What's Cooking: Philly Pretzel opens Beaver County site; New Brighton getting bakery

(What's Cooking is a twice-a-month look at the Beaver Valley dining and drinks scene.)

Philly Pretzel Factory opened March 22 in Rochester, serving hot-out-of-the-oven Philadelphia style soft pretzels and pretzel dogs.

Located in a former Huntington bank, at 472 Adams St., across the road from Sheetz, Philly Pretzel Factory's regular hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.

The national chain that hand twists its pretzels, using proprietary equipment "and an ingredients list that’s short and sweet," touts its website. "Flour, water, yeast, and a pinch of salt are all you knead for a fresh, no mess snack."

Customers can dunk their pretzels into various dips, including six types of mustards, two cheeses, and dips like cinnamon, butter creme, cream cheese, marinara and brownie batter.

Philly Pretzel Factory also sells bite-size pretzel rivets sold by the bucket, paper box or cup; all-beef mini dogs wrapped in pretzel, mini cheesesteaks wrapped in pretzel and a pepperoni melt.

The opening day menu in Rochester ranged from Pretzel Dogs with cheese ($4), Spicy Pretzel Sausage ($3.50), Mini Cheesesteak ($5.99), Pretzel Pickles with ranch dip ($5), Small Rivet Box ($6) and Large Cinnamon Box ($12).

Philly Pretzel Factory operates 145 stores, including Bridgeville, Cranberry Township, Monroeville and Ross Township locations.

Sourdough goodness in New Brighton

Visitors to the Fire & Ice Festival last December in New Brighton flocked to the Brown Bear Bread Cafe tent.

"We darn near sold out our supply in the dark, in the middle of winter," Brown Bear Bread Cafe owner Kate Clemons said.

So, when it came time for Brown Bear Bread to relocate, no wonder the suburban Pittsburgh business chose downtown New Brighton.

Starting this June, Brown Bear Bread will lease a storefront next to Al's Pizza and the New Brighton Foodland in the new development across the street from Bullseye Brewing.

From that location, Brown Bear Bread will bake its artisan breads, specializing in sourdough items, to be sold wholesale, at pop-up markets and at the Beaver Farmers Market.

Clemons plans to offer limited retail hours, too, for local folks to pop in and buy bread.

"I don't know the hours yet, but I think the demand is going to demand it," Clemons said. "Based on the response so far, it's going to have to happen."

Bread lovers in Beaver County have been buzzing since a few weeks ago when Brown Bear Bread announced on Instagram the move to New Brighton, "due to unresolvable issues with our landlords ... at our Mount Oliver location."

Mount Oliver's loss is New Brighton's gain.

The idea of moving north first hatched from a chance encounter, when Brown Bear pastry chef Kaylie Carini, of New Brighton, asked Ron and Mike Fischer, owners of Fischer's New Brighton Foodland, if they'd consider selling Brown Bear breads.

The Fischers had an even better idea, mentioning a storefront available in their new strip mall at the corner of Ninth Street and Fifth Avenue.

"They are wonderful, wonderful humans," Clemons said.

The Mount Oliver lease expires July 31, and the New Brighton lease begins June 1, so there's an overlap for when the new store will open. Updates will be provided on Brown Bear Bread's Instagram and Facebook pages.

At some point this summer, Beaver County customers should be able to buy Brown Bear specialties like sourdough English muffins − "they're insanely popular; we can't keep them in-store" − Clemons said, and brioche buns with Chantilly cream and berry compote.

Koppel food trolley

A new food truck − well, actually a food trolley − is ready to roll in Koppel.

"Fat Fannys Too Trolley will be launching our food truck on April 1," owner Cindy Chartrand said.  "We will be serving food that normally is not found in a food truck, with a menu that changes daily.  It is an actual trolley car that has been converted to a food truck."

Parked at a commercial property at 5423 Fifth Ave., the trolley's "ever-changing, always interesting and consistently delicious scratch-made meals are too good to pass up," Chartrand said. "Curious about the menus? Just log onto our website at fatfannystoo.com to see the daily offerings and meal deals."

Artisanal pizzas and flatbreads, baked goods and breads, and items like Cheese and Egg Quesadilla ($10), Baked Ziti and Meatballs with Garlic Knots and Caesar Salad ($13), Chicken Enchilada Soup with Homemade French Bread ($6) and Banana Nut Rum Breakfast Bread ($8) were on the opening menu.

The setting is quaint.

"It was an original trolley car to transport people on the road rather than on rails," Chartrand said.  "The original seating was removed, and new restaurant equipment was installed.  The only remaining seat is a bench that sits in the front of the trolley.  It has all the original wood and finishes inside, including a bell and brass handrail for those standing and lovely windows with a frosted glass design which we used in our logo."

Fat Fannys will serve breakfast and lunch, from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; weekends will be reserved for events.

"We already have six events booked before we have even opened," Chartrand said.

More: Get ready for Big Knob BBQ & Brew Fest showcasing top ribs & local beers in Beaver County

Ambridge brewery gets tastier

Specializing in soups, stews and elevated sloppy joes, Comfort and Spice has begun a thrice-a-week residency at Fermata Brewing in Ambridge.

Infused with many international flavors, Comfort and Spice dishes previously were offered in a residency at the recently closed North Hills brewery Necromancer.

Comfort and Spice will be at Fermata through the end of May, on various days between Sundays and Thursdays. Look for the indoor popup with a kiosk, set up in front of the Fermata taproom, and check fermatabrewing.beer for times and dates.

The cooking will be done in the recently expanded kitchen next door at Merchant Coffee Co., continuing an exemplary relationship between the two neighboring small businesses.

Scott Tady is food/drinks/entertainment editor for The Times and easy to reach at stady@timesonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: What's Cooking: Philly Pretzel opens in Rochester; New Brighton getting bakery