LOCAL EATS: THE HERITAGE @ OLD TOWN

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TWINKLE, TWINKLE…

It took no longer than me opening the door and stepping over the threshold into The Heritage @ Old Town (hereinafter “The Heritage”) for me to instantly see—and feel— why there’s been a major buzz around this beautiful place that just opened in downtown Buckeye earlier this month. My actual words were: “Ooooohhhhhhh, I get it!”

Maybe you can catch a glimpse of what I’m talking about from looking at the photo above. The interior design is absolute perfection! The lighting, the tiled wall, the exposed brick, the open ceilings, live plants, fresh flowers, table arrangements, music selection… All of it comes together like a symphony, playing beautifully in harmony, making the bones of this historic building come alive.

When someone pays this much attention to getting the details right, I know things are only going to get better from here…

WHEN IT’S RIGHT, I WRITE

If you follow The Buzz on Instagram, you may have seen that I put out a call for help in deciding who or what to feature this week. Many people commented, but most of the places suggested I’ve already written about here.

By later that night (Tuesday), I was getting a little worried— I still had no idea what I was going to write about. I just wasn’t feeling it. And I’m the kind of writer who has to be in energetic alignment with anyone and anything I write about… I’ve gotta feel it in my heart first!

Then I remembered an email a reader (thank you, Jennie Vanderpool 😉) sent me last week about The Heritage. I told her it was already on my list and that I’d move it up based on her message. Seems like now would be the perfect time for this story!

Later that night, I set about investigating the menu and…

BREAKFAST IS CALLING

My unfortunate food sensitivities usually limit me when eating out. I always mention this in my articles just so you know why I’m not trying alllllll the baked goods (cinnamon rolls!!!) and bread products (like biscuits & gravy, pancakes, waffles & sour dough toast—oh how I miss those things!).

Because of this, I have to investigate the menu of any place I visit just to be sure I’m going to be able to find something to eat. I knew right away what I’d be having here: Three Egg & Cheese Omelet with Seasoned Potatoes. I mean look at that presentation!

The food was really good. I think some people may think the potatoes are a bit too salty, but for me, they were yummy! In fact, I always add salt to all my food and I didn’t need to add it to any of this. That’s a first!

I ordered my omelet with sausage, cheese, onion, jalapeños and green chili. The sausage had an excellent flavor, but the texture was more like lightly sautéed ground beef. This is a personal preference and others may like it just the way it is. I, however, like my sausage cooked crisp so next time I will inquire if this an option. If it’s not, I’ll order it with the sausage on the side. The sausage is a must-try!

And the best news? Breakfast is served all day!

When I got home, I remembered that I meant to order a side of fresh-made potato chips to take with me. Darn it! Give those a try when you visit!

I had my leftovers for dinner, warmed in the air fryer, and ooohhhh my goodness—I’m eating it now as I write and wishing I had more! It is even better than earlier! That’s a second first!

BUZZIN’

I’ve also been hearing great things about their coffee! My friend was swooning about having a regular cup of coffee here, saying it was so good you could drink it black!

She was right (she’s right about everything!!!)—It was delicious! And once one of the girls showed me how to open the cream container, I added a splash of that to it too! (They said I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t figure it out. 🤣 )

I loved that the coffee is served in a heavy cup and it stayed hot the entire duration of my breakfast. That’s a third first!

This is one of the things that I find hardest to come by: just a regular cup of coffee!!! I can’t get it right when I make it at home either, so I would have visited just to try the coffee. And, guess what? They have a coffee bar so it’s totally an option to grab and go!

I didn’t realize this until I was leaving—because this menu wasn’t on my table—but they have a full coffee bar so you can order drinks to-go! Probably a good thing I didn’t spot it earlier, or I might have been swayed to get something other than a regular cup of coffee…

Just look at all those options! And only $3 for pressed brewed coffee?! I like the sound of that! Bargain!

