Lehigh Valley InSite

An event at the Kemerer Museum in Bethlehem, Pa.

Last month I told you about a luncheon I attended at America on Wheels. Well, I've got another great location to tell you about. Yesterday I went to the Women's Business Council's "Holiday Tea & Trees" event held at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Artsin Bethlehem. Basically, it was a fund-raising event for the WBC's scholarship fund.

I've toured lots of museums in Lehigh Valley, including the Kemerer on several occasions, but many in the WBC had never been there until yesterday (ladies, you really need to get out more often!). Charlene Donchez-Mowers gave an abbreviated tour and everyone was really impressed with the collections on display for the holidays. It did my heart good to hear so many people say, "I'll have to come back with [fill in the name] to see the entire dollhouse collection!"

What made this event special?'

• Cool, very unique location.
• Great selection of teas from Christine's Secret Garden (Christine KNOWS tea!).
• Wonderful munchies and desserts from Sagra Cooking.
• Free gift bags with lots of coupons from Bethlehem merchants.

Ok, I didn't win any of the trees I bid on in the Chinese auction, but I know my $10 donation will be put to good use. I did, however, get to mingle with a great group of colleagues and re-visit one of Historic Bethlehem Partnership's truly unique museums.

What is your favorite Historic Bethlehem site to visit?

With love from Bethlehem's very own Carnegie Deli

On a recent Saturday night, Michael and I found ourselves hungry, bored and without my son - the perfect combination for a date night. We settled on going to the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem not really to gamble, but for the free entertainment and to check out one of the new restaurants, Carnegie Deli. We made an excellent choice!

Despite being a Saturday night, it was only a short wait until we were seated. Our table was by the wall with pictures of famous people who had experienced one of the Carnegie Deli restaurants.

To start us off, they gave us some awesomely crunchy deli-style pickles. I ended up ordering the matzo ball soup and a chicken salad sandwich. The matzo ball was the size of a baseball and had pretty good flavor. I am pretty fussy about chicken salad, but it was awesome and manageable to eat. 

Now Michael on the other hand had a turkey club and two sides, coleslaw and baked beans. We both started laughing when his plate came (see picture above). This sandwich was about 10 inches tall! I would say there was at least two pounds of turkey, about eight strips of bacon, a whole tomato and enough lettuce to make a rabbit go into a food coma! 

Half the fun of dining at Carnegie Deli was watching everyone try to eat their meals. The folks at the table next to us actually dismantled most of their sandwiches to eat them. The best was hearing a woman say how her dogs were going to be in heaven when she took home the leftovers of her 15-inch sandwich comprised of at least five pounds of roast beef, turkey and corned beef.

Just so you know, Carnegie Deli's desserts are a mile high too! I have no idea who has room to eat them though.

Have you checked out Carnegie Deli yet?If not, make sure you're real hungry before you go!

Things to do in Lehigh Valley: 2009 Recap

It was about this time last year when I started coming up with my "Things do in Lehigh Valley" lists. These three lists (Top 5 Plays, Top 5 Restaurants, Top 5 Overall) were my New Year's resolutions for 2009. Since the year is almost over, I've decided to take a look at how I did.

Lehigh Valley Theater: Top 5 Plays for 2009: I was three for five in this category (although one of the plays I planned to attend was actually canceled, so I was actually three for four). Here are my reviews of the performances I saw at three fantastic venues throughout Lehigh Valley:

• Sweeney Todd at State Theatre
• Death of a Salesman at DeSales University
• Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead at Zoellner Arts Center

Lehigh Valley Eats: Top 5 Restaurants for 2009: I didn't do so hot in this category. I only made it to two of the five restaurants. But I still have 30 days to hit up the three I missed. Anyone care to join me for dinner at Glasbern, Stoned Crab or Magnolia's? In the meantime, here are my reviews of the restaurants I got to:

• Blue Grillhouse & Wine Bar
• King George Inn

Things to do in Lehigh Valley: Top 5 for 2009: I did four out of the five, my best record yet. Here are my recaps of the new experiences I've had over the past year:

• Go climbing at North Summit Climbing Gym
• Make a glass flower at Banana Factory
• Go to a Lehigh Valley IronPigs game
• Take a tour of the Martin Guitar Factory

Considering I had a total of 15 New Year's resolutions and I've kept nine of them so far (remember, I may end the year with 12 if I can get to those last three restaurants), that's not too bad, right?

How'd you do with your 2009 New Year's resolutions? Did any of them involve experiencing something new in Lehigh Valley?

Lunch and more at America On Wheels

Last week Jenny and I attended a luncheon at Lehigh Valley's only over-the-road-transportation museum, America On Wheels. That's right ... we had lunch at a museum! Turns out, if you really want great attendance at a function, hold it in a unique meeting space.

