The Day After Effect

AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!  My tummy feels awful!!!!!!!

Remember as a kid when you were left alone, and ate ALL THAT CANDY??????? Or was it the whole birthday cake just before the party…. or maybe that pie that was cooling on the window sill and just happened to fall into your mouth (good thing it was open)…..
Well after two days of celebrating that's how i felt this morning. And this morning started at around midnight…….

BUT on the bright side, it has been a great birthday. And thanks to all of you for your wish that made it even more special.

The highlight of the whole Birthday Experience was dinner on the "Chocolate Express". I'm not going through the entire menu but i will say that it was all different and good. The caterer was The Hershey Farm, which is a restaurant and motel in Strasburg. Now with a name like that you know it will be special. Thanks to Beatrice and her photo talents i will finish this gastronomic delight in pictures.

We were pulled by Locomotive #90, a 2-10-0 decapod built by Baldwin Locomotives. Most of the coaches and dining cars are 100 years old or more, and taken care of like baby's.








The interior of the dining can hold up to 40 guests.



This was a four course dinner which started before the train left the station with appetizers.











 You might not think that Chicken on a Stick, Raviolis, and Sausage on Garlic Bread would go well with a combination of Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter Chocolate, and Ginger sauce. The reality was quite good and different. Even the sausage had a nice chocolate taste to it. The Garlic Bread it was on would have been just as good if it was plain toasted French Bread.




Arugila and Feta cheese are not my favorites, but covered in a chocolate raspberry vinaigrette and toasted walnuts made them tolerable.

THe main course meat was a pork roast that had been marinated in coffee and chocolate. You know i'm going to try this when i get home. THe coating was a little more than needed, but the Scalloped Potatoes made up for it.Veggies were a mix of Green and Yellow Squash. BUT they went a little too heavy on the pepper for most of us. Of course too little would have left you with …… just squash!!!















Before the meal we were warned that we would not walk away hungry. Did i hear someone ask for seconds????? Yes you could have seconds of anything. I think they just didn't want to take anything back. AND during the meal we were reminded to save room for desert.
As we chugged through the Amish Farm Country we readied ourselves for a Desert Delight. By this time i was starting to bulge a little, but determined to greet desert with open mouth.

Desert was a little of everything. Mostly new creations that they were trying, but some standards like Red Velvet Cake.

Needless to say, some of us had to help others make it through desert.






















And thus we end another Gastronomic Bacchanalia of festive food delights. Well not really end. I have paid for the delights of last night, and the last several days. But the celebration is over now and i will be eating a lot of salad over the next few days. As always, thanks for sharing this adventure with us. It truly is a delight for us.
Grenville