Lehigh Valley InSite

A Lehigh Valley Ribbon Cutting

Last month I told you about Lehigh Valley's newest hotel, the Hyatt Place Bethlehem. Well, last Thursday I attended the Hyatt's ribbon cutting celebration.

The invitation from Posh Properties and Meyer Jabara Hotels, the folks that run the Hyatt Place, stated "lite fare and libations" but then mentioned "catering by Shula's." I only wish I hadn't had such a big lunch at The Tavern on Liberty earlier in the day. Boy, these folks can throw a party!

The food was nothing short of fabulous! There was a raw bar, a huge display of shrimp and giant crab claws, and of course steak morsels so tender I thought they'd fall off my fork. I didn't even get to the carving or pasta stations (pictured) or to the various other delicious-looking side dishes.

The "Who's Who" of Lehigh Valley were all there and cameras flashed all night. Guests were treated to tours of the property and could sign up to win one of several wonderful prizes, including overnight stays at the Hyatt Place and its sister properties, the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Breinigsville and the new Courtyard by Marriott in Bethlehem.

I was lucky enough to win one of the prizes, a Bethlehem Tartan scarf, compliments of Donegal Square. In spite of my Polish last name, I'm Irish so I know I'll love my souvenir of the opening. But what I will really treasure most is the opportunity to celebrate this happy occasion with my friends in hospitality. Here's to your success!

Monday night at Pig Pen

Since I'm gonna be out of town for most of the week, my buddies and I went out last night to Pig Pen Sports Bar to grab some grub, shoot pool and watch the Steelers destroy the Broncos.

This was my first time at Pig Pen but not because I didn't know about it ... Justin has blogged about going there several times and my cousin, who doesn't even live here 9 months out of the year, raves about the place. When my buddy Aaron suggested we go there because his buddy Tommy was one of the new managers at Pig Pen, I was all for it.

Be forewarned: Pig Pen is HUGE! We walked through three rooms (the lounge/bar, the arcade, the bowling alley), each big enough to hold a decent-sized prom or wedding in, on our way to our final destination, the Slaughterhouse Pub. The Pub is smaller than even half of the other "rooms" in Pig Pen, which appeals to me since I don't like large crowds, but that also meant there wasn't room for a pool table.

With a flat screen TV directly in front of me mounted behind the bar and one to my immediate left, I had no trouble watching the impressive performance by the Steelers while eating my large portion of chicken fingers and french fries (an affordable $7). Aaron and Brett took advantage of the $2 beer special while other Slaughterhouse patrons opted for the $3 SoCo and lime shots.

Slaughterhouse Pub is the only place inside Pig Pen where smoking is allowed. That fact coupled with its smallish size, touchscreen games, TVs and fair prices makes it very similar to other bars in the area. What makes it different, though, is its not filled with Philly or Pittsburgh fans like the majority of the other bars (which can be intimidating for the out-of-town-team fan) and unless one of the teams did something that truly warranted a reaction, the football fans weren't crazy - well, except for Brett and one other guy.

TC Salon & Spa for the mind, body and spirit

I took a day off of work last week to use a gift certificate I had received last Christmas for TC Salon & Spa. Actually, my sister-in-law, Stacey, got the same gift so we decided to use them together. We decided to go to the Allentown location because it is close to home. Neither of us had been to either of their locations. Well, it was like we stepped into heaven when we got there. All of our stress seemed to disappear with just the thought of the treatments we were going to receive.

We started off with a one-hour massage with private rooms located next to each other. The treatment rooms were tranquil with candles and soft music playing. The table was heated which made it very comfortable. 

Monica was my massage therapist and I would recommend her to anyone who is looking for a more spiritual experience. She is also trained to do reiki which is something I would love to try in the future. Monica did a great job from head to toe with my massage. Stacey said her treatment was good as well, but her back ended up going out on her halfway through the treatment. It had nothing to do with the therapist, she just can't lay flat on her back or stomach for long periods. I thought I heard her yelping a little through the door, but I was enjoying myself too much to have Monica stop. I figured she was in good hands. We definitely had some good laughs about it for the rest of the evening!

Before we knew it we were off to our pedicures. This part was just ok for me because I have ticklish feet and the heated massage chairs were broken! Ugh!

Our last treatment was a manicure. The best part was the almond scented scrub they used. My technician did a nice job and made me feel like I could really get used to this kind of lifestyle! 

TC Salon & Spa in Allentown is going to be moving to the old Shanty restaurant building on 19th St. in the West End district. I am looking forward to visiting again once they open. They also have a Bethlehem location (Read about Tracey's experience there). Other than reiki, is there any other treatments I should try? Anyone have a hot stone massage before?

Allentown's West End has a new diner!

