For those unfamiliar with some of Pennsylvania’s smaller towns, Perkasie is among the smallest. One if its newer restaurants, however, has been a huge success and is among my favorite places to eat.

Maize is a cozy BYOB restaurant, designed with about 10 tables and an open kitchen, so guests can watch Chef Matthew McPhelin and his sous chef as they work. A Philadelphia native, Chef McPhelin refined his culinary skills in the city before coming to small-town Perkasie and opening his own restaurant in 2009.

Maize is another word for corn, an indigenous food to the United States. It means “that which sustains us.” The restaurant, as the name implies, incorporates both the food and its meaning in its dining experience.

The menu at Maize rotates weekly, boasting a select number of dishes, each made from scratch and locally sourced. There are, however, a few staple experiences you can expect. When you sit at your table, you receive bowls of popcorn seasoned with olive oil and spices. Following the popcorn is my favorite part of the meal — cornmeal biscuits with fresh honeycomb and butter.

During my most recent visit, I enjoyed a lamb dish for the first course, accompanied by sweet potato and braised scallion. For the main course, I ordered a pork loin with house-made pork sausage and roasted carrots over lentils with a savory sauce. Every meal at Maize is beautifully presented, perfectly cooked and delicious. For dessert I had a chocolate terrine with red wine-poached strawberries and homemade mint ice cream. My sister ordered the polenta cake served with preserved blueberries, candied lemon peel and homemade olive oil ice cream. As if everything wasn’t perfect enough, we received mini, fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies on our way out.

Maize is where intimate, fine dining meets small-town charm and native tradition, and I strongly recommend it for anyone looking for a truly memorable meal.

— Nicole Quasté, assistant editor