The Market at Liberty Place reminded me of a scaled-down version of New Hope’s Ferry Market. You walk into an industrial-like setting and are met with a circular concourse of food stands (both savory and for dessert), a tasting stand for a winery, and plenty of tables and chairs. The selection was not quite as good and a “fusion” offering of Mexican and Greek was a little too much, but what we did eat was delicious and this was a cool place to spend an hour or so.

Review #224: State Street Pizza and Grill

With a tasting at the in-house Paradocx Winery coming up, Justin and I knew we needed to get some food in us. We were hungry, but not exactly starving following a filling breakfast at Hank’s in Chadds Ford. We were looking to share something. With the stand at the State Street Pizza and Grill calling our names, we looked at the menu which included pizzas, calzones, strombolis, and wraps. I asked the guy how big the small stromboli was, and he said that the size varied from time to time because they are handmade, but that it was pretty large—he and his girlfriend have always shared one, he added. Hearing this, we figured we would do the same. I ordered a buffalo chicken stromboli for us, which was priced at $8.99. It took about 20 minutes to arrive, but it was enormous (and actually a calzone).

Considering this was a food stand in a Pennsylvania market, I must say I was impressed with the quality. This would have been delicious in New York or New Jersey, two states which are the apex of Italian-American cooking if you ask me. It was prepared from scratch to order, and well-made at that. The dough was brushed with olive oil and was crispy throughout. It was also rolled perfectly to the point where it was never doughy or clumpy. Cooked evenly, it was packed with chunks of chicken and just the right amount of sauce and cheese. For the size, quality, and price, you could not go wrong. I would gladly eat this same item again if I was ever back at Liberty Place. State Street Pizza gets a solid 3 out 5 stars for this satisfying lunch.

Review #223: Paradocx Vineyard

While walking around, Justin noticed a sign advertising a whiskey tasting for $12. The product was the Pennsylvania distillery Thistle Finch. I was game. He’s not a whiskey drinker, but said he would take a sip of each sample with me. The sign did say that there would be four samples, each being an ounce. We sat down at the counter. The worker was very friendly and informative, telling us about Thistle Finch and even state laws regarding whiskey and how wineries are allowed to offer higher proof spirits if made in Pennsylvania. The four tastes would be white rye, straight rye, coffee whiskey, and black pepper whiskey.

When the palette arrived, I could tell pretty quickly that the samples were not even an ounce. The price for what was given perhaps could have been a dollar or two cheaper. Or maybe he could have just poured the advertised amount. Instead, I had flashbacks of being a 10-year old with a cold and handed a cap of Sudafed. The “sip” Justin wanted to take was just that, but for both of us. Nevertheless, the whiskeys were just alright. Surprisingly, the un-aged white rye was my favorite. The black pepper one tasted like a strong gin, and the coffee and regular rye were not standout in any way.

Justin got a sampling of a local beer ($10 and a decent serving). This too included four samples. They were out of the fourth so he brought three and told us to let him know what our favorite was and he would give us a second of that. Once again, neither of us were a fan of any of the beers. One was an IPA which we normally hate, one tasted like an IPA, and the other was a lager which we enjoyed for the simple reason that it wasn’t like the first two. This was a cute experience good for those traveling through Kennett Square, but I have certainly had more worthwhile experiences in similar situations. 2 out of 5 stars.

The Market at Liberty Place is located at 148 West State Street in Kennett Square, PA.