Food & Drink

The International Cultural Festival will he held at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 22.

The foodie festival is now in its ninth year and will occur from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, showcasing "diverse options" of food, drinks and concerts.

The 2024-25 Pennsylvania State Budget introduced updates to the state's complex liquor laws, including extended happy hours and ready-to-drink cocktails. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board already received over a thousand RTDC applications and has begun permitting with the law effective Sept. 16.

Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 in Forks Township celebrated the grand opening of Colonial Cafe 71, a coffee shop which helps teach employment and life skills.

The Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market officially added The Brass Rail to its list of merchants Thursday morning — the first time the eatery has been in operation since it shuttered on Lehigh Street in June 2022.

South Whitehall Board of Commissioners on Wednesday heard a proposal for a new PJ Whelihan’s in Ridge Farms, a mixed use housing development at the intersection of Cedar Crest Boulevard and Walbert Avenue.

Organizers of the beer festival have teamed up with Allentown Mural Arts for a day of craft beer tasting, mural unveilings, live music and local eats on Saturday, Sept. 7.

Chef Ryan Lukow of the Savory Grille unseated reigning champion Chef Courtney Davenport on Sunday to win the Allentown Fair’s annual Iron Chef cooking competition.

The scrapple contest was held on Saturday, Aug. 31 at the Great Allentown Fair.

Baseball, food and fun family offerings are out there if firing up the grill is not your thing.

Organic whole and baby carrots linked to Grimmway Farms, including several brands available in stores throughout the Lehigh Valley, have been recalled due to concerns of E. coli.

Sophie Vandecasteele is hoping to open Sophistiqué before Thanksgiving, with a soft opening set for Friday, Nov. 22, at 924 Walnut St.

The German-inspired holiday market opened on Friday, Nov. 16 at ArtsQuest's SteelStacks campus.

The company — most often recognized for its locally owned Red Robin franchises — is undergoing a rebrand to reflect its future and potential growth. The move will unite Red Robin and Wingstop franchises under one entity: Lehigh Valley Restaurant Brands.

After more than 30 years of business in Bethlehem Township, the 2722 Easton Ave. Johnny's Gyros building will operate under a new name. Real estate agents confirmed another Greek restaurant will lease the space.

Opening the shop is a dream come true for owner Gina Passerman, who said she got the idea during COVID-19 lockdowns. Her goal was to make a place where people can go to "spend time, enjoy each other's company, and smile and be happy."

Paranormal Pizza has a new home on Sundays, with Jay's Local in Allentown hosting the beloved vegan pizzeria until they open their new brick and mortar location.

The coffee chain has billed customers an extra charge for dairy replacements like soy and almond milk. That charge will cease in early November.

Thousands of guests swarmed downtown Easton for PA BaconFest 2024 on Saturday, Nov. 2, with all sorts of savory and sweet dining options, on top of plenty of bacon merchandise and entertainment.

"Owning a restaurant is hard and expensive, and lots of aspects of it are out of your control," said Rachael Prosseda of the Vineyard Di Norma. The restaurant will close Dec. 24.

PA BaconFest returns to Easton on Nov. 2 and 3, featuring tons of eateries, vendors, competitions and more, all featuring everyone's favorite crispy, salty, savory food.

The restaurant changed hands and its name around two years ago. Now, it's set to soon return to what the community last knew it as: Spiros Restaurant.