Food & Drink

J Rads Wood Fired Pizza fed Allentown Rescue Mission residents last week amid bitterly cold weather.

Crispy Halal, known for its other location at 514 N. Seventh St. in Allentown, serves up fried chicken, falafel, loaded fries, salads, cheeseburgers, Philly cheesesteak, desserts and family meals.

Barley Creek Brewing Company and Distillery announced its newest location now is open for business. After "unexpected delays" pushed back its initial opening in October, the Pocono-based company announced that it's ready to serve guests as of Friday, Nov. 28.

A local restaurateur is taking over day-to-day operations at one of Allentown's newest restaurants: Rosa Blanca. "Iron Chef" winner Jose Garces still owns the Cuban café, but asked the owners of Amigos, which sits next door, to help manage it.

Mangiacarne has rebranded, with Chef Luca Manfè taking sole ownership and changing the name to Luca and Sons, with promises of high-quality meats, cheeses,and a few new items as well.

Next month, Wind Creek Event Center owner Jeff Trainer plans to open The Broken Record, a restaurant in Lower Macungie Township that will combine a broad range of food offerings with a music theme — and perhaps more.

Rod's Dogs is coming back to Easton within the next few months under new ownership, but the beloved classic menu will remain just the same.

Easton City Councilman Frank Pintabone has confirmed he will host his annual free turkey giveaway for residents in need, set for Nov. 22.

Developers said the restaurant is planned to be open serving burgers, flatbreads and other American-style food by this time next year.

The Vegan Chef challenge was organized by Vegan Outreach and Animal Defenders Greater Lehigh Valley, and the challenge drew more than 400 community reviews between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15. Winners were honored at an awards ceremony Tuesday, Nov. 4, inside Swift at the Wilbur Mansion.

The festival will feature bachata and merengue music and Latin eats such as empanadas and mofongo.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs will host the Bacon and Brews Festival at Coca-Cola Park on Sept. 30. There will be brewers, ciders, distilleries, wineries and bacon items from IronPigs Concessions and select food vendors.

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.

Lehigh Valley adrenaline destinations HangDog and Lehigh Valley Grand Prix have partnered with A-Treat and Jaindl Companies in an exclusive, Lehigh Valley-centric beverage partnership.

“I enjoy their other restaurants, but I didn’t think this would be a good fit. I didn’t see it lasting in this format for long,” one person said about the closing of TheMINT Gastropub.

TheMINT Gastropub, an American-style eatery in West Bethlehem, has closed after 12 years. Replacing it will be Retro Burger. Also proposed for the site are the construction of six apartments atop the existing structure and a rooftop dining area.

The 40th Musikfest drew to a successful close on Sunday night in Bethlehem. The nation's largest open-gate free music festival delivered more than 500 free performances, plus paid-ticket headliners. Organizers believe a record of roughly 1.25 million attended the 11-day event. An official count is expected to be announced Tuesday.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) has unveiled plans to allocate expired restaurant licenses, marking the 12th auction since Act 39's implementation in August 2016.

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.

A new Sheetz at 2901 Lehigh St. is set to open on Saturday, Aug. 12. On the following Monday, Aug. 14, the store will host a grand opening event where customers can get free coffee and have a chance to win prizes.

Restaurant chain The Cheesecake Factory has posted job listings for a restaurant and kitchen managers at its first Lehigh Valley location on the official website.

Here are the Musikfest acts and more you should see today, Tuesday, Aug. 8.