Tip of the Santa hat to HATBORO!

A tip of the Santa hat to HATBORO!

Hatboro is so close by, it’s easy to overlook.  Sure, it was the site of the Battle of Crooked Billet (alas, a British victory).  It’s got the wonderful Holiday Parade held the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  And boasts Daddypops, a diner whose breakfast scrapple won it national acclaim on Guy Fieri's  Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives. 

It’s all that & way more!

Have kids? Head this Saturday to Hatboro's New Galaxy Diner  for Brunch with Santa, Saturday, Dec 15 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.  In all my years as a diner afficiando, NEVER EVER have I come across a place with a more "Hail, fellow, well met!" staff. They're unbelievably generous with & shower oodles of attention on two of my grannie clients, who bask in their attention. Food's yummy too, with truly special Senior Specials that my grannie clients love. (We used to alternate restaurants; now, I’d get disappointed looks if I headed anywhere except New Galaxy.) HIGHLY recommend checking it out, especially this Saturday afternoon for the Brunch with Santa. For extra fab service, tell 'em, "We're friends of Marg's." 

Heading out of New Galaxy, turn right down York Road (Rt 263), to Moreland, then cross over.  Perhaps no store in Hatboro offers the step back in time that the Philadelphia AthleticsHistorical Society does, dedicated to honoring the exciting history of the Philadelphia A’s, baseball legends & Hall of Famers like “The Tall Tactician”, “The Beast”, and one of the most colorful people ever to play the game of baseball–”Rube” Waddell. These people are serious about honoring the A’s and preserving the memory of their important place in baseball history.    The Society’s Gift Shoppe includes unique collectibles, from figurines to autographed memorabilia to caps et al sporting the Society’s logo.

Thought that was testosterone heaven?  HA!  Get into some hardcore fix-it guy (ok, and gal) stuff at Village Hardware.  Do you have any idea how rare it is to find a genuinely independent hardware store these days?  And you’ve GOT to love a hardware store owned by someone named Al Wipplinger!!  Here we go again  – it’s small, seems out of another time PLUS it's  packed with wonderfully useful things, with a hobby corner to boot!  Perfect place to come if you have a fix-it guy or gal on your list.

If you have someone who can’t bear to stop talking to Al about getting your screens or lamps repaired or swooning over his sharpening services, remember that Lochel’s is just down the street, beckoning with their to-swoon-for cakes & pastries.  NO ONE in the area does wedding cakes & special occasion cakes as creatively as Lochel’s!!  Get your wedding cake there & they decorate a specially-sized, specially-decorated cake as a gift for your 1^st anniversary.  What’s not to love??  Right now, their bakery specialties include pumpkin cheesecake, butter cookies, florentine’s, rum balls, springerlees, holiday cookies, their pastries are my downfall (john’s is their brownies),   Check out their special occasion Christmas cakes.  Hard to find a family-run, over-the-top FABULOUS bakery like Lochel’s. 

Now that you’ve been refortified, head down a couple doors – past Gamburg’s Furniture (a rare independent furniture store, beautiful pieces, superb service – to the Sweater Mill.  I admit to longing for a shopping spree at Sweater Mill, with its wonderful sweaters & knit tops that do NOT look like they came from the mall.  The quality is great, the service is top notch, the prices aren’t low but they aren’t astronomical & when they have their seasonal sales you can walk away with a lot of great fashion for a very low investment.  This is one place where you can find that truly special sweater that will be ooooed & ahhhhhed over. 

Out of Sweater Mill, turn left, down to the light, carefully cross York Road (it’s a busy intersection).  Almost immediately to your left is the time-out-of-time Burdick’s News Agency.   Walk through the door & you’re suddenly zipped back in time.  A counter like Wally Cleaver or Ricky Nelson would have felt at home hanging out at, with folks who make honest-to-goodness milkshakes in a style thought to be lost in the fog of time.  And check out their “gee, I haven’t seen that in decades!” candy selection.  Spend some time checking out their magazine selection (hey, this IS Burdick’s NEWS Agency, remember?).  If your circle of friends & family includes cigar smokers (gag), they have a fine selection of stogies.  Did I mention the card selection in the back?  Small store that packs a lot into their square footage. I always come here to find that hard-to-find magazine to tuck into John’s stocking.

Walk down the steps, then turn right, heading past a few shops.  There, tucked back a bit is KP Kitchen Crafts, where you can find just about anything you need for baking up a storm.  Like so many Hatboro shops, it’s small, but packed with so marvels to stir the hearts of bakers.   Absolutely agree with the person who wrote, “I love this store and Kathy! She is wonderful. The few negative comments that I have seen are because people don't understand what a small town business is truly like. Kathy is a family person and very down to earth. I have been going to KP Kitchens for about 25 years. I moved away for a few years and now I am back. Love, love, love all of her supplies. Sometimes, I go in and walk around getting my creative tool going, then start my buying frenzy. Kathy has saved me on many occasions when I needed specific supplies and she was the only one in the area that had them. She also ordered a few supplies for me. Granted, the hours are irregular sometimes, but that's what comes with a small family business. She is a Godsend.”  Great place to find that unusual cookie cutter for a baker’s stocking, lots of other WOW Christmas gifts. 

That's just a sampling of this close-by must-see All-American town.  Is Hatboro a wonder, or what??!!!