what's new

On Sunday, September 25, more than 40 Eat’n Park team members hit the streets for the City of Pittsburgh Great Race. No, we didn’t run it, but we did have a GREAT time volunteering! Our Eat’n Park volunteers passed out water to 14,000 thirsty runners at the Water Station on Blvd of the Allies near Mercy Hospital. Plus, another group of our volunteers greeted runners at the end of the race with congratulatory Smiley Cookies.




Share

Tweet

Halloween Smiley Cookies are baaaaaack! And as always, that ghoulish green smile is eerily tasty.

These festive favorites are available in their traditional "costume" - complete with candy corn eyes and a crooked smile. But that's not all! This year, for the first time, we have Mini Smiley Cookies available in Halloween colors. Don't save them just for the trick-or-treaters - these babies (pun intended) are a great snack for home or the office.

And if you won't get to see your nieces, nephews, or grandkids this Halloween, don't fear! You can send a dozen anywhere in the U.S. from our online store at SmileyCookie.com. Click here to shop today!

Share

Tweet

Tomatoes
Brenckle Farms, Butler County
Holthouse Farms, Willard, Ohio
Harvest Valley Farms, Butler, PA

Zucchini
Brenckle Farms, Butler County
Wiers Farms, Willard, OH
Holthouse Farms, Willard, OH
Wexford Farms, Allegheny County
Harvest Valley Farms, Butler, PA
Mason Farms, Erie, PA
Yarnick Farms, Indiana County, PA

Green Cabbage
Yarnick Farms, Indiana, PA
Wiers Farms, Willard, OH
Holthouse Farms, Willard, OH
Mason Farms, Erie, PA

Green Peppers
Brenckle Farms, Butler County
Harvest Valley Farms, Butler County
Wiers Farms, Willard, OH
Holthouse Farms, Willard, OH
Mason Farms, Erie, PA

Cucumbers
Harvest Valley Farms, Butler County
Mason Farms, Erie County
Wiers Farms, Willard, OH
Holthouse Farms, Willard, OH
Laurel Vista Farms, Somerset County
KW Zellers & Son, Hartville, OH

Apple Cider
Dawson’s Orchards– Lawrence County, PA

Share

Tweet

Here's what's fresh from local farms this week at Eat'n Park:

Tomatoes
Brenckle Farms, Butler County
Holthouse Farms, Willard, Ohio
Harvest Valley Farms, Butler, PA

Zucchini
Brenckle Farms, Butler County
Wiers Farms, Willard, OH
Holthouse Farms, Willard, OH
Wexford Farms, Allegheny County
Laurel Vista Farm, Somerset County
Harvest Valley Farms, Butler, PA
Mason Farms, Erie, PA

Green Cabbage
Yarnick Farms, Indiana, PA
Wiers Farms, Willard, OH
Holthouse Farms, Willard, OH
Mason Farms, Erie, PA

Green Peppers
Brenckle Farms, Butler County
Harvest Valley Farms, Butler County
Wiers Farms, Willard, OH
Holthouse Farms, Willard, OH
Mason Farms, Erie County

Cucumbers
Brenckle Farms, Butler County
Harvest Valley Farms, Butler County
Mason Farms, Erie County
Wiers Farms, Willard, OH
Holthouse Farms, Willard, OH
Laurel Vista Farms, Somerset County
KW Zellers & Son, Hartville, OH

Share

Tweet

Who are YOU going to bring? Your spouse? Your neighbor? A co-worker? A friend? Regardless, you're both going to love Dinner for Two! Two delicious meals (and two Mini Smiley Cookies) are yours for one low price: just $14.99!

Choose from eight of our favorite meals:

• Rosemary Chicken
• Mushroom & Onion Burger
• Mile-High Meatloaf
• Baked Cod
• Chicken Parmigiana
• Baked Lemon Sole
• Sesame Pork Chop
• New! Buffalo Chicken Mac'n Cheese

All meals come with their standard sides and/or dinner rolls. After your meal, enjoy two free Mini Smiley Cookies - that's one sweet ending!

Intrigued by the new Buffalo Chicken Mac'n Cheese? You should be - it's cheesetastic! Cheesy elbow pasta is blended with a sprinkle of bleu chese and mixed with seasoned chicken, and the whole thing is drizzled with our buffalo sauce and baked. Yum!



What are you waiting for? Stop in today! Dinner for Two is available from 11 A.M. to 9 P.M. daily, through November 30.



