(lively music) - Hi, I'm Kae Lani Palmisano.

Each week, three different guests recommend their favorite restaurants, then try each other's picks and come together to tell us what they think.

Right here on, "Check, Please!"

(lively music) Hi, I'm Kae Lani Palmisano, and welcome to, "Check, Please!"

the show where regular people from all over the Philadelphia area recommend and review their favorite restaurants.

So here's how it all works.

Every week we have three guests.

Each guest recommends their favorite restaurant and then the other two go check 'em out to see what they think.

This week, high school counselor Jim Sawyer says, the brews and pub food at his pick deserve an A grade.

But administrative assistant, Sakinah Hill says, help yourself to the Mexican food at her recommendation.

Up first though, higher ed administrator, Domonique McClendon, raves about the fresh pasta and shared plates at her favorite spot.

For excellent service and standout Caesar salad, she heads to Cry Baby Pasta.

(jazzy music) - Cry Baby Pasta is a fun, laid back restaurant with great food and drink.

We make all fresh pasta here.

Awesome wine list, great cocktails, friendly staff, and reasonably priced.

We have outdoor space when it's seasonal so people can bring, you know, strollers and dogs.

It can be a spot for a girls' night, it can be a birthday.

We have a kid's menu here.

So just a real mix of guests.

- So I originally got into cooking because my mom was the matriarch of the family.

And so we hosted all the big family gatherings.

And I loved bringing people together in that way.

And I think I was drawn into Cry Baby because it's more approachable to the people.

And it's bringing regular people together just for dinner.

And it's just a really lively environment.

and it reminds me of that feeling that I fell in love with when I was a kid.

- Domonique, Cry Baby is a chill, neighborhood spot.

Why did you pick it?

- You sometimes get recommendations about places to go and it just doesn't really live up to the recommendation.

This very much lived up to the hype.

The pasta was fantastic.

It felt like such a cozy, intimate, low-key place.

It was perfect.

- And this time you started off your meal with the bruschetta.

And they have a few bruschettas to choose from, but you did the, what was it, the mozzarella?

- Yes, they do.

It was the buffalo mozzarella.

And I was really surprised that there wasn't, you know, like a typical tomato bruschetta on the menu with, you know, some olive oil and basil.

This was just the buffalo mozzarella on an excellent piece of bread.

It had, you know, fresh sweet peas on there and it was really, it was really seasonal.

It just gave the vibe of everything being fresh.

- Sakinah, how did you start your meal?

- Oh, we started with the crispy potato appetizer and they also had an artichoke appetizer.

They were delicious.

I actually didn't try the artichokes because I was just featuring the crispy potatoes so much.

(all laughing) They had, like, a nice pesto sauce on them, just really green, bright.

It was delicious.

- I feel like when you go to a pasta place, you gotta get meatballs.

How were they?

- So, yeah.

So the meatballs actually came as an appetizer dish.

So there were four meatballs on a plate infused with ricotta cheese, with just a great bit of sauce on top.

So you were able to take one, if you're with a group of people, take a meatball each, and you open it up and when you open up into the meatball, the ricotta kind of melts out of it.

- Oh, wow.

- Oh.

- So it was, I mean... - It was like a ricotta surprise.

- Yeah, it was ricotta surprise.

And you almost didn't want to eat it as quickly as you would eat a normal meatball.

The part that really stood out to me was the Caesar salad.

I consider myself an advocate of Caesar salads.

Whenever I go somewhere to eat, if there's a Caesar salad on the menu, I'm going to try it.

And Cry Baby Pasta didn't... You know, it was amazing.

It was absolutely amazing.

Leafy greens, the Caesar dressing was creamy, but what really made it the best was the croutons.

The croutons were seasoned and just a bit burnt as well.

So it added a little flavor to it.

- Yeah, a little depth, yeah.

- And it was absolutely delicious when it put all together.

- And with a place called Cry Baby Pasta, you know the pasta is gonna be really good.

