ROYERSFORD — When Penny’s Pizza closed its doors almost four years ago, there was a resounding feeling of disappointment in the Royersford area.

When the renowned pizza shop opened back up last October, the only disappointment associated with Penny’s was that the wait time for pizza grew as high as six hours, with the last pizza typically coming out of the oven at 1:15 a.m. But for devoted Penny’s fans, the wait was well worth it.

Penny’s Pizza’s claim to fame comes from their sweet sauce and use of cornmeal in pizza-making. Each pie is made backwards. Cheese is laid on the dough, then sauce is added, a method that few pizzerias employ. The dough is kneaded with a healthy dose of corn meal to give it the signature Penny’s taste.

“It’s an old family recipe that we have kept,” said owner Jen Pengelly, pictured below. She added, “the sweet sauce is what the customers like most.”

The Mercury Muncher has sampled a fair share of pizzas, but nothing was quite like the crunchy corn meal concoction that Penny’s offered. Combined with the sweet sauce, the pizza was a tasty treat with distinctive character, something that does not come with just any slice.

Penny’s serves a small menu, but what they do serve they serve right. Available are Neapolitan and white pizzas with a wide variety of fresh toppings, lasagna, strombolis and calzones.

One of the most defining characteristics of Penny’s is the commitment level of their customers near and far. The restaurant has shipped their food via next-day-air to California and Florida. Two customers come from Lancaster twice a month to get pizza and strombolis for parties, and others from Penn State and the District of Columbia will order 10 to 15 strombolis and freeze them.

In the spirit of being back in action, Penny’s Pizza will host their first annual pizza - eating contest in the spring, and will have more details on their website, www.gotcornmeal.com.

Penny’s Pizza is located at 68 W. Ridge Pike, Royersford and is open Thursday to Sunday, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m for pickup customers. To place an order, call 610-489-3636.

ROYERSFORD — For transplanted New Yorkers, sometimes the hardest thing about moving to a new location is finding a good bagel, because once you’ve had the real thing, there is no alternative.

At least there didn’t used to be, until lawyer-turned-shop owner Richard Welsh took matters into his own hands.

“I’ve been to New York, and I wanted the real thing,” said Welsh, who founded Barrister’s Bagels, located at 1814 Ridge Pike in Royersford. From the genuine New York bagel boil and baking process to the modish interior décor, Barrister’s takes a page straight out of Manhattan.
Preparing all food as made-to-order, using fresh ingredients, and sticking to the tried-and-true methods of bagel-making help the eatery deliver the perfect bagel shop experience.
The extra attention to quality makes a huge difference.
Bagels are boiled before baking, which creates a shiny outside and a fluffy inside. As Welsh noted, most chains don’t do that. Post-boil, the bagels are baked on both sides on burlap-coated cedar boards, which creates a more consistent, crispy bagel, with toppings on both sides.

When it comes to filling the bagels, Barrister’s has it covered. In addition to a wide variety of fresh cream cheeses, Barrister’s uses Boar’s Head sandwich meats and offers Taylor Pork Roll and Hatfield sausage with breakfasts.

Top sellers include the Everything, Plain, and Sesame bagels. Barrister’s has also kicked off a Flavor of the Month bagel, with August’s flavor being Banana Walnut.
Like a good bagel shop should, Barrister’s offers premium roast coffee, which they chose through blind taste-testing. Numerous coffees were examined before locally-produced Burlap and Bean coffee of Newtown Square was chosen.

For a business that is celebrating its 18-month anniversary in August, Barrister’s often has to dispel the impression that they are a chain store, although it is understandable how many might think that they are. With an agency-designed logo and old-fashioned (purchased) authentic Brooklyn recipes, Barrister’s is certainly becoming a leading culinary destination, but it is still a mom-and-pop store at heart.

For a new store to be so infused with the importance of tradition, Barrister’s Bagel Co. is one of the most special places in the “hole” world.

The Mercury Muncher Recommends:
• Large iced coffee
• Poppy seed bagel, toasted with scallion cream cheese

BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE BAGEL MAKING PROCESS!

Step 1: White dough is mixed in 100 lb batches using flour, yeast, salt, malt, conditioner, which includes vitamins, and water.

Step 2: Dough is cut into strips, then cut into plugs. The belt curves and then forms a circle.

Step 4: Bagels are laid out and cooled in a large refrigerator

Step 5: Bagels are boiled 4 dozen at a time in a kettle, then laid out on boards and baked 250 at a time.

And of course, fresh bagels are put on display for eager customers!