Last Saturday morning I was in no mood to cook breakfast - heck, I barely wanted to get out of bed because it was nasty outside - so I made the decision to go out for a nice cooked meal.

When it comes to breakfast in Lehigh Valley, we usually hit the Parkland Restaurant in South Whitehall Township because it is close to where I live. But on Saturday we decided to try the newest diner in town, West Side Diner, on the corner of 19th and Tilghman Sts. in Allentown's west end.

Actually, the diner used to be Saylor's, which I had frequented a lot over the years. But now that it's West Side Diner, the outside has changed quite a bit. The inside, however, was pretty close to how it used to look.

We were seated right away and had a waitress in no time flat. She was very pleasant and efficient, to say the least. Breakfast came before we knew it and was pretty good - no complaints here! I will definitely check it out for lunch and dinner at some point.

I must say, I do love the west end of Allentown. I know the West End Alliance does its best at keeping the area lively and they are doing a great job! Keep up the good work at revamping that section of town.

While I was in the area, I noticed that the Pines Dinner Theatre will be opening in November next to the Fairgrounds Saloon at the corner of 17th and Liberty. Speaking of new business coming to the west end, does anyone know when TC Salon Spa is opening up at the former Shanty restaurant on 19th Street?

Only in Lehigh Valley: the Martin Guitar Factory Tour

My boss is a huge fan of Martin Guitars. He owns at least five of them and he's been on the free factory tour numerous times (he says it never gets old). So on Friday, he took me to the Martin Guitar factory over in Nazareth to help me fulfill one of my last remaining New Year's resolutions for 2009: Take a factory tour of Martin Guitar.

Our tour guide handed out individual headphones and battery packs for all of us in the group to wear, that way no matter where we were in the tour we could hear what he was telling us, and we were off.

To start, we got to see samples of all the beautiful woods used to create the guitars. Our guide proceeded to explain each step of the guitar-making process to us as we came across that area of the factory. From the bending of the side woods to the different bracing patterns used to enhance the sound to the intricate mother-of-pearl inlay carving. After seeing first-hand the time and attention to detail the Martin employees put into each guitar, it's no wonder they're called artisans.

The tour took about an hour, although I would've liked it to have been a bit longer. Our group was a bit large, so I couldn't always see what the guide was talking about until we were on our way to the next stop on the tour but I didn't want to miss that part either.

Afterward, I received my special factory tour "gift" and headed toward the Martin Guitar museum. Even though I'm not a guitar player, I still appreciated Martin's rich history and beautiful craftsmanship, both perfectly illustrated by looking at the 1,000,000th Martin ever made, which happens to be on display.

Guided tours of the Martin Guitar factory are held Monday through Friday between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., which is why it took me almost an entire year to fit it into my work schedule. But if you are visiting the area, have the day off or can take a long lunch, the tour is certainly worth it. Just ask my boss!

Good cheer, good food and fun on my birthday in Lehigh Valley

Yesterday was my birthday. And in case you are wondering, it was my "29th" birthday ... again. LOL. Overall it was a great day. We even had some snow in Lehigh Valley! (I'm hoping that doesn't hurt the leaf changing process by bringing them down before they get to totally change colors.) 

I spent my birthday evening with my second "family." I belong to, and am secretary for, an international organization called SKAL. To sum it up, SKAL is a network of travel and tourism professionals from around the world. Each month we have dinner at different establishments. Last month we were at Sayre Mansion in Bethlehem; the month before that we went to a Lehigh Valley IronPigs game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown. Sometimes we even visit other clubs in surrounding areas and states.

Last night we had dinner at Emeril's Chop House at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. I can't think of a better place to have birthday dinner. It was my second time to Emeril's (you can read about my first amazing experience there right here). I had the salmon and it was delicious. Following dinner they served a very rich chocolate cake, but the club got me a special vegan cake from Vegan Treats in Bethlehem.

I've heard lots of great things about the Vegan Treats bake shop but haven't had the chance to get there yet. Well, their vegan cake was outstanding! It was a vanilla confetti-style cake that was beautifully decorated and tasted even better than it looked. I am definitely looking forward to visiting on my own soon. If you've been to Vegan Treats, any suggestions on what else should I try?  

By the way, did you know that I share a birthday with Emeril himself? He may have a couple of years on me, but we have a few things in common (like a passion for food, since I graduated from the C.I.A.). Happy 50th, Emeril! BAM!

Thirsty Thursday Comedy Nights at Lehigh Valley's State Theatre

"What do you want to do tonight?”

“I don’t know what do you want to do?”

I recently found an answer to this common question: Thirsty Thursday Comedy Nights at the State Theatre Center of the Arts. It’s an intimate affair that draws a crowd of no more than 200 people to the grand Acopian Ballroom located upstairs above the theater.

