Lehigh Valley InSite

TheMint-Exterior

One of Lehigh Valley’s newest dining establishments is The Mint Gastropub in Bethlehem. So, just what is a gastropub you may be wondering?

It’s a high end establishment that focuses on premium food and beer. And in this case, premium spirits, cocktails and martinis. And, why is it called The Mint? Because it’s located in a former bank building.

Photo courtesy of Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem

Last week, a friend came from out of town to have dinner with me, so I was left with the always daunting task of deciding where to dine. I was in the mood for steak, so I figured: what better way to show off Lehigh Valley than to dine at Emeril’s Chop House in the Sands Casino?

We started off with the Poached Jumbo Gulf Shrimp as an appetizer. The shrimp were huge and accompanied by delicious sauces to dip them in. I was particularly fond of the Louisiana-style remoulade sauce that Emeril Lagasse is known for.

Local Greens at Easton Farmers Market

There has been a growing movement towards general food awareness and caring about where it’s coming from, and it’s been getting more attention in the past few years. Do you ever get frustrated when you buy “fresh” fruits and vegetables in the store, only to see them go bad within a few days?

Many people don’t realize that some of the produce they buy can take weeks to even make it to the store. According to Buy Fresh Buy Local Greater Lehigh Valley, supermarket food travels on average 1,500 miles from farm to table.

Tuna Platter

I’ve been working in downtown Allentown now for close to five years. You can only imagine the amount of times I have walked up and down Hamilton Street, especially when trying to find grub at lunchtime.

I actually had a first (and second) time experience this week, believe it or not! I chose a place that I had never been to, Pasta Alla Rosa, not once, but twice. This quaint little Italian place is at the corner of 6th and Hamilton Streets.

Yianni's Taverna

Several weeks ago my wife and I invited my mother to Lehigh Valley to celebrate her birthday. We suggested several restaurants she had visited in the past, but she decided that she would like to try something new. That’s when I suggested we visit Yianni’s Taverna in Bethlehem.

I have taken my wife to Yianni’s several times in the past year and was extremely excited to have my mom experience this authentic Greek restaurant. I knew she would enjoy the beautiful murals and unique ambience. The three of us began our lunch with an order of Saganaki (pan-fried Kaseri cheese Flambé). Our waiter did a great job of creating a show while preparing the cheese in front of us.

Saladworks

I’m not usually one to break with the wisdom of The Simpsons, but this past weekend I went to Saladworks on Cedar Crest Boulevard in Lehigh Valley — with friends! Not only did we stay friends afterwards, but everyone really liked the food as well.

The main attraction is their wide variety of salad ingredients and dressings. You can choose from their recipes (adding your dressing of choice) or concoct your own from scratch. All my creative forces were drained by writing these three paragraph blog entries twice a month, so I usually just pick one of their recipes. I like the mandarin chicken salad with sesame dressing. But if you’re not in the mood for a salad, they also have wraps, fusion sandwiches, paninis and soup.

30 Scoops (before)

How did you celebrate your 30th Birthday in Lehigh Valley? I’m sure there are many answers to this question; including enjoying a beer at Allentown Brew Works, dinner at Apollo Grill or even a round of golf at the Center Valley Club. I can almost guarantee that no one has celebrated their birthday quite the way my friend Nate did.

Since it was Nate’s 30th Birthday, his wife decided to surprise him at one of their favorites; The Inside Scoop in Coopersburg. My wife and I have joined the two of them at The Inside Scoop many times, so we were recruited to assist with the surprise: a 30 scoop ice cream sundae.

Clams

Where can you get decent clams in the Valley? I’ll tell you where, Stahley’s! I had a business meeting last week and we chose to meet at Stahley’s, great choice. I was hungry for clams from the time that I found out we were going, until the time we arrived.

So what did I order for lunch? Tacos. Yes, tacos, I went against my gut instinct of clams. The only mistake in my decision was ordering two tacos, when one was plenty. Plus, I missed clam night, which is Wednesday, so I felt it just wouldn’t be right to order them on a Thursday. You may also call that an excuse I made so that I return next Wednesday night.

Clover Hill Winery

About a week ago my wife and I had a free night so we asked friends of ours Rob and Kathy to come experience Lehigh Valley. Since I know of this great website, discoverlehighvalley.com, (sorry shameless plug) I said I would handle the particulars.

We first set out to Clover Hill Vineyard & Winery for a few bottles on their patio.  From the second we got there the scenery, sounds and smells were sure to make this a relaxing few hours. We headed into the showroom for a quick tasting where we were met with a huge smile from Kari Skirp, one of the owners.

The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival

Last Friday night I took my mom to The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival at DeSales University. It was her first time, and she couldn’t believe that we have such high quality talent and a wonderful venue to view performances right in here in Lehigh Valley. Me on the other hand … I’m a veteran to the festival and I look forward to going each year. The hardest part for me is deciding which performance to see!

Typically my show nights start with dinner. I normally pack a dinner and a bottle of wine and sit on the lawn outside the theatre and listen to the music and improv performances. This year the weather was a little iffy so we decided to dine at Melt at The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley. It also happened to be my mom’s first time there … she doesn’t get out too much. She will definitely be heading back to Melt soon!