Summer update: The Sweet Spot Remains the Best restaurant in downtown Johnstown Pennsylania

Good morning everyone. I hope your summer is going well and starting off smoothly.

A new sign at 145 Franklin Street welcomes patrons.

Back in March I dined at The Sweet Spot in downtown Johnstown Pennsylvania. Located at 145 Franklin Street, the Sweet Spot replaces the series of pizzerias that tried and failed to thrive in the space. Specializing in burgers, bubble tea, and now milkshakes, the Sweet Spot offers very high quality food at a middle range price. On 7 June 2024 I stopped by to take some photos and find out what has changed now that they have finished setting up shop officially.

Games! The Sweet Spot now has a Pac Man video game and two claw machine games to play with.

Improved signage above the counter makes it easier than ever to find your perfect meal.

This was one of the areas I specifically asked the owners to improve upon back in March. Being excellent small business people, they were happy for the feedback (along with the feedback from any patron) and have made great improvements in this area.

The bubble tea and milkshakes finally have menus.

When I was dining there in March I saw dozens of people getting these to go but couldn’t see any information about them. These signs help you a lot if you aren’t a regular customer.

The tables now have more condiments on them.

When I was there in March there was ketchup and some sugar on the tables, but really nothing more. You had to ask them for mustard, coffee creamers, etc. On 7 June 2024 they had shelf-stable coffee creamers: plain, vanilla, and hazelnut. This fluctuates a bit, so if your favorite is not on the table when you sit down, it helps to ask. They may have refrigerated choices you can’t see.

In addition I saw Tabasco sauce and ketchup on every table. Aspartame and sugar as well.

They also have more beverage options than before if you want a traditional soft drink.

Outside the hours are much clearer than before. Monday through Thursday they open at 10 am and close at 9 pm. Friday and Saturday they are open from 10 am to 11 pm except on specific nights with special programming either in house or downtown – then they are sometimes open as late as 1 am. On Sundays they are open from 11 am to 6 pm.

On June 22nd I noticed they added a green neon sign in the front window that says “The Sweet Spot” and faces Central Park.

The staff at The Sweet Spot remain very friendly and helpful. If you are a dine-in customer they bring your order to you. Tips for this service are not mandatory, but appreciated and can be offered at the front counter.

Overall the Sweet Spot remains the best restaurant in Johnstown for a quality burger. They recently were nominated for awards which are well deserve. Whether you live in Johnstown or are visiting town, make a point to get a snack or a meal at the Sweet Spot. You will be very happy you did.

Review: Great Value Chocolate Flavored Dairy Whipped Topping

I really like chocolate on my strawberries. It’s one of the few times when I will eat Hershey’s chocolate which I otherwise find bland and unpleasant. So when I noticed Walmart has a new chocolate flavor option to their dairy whipped topping, I decided to give it a try.

I tried it over fresh strawberries eaten by hand and with no other sweeteners. Then I tried it on top of strawberry shortcake: blended strawberries with a dash of sweetener (Stevia in this case) layered over some angel food or white cake.

In both cases, the chocolate whipped topping failed to live up to the taste of the regular, vanilla whipped topping that is the main stay. It’s not a strong enough chocolate taste to mesh well with the strawberries.

Put over a bowl of Breyer’s Natural Vanilla ice cream and I got the same result. It doesn’t add enough chocolate flavor to positively contribute to the dessert.

I will never buy it again. Definitely going back to the original vanilla flavor.

Repost: Pumpkin Pie – Basic recipe featuring rum

About twenty years ago I started collecting recipes from across the internet. Most of the time I did not write down where I found them nor who posted them. The following recipe is one of those I’ve had in my possession for nearly 20 years.

What is especially notable about this pumpkin pie recipe is its use of rum (not rum flavoring). Also note I have edited this recipe slightly for clarity.

1 pastry pie shell

1 16 oz can of pumpkin

1 2/3 cups light cream OR 1 can condensed milk

1/4 cup rum

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp salt.

Mix in order above. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F for about 45 minutes or until inserted knife comes out clean. cool (at least 2 hours). Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Optional Pecan Topping:

3 tablespoons soften butter

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup pecans

Mix together with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the cooled pie, then place the pie under the broiler flame (approximately 5″ from the heat source) until the mixture begins to bubble, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

Mom’s Watergate Salad Recipe

When I was a teenager our church hosted a special dinner benefiting a Christian home for troubled teenagers. It was a lovely time with every family in our congregation contributing a dish or beverage to the fundraiser.

My mother (God rest her soul) made what she called “Watergate Salad.” It’s a fluffy dessert salad using a standard tub of Cool Whip topping. Substitute orange juice if you don’t like pineapple and pecans if you don’t like walnuts. Either way, it’s delicious and a part of my family’s Thanksgiving tradition since the first time we made it for church.

Ingredients:

1 8 oz tub of whipped topping (Cool Whip or a store brand)

1 package pistachio pudding mix

1 cup of miniature marshmallows

1/4 cup of pineapple or orange juice (with pulp preferred)

Optional:

1 15 oz can of crushed pineapple

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.

Instructions

If using the crushed pineapple, extract the juice from the fruit.

Mix together pudding mix and whipped topping.

Add fruit juice, then crushed pineapple (if desired).

Add marshmallows and nuts.

Stir together until well blended and the entire mixture is a green color without any pockets of white.