And they have an interesting take on the tagliatelle with the bolognese.

There's a little secret, not-so-secret ingredient in the bolognese.

- Pepperoni.

- Yes.

- Pepperoni.

It was chopped up so fine that you, if it hadn't been told, you might not have known it was even in there.

- Yep.

- And it was baked into it, and the flavor of the pepperoni went into the red sauce.

It was just delicious.

Absolutely delicious.

- And what did you think of the tagliatelle?

- Well, I didn't actually eat the tagliatelle, but the person I was with, they just wanted to eat very slowly.

They didn't want it to end.

And they felt like they were gonna be really sad, like, once they finished their tagliatelle.

So, yeah (chuckling).

- What was your entree then?

- They had a special, it was a shrimp special.

And it was just basically a shrimp over a spaghetti, a fresh pasta with basil and tomato.

And very light, very refreshing.

The spaghetti was so bouncy and light and airy.

It was delicious.

- Domonique, how were your entrees?

- So my friend got the tagliatelle.

I tried it.

I love a good red sauce.

It was good, but I was there for one thing and one thing only, (all laughing) which was the crab linguini pasta with the long hots and the breadcrumbs.

Honestly don't, you know, be scared off by the long hots.

It is not spicy, it's just sort of this, this sort of very, very low level heat just humming in the background of it.

And it is delicious.

I also got the Caesar salad.

I was, you know, very shocked at how lemony and, you know, herbaceous and the presence of the anchovy filets the first time.

And I was like, "You know what, this is delicious."

This is, they put- - Oh, yeah.

- love and care into this.

I gotta get it again.

- And how about the drinks?

Because it's also a wine bar, but they have really great cocktails too.

Sakinah, how about you?

What did you get for a drink?

- I tried a drink called Jiggery Pokery, and it's basically their spin on a dirty martini.

There's just no actual olive in the drink.

I think it's like fat-washed with like an olive oil.

It was very delicious, very light.

- And how about desserts, Domonique?

You left room for dessert?

- I got the homemade gelato and it really delivered.

It tasted fresh, it tasted homemade.

It didn't have those weird, little ice crystals in there.

It wasn't a crazy, you know, neon green color.

It was the pistachio.

Yeah, it was a delicious way to end the meal.

And it was a really good shareable size.

So, you know, that's something to know going in.

- And how about your desserts?

- Oh, I had the caramel budino, which is basically layers of...

It's like a layer of pudding, and then caramel, and then pudding with some coarse salt at the top.

- [Domonique] Ooh.

(Sakinah sighs) (all laughing) - Course salt add a lot, I mean... - That little course salt at the top.

It just really turned it up.

- It's a little bit of crunch, but also makes the other ingredients pop with that saltiness.

- Exactly, because the caramel was a little buttery, you know, it was very buttery, and then there was the vanilla of the pudding.

But yeah, the salt at the top definitely made it pop for sure.

- Domonique, you have a very particular description for the vibe.

You called it, "Third date night."

What makes a third date?

(all laughing) - I do have strong opinions about the environment of this place.

You are actually always shrouded in darkness a little bit.

It's very dark in there.

I feel like it lends itself to the third date vibes.

- Sakinah, do you feel as though the lighting kind of brought on intimacy to your table?

- You know, I didn't realize that it was dark at first, but now that you say that, maybe it was a little dark.

- It's very dark.

- Because what I did notice is that it was pretty tight and it was small, and it was definitely packed.

I was on the same...

I was on that Saturday as well.

- Oh, you were there Saturday night?

(all laughing) - [Sakinah] I left right as the rain started.

- [Jim] Oh, okay.

We came in a few minutes before it started.

Yep, uh-huh.

- But what I did notice was that like my table, we didn't notice anyone else in the restaurant.

Like we were just, it was an intimate setting.

We were able to focus on each other and catch up.

I didn't notice anyone else was there.

- Domonique, this is your pick.