Share

Tweet

For most of us, Fall = BUSY! Eat'n Park takeout to the rescue! For those nights when you just don't have time to cook (or just don't want to), make dinner quick, easy, and delicious with takeout from Eat'n Park.

And, we'll sweeten the deal with this coupon for 20% off your next takeout order, now through September 25, 2011.  Click here to print your coupon. 



Our whole menu is available for takeout! Click here to print a menu with prices, and get the phone number for your local Eat'n Park.

Share

Tweet

The nights are getting cooler, which means that it's time to savor the flavors of fall! Fall Specials are here at Eat'n Park, and this season's selections are sure to satisfy. Are you ready? Here we go...

Caramel Apple Pancakes
Breakfast seems like a pretty natural place to start, right? Well, THIS breakfast starts with a bang! We've gone and stuffed two fluffy pancakes with warm cinnamon apples, topped them with streusel and candied pecans, and drizzled the whole thing with caramel. Yes, caramel. You can thank us later. Served with 3 pieces of bacon or sausage. $5.79

Eat'n Smart Smile
Start the day guilt-free! Scrambled fat-free, no-cholesterol egg substitute, served with our new turkey sausage, a side of fresh fruit, and dry homemade six-grain toast. Only 367 calories! $5.99
P.S. That turkey sausage is available with any breakfast as a substitute for bacon or regular sausage.

Gourmet Grilled Cheese with Campbell's Tomato Soup
Melted American, Swiss, and Pepper Jack cheeses with three strips of crispy bacon on grilled six-grain bread. Served with a cup of hot, creamy Campbell's Tomato Soup. Is this comfort food or what? $5.99

Pot Roast Melt
The sassy cousin of our classic Shredded Pot Roast sandwich is back in town. Our famous shredded pot roast is topped with a blend of Pepper Jack, Swiss, and American cheese and served on sourdough bread with Dijon horseradish mayonnaise. Includes a side of your choice. $6.99

Fresh Chips & Dip
It's a simple equation:
Fresh housemade potato chips
+ our homemade ranch dressing for dipping
= crispy, golden perfection.
You're going to love these! $4.99

Buffalo Chicken Mac'n Cheese
Is cheesetastic a real word? No? How about cheesamazing? Hmmm....In any case, you'll melt for our cheesy elbow pasta blended with a sprinkle of bleu cheese and mixed with seasoned chicken. The whole deal is drizzled with our buffalo sauce and baked. Like I said, cheesetastic. Available as an entree with our special Dinner for Two pricing!

Pear Chicken Salad
As crisp as the fall air, and just as refreshing. Fresh mixed greens topped with grilled chicken breast, fresh pears and grapes, crumbled bleu cheese, tomatoes, and candied pecans, all mixed with Pear Shallot vinaigrette. Served with fresh seasonal bread. $8.49

Tender boneless chicken breast coated with Parmesan bread crumbs and baked to a golden brown. Only 265 calories! Served with two sides of your choice, and bakery-fresh dinner rolls. $8.99

Pumpkin Beverages
Waiting for the Great Pumpkin? Well, you can stop waiting for a great pumpkin beverage - we have three of them! Have your pie and drink it too with our Pumpkin Pie Milkshake. Vanilla ice cream is blended with Pumpkin Pie filling, topped with whipped cream, and dusted with nutmeg. $3.69
Prefer something hot? Our Pumpkin Latte and Pumpkin Chai Tea will warm your soul. $2.29-$2.89

Apple Cider
Fresh from local farms, nothing says "fall" like apple cider. Enjoy it cold and crisp, or mulled with spices and an orange slice. Your choice! $2.79

Share

Tweet

History. The mere mention of the word makes some people's eyelids heavy. Well, this is the most interesting history lesson you've heard in a long time...we promise!

Eat'n Park has long been known as the Place for Smiles. One reason is that we want every guest to leave with a smile. But our famous Smiley Cookies have doubtlessly played the biggest role in earning us that nickname.

So then, how did those famous cookies come to be synonymous with Eat'n Park? You'll find the answer below in this fun video that celebrates all things Smiley. You might even recognize a few of our first Smiley Cookie commercials. Enjoy!



Share

Tweet

Last time I posted, it was early July and local tomatoes were just coming into season. As you’re probably well aware, they’re ripe now! On August 10th, I had an opportunity to visit one of the local farms that we work with through our FarmSource program. Brenckle’s Farm has been a long-standing partner of ours. They are great people and grow some unbelievable veggies: tomatoes, zucchini, squash, peppers, eggplant, cabbage and cucumbers.