We caught last Thursday’s show, featuring comedians Rodney Laney and Jon Fisch. In all honesty, we had no idea what to expect.

Our typical comedy show experience usually consists of driving to a big city, over-paying for parking and tickets, and then being forced to order several over-priced menu items on top of that. So you can image our surprise and delight when we arrived at the State Theatre and found a parking spot right out front.

Inside, a friendly greeter thanked us for coming, both on our way in and our way out. At the bar, the price of a beer was $4, wine $5 and mixed drinks $6 and we didn't have to order to anything if we didn't want to.

As for the comedy, let’s just say we laughed our butts off for two hours straight. And now for the kicker, the price of tickets is only $15/person!

With a cash bar and New York City-caliber talent, it’s the perfect place to have a few drinks, a few laughs and gear up for the weekend in Lehigh Valley. But the shows only run through the end of October, so order your tickets soon!

This post was written by Lehigh Valley InSite guest blogger Erika Liodice, who also writes the Journeys and Beyond the Gray blogs.

Lehigh Valley's newest hotel...Hyatt Place

Last Friday I had the pleasure of touring the newly opened Hyatt Place in Historic Bethlehem. As a former hotelier, I of course had to see every nook and cranny. Wow, what a cool concept!

As I walked in the door Ben Romanoff, the manager, introduced himself. I mentioned this was my first time in the new property and he immediately offered a tour, beaming from ear to ear like a proud new parent.

So what's different about this property?

1. The front desk staff are "Gallery Hosts." In addition to checking guests in, they also prepare and serve light fare, can whip up a cappuccino, or serve a glass of wine.
2. There is a kiosk in the lobby for those travel-weary guests who just want to check themselves in and get to their room, without the personal attention. I'll bet they wish they could do that at airports!
3. The lobby area, featuring a posh Italian tile floor, has several different seating areas which allow space for more private conversations among friends or colleagues.
4. You won't find anyone wearing name tags. Instead, each "Host" introduces themselves by name.
5. The guest rooms, which are more like suites, seem to have technology that hasn't been invented yet!
6. Each room features a "Cozy Corner" sectional sofa, so sitting in bed or on a chair aren't your only options for watching TV in your room.

So Lehigh Valley finally has a hotel boasting the Hyatt flag. Next time you're in Bethlehem, stop in and check it out for yourself.

October rules in Lehigh Valley

October is one of my favorite months of the year in Lehigh Valley. And it’s not just one thing that makes it so great. I love October because it’s my birthday month, there's an incredible display of leaves changing with the weather, and Halloween ... there’s just something about being scared that puts a smile (or should I say scream) on my face.

With Dorney Park's Halloween Haunt already checked off my list, here’s the rest of things that I still would like to do this month:

1. Play a round of haunted mini golf at Dorney Square in Allentown. FYI, watch out from below!

2. Go check out one of Lehigh Valley’s newest haunted attractions: The Devil's Folly Haunted Barn. I even get in free because my birthday is this month! Have you been there yet? It sounds like a blast.    

3. Go Mutsu apple picking at Strawberry Acresin Coplay. These apples make for some awesome pies.

4. Head to Emeril’s Chop House at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem for an awesome birthday dinner! Yum, I can taste it already.

5. Sneak in one last round of golf at Allentown Municipal Golf Course, one of my local favorites.

6. Check out Saw VI, which comes out October 23, at Rave Motion Pictures Promenade 16 in Center Valley. I’ve not been to this theater yet, but I hear it's sweet!

Are there any other October activities in Lehigh Valley that I should check out?

My Top 5 Posts on Lehigh Valley InSite

The month of October marks the one year anniversary of Lehigh Valley InSite. In honor of this momentous occasion, I went back and picked out my Top 5 posts from the past year. This will be a countdown, so first on the list will be Number 5.

5. Lehigh Valley Wedding- This was the first "real" post on Lehigh Valley InSite and actually my first ever blog post although I'm sure everyone who read that post thought I was a forefather of the blog.

4. Cloud Cult at Zoellner - An awesome band and a fun night. If we're going to compete with Philly, Lehigh Valley needs to get their Indie music act together.

3. Girls Night Out: Martinis and Manicures- This one gets the Number 3 spot because I didn’t have to write it. Instead, my fiancé Casey wrote about one of her experiences in Lehigh Valley, which has turned out to be a pretty big hit in the area.

2. This Freddy is One of a Kind- I just really like this post about the State Theatre's Freddy Awards.

1. Lehigh Valley’s Combo Meal to Beat All Combo Meals - This is by far my favorite - the Five Guys/Friendly's dinner on the run. It's like trying to get fast food in a Die Hard movie.

Do you have a favorite Lehigh Valley InSite blog post?