BEE-HIND THE BUSINESS

One of the things I love most about Buckeye is how supportive people are here to new businesses and entrepreneurs and I’ve been hearing great things about what the owner, Kevin Barko, does for our community!

He’s not new to the local scene, having previously operated a local catering company (the now-defunct: Heritage Street Cooks). It seems many folks know him from that endeavor, so I can see why people were excited to have his food readily available, hot off the grill, here.

From my research, I learned that Kevin has an extensive professional background and wore many other hats prior to starting his business as chef. I love people who pursue their passions—and nearly every business/owner I’ve featured here started out in a totally different career before going out on their own. As one of those people myself, I find that incredibly interesting and inspiring.

Sadly, I wasn’t able to meet Kevin, he had just stepped out prior to my arrival. (Note: I never call ahead to let anyone know I’m coming. For one, as in this case, I don’t even know what I’m writing about until the day or so before. And secondly, I want my experience to be as authentic as possible.)

As for Kevin, he clearly has a heart for service—and his mission is best explained by this, that was on the table with the menu:

SPEAKING OF SERVICE

⭐️ These girls were the shining stars of my whole experience. From the minute I walked in, I was greeted with their big smiles, bubbly personalities and compliments on my outfit, my earrings—and later even my eye glasses. That was so nice and put a pep in my step for the rest of the day!

I also appreciate when a local business hires local high schoolers (like these girls). Job opportunities for our young people can be hard to come by, so it’s wonderful to see a business investing in them. They really have a lot to offer and are naturally great at all things social media, which every business needs. (Hint, hint: get them working on that!)

I’d like to take this opportunity to give a shout-out to Jersey Mike’s in Verrado and Texas Roadhouse in Goodyear for employing our Buzz boys—and for providing them with a positive work environment & experience! We need more of this in our community!

THE TAB

As always, I’ll leave you with the tab, because I know you like seeing it. When I first looked at the menu (prior to visiting), I thought the prices seemed a little high. But now, after visiting, and experiencing both the quality and quantity of the food, I can confidently say the prices are more than fair.

It was so much food in fact, that—aside from a protein shake—it’s all I ate yesterday. I left the restaurant completely stuffed and still took home about half my meal.

PARTING QUESTIONS FOR KEVIN…

Kevin (I actually tried tracking down your phone number last night when I started writing this 😆 ), I have a few questions I’m hoping you might answer on social media:

1. Will the patio eventually be opened for seating?

2. Will you be offering cooking classes?

3. What sort of events (if any) do you have planned for the future?

4. Will you be offering gluten-free bread & pastries? (The answer is yes, right Kevin? 🙏 😉 )

 FIND THEM:

📍 In town: Location 

📱 Online: Instagram + Website 

🥗 They also offer catering, so remember that for your next gathering!

UNTIL NEXT WEEK…

As always, if you go, please let them know The Buckeye Buzz sent ya!

P.S. I’m laughing because when I sat down last night to start writing, I thought this was going to be the shortest article I’d ever written. Yet 5 hours later, 1,679 words and a mere 2 hours before publication, this is proof—once again—that I cannot tell a short story. I’ll keep trying! 😅 

And a special thanks to my friend, Cheryl, for my last minute request to use the above photo from her Hello Buckeye Instagram page. Cheryl now works primarily at her interior design business, The Attractive Home. Give her a follow. ❤️ 

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Publication Disclaimer: Everything included here is accurate to the best of my knowledge at the time of publication. It is always best to double-check links to be sure event information hasn’t changed if you plan on attending something.

©️ 2024 The Buckeye Buzz | All content and information set forth above was curated, cultivated & then created by Vanessa Kinsey for The Buckeye Buzz and is the intellectual property of this publication. It is protected under US copyright law, including but not limited to “The Digital Millennium Copyright Act.” Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or duplication of any material, in whole or in part, without express written authorization & consent, is strictly prohibited by law and may result in legal action. Violators will be subject to prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.