Last week I walked into a Pottstown landmark and walked out totally in love with this town all over again. No, the building isn’t on the Historic Register, although the place has got the past written all over it, and its traditional pork and beef hot sausage sandwich – with mustard, relish and onions – is called “old school.” Yep, I’m talking about the concrete extension of the basement at 577 Lincoln Avenue, where Brunish’s Deli has been located since 1938. If you want a taste of Pottstown history and a hearty sausage sandwich, cheesesteak or hoagie, you need to put this on your list of go-to local spots.
Brunish’s Deli has been a family affair from the beginning, starting in 1937 when the grandparents of the current proprietors – Dan and Bob Brunish – opened a candy, sandwich and mini-mart in a basement a few doors away. One year later their grandparents moved to #577 and set up shop in their own basement. Dan and Bob’s father took over in 1949, and added hot dogs and hot sausage to the menu in 1955. Dan has been running the deli full-time since 1974. Justin Brunish, Bobby’s son, also works there, making him the fourth generation to be in the business. The Brunishes claim to have the last originally-owned family sandwich shop in town.
In addition to an extensive sandwich menu, they’ve got convenience items like pasta, sauce, soups, chips, mac & cheese, cereal, soda, and – of course – Tastykakes. They’ve also got some sports gear for sale, most notably, Phillies hats and jerseys.
Brunish's interior
If you want to experience something real, check out Brunish’s for the food, the atmosphere and the architecture. While the 6’4.5” ceiling is just barely high enough for 6’4” Dan Brunish to stand up straight, the cocoon-like surroundings and the friendliness of the Brunishes make it feel like home.
Brunish’s Deli is located at 577 Lincoln Avenue, Pottstown, PA, across from the former Jefferson Elementary School. They’re open 7 am-8 pm, Monday-Saturday and 7am-6pm on Sundays. The phone number is 326-1900 (“The same number since Day 1,” says Dan.)
This past Monday, about a dozen members of the Heritage Action Plan working group gathered at the Tri-County Area Chamber of Commerce to review the results of a recent listing and ranking of Pottstown’s heritage resources.
The map below – created by Tom Carroll – shows the clusters of historical, arts, cultural, dining and recreational resources in and around the downtown. Some highly-ranked resources received “poor” ratings for physical condition. It’s important to keep in mind that highly-valued resources, perceived to be in poor condition, may be excellent candidates for money or attention to draw the most benefit from them in our promotional efforts.
The map also listed major annual or seasonal events hosted in/by Pottstown every year. When these events are shown by the month in which they occur, it becomes apparent that the Borough and various other organizations are holding major events that draw visitors from throughout the region 8 months out of the year. Coordinating & enhancing promotion with downtown merchants and PDIDA could be one of several recommended strategies in the HAP. Creating additional events to fill in the other months would lead to a full year of “hometown celebration” programming.
As the working group moves toward defining Pottstown’s heritage marketing strategy and branding, history and the arts emerged as themes to pursue. Here were several comments/suggestions:
Start giving Historic Walking Tours on First Saturdays, led by MCCC students.
Consider giving Cemetery Tours, esp. for John Potts Cemetery, which is now not open to the public, and for Edgewood Cemetery. Coordinate with Pottsgrove Manor.
Look into creating a Historic Church Tour; several churches were highly-ranked.
Use banners (inexpensive) to designate High St. as an “Avenue of the Arts.”
Use banners to generate excitement & direct visitors to downtown. Addcolor!
Coordinate with PDIDA & downtown merchants.
The group briefly talked about tourism/hospitality amenities that are lacking or need improvement. Safety and cleanliness had been concerns in our first large group meeting back in March.
High school students will be cleaning up the downtown on the April 30 Clean-Up Day, and this should be the beginning of more frequent clean-ups downtown by student volunteers.
Need to do a better job of tapping volunteers in the community.
Involve high school students in creating marketing materials.
Need signage, banners, kiosks to get Trail users into the downtown – still must decide how many, what goes on them, where to place them and prioritize list.
Need more occupied storefronts, esp. creative-related, for critical mass to attract trail users.
Will need lodging for overnight visitors when Trail is complete.
Consider a winter carnival in February.
HAP partners must continue to have conversations & coordinate with County & PennDOT regarding road projects and trail linkages.
