A Week of Bethlehem Dining in Retrospect

I've had friends visiting me every night this week from Monday to Sunday and needless to say, did plenty of dining out. Here's a recap, and perhaps recommendations to be taken into account for future diners in Bethlehem!

For a kick of caffeine and academic productivity in preparation for a full week of entertaining: the Dalai Latte- a Chai tea with coffee ice cubes at Deja Brew Coffeehouse & Deli, 101 W. 4th Street. Coffee ice cubes are available as an option for all of their drinks and prevent any iced drink from becoming diluted as the cubes melt. Genius!

I returned to Deja Brew on Tuesday and finally split a Wasabi Cole Slaw with my friend Blair. The thought of those flavors together had been piquing my curiosity for days and it was finally satisfied. I completed an essay, she did some reading. I cannot recommend Deja Brew more for any of the above reasons.

Wednesday: Several friends came to town as representatives for their new company of employment at the Lehigh Career Fair. We reminisced and reconvened at the Asian Bistro, 24 East 3rd. St. I especially enjoyed my Jungle Roll: Spicy tuna roll topped with toasted eel, served with "Rudy's special sauce." ...Whatever the special sauce is, it's an excellent roll. Also, BYOB Frontera Sauvignon Blanc (excellent inexpensive buy!)

Thursday: Drinks at one of the coolest places in Bethlehem- The Bookstore speakeasy. Prohibition-era decoration and authentic drinks. The Adams Street Shuffle is still my go-to: "Pure sunshine and deliciousness in a glass. Polish vodka, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, fresh lemon juice, Aperol, and orange zest." Also tried the Honeysuckle, which is still good but not as fantastic as the former. The Bookstore is at 336 Adams Street. Excellent date spot and also fantastic food-I've split a cheese plate in the past and look forward to a meal there soon.

Friday: The Charlotte egg scramble at Blue Sky on 4th Street for my friend Kelsey's last day in town. The Charlotte is like a western omelette but with the cheddar, onion, green peppers, tomatoes, home fries, and bacon scrambled in with the egg. While Blue Sky has many quality menu items, I can't bring myself to order anything else because it hits the spot every time.

Saturday: As on most football game days, we found ourselves at J.P. McGrady's on 3rd Street, enjoying cups of complimentary popcorn and pitchers of Blue Moon on the back porch. I would also highly recommend McGrady's Sweet N' Sweaty Wings that are a fantastic combination of spicy and savory.
Three of us split meals from Thai Thai II for dinner: the Tom Kha Gai coconut chicken soup which I've already raved about it past posts, Cashew Chicken, and Shrimp Pad Thai. Delicious as always.

Sunday: As usual, our first attempt for brunch at Billy's Diner was thwarted by throngs of other Lehigh kids and locals. As a result, our group found ourselves at Olio Restaurant, 553 Main Street for lunch. The meal was satisfactory but not phenomenal. Slow service. Started out well with excellent appetizer bread and dipping olive oil and spices. Our table split Caprese salad and Margherita Pizza as appetizers and I split a Spaghetti al Pomodoro with a friend. All of the above were decent but on all accounts could have used more basil. The Margherita Pizza was also burnt. I also happen to love basil, so that is certainly a matter of taste. Friends recommended the Gnocchi from past experience, which I may have to return for!

That's a wrap. Now homework.
Bought Dandelion greens at Wegman's grocery store this week to experiment with and looking for a good recipe...will post soon about how that goes!