Sum it up for us.

- It is a delicious, fresh pasta restaurant that serves up third date vibes and authentic homemade dishes that are absolutely worth the splurge.

- And Jim, what's your big takeaway?

- Caesar salad.

100% the Caesar salad.

I often go to places that don't make good Caesar salads, but Cry Baby Pasta really knocked it out of the park with it.

- And Sakinah, what are your final thoughts?

- It wasn't a huge menu, but I think anything that you pick off of the menu will be phenomenal.

- Try out Cry Baby Pasta located at 627 South 3rd Street in Philadelphia.

267-534-3076.

Reservations are accepted and the average tab per person without drinks is $35.

Sakinah Hill loves the extensive tequila menu and modern Mexican dishes at her recommendation.

And the outdoor courtyard is a big plus.

For delicious tacos in a lively environment, she heads to Cantina Feliz.

(lively music) - So my name is Patrick Czerniak, and I'm the Executive Chef at Cantina Feliz in Fairmount.

It's a traditional Mexican restaurant with a modern flair to it.

We're really known for our nachos, our Nachos de la Casa, our house-made nachos, three cheese blend.

We're known for our guacamole and our fish tacos.

Like most chefs, everyone like cooked with their mom or their grandma.

So I remember when I was a younger kid making, it's called kopytka, but it's like gnocchi in Polish.

I remember doing that with them when I was, you know, five, six years old doing that.

And I couldn't play football, so I decided to go on with cooking.

And I came here about a year ago.

Yeah, and there's just the draw to the restaurant was Mexican food, great staff here, a really strong team.

And the owner, Brian, is a great guy I work for.

Our goal here is to have people come in super happy and leave happier.

As a chef, I love going out to eat and my favorite thing in the world is going somewhere, having great drinks, great service, great food, and living happy.

- Sakinah, you go to Cantina Feliz a lot.

Tell us why you picked it.

- Well, the first time I went it was for an after work happy hour with coworkers.

They seated us at their outdoor space, which I found to be absolutely beautiful.

And this was, like, pre-COVID, so this was before, like, half the restaurants had outdoor spaces.

So it just became really special to me just for that outdoor courtyard.

So I would always return to sit outside and have margaritas.

- And how about the fundido?

Because that's usually what you like to start your meal with.

(Sakinah laughing) - It's ooey, gooey cheese in a pan.

It comes sizzling to your table, hot.

There's like poblano peppers at the bottom.

It's just really flavored well.

You can dip in your tortillas or your wrap and just put it in there and it's really good.

- And Domonique, you tried the guacamole sampler.

What did this consist of?

- It's got a traditional guac, a guac with elote with the corn and everything in there.

- Yes.

- That was my favorite one.

- [Sakinah] That's my favorite.

- And then there's a guac with, it's almost like a sushi guac with a tuna and sort of maybe, I guess it's maybe like a spicy mayo drizzle over top of it.

I didn't hate it.

I wouldn't order it again.

- Okay.

But you liked the elote guac?

That's my favorite.

- That was my absolute favorite one.

We normally just get the, you know, the regular, traditional, budget guac as, like, a side that's only, like, $5.00.

My sister would never order the fundido 'cause she's, you know, lactose intolerant.

- Yeah, yeah.

- And she's just sort of leaves the house with the energy of, "I didn't leave the house to not get guac.

(all laughing) So we're getting guac."

And I'm like, "Okay."

But next time I might try that.

I love cheese and so does she.

- Tell us a little more about the elote guacamole 'cause that sounds fun.

- Yeah, so it's like a street corn and I think it's crumbled cotija cheese.

And it's a really...

The corn adds a really nice sweetness.

The traditional guac is, you know, of course great, but the elote one, definitely my favorite now.

- And Jim, you kicked off your meal with the house nachos.

- The house nachos.

- The Nachos de Casa.

- The Nachos de Casa.

