoyed eating at "Earl's Prime" during our last visit, and were eager to see what was different since it's grand re-opening.

The atmosphere was slightly more modern, but still comfortable. Hubby and I both noted that while Earl's has a somewhat upscale feel to the menu, we did not feel out of place in jeans (Note: I did dress them up nicely, if I do say so myself). The servers were sleek in black shirts but casual in jeans. Several other patrons were dressed more elegantly, and yet we all seemed to belong at this place together. It was a comforting feeling: Casually Sophisticated. Earl's doesn't have to try to be hip; it just is.

The menu speaks to my heart. Having taken up as the blogger for our local farmer's market, I love that Earl's Bucks County serves "American cuisine with menus that celebrate the rich diversity of our region, created using the day's best ingredients, naturally grown and raised on small, local sustainable farms, ranches and fisheries. We have forged relationships with local farmers and producers to select the best seasonal and sustainably-grown foods." We need more restaurants like this in our area! Along with great food options, the wine and spirits list was impressive but not exclusive. I like feeling that I can order a good glass of Pinot Grigio without being snubbed because I haven't taken a class on the subject.

As we considered our menu options, we were greeted by our server, Ehron. If there was anything more impressive than the menu, it was our server. Ehron was the most warm, educated and informative server I have had the pleasure of interacting with. He gave us space without pressuring us, but never made us wait too long. When Hubby inquired about a particular appetizer, we got an entire lesson on "Ceviche" (for those who are wondering, "ceviche" is thinly sliced cuts of fish that marinate in citrus juice. Instead of being cooked by heat, the acid in the citrus juice actually cooks them. Crazy, right?). I thought he might have been just trying to impress us, but he gave the same special attention to every one of his tables (I admit, I spied a little).

Hubby went with the Ceviche for his appetizer, and I chose Not the Norm Fried Mozzarella. Neither of us had complaints. Hubby was actually quite pleased with his new-found ceviche. I appreciated that the mozzarella went above and beyond the usual breaded and fried cheese sticks served with marinara. For my main meal, I was totally tempted by the Olive-Brined Bolton Farms Chicken (olives make me all kinds of hot and bothered...in a good way), while Hubby went with Pan-Roasted Maine Scallops. Since I don't eat seafood, this was a true treat for Hubby, who ate every last morsel. I was thrilled with my chicken, and spent time between bites quietly trying to figure out how I might olive-brine some chicken at home. We ended our meal with dessert. Dessert is my favorite meal of the day, and I apologize that I completely forgot to write down the names of what we ordered. I know that Hubby got an out-of-this world chocolate cake, and I got a tart that involved Ricotta Cheese. And we all know how I feel about Ricotta Cheese.

(Not pictures of our actual meal, but we were graced with the same artistic and creative presentation. Can we say "yum?")

The next morning, still feeling a bit fill from our scrumptious dinner, Hubby and I decided to take it easy for breakfast, and headed over to House of Coffee for coffee and bagels. The conversation was soft and polite, and the coffee was perfectly roasted. During our stay in November, we were spoiled to coffee after purchasing a bag of their Tanzanian Peaberry. I wanted to order more online once we ran out, but couldn't justify the shipping, so I patiently waited until we could come and visit again. I promise you there is a neatly filled bag sitting pretty in our kitchen, begging to be opened.

For lunch, we once again patroned Sweet Lorraines Cafe. This is another establishment that has a lot of great organic options, which I can feel good about. The feeling inside SLC (as they refer to themselves on the menu) is more trendy and fun than that of Earl's Bucks County. It is still just as comfortable, with a nice range of food options. We couldn't linger too long, as we had a toddler we missed and needed to get home to. I was still feeling dinner from the night before sitting heavy in my belly, so I kept my lunch light. I ordered Cream of Broccoli Soup. It was tasty, light and not overly-filling. Hubby enjoyed Crab Wontons. The service at Sweet Lorraine's was a bit slower and not as intimate as our experience with Earl's, but I will attribute that to a very busy Sunday brunch/lunch hour. It was overall a good experience, and a great option if you want something laid back and casual.

I've not yet had a meal I did not like at Peddler's Village. Next time I visit, I hope to try out some of their other establishments, such as Cock n' Bull, Hart's Tavern and Peddler's Pub. I'm actually trying to coordinate several of my friends to take a trip to Peddler's Village this fall to catch one of the Murder Mystery Dinner Theater's they host.

~SHOPPING~

It is hard to deny that one of the biggest draws of Peddler's Village is the shopping. I mean, just breaking down the title of this town says it all: a village of peddlers. Hubby and I spent the better part of Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning meandering around the Village, popping into every store. That's right, every store. Each store is unique, offering something different than it's neighbor. I quickly noticed that the store owners and employees jumped at the chance to greet their customers and inform them about the wares of their shop. I really appreciate this quality; the peddlers of this village truly take pride in what they do. My first stop was actually the grand opening of a new store: Apricot Lane. While I was not sure what to expect at first, I was excited to find that Apricot Lane was a trendy boutique. In my personal opinion, it is a welcome addition to Peddler's Village. There are stores for every style, taste and hobby. As a woman in her late twenties, I feel that Apricot Lane brings a youthful twist to the shopping here. The clothes were modern, and I found several pieces I'd happily come home with. I was even more pleased with the prices, which were quite affordable.

After tearing myself away from Apricot Lane, Hubby and I stopped into a shop for him: The Den, which I have, for all intents and purposes, dubbed 'The Man Cave.' In this store, Hubby takes inventory of every square foot of the store. I'm a girl, so I don't quite get it. But the books, clothing and knick knacks they offer make his eyes glaze over. After not too long, I convinced Hubby that there were more stores to check out. And I might have promised him something to eat as well. I would have been remiss if I didn't stop in the Cookery Ware Shop, which sinfully causes me to covet something fierce. Who knew there were so many kitchen accoutrements that I never knew I needed? Hubby and I then perused the hot sauce offerings at Grandpa Hicks Cheese and Gourmet. Throughout our stay, we looked at books, drooled over candy, tried on shoes, and carefully tried to not break any expensive pottery. It was glorious.

I love that there is a store to interest everyone!

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If you live in the tri-state area, I can't encourage you enough to check out Peddler's Village for yourself. If you don't live in the tri-state area, I'd still consider it worth a visit!

The best place to start is signing up for the Peddler's Village Loyal Customer Club emails. I signed up for these emails in November, and I receive 1 or 2 emails per month. The emails are filled with information on coming events and special offers for Loyal Customer Club members (for instance, Peddler's Village offered a special discount to members for 50% off a Saturday stay during the month of March. Um, yes please?!?! Discounts and coupons for dining and shopping pop up as well).

The next step is booking your stay. You can book online or over the phone.

And lastly, head up to New Hope and enjoy your stay!

I will be posting upcoming Spring events soon, so check back!

Have you visited or stayed at Peddler's Village? Leave a comment below sharing your experience!

Disclaimer: Peddler's Village provided me a discount stay and dinner. My passion and enthusiasm for Peddler's Village, though, is all me!!