In addition to enjoying a tasty lunch catered, in this case, by the Allentown Brew Works, we were free to roam around the 23,000 square feet of exhibit space. America On Wheels has several permanent displays, which are really cool, but also changing exhibits.

I had a glimpse at their current Concept and Custom car exhibit, but I plan to visit again soon when I have more time. I also want to make sure I see the elaborate toy train exhibit they were setting up the day of our luncheon ... especially since it is a charity event supporting Toys for Tots, Second Harvest Food Bank and Be An Angel. (If you visit America on Wheels between November 27 and December 27, here's a coupon you can use and don't forget to bring a new, unwrapped toy.)

Our lunch was held in American On Wheels' Long Haul Room, which holds up to 125 for a sit down meal. I noticed there was even a service area, giving caterers a behind-the-scenes place to work. It may have taken years to get America On Wheels' unique meeting spaces up and running, but the long wait gave them lots of time to get it right.

You may wonder why a museum such as America on Wheels would devote so much time and energy on hosting events, but actually it's simple. Just like I mentioned before, I'll be back to see the exhibits I missed due to time constraints - and I bet everyone else who attended last week's luncheon will also return to America On Wheels for a closer look with friends and family.

Have you been to America On Wheels for a meeting or reception before? What did you think?

UFC Night at Copperhead Grille

After watching Penn State close out their season with a huge win over Michigan State, I was in a good mood on Saturday and therefore willing to try something new that night. So I met some people at a place I'd never been before - Copperhead Grille in Center Valley - to do something I've never done before - watch the UFC pay-per-view event (a $45 event which Copperhead broadcasts for free!).

Copperhead Grille - a self-proclaimed sports grille - was packed when I got there a little after 9pm, but luckily George and Chris had already secured a table. I guess because I was still thinking about the PSU game, I noticed right away that every table in the place had a good view of at least one TV or the huge movie-theater screen, making it a great place to watch the big game - or in this case, the big fight.

As soon as I sat down, a waitress was at the table asking me if I'd like a drink; for how full the place was, I was impressed at the quick service. 

I glanced over the menu, which was chock full of tasty-sounding creations like the Drunken Cowboy steak, the Chicken Penne Vodka pasta and the U-Need-A-Fajita. Since there were just too many choices for me to pick from, I asked George what was good - he recommended the Flat Bread Chicken Quesadillas. But I was feeling adventurous, so instead of ordering what was recommended, I ordered the Copperhead Favorite Fries- seasoned potato-wedge-type fries covered in melted cheeses and bacon with Cajun ranch for dipping. They were de-li-cious!

Based on my experience, Copperhead Grille has a great menu (including their drink and dessert menu, with champagne martinis and huge brownie-n-ice cream sundaes), equally good food and a great atmosphere for friends hanging out or even a date - although if you do decide to take your date to Copperhead on UFC night, make sure she doesn't mind the sight of blood.

Have you been to either Copperhead Grille location in Lehigh Valley?

Burgers and More by Emeril ... for the burger you've been looking for!

Friday night I had the chance to try one of the two new restaurants at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. I chose Burgers and More by Emeril over Carnegie Deli (although after walking by the desserts at the Deli, I know I'll be back to try it).

The BAM menu was very unique. My friend, Jeanne, and I started off with the Grilled Gulf Shrimp Cocktail, which was served warm on a wooden skewer over a bed of shredded lettuce with a red remoulade sauce. It had a great taste, but it was a little bit of a challenge to get them off the skewer. Even the table next to us struggled with it.

For our entrees, we both chose to "Create A Burger" which consists of circling all the options you want on a form. I chose to build a turkey burger and Jeanne chose the short rib brisket blend. For toppings, there were a ton to choose from: lettuce, tomato, onion, fried egg, balsamic fried onions, pickles, mushrooms, multiple different cheeses and sauces, avocado and a bunch more that I am forgetting.

Each burger also came with a choice of a side dish. I chose the BAM fries, which were seasoned with a creole-type spice and served in a small deep fryer basket lined with paper. Jeanne chose the andouille barbecued white beans which were pretty spicy as well, almost like a kicked-up version of baked beans.

Both burgers were outstanding, and I would know ... we both sampled each others, just to make sure ;-).

When it was time for dessert, we figured why not? You only live once! We split a bananas foster milkshake, one of six choices of shakes, along with malts and sundaes, on the menu.

Now that BAM is officially open to the public, will you be trying it?  