Yeah, and as I saw other people getting the three different guac trays, I was wondering should we have gotten that as well?

'Cause that looked really delicious.

But yes, we did start out with the house nachos.

And what I really liked about the nacho plate was the nachos were heavier and thicker.

So you can easily dip back in- - [Sakinah] Yes.

- [Jim] with the cheese that has come off and the chicken that fell.

And then we added guac on the side.

- Sakinah, you always get the enchiladas.

- Yeah, so this time we got the enchiladas.

My son tried them as well.

We got the chicken tinga filling.

It's really delicious.

It comes with, like, a sour cream on top and some kind of salsa as well.

- [Kae Lani] That's the ranchera salsa.

- [Sakinah] Yeah, the ranchero salsa.

It's so good.

It's kind of, like, bright and yellow.

It's a little creamy but still a little tomato forward.

It was really delicious.

- Domonique, you went for the smothered burrito.

- It was my friend who went for the smothered burrito.

I got the pork carnitas, but I did get some.

You always gotta go to these restaurants with a friend so you can try some of theirs.

- There you go.

- [Domonique] It is a behemoth that they bring to the table.

It's steaming, everybody's looking.

It's the equivalent of ordering fajitas and it comes out of the back- - Sizzling.

- Sizzling.

(all laughing) It is definitely a showstopper and it lives up to the way that it looks.

It's smothered in this delicious sauce.

I think it's their sort of creamy salsa roja that is a little yellowish orange now that I think about it.

- Yeah.

- It's very good.

- Jim, how was your smothered burrito?

- So yes, so we ordered the smothered burrito as well.

We were there on the tail end of happy hour.

So we ordered Baja fish taco first to try, thinking, "Oh well, we will try two of these and then we'll get a smothered burrito."

And the smothered burrito came out and it was exactly like you said.

Completely.... (all laughing) Oh my goodness.

They put it down in between my wife and I.

And I was like, "Well half of this is coming home."

(all laughing) There's no doubt about that.

But it was smothered in that sauce.

What I really liked about it was, normally at a Mexican restaurant, if a burrito comes out, the rice and the beans would be on the side.

But Cantina Feliz puts them inside the burrito.

And it was absolutely delicious.

- Domonique, how was the dessert?

You did have the brownie, right?

- I did.

I did have the brownie sundae with the churro ice cream.

I was so excited.

I was like, "Alright, I got a reason to get dessert.

I'm trying things out for this show."

It was good.

It was like a nice ending to the meal.

If they hadn't told me it was churro ice cream, I would not have known.

But the budino was fantastic.

It was, I think it's called with a Cajeta caramel.

I'm probably butchering that.

But that was delicious.

That was the first time I had had a budino.

I didn't know what it was.

My friend got that and we shared it.

And it was so rich and creamy.

That would be my pick if I were to go back and get dessert again.

- And Sakinah, you had mentioned that this is a great place to get margaritas.

And you know, I feel like when you go to a nice Mexican restaurant, the margaritas keep flowing.

How is your margarita?

(all laughing) - Well, that's what I love about Cantina Feliz because the margaritas are seasonal.

So every three months or four months or so, there's brand new margaritas to try.

This night my son tried a mezcal margarita and this is his first time ever trying mezcal tequila, which is a smokier tequila.

And he really enjoyed it.

I think with mezcal you either love it or you hate it.

He really enjoyed the margarita.

And I myself tried the sangria, and they had peaches and just a lot of fresh fruits in it.

It was really good.

- I got a margarita as well, the regular one.

I just wanted to start out with a baseline.

Didn't end up ordering another one.

But it was also nice that that one was on happy hour as well.

- Okay.

- But my friend got the spicy margarita.

She also wants people to know to not get scared off by the spicy element of it.

It's not, you know, a punch in the face of spice.

It's just sort of nice humming in the background.

Probably, definitely a little bit more than those long hots.

But, you know it's there.

- With flavorful heat.

- Yes, flavorful heat.

