Food & Drink

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.

Looking to throw a solar eclipse party on Monday? Make sure you stock up on some of these awesome eats, including snacks, main courses, and plenty of sweets.

A new event, Steel City Smokeout, will be held Saturday, July 20, on PNC Plaza on the SteelStacks campus in conjunction with Bethlehem restaurant Nick’s BBQ.

The Canalside Cup has been a community staple for classic drive-up fare, including burgers and soft serve, for 20 years. It reopened for the season this week.

Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom has turned to a regional craft brewery to celebrate the opening of the park’s new Iron Menace roller coaster.

Hundreds of brew enthusiasts joined together, sipping samples from all sorts of stouts, IPAs, ales and more brewed right in the Lehigh Valley.

Jill Oman has returned as executive chef and aims to bring Fegley's Brew Works “back to the glory days of what it was 15 years ago.” Part of that includes the return of the Signature Beer Dinner Experience.

In an effort to help her family through a difficult time, Kristin Kanzer, sister of The GOAT's co-owner Tim Cosover, has more than doubled her GoFundMe goal.

“A Taste of the Food Industry,” will take place 9-11 a.m. April 8 at Northampton Community College’s Alumni Hall as part of a continuous partnership and efforts to provide small business and startup business training.

The event, which will feature at least 17 local, national and international distillers and distributors, will be 1-4 p.m. (11 a.m. for premium access) June 9 in Musikfest Café at the ArtsQuest Center.

A new Irish pub plans to open its doors this summer in a familiar spot in Allentown's West End, with traditional favorites on the menu. The new owners bring years of experience from the Bethlehem bar scene.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

It's been a wonderfully warm week, so you might be hankering for some ice cream. Fortunately, these Lehigh Valley sweets shops have St. Patrick's Day themed frosty desserts that are perfect for this time of year.