Food & Drink

Nearly six years after it opened, the Downtown Allentown Market has closed due to lack of customers.

Popular Lehigh Valley eatery Billy's Downtown Diner is looking to bring their beloved classic breakfast, brunch and lunch cuisine to customers across the country with a new goal to franchise their operation.

Love them or hate them, marshmallow Peeps are inescapable around the Easter holiday. Millions of the brightly colored candies are made daily in Bethlehem by Just Born Quality Confections.

Easton's Historic District Commission approved revised plans for the demolition and reconstruction of the McDonald's on Larry Holmes Drive at their Monday meeting.

Easton Public Market is welcoming a slew of new vendors as they fight to win USA Today's 10BEST Award for Best Public Market, an honor they earned in 2023.

The state-of-the-art St. Luke's SportsPlex, which offers everything from pickleball memberships to sports performance training, will soon offer something specifically for the 21-and-over crowd: beer.

TacoFest, the annual event that pays homage to that Mexican dish that fills a fried tortilla with fresh, flavorful ingredients, will return to SteelStacks from 1-6 p.m. June 1, ArtsQuest announced.

The restaurants are a fast-casual Mexican restaurant with a location in downtown Allentown; a new bar and lounge concept from the owners of Amigos; and a café, City Center said. The restaurants will open this summer.

Wondaffle, a waffle and ice cream shop on the Southside, has officially opened its doors, offering customers indulgent Liege waffles with small-batch ice cream and tasty toppings.

Two Rivers Brewing Co. has secured a variance which will allow the business to transform a run-down lot adjacent to its property into a new outdoor beer garden.

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.

The North Street spot has been known locally for its affordable, yet classic, early morning and lunchtime eats, including pork rolls, pancakes, cheesesteaks and more. The news of the sale comes after 41 years of business.

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.