Not just heat for the sake of heat.

- Okay.

And how about you?

How did you enjoy your drinks?

- My wife went for the margaritas, so she did the same thing.

She started out with just the general margarita.

But then, like you mentioned earlier, they do seasonal margaritas.

So I wanna say the second one that she got was a, like, I know I'm getting it wrong, probably like a mango flavored, or it was a different flavor of margarita.

- Oh.

- And absolutely loved it.

- And how about the service?

Sakinah, this is your pick.

How do you feel when you go in?

Do you feel like the staff is friendly and welcoming and helpful?

- [Sakinah] Yeah, I feel like the staff, they're always bustling and busy.

But they really do take a moment to like stop by and make sure you're okay.

So the service is always amazing every time I go.

- Jim, did you think the prices were fair?

- Yes, I did.

We were there on a Wednesday.

We were there on a Wednesday.

(all laughing) And we ordered, like I said, we ordered one of the Baja fish tacos.

Had we ordered a full Baja fish taco platter would've been several of 'em, but we just wanted to try it.

And it was on the happy hour menu, one taco to try.

- Oh yeah, so you get a chance to try multiple things.

- Exactly, and that's what I really appreciated.

We could just try that one thing, but then go after the big one.

- Sakinah, this was your pick.

Sum it up for us.

- Oh, it's just consistently a good time every time.

Low key, great vibes.

People from all backgrounds are there just enjoying the food and the margaritas.

- Jim, what's the big takeaway?

- The smothered burrito was the big takeaway for us for the evening, yep.

- And Domonique, bring it on home for us.

- Sure, it's just a fun spot for any time, for any group of people that you're dining with.

I've never seen that place empty, but you're never gonna feel like you were, you know, your table is abandoned or forgot about.

- Check out Cantina Feliz for yourself, located at 2321 Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia.

215-787-9930.

Reservations are accepted and the average tab per person without drinks is $25.

Jim Sawyer is a big fan of the drinks and grub at his favorite Glenside spot.

For exciting specials and a diverse tap list, he recommends The Ways Restaurant and Brewery.

(rock music) - My name is Tim Way and I'm the owner here at The Ways.

Me and my brothers started the project.

I started on the beer side and then my brothers ran the kitchen.

Started the brewery 'cause we like beer and wanted to make our own.

Had some different ideas of like different kinds of beer that could be made.

So we decided to do it.

Yeah, we have great outdoor spaces to sit and eat.

And we're pet-friendly, so you can hang out with your dog friends.

I think we get pretty creative with our beers.

We've been doing some fun things with like, we have a G-side sour that we rotate through different fruit flavors and the lactose sour beer.

So it's like sweet, but it also has, like, some nice tartness to it.

And then we have standards, west coast IPAs, lagers, New England IPAs.

First time somebody comes in, I would recommend either Conundrum if they're in the hoppy beers, or our 19038.

As far as food's concerned, the French dip is the best sandwich we have.

One of our chefs actually made a sticker.

It's a team and everybody engages in the menu.

We do a monthly specials menu and everybody pitches in ideas, and it's really fun.

Honestly, can't go wrong.

Everything on the menu is delicious.

- Jim, The Ways is both a restaurant and a brewery.

- That is correct.

- Tell us why you picked it.

- We were looking for somewhere to eat.

This was pre-COVID and we stumbled upon Ways.

When we went inside, they had their own extensive menu.

What stood out was two things.

One, the name and the combinations of what they were doing.

- This past time, you started your meal with the Greggos Nachos.

- Yes.

So as we came to find out that night, Greg is the name of one of the owners.

And the nachos have a beer cheese that is put on them.

And you can get various toppings.

They have pickled onions on it, beef put on it, chicken put on it.

But there's this real interesting part of the nachos as well.

They have small slivers of spicy pickles that are put on it as well.

- Ooh.

- Yes.

So you can eat it with your nacho if you don't realize what you're doing at the last second.