As one participant noted: “This is exactly what the ULI report was talking about.”
We expect to have another large group meeting in the next couple weeks as we solicit more input on a vision statement, marketing strategies, and trail town components like signs, kiosks and connecting paths. The public is invited to join in here or by emailing PtownHAP@gmail.com.
Joe describes the way this relatively new town created waterfalls at one of their gateways and at an entrance to a walkway along the Des Plaines River and asks readers to imagine something similar along Pottstown’s Schuylkill Riverfront.
With funding from the Schuylkill River Heritage Area and the William Penn Foundation, the Borough is in the midst of developing a Heritage Action Plan. The plan will lay out a vision, goals and objectives, and a marketing strategy for linking Schuylkill River Trail users to downtown resources, such as shops, restaurants, arts, culture, history and recreation. The River and the Trail are key to any revitalization and economic development strategy.
A working group meeting is taking place this morning, Monday, April 18 from 10:30am-noon. Anyone interested in being part of the planning or implementation of the Heritage Action Plan is welcome to attend this or future meetings. Please send an email to PtownHAP@gmail.com or check out the Pottstown Heritage Action Plan on Facebook for more info.
A huge “THANK YOU” to Joe for giving us some creative food for thought!
On Thursdays, we’ll be putting the spotlight on some entertainment & recreational possibilities for your weekend in Pottstown.
THURSDAY, APRIL 14
Thursday Night Karaoke at Chummy’s/Sunnybrook , 8-11 pm. Sam and Tim DJ this cool event. Drink specials and more.
FRIDAY, APRIL 15
Join Remi and Star and the Calle Sol dancers at the Starry Ferrari Third Friday Salsa Social In Pottstown at the Ballroom on High, 310 E. High St., 2nd floor. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Food will be set out buffet style at 7:45 pm, first come, first served. Salsa lesson at 8 p.m. Dancing to salsa, bachata, merengue, cha cha, reggaeton, and more till at least 12 a.m.! DJ REMI! They had over 100 people at last month’s party! BYOB. ABSOLUTELY NO UNDER-AGE DRINKING! IDs checked at the door. Under 18 must be under the supervision of a parent. Security on Site. Admission: $12 Dress code: Dress to impress. NO boots or sneakers, no hoodies, low slung jeans, please.
World War II Swing Dance at Sunnybrook Ballroom. 8-11 pm, Tickets $24 on sale at Phillies Fire Co. For Info Call 610-323-2229
SATURDAY, APRIL 16
Dinner specials at The Brickhouse, in the historic Security Trust Building, 152 E. High Street. Friday & Saturday Nights: Country Fried Steak Entree-$13.99. Sunday Nights: Brick House Rib-Eye-$12.99
Local wine consultants and educators, Dean and Lisa Foster, are offering a class on Wines of the Finger Lakes this Thursday, March 31 from 6:30-9:30 pm in Pottstown. The class costs $35 per person and reservations are required in advance. Call or e-mail for more info or to register: 610 469 6164 or Vintageconnections@comcast.net.
Through their blogs, “Vintage Connections Wine Info,” and “Grapevine” in the Pottstown Mercury, Dean and Lisa provide information and recommendations about wine, wine events, and the world of wine, primarily in the Montgomery, Berks, and Chester Tri-County Area of Southeastern Pennsylvania. They also focus on affordable and accessible wines, mostly priced under $20 and sometimes under $10, and available at PA Wine and Spirits stores or at wineries located in Eastern Pennsylvania.
Their consulting business, “Vintage Connections,” provides wine education, wine classes and seminars, educational food and wine pairings, wine tastings, and other customized services. If you haven’t been to one of their classes yet, you’re missing out on a very enjoyable opportunity to get over that hump of being intimidated by the sometimes overwhelming world of wine!
It’s that time of year… spring seems to bring with it lots of arts, cultural and community activities as we all come out of our winter hibernation. Please check out the updated calendar here and start making plans to come downtown, plant a community garden, get involved in a neighborhood watch and participate in the life of your community!
If you haven’t noticed – it’s a GORGEOUS day! This morning, after doing a yoga pose for a Team Tri-County for a Cure video down by the river, I took a jog along the Schuylkill River Trail, and it was just wonderful.
Give yourself some time to cut out of work early and get on the trail or into a local park or just out on the street on your bike. This is one of those gifts from above that you don’t want to miss!