My Boy's Baking

I was running an errand for a client the other day (client! work! yay!) and stopped by My Boy's Baking (196 Nazareth Pike, "Bethlehem" - just north of 22 on Route 191 next to Susan's Gourmet). I'd heard that Rachael Ray was a fan (their White Chocolate Sour Cherry Cookies were once her "Snack of the Day") and I had passed by many time but I hadn't stopped in since the bakery hours are 10-5, M-F. This time I actually pulled into the parking lot.

The outside may not look like much, but the inside smells like ... heaven. Bright and clean, there's no place to "eat in" - probably dangerous for those of us with a sweet tooth anyway. A ton of colorful baskets, trays and plates were displayed, just waiting to be loaded up with freshly-baked goodies.

I picked up a box of cookies to take back to my client and a few fliers. The chocolate chip-toffee cookies were still warm and I am salivating even as I type this the next day. I meant to photograph the cookies, but they disappeared! Oops!

Visiting their web site reminded me of another great way local businesses diversify; I'll bet they get a lot of online orders from biscotti and rugalachfanatics, especially now since Rach has introduced them to the world!

Have you been to My Boy's Baking?

This post was written by Lehigh Valley InSite guest blogger Megan Santucci, who also writes the Lehigh Valley Transplant blog.

Our new favorite watering hole in West End Allentown

Last Saturday night was a date night for Michael and I. We were headed to Civic Theatre to see It Might Get Loud, but we also wanted to grab a bite to eat and have a cocktail or two before the movie started. We thought we would stop at Charlie Brown's Steakhouse, which is en route, since we were running short on time, but 6 p.m. on a Saturday night in Lehigh Valley isn't a good time to find anything without a wait. We struck out there, so I suggested the Fairgrounds Hotel & Saloon in the west end of Allentown.

Stepping into the bar was like taking a trip back in time. I actually did my college externship at the same location, but it was called Nathan's at the Fairgrounds. I don't think the bar changed a bit. It's an oval shaped bar with dark wood, mirrors and several TVs. We didn't venture into the dining side since they weren't serving food at that hour. But, the bartender was nice enough to get us some cheese, ring bologna and crackers, which was just enough to hold us over until after the movie. 

The Fairgrounds Hotel & Saloon has a lot of character, and we'll definitely head back there in the future. The only thing I really didn't care for was that it still allows smoking, but the prices couldn't be beat - four cocktails were only $15.25!

Have you tried The Fairgrounds Hotel & Saloon for the food? I would love to hear your comments on it.

Lehigh Valley's Indian Cuisine

I grew up in a proverbial "meat & potatoes" household where a spice rack would have been a waste of space. After all, who needed anything more than salt & pepper? Needless to say my culinary tastes have broadened a lot since moving to Lehigh Valley.

Last Friday, I met with Sushil and Ramesh Sharma (they recently opened Satya Indian Cuisine just over the free bridge in Phillipsburg, NJ). I mentioned to them that I honestly don't have much experience with Indian food and their extensive menus almost confuse me. Ramesh seemed shocked at my admission until I said it took awhile for me to decipher Chinese cuisine too. Then he understood what I meant.

As I was crossing back into PA, Don called stating he was in South Side Bethlehem and I should meet him for dinner. Coincidently, he suggested Nawab Indian Restaurant (pictured above). We usually eat there before catching an act at Godfrey Daniels. It's been rated the #1 Indian Restaurant in Lehigh Valley for at least 10 years. It's also a B.Y.O.B. restaurant with a Wine & Spirits shop right across the street - how convenient!

I'm a fan of lamb dishes, so I decided on their Lamb Saag: "tender morsels of lamb cooked with freshly minced spiced spinach." I actually think I've ordered this dish before and once again enjoyed it.

With all the options available in Indian Cuisine, what should I try next? 

A great Saturday night in Allentown, PA

I have been waiting to see It Might Get Loud, a documentary about the electric guitar featuring Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin, The Edge from U2 and Jack White from White Stripes and The Raconteurs, since August. Last weekend, it finally came to the Civic Theatre in Allentown.

It was the perfect Saturday night. Me, Casey and two friends of ours started the evening at Liberty Street Tavern for dinner and some beverages. The food there is always good. My buddy tried something different that night - wasabi wings - which were fantastic. They weren’t really spicy but they sure did open up your sinus.

We got to the Civic Theatre about 7:20 for the 7:30 show. There were probably 50 people there. Our two friends had never been to the Civic Theatre and thought it was really cool inside. They liked the old-school theater-feel and also commented on the remodeled bathrooms.   

I thought the movie was great. It went into great depth on each artist’s journey to where they are now. It also was interesting to hear the stories about their first guitars. My favorite part was when the three legends played Led Zeppelin’s "In My Time of Dying." Jack White and Jimmy Page playing that song together is mind blowing.

I would like to thank the Civic Theatre for getting this film (which runs through Thursday). It made my weekend!