Or you can actually pick the pickle off and eat it yourself.

Something about that.

It's different.

I've never seen anything like that on a nacho plate before.

- What other appetizers did you try?

- So that night we tried the wings.

They have in-house smoked wings, and it was delicious.

You could you know, smell the notes of oak on it while you were eating it.

I really like a thick blue cheese when I'm having wings.

And they make blue cheese that comes with blue cheese crumbles in it.

And when you dip it, it's just, it's amazing.

- And Sakinah, you tried some wings too, right?

- Yes, I did.

(all laughing) Yeah, I can still remember them.

They actually, they smoke them and then they do fry them.

So they're just not coated.

They're naked but they're still crispy.

And you still have that smoky flavor.

- [Jim] Oh yeah, mm-hmm.

- [Sakinah] The sauces are all house-made, right?

- [Jim] Yes.

- So the blue cheese dressing was nice and thick with the crumbles.

I even enjoyed the hot sauce more than I normally do.

I love the wings.

- How was the beet salad?

- The beet salad was good.

I'm actually, I don't really care for goat cheese too much.

And that's usually featured on most beet salads when I go to a restaurant.

At The Ways, they had goat cheese on theirs as well, but the way that they, it was like shredded.

It was really thin and very light, like, little pieces of goat cheese on top.

And then they had like a candied pecan in there.

So they had that nice, crunchy, sweet texture as well with the beets.

And then arugula, which was spicy, like a spicy, peppery flavor.

I love the beet salad.

- Domonique, you tried the Brussels sprouts.

- I can confidently say these were the best Brussels sprouts that I've ever had.

They were fantastic.

They were like nice and crispy without being too charred.

They were salty and earthy.

And the bitterness of it just all connected really well together.

I know that everyone's doing Brussels sprouts, but not everyone does them well.

And this place definitely does.

- And how was your fried chicken sandwich?

- It was fantastic.

It wasn't, you know, fried really hard and dry.

It was juicy all over.

It almost had this breading where that tasted like, it was almost beer battered.

It is something that I would order again.

It paired excellently with the fries.

I'm particular about my fries as well, but it tasted like they had fried them twice.

Which really... (all exclaim) Yeah, that's, see, you know.

(all laughing) - Yeah, extra crispy.

- That all the difference.

- Yes, it does.

- They were as crispy as they needed to be.

And it came with a...

This one came with a sauce, like a nice aioli.

- With the chicken sandwich, I think it was corn, it was cornflakes.

- Is that?

- Yes, it's a corn- - Cornflake breaded.

- Cornflake breading.

- I knew it was different.

- Yeah.

- I didn't know what it was, but I knew it was different.

- [Jim] Uh-huh.

- They should all do that.

(Jim laughing) Everyone should just start doing that.

- [Jim] Start doing that.

- 'Cause you tried this too.

How was it?

- Yeah, my wife had the...

I mean, I've had it before as well.

But my wife got it this time.

The cornflake chicken sandwich.

Absolutely loved it the same as you.

Cooked perfectly.

But I got the brisket sandwich.

- [Kae Lani] Can't pass up on the brisket.

- Oh my goodness.

Oh no, no, no.

I don't know what they do in the back.

But marinade it all day.

When it comes out, it's soft.

You almost don't want to eat it in a sandwich because you're angry that you have the bread in there too.

But I don't know, something about it goes all together.

But the fries as well.

They were crispy, they were a little crunchy when you bit into them.

And that's what you wanted.

- Because you can also get the brisket on top of mac and cheese.

- [All] Yes.

- I got that.

- Oh, there you go.

There you go.

(all laughing) - First of all, when I got to the restaurant or to the brewery, when I got to the door, I could smell the brisket.

So I knew, I was like, "I'm getting something with brisket tonight."

So, I got the macaroni and cheese.

It was really delicious sauce.

Like the bechamel that was at the bottom was so flavorful.

The pasta was cooked to perfection and the brisket was just really special.