And afterward, stop by the Tri-County Performing Arts Center for the Positively!Pottstown Happy Hour. It runs from 5-7:30 pm; the $5 cover gets you appetizers from Juan Carlos Fine Mexican Cuisine, cookies from Company Cakes and complimentary beverages. Then get your tickets and stay for The Crucible at 8!
And now, a fond remembrance for this beautiful day…
Please welcome guest blogger, Carrie Grabowicz, who enjoyed her visits to Maximiliano’s at 569 W. High Street so much that she just had to write about it. Carrie Grabowicz is the owner of Hammi Jammi Jewelry and blogs about her craft here. She lives in Pottstown with her husband and two sons. Welcome and thank you, Carrie!
This is the second time I’ve been to Maximiliano’s Mexican Food in the past month. The first time was for a business lunch, and the restaurant, owners, décor and – most importantly – the fresh food pleasantly surprised me. I wasn’t overly familiar with the location, but after that initial visit, I decided to help out the owners in any way I could to promote this fantastic find. As a small business owner myself – of Hammi Jammi Jewelry, which I design – I constantly strive to expand my network and support them. Hey, you never know when you will need someone else’s services or help! On my second visit to Maximiliano’s, I brought a dear friend and my three-year-old son with me. Here is my attempt at informing the Pottstown public about this must-try Mexican restaurant. Enchilada Verde Platter
Mexican cuisine (if we can even call it that) was introduced to the United States by that culinary haven known as Taco Bell, a fast-food stand that first appeared in 1962, offering hungry diners something called tacos. It made it seem like the essence of Mexican food was fried tortillas, bent into a uniform shape, so rigid that they seemed to have been shellacked. These prefab tacos became the culinary icon of what is actually a large, diverse nation. Mexican cuisine was defined as a rigid shell carelessly stuffed with shredded lettuce, grated cheese, crumbled beef and a red sauce of varying degrees of heat. If this is your idea of Mexican food, then Maximiliano’s is NOT for you!
Authentic Mexican cooking is way more subtle than that. According to Eve and Maximiliano Luna, the owners and gracious hosts of Maximiliano’s, different regions of Mexico have their own style of cooking, where different ingredients and methods of cooking produce different results. Additionally, in the Mexican household cooking is a planned, all-day event. This gave the young Maximiliano plenty of time to watch his mother, grandmother, and sometimes his father, cook different meals. This is how he learned the family recipes that he still cooks today at the restaurant.
On our visit, my friend, son and I sat at our table by the stained glass windows and were immediately given some homemade chips and salsa. I ordered the Enchilada Verde Platter with two cheeses – not that standard, shredded nacho cheese, but real Mexican crumbled cheese – and onion enchiladas with the best verde sauce I have ever tasted. The entrée came with a side of refried beans that had been boiled and crushed just that morning and some rice. As we were sitting and talking with Max and Eve, the table next to us got up to leave and said, “Sorry we don’t come in as often as we like, but we come from Boyertown on our lunch break and there’s just not enough time over lunch hour.” Maxmiliano offered for them to just call in the order and he’d have it ready for them when they came in.
My son had the cheese quesadillas. He occupied himself during our lunch by playing little peg games at the table and interjecting that he had to use the bathroom, which is small and quite nice, but I digress. Cheese Quesadilla
Maximiliano’s food was so authentic and fresh. Since I had a meatless entrée, I inquired about their tacos and was informed that they are made using steak and chicken breast and not crumbled meat. The food is prepped and made from scratch each day. They have a small menu but what they do offer is done right!
Eve and Maximiliano Luna are gracious hosts and it is my hope that Maximiliano’s Mexican Food becomes a staple in Pottstown. I am very grateful to have found this restaurant to fulfill my Mexican food urges….I wouldn’t want to have to go to Taco Bell ever again, now would I?
