Road Trip: Erie, PA

Caribbean/Southern fusion, sailing on a 132 year old ship, and more cool finds.

We were supposed to see a show in Erie, PA this past weekend but it got rescheduled and the hotel room I had booked for the night was non-refundable. We needed to pivot. Less than 100 miles away, about an hour and forty minute drive from downtown Buffalo—Erie, PA could be the perfect weekend getaway. We just needed to find some things to fill our time exploring the city.

Books Galore

5546 PEACH ST. ERIE, PA 16509

My first order of business when visiting a new city is to identify where I’d like to eat. A very close second order of business is to identify the independent bookstores. Allow me to recommend a stop at Books Galore. In business for over 35 years, this converted home boasts two floors of over 500,000 comics and over 250,000 books. More specifically the inventory includes, 8 rooms of used fiction and non fiction, a small selection of new books, graphic novels, plus new comics every week with back issues available.

When we made our next stop at 7501 Peach Street, home of Krispy Kreme, we did not know that it was National Donut Day, which is celebrated on the first Friday of June of each year. We really like to support local but there was something nostalgic about these donuts that disappeared from the Buffalo area years ago. National donut day gets you a free donut, by the way. Mark your calendar for next year.

If you are nostalgic for popular chain restaurants of the 90’s, you will find several still alive and well in Erie that no longer exist in the Buffalo area. In addition to Krispy Kreme others include TGI Fridays, Red Lobster, and Perkins.

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Dinner at Pineapple Eddie Southern Bistro

1402 W 10th St, Erie, PA 16502

Upon checking into our hotel room at the front desk, Jeff noticed a nice little print out of local points of interest including restaurant recommendations. We reviewed some of those restaurants online while relaxing in our room for a bit. There were a few interesting contenders but ultimately we decided on Pineapple Eddie Southern Bistro. We chose this restaurant because Jeff’s cousin recommended it and upon reviewing their website online, I found that they are family owned and proudly make every item by scratch from seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.

Reservations seemed to be preferred but they were able to seat us at a high-top in the bar area. This proved to be fortuitous as we really enjoyed the warm ambiance with soft lighting and light music.

We were overwhelmed with temptations from the Caribbean/Southern fusion menu, but decided to begin our meal with the crabmeat hushpuppies—pillowy spheres with crisp exteriors, served with a house-made remoulade sauce.

Complimentary mini corn muffins plated in honey butter accompanied the meal.

For his entree, Jeff chose the catfish which was offered seasoned, lightly breaded, and fried or seasoned with a house rub, perfectly pan- seared and served with creole sauce. He chose the later. The entrees include your choice of two sides. He selected the chef's rice n' beans along with the veg of the day which was a delicious medley of cabbage, carrots, and kale. He would like me to stress that these were the best southern-style rice and beans that he has ever had. Other considerations for sides included grits, house-made Cole slaw, garlic mashed potatoes, and a baked mac & cheese.

I chose an item from the specials menu, a Moroccan vegetable stew. I also ordered a side of sweet plantains which were a perfect compliment to the savory dish. While enjoyable, the stew was milder than I had anticipated. Jeff’s dish was outstanding and we are inspired to try creating something similar at home.

We were quite sated from our meal but could not leave without a sampling from the selections of desserts all made in-house. The treat pictured below which we decided to share was the Berry Blast—soft vanilla cake filled with custard, topped with mixed berry purée and a dollop of homemade whipped cream. I kind of wish we had each gotten our own!

Wholeheartedly we recommend dining at Pineapple Eddie Southern Bistro when in the Erie area.

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Day 2: Presque Isle State Park and the Lettie G. Howard

Following a nostalgic breakfast at Perkins, we headed down to the end of State Street for a late morning sail on the historic 1893 fishing schooner Lettie G. Howard. The ship docks/boards behind Bicentennial Tower on Dobbins Landing. Tickets may be purchased onsite or in advance online.

The 1.5 hour day or 2 hours sunset tour of Presque Isle Bay, includes some history on the ship’s 132 years plus the opportunity to help the crew set the sails, if you are so inclined. It was a beautiful, sunny day, perfect for a peaceful sail.

Upon disembarking, we decided to explore the park, a 3,112-acre peninsula stretching out into lake Erie and creating Presque Isle Bay. There is no access fee to the park or even a fee for parking. The park features a 13.5-mile multi-purpose trail for biking or walking and offers numerous activities for exploring both land and water with 9 beaches, numerous fishing piers, picnic pavilions and tables.

Before heading back to Buffalo, we stopped at Sara's Restaurant for lunch. A seasonal institution at the gateway to Presque Isle State Park, this drive-thru features plenty of outdoor seating has been offering all the American classics for over 30 years, . We each enjoyed a Smith’s char-grilled hot dog and shared a side of house made onion rings and possibly the best peanut butter milkshake either of us have ever had. Sara’s also serves burgers, turkey burgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, and fries.

What is your favorite semi-local spot for an overnight trip or weekend getaway? Did we miss something in Erie? Tell us in the comments.