- Yeah.

- I mean, it was tender, fork tender.

It was so good.

- And of course, at a brewery, you can't not try the beer.

I know, Sakinah, you're not into beer.

But you did get a flight.

- Yeah, when in a brewery, get beer, right?

So we got the flight.

Well first we did start off with an old fashioned.

And we're very particular, my girlfriend and I are very particular about our old fashions.

And they really did it to perfection.

And what we loved about the rocks glass that the old fashioned was served in was that it was a cutoff bottle.

So the old fashioned was delicious.

And yes, we got a beer flight.

So that's four samples.

I think there were four ounces each.

So a nice pour, like a nice amount.

And we tried two dark, like a stout and a lager, and then two beers.

- Hmm, and you said that the Sweater Weather is one that stood out to you.

- The Sweater Weather stood out to me.

It was very fruity.

It was like grapefruit citrus forward.

Just really refreshing.

- And how about your beer?

- I got the Reigning Blood sour beer.

- [Kae Lani] What do you think makes a good sour?

- It's gotta have a of-the-moment fruit.

Like, if it's mid-summer peaches or blueberries.

That's what tips it off.

You can't just rely on cranberries or you know, the sourness of it to, you know, it's gotta be...

It's gotta be seasonal as well.

- And of course at a brewery, you're not expecting desserts, but they do have a fun dessert menu.

How is your Cookie Smash, Jim?

- Well, the interesting thing about, delicious.

Just to start out the conversation, delicious.

But it's interesting.

They'll come in the middle of you, almost before you place your order for dinner.

They'll mention the Cookie Smash, if you're interested in that dessert, takes 15 to 20 minutes to actually bake.

So if you want it, we'll put it in now, we'll start getting that going.

But when it came out, it's in a...

It comes out in a skillet.

And you just sort of... You just get four spoons and you- - Just go for it.

- You just go at this cookie in a baked skillet.

And it was- - There's nothing like a dessert in a skillet.

- Oh.

(all laughing) You're almost like, "I don't mind if I burn myself."

- Domonique, what did you think of the service?

- The service was great.

He made sure we had everything we needed.

Didn't rush us on the check.

Was great at making suggestions for the beers.

You know, clearly knowledgeable of that process as well, which is always nice.

- And Sakinah, you got to try from several different types of beers.

Did you think that the prices were fair for everything that you got to try?

- Oh, absolutely.

I mean, the beers, it was like a four ounce pour and you get four of those.

We had already had two or three cocktails, two appetizers.

I could do it again and again.

- Well, Jim, The Ways is your pick.

Sum it up for us.

- All right.

You can come in there and have a really great evening, night out, trying different types of drinks and also having unique different types of dishes that they put together.

- And Sakinah, what are your final thoughts?

- I agree.

Even if you're vegan and you just want cauliflower.

Or if you want the brisket.

- [Jim] The brisket.

- If you're anywhere near Glenside, it's worth going to check out for sure.

- And Domonique, what's the big takeaway?

- Fun, local spot, has brewery vibes, but also someplace you don't feel weird about bringing your kids.

Gives off a family vibe kind of spot.

And delicious food.

You won't be disappointed if you spend an afternoon there.

- Try a beer flight for yourself at The Ways Restaurant and Brewery, located at 11 South Easton Road in Glenside.

215-887-1029.

Reservations are not accepted, and the average tab per person without drinks is $20.

So on this week's show, we featured Cry Baby Pasta in Head House Square, Cantina Feliz in Fairmount, and The Ways Brewery in Glenside.

Special thanks to my guest, Jim Sawyer, Sakinah Hill, and Domonique McClendon.

Join us next time for three new guests recommending their favorite restaurants right here on "Check, Please!"

And don't forget to find us on Instagram and TikTok.

We're @checkpleasephilly.

I'm Kae Lani Palmisano, and I'll see you next time.

Cheers.

- Cheers.

(lively music)