Desiato Winery in the Woods — Attraction in Tinicum Township

Wow. I don't have a clue how to describe this experience, but I can honestly say it wasn't like anything I've ever encountered at a winery. Tons of convenient parking? Well, no. After the fifth car or so shows up, you're going to have a bit of an adventure figuring out where to put your own. There are random offshoots from the unpaved driveway with handmade parking signs, but it can get dicey. At least one giant room with high ceilings and a ton of space to move around in? Well, no. It's honestly more like a garage that hasn't been cleaned out in 20 years. Countryside views of a vineyard to admire? Well, no. There was a chicken coop. A port-a-potty with a flower pot or two nearby. About 20 random buckets just outside collecting dust. And trees. Lots of trees. Every consistent trait I've seen from a winery was openly flouted here, and yet it worked and was easily one of my all-time favorites.

I stopped by with an old chum on Saturday afternoon, unfortunately not for very long (which is what happens when you just decide that the DMV inspection site is going to be open on Veterans Day. Lesson learned.). I stumbled across a review of this place a few weeks earlier and my quirk radar went off. One of my tribe had opened a winery. I could feel it. It was less than a 10-minute drive from the Point Pleasant area on Route 32. If you're not that comfortable navigating some of these old school Bucks County roads, I'd strongly recommend confirming your GSP is working before embarking on this journey - the signal is rough in the valley, and I definitely had to manually jigger around with Google Maps more than I wanted to.

This is by no means an insult, but Desiato's is one discarded bathtub away from being considered an out-and-out hoarder situation. It's SO overstimulating to look around, both inside and out. There are random items everywhere; it feels like you're in a kitschy antique store, or one of the early incarnations of a TGI Fridays with random ephemera on the wall. It's a sight.

The service to me is what really sets this apart though. We were greeted effusively at the door by the proprietor Lou (short for Luigi), who asked for our names and remembered them throughout our visit - and by the end was hollering across the room to me, "Em! You can pay here!" It felt so comfortable in there, and reaches a level of hospitality you honestly don't really encounter in a non-Michelin establishment. Truly wild, truly amazing.

The wine almost ends up being an afterthought, which is pretty insane. I obviously have to come back for a much longer visit, but we only had time for a quick nip. I ordered a hot wine that had spicy nutmeg vibes to it (it started with an I and was certainly an Italian name), and hit the spot - given that it was hovering in the high 40s, it was seasonably appropriate to boot. The only downside was that we took our drinks outside to continue exploring, which meant my last few sips were colder, but that's the life I chose.

Just to top this off, when we came back in to pay, there was just a random cat on the counter (bring your Benadryl if needed). His name was Oakie (sp?). My only regret on this visit besides the short duration was that I never confirmed if he was named after a Chardonnay description or a Dust...

First let me say that I am picky about restaurants because I have a gluten sensitivity and have had to completely change my diet. I must now be careful where I dine but I know what "normal" food is supposed to taste like. My boyfriend and I happened to stop into Mamma D's on a whim not knowing what to expect.

Their menu has plenty of choices for gluten free diners and the owners/staff are very understanding, knowledgeable, and accommodating of these types of requests. Items that can be made gluten free are clearly marked on the menu and they even offer gluten free breaded calamari!! That's a first for me!

We had the calamari, crab cakes, and my boyfriend had a soup (not gluten free). Everything was delicious. Please note, their prices reflect the care and consideration they take in preparing them. This place is priced appropriately for a casual-to-nice sit down restaurant NOT a fast food stand. I would argue that the wine by the glass and the bottles for sale are very fair and surprisingly good. I recommend the Chianti.

All in all, the owners are very nice (we spoke to both of them), the food is great, the gluten free offerings are SUPERB for a rural area, and the wine and drink prices are very good. Mamma D's stands out as a restaurant for...

We absolutely loved it!!! Probably the best service and hospitality at a winery I've ever experienced. My friend and I had such a good time. When you first get there it's kind of confusing where to go, and it's definitely eclectic, but we are so glad we stayed and did a tasting! The wine was sooo good, so much better than most local wines! We used to live in Italy and we felt like we were back ❤️ definitely had to small, hole in the wall European feel. There were dogs and cats walking in and out and I adored that part. The man giving the tasting was sooo kind and full of knowledge and so many stories and knew so many languages. It was something different and we are so glad we experienced it. It would definitely be great on a really warm fall day with it being outside and such a beautiful woodsy area! GO! Give it a shot!! Let Buddy the dog...