Maximiliano’s is offering up free sopapillas to anyone who mentions this blog. Just say you heard about them on Positively!Pottstown to receive this yummy dessert on the house.Max and Eve Luna
Maximiliano’s Mexican Food
569 W. High Street
Pottstown, PA 19464
(484) 948-1681
Find Maximiliano’s on Facebook here.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday-Thursday 11-8; Friday 11-9; Saturday 12-9 Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Discover Services: Takes Reservations; Walk-Ins Welcome; Good For Kids; Take Out;
Catering Specials:
Taco Tuesday (Chicken tacos $1.50; Steak tacos $2.00)
Family Special (10 Chicken tacos, 2 Cheese Quesadillas, and chips and salsa $20)
Farmers' Market, High & CharlotteThis past Friday night we had an awesome turnout of about 75 people for the Happy Hour at the Farmers’ Market. The new owners, Ben Moscia and Elise LeBoutillier, were our gracious hosts. They’ve already done a lot of work to spruce up the Market and will be putting things in motion over the coming weeks and months to do even more work on the building and the exterior and get new tenants in. Please, please support their efforts and the businesses that are already there by BUYING LOCAL.
Sheila and Gene Dugan of Grumpy’s provided a really nice spread, including scrumptious chocolate cake and carrot cake by Company Cakes at 26 N. Charlotte Street.
We heard inspirational words and updates from Mayor Heath, Superintendent Dr. Reed Lindley, Borough Manager Jason Bobst and WPAZ station manager Ross Landy. Mayor Heath
There were a lot of new faces at this event, and I hope we can keep bringing people together to make connections and forge partnerships that will create a better Pottstown.
The next Happy Hour will be on Friday, March 18 from 5-7:30 pm at the Tri-County Performing Arts Center at 245 E. High Street. Tri-PAC will be putting on The Crucible that night, and I encourage you to purchase your ticket to the show in advance, then come out to the Happy Hour for a good time before the show. My BUY LOCAL pitch includes supporting the local arts scene! I’ll get the invite out on Monday, but anyone can rsvp for the next Happy Hour by sending an email to positivelypottstown@gmail.com. Hope to see you downtown!
The overall intent of creating a Heritage Action Plan (HAP) is to improve the connections between the Trail and downtown Pottstown and to identify and leverage existing arts, cultural, historical and recreational resources to spur economic activity.
Based on a few recent conversations, I’d like to give a pared down explanation of what this process is all about and why it needs strong participation from arts & cultural organizations, educational institutions, government, businesses and restaurants – all of whom are known as “Partners.”
1. When we finish the Heritage Acton Plan or HAP by the end of April, we’re going to immediately turn around and apply for $25,000 from the SRHA to enact the plan by May 2012. This isn’t going to be just another planning study that sits on a shelf; we’re going to get something done.
2. The HAP will include marketing strategies, branding, and physical enhancements to make people aware of what’s downtown.
3. We want to create a Trail Town identity for Pottstown. More and more it’s looking like High Street will become a permanent leg on the Schuylkill River Trail. As the Trail connections are completed between Philly and Pottsville, more and more people are going to be coming through Pottstown. We want them to know that they can stop in Pottstown and find something to do and something to eat. (Pottstown needs to simultaneously look at its zoning and create a package of economic development incentives for new & existing businesses downtown, too, but that’s not part of the HAP process.)
4. Visitors coming off the Trail might not be in a position to go to a nice restaurant or the Tri-PAC that day.But once we get them downtown, we want them to know EVERYTHING that’s available so they want to come back again to experience something else.
5. One of the main outcomes of this plan will likely be VISIBLE & ATTRACTIVE KIOSKS at the Riverfront Park Trailhead, at a possible new trailhead in Pollock Park in south Pottstown, and in the downtown. The trailhead kiosks will make it clear how to get to High Street. All of them will have maps and show what’s available downtown by categories like: The Arts, Historical Attractions, Casual Dining, Fine Dining, Recreation.
6. These kiosks will essentially be “telling a story” that informs and entices EVERYONE to walk around, enjoy local history & architecture, see an art show or the performing arts, and stop in at a restaurant. The marketing of Pottstown as a Trail Town is meant to touch a wider audience of visitors, not just Trail users.
7. The Schuylkill River Heritage Area wants to help the towns along the river use the Trail as an economic engine. This Heritage Action Planning process is the first step.
Anyone interested in being a Partner is invited to meet other Partners and participate in a workshop with the Schuylkill River Heritage Area’s consultants, Peter Johnston & Associates, on Friday, March 4 from 1:30-5 p.m. at the Tri-County Area Chamber of Commerce, 152 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464. Please RSVP to Sue Repko at PtownHAP@gmail.com or 609-658-9043.
Positively Pottstown blog 