This year they decided to do something a little different: they built a 5 acre hoophouse. What, exactly, is a hoophouse? Well, it’s similar to a greenhouse in that it’s a structure used to extend the growing season. Made of half-round lengths of pipe, the “hoops” are generally covered by heavy gauge plastic. The biggest difference between a hoophouse and a greenhouse is that hoophouses aren’t heated.

As you can see from the photo , they are still building the structure, but next year, they hope to have tomatoes by the first of July.

One of the primary reasons that we partner with farms like Brenckle’s is because of their innovation. I was talking with Greg Brenckle during our visit, and he said that next year, they are going to be watering their fields with ozonated water. Ozone is an extremely powerful oxidant and disinfectant that kill bacteria and viruses - without the use of chemicals. I look forward to updating you on the progress on this very cool food safety initiative.

While the hoophouse and the ozonated water are very exciting, the high-quality produce grown on this farm is the most important reason for our partnership. We got right into the fields during my visit. The first field that we came to was the tomato field, and I immediately noticed all of the varieties of tomatoes that were growing. San Marzano’s really caught my eye. These are a variety of plum tomatoes that are considered by many chefs to be the best sauce tomatoes in the world. As we continued our tour, I was continually impressed with the variety of produce being grown, and my mind was immediately churning with new recipes I could try at home.


This is the time that local produce is at the height of the season, and I’m taking advantage of it while it lasts – I hope you will too! Be sure to stop by your local farm market to pick up some vine-ripened veggies. And if you should come across any of those famous San Marzano tomatoes, here’s a recipe I think you’ll enjoy.

Until next time,
Jamie

Fresh San Marzano Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 pounds fresh San Marzano tomatoes (or a 28 ounce can of San Marzano tomatoes, if you can’t find them fresh)
• 1 sprig fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

1. Wash the San Marzano tomatoes and take the stems off.
2. When the water is boiling, put the tomatoes in the boiling water for 15-30 seconds, until the skin puckers or bursts.
3. Take the tomatoes out of the water and let them cool on a large plate. When they are cool enough to handle, peel off the skin.
4. Cut the tomatoes in half and then into about ½ strips. Remove any skin, stem from the inside, and seeds if you want. Coarsely chop the tomatoes.
5. Put the olive oil and garlic in a cold pan over a high flame. Saute the garlic in the oil to release its flavor. Don’t let the garlic brown. With the oil sizzling, put in all the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the basil sprigs and stir them into the sauce. They will wilt and release their flavor into the sauce. Cook over medium-high heat until the tomatoes have broken down and a chunky sauce has developed. Most of the tomato water should have evaporated. This should take about 15 minutes, if you a like a thicker sauce, simmer for an additional 15 – 20 minutes. Stirring frequently. When the sauce is done cooking remove the basil and garlic.

Share

Tweet

Fresh, local produce at Eat'n Park this week:

Tomatoes
Brenckle Farms, Butler County
Holthouse Farms, Willard, Ohio
Harvest Valley Farms, Butler, PA

Zucchini
Brenckle Farms, Butler County
Wiers Farms, Willard, OH
Holthouse Farms, Willard, OH
Wexford Farms, Allegheny County
Laurel Vista Farm, Somerset County
Harvest Valley Farms, Butler, PA
Mason Farms, Erie, PA

Green Cabbage
Yarnick Farms, Indiana, PA
Wiers Farms, Willard, OH
Holthouse Farms, Willard, OH
Mason Farms, Erie, PA

Green Peppers
Brenckle Farms, Butler County
Harvest Valley Farms, Butler County
Wiers Farms, Willard, OH
Holthouse Farms, Willard, OH
Mason Farms, Erie County

Cucumbers
Brenckle Farms, Butler County
Harvest Valley Farms, Butler County
Mason Farms, Erie County
Wiers Farms, Willard, OH
Holthouse Farms, Willard, OH
Laurel Vista Farms, Somerset County
KW Zellers & Son, Hartville, OH

Share

Tweet

Local tomatoes are definitely in season..if you don't have a garden full of them, you've probably seen a bountiful haul at your local farmer's market.

Here at Eat'n Park, we're using them in our Baked Chicken Bruschetta, in our FarmSource Vegetable Soup, on sandwiches, and on our Salad Bar.

But what to do when you have TOO many tomatoes? Can them! If you've never done it before, the canning process may seem intimidating. But in reality, it's pretty simple.

Jamie Moore, our Director of Sourcing and Sustainability, walks us through the process in this how-to video he filmed at home.

Ready to get started? Click below to watch Jamie process his homegrown tomatoes.



Share

Tweet