Food & Drink

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.

The Lehigh Valley's newest bagel shop is officially in full swing, holding its grand opening Wednesday Aug. 28. Customers have continuously raved about the bagel spot since its soft opening mid-July.

The 10th anniversary of Clam Jam, the Easton festival held by Third and Ferry Fish Market, brought hundreds of seafood devotees to the city Sunday and crowned new chowder and homebrew champions.

Marblehead Chowder House on William Penn Highway in Palmer Township has been in operation since 1996. The ownership says the business has changed with the times and owes its success to loyal customers and staff.

Let's Go Coffee Co. in Emmaus held its grand opening Friday. The business offers a wide selection of coffees and gluten-free baked goods.

Yardley-based craft brewpub Vault Brewing Co. will celebrate its official opening, with specialty-brewed beers, holiday cocktails, and a curated menu focused on locally-sourced foods this weekend.

More than 70 Lafayette College students and other College Hill faithful packed into Gyro Concept at 323 Cattell St. in Easton to celebrate its grand opening. A Bethlehem-area location is coming soon.

Originally beginning as an online dumpling delivery service, this weekend Kerri McCarthy and Vasa Li will open a brick-and-mortar shop called Angry Dumpling in Nazareth.

One family's show of caring for another down on their luck from many years ago embodies the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

The free-admission event features 40 unique merchant huts, live entertainment, a skating rink and more. It runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 22.

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.