Bethlehem South Side Restaurants: The Running Tally

Instead of composing a post tonight I've been putting the together the list of my favorite South Side Bethlehem Dining and Drinks (look right and down). Each title is a link to the establishment's menu or home-page. Clearly, it isn't comprehensive and will, of course, be a work in progress.
North Side Dining and Drinks coming soon, in the column to the right of the South Side ones.

*If you're a restauranteur and don't find your restaurant/bar on this list, invite me in and feed me your best stuff. I'll even put together a review, and maybe even a video!
...Black Forest Deli has posed the invitation and I plan to take them up on it next week.

By the way, Happy National Coffee Day! 10 coffee facts: http://www.indyposted.com/113732/10-coffee-facts-for-national-coffee-day/

Lunch in Philadelphia, The Reading Terminal Market, and Philly Cheesesteaks

I met up with a friend from high school yesterday to make a day trip to Philadelphia and was totally happy with our recommended lunch destination: the Reading Terminal Market.

Walking the aisles, we found several restaurant stands, local produce, baked goods, chocolatiers, gourmet groceries, a beer garden, and cafes all clustered under one roof. Totally a one-stop-shop for local Philadelphians and simply a fun place to walk around for visitors with an appetite. It reminds me somewhat of la Boqueria in Barcelona, or another market I shopped at in Florence. Some people at the Reading Terminal Market were there to grocery shop, others like us were perusing the dining options which included Thanksgiving dinner, Cajun cuisine, Middle Eastern food, Gyros, Authentic Thai and Chinese, and of course, Philly Cheesesteaks.

We stopped at Carmen's Famous Philadelphia Cheesesteaks stand where the guy behind the counter rattled off our options: American, provolone, or Cheese Whiz (the classic Philadelphia cheesesteak choice of cheese), and optional toppings of mushrooms, onions, peppers (spicy or sweet), lettuce, and tomato. I ordered the classic cheesesteak with mushrooms, provolone, onions, sweet peppers, lettuce, and tomato, plus ketchup. Good but frankly not the best I've ever had.

This leads us to the question: where do you find the best Philadelphia Cheesesteak? I've made the trip to that famous corner in Philadelphia where cheesesteaks and ideologies are pitted against each other in the famous Pat's King of Steaks and Geno's Steaks faceoff. I've tried each, on different occasions. Geno's reminds me of a carnival stand, with neon lights and flashing bulbs, whereas Pat's by comparison looks modestly simple yet classic.

The rivalry between Pat's and Geno's reminds me of the Duke/Carolina divide in my hometown: ambivalence is not an option. The choice not only rests on your opinion of the first order of concern (basketball or cheesesteaks), but almost becomes a reflection of values (public vs. private, flashy vs. modest).

I'm totally Team Pat's. I have respect for the place because there's a confidence in its humility, you figure it must be an institution to get so much press...or to make Geno's work that hard to attract your attention. It almost seems like Geno's has focused more on their lighting design than their cheesesteaks.

So here it is, Pat's vs. Geno's: Where does your alliance lie?
Post a comment in reply to cast your vote on where to get the best Philly Cheesesteak!
And, if you're in the greater Philadelphia area and haven't made the trip yet, I plugged it in as the final destination on GoogleMaps for you:  http://tiny.cc/yj45svvbwd
You've got no excuse- get there and make the decision yourself!

Roasted Lemon-Thyme Potatoes and Sausage with Braised Swiss Chard and Goat Cheese

This was a combination of a few recipes and ingredients that I had on hand including red potatoes and swiss chard from The Bethlehem Farmer's Market that just so happened to turn out mouth-watering together. Love it when that happens.

Prep: Set oven to 425*

Find an oven-proof pan (I used the griddle pan again) and combine the following:

Red potatoes (I had about 10, which made 3-4 servings) diced into little bite-sized pieces, erring on the side of too small 

Sliced sausages (in my recipe, 2 AlFresco Roasted Garlic Chicken sausages) 

3-4 cloves of garlic chopped, but don't mince

Squeeze half of a lemon's juice over potatoes and sausage
Add about a tablespoon of olive oil
Sprinkle with a handful of fresh thyme leaves (no stems) if possible, only about a teaspoon if using the dried spice (the dried spice is generally more potent than fresh)
Salt and pepper
Mix ingredients in the pan and place in the oven until the potatoes are cooked. Turn the heat down to 325*.

Meanwhile, wash and chop swiss chard- trimming the ends and cutting the rest into 2" segments.
Put swiss chard in a bowl with:
1/4 cup of scallions (trim the root end and chop the scallion up to the point where it turns from lime to dark green)
1/4 cup of crumbled or diced goat cheese
Juice from the remaining lemon half
Salt, pepper
A pinch of brown sugar

When the potatoes appear done, pour the contents of the bowl with swiss chard, etc. over the potatoes and sausage and distribute evenly across the top, forming a layer.
Close the oven and cook for another 3-5 minutes until the swiss chard is braised (see picture). At first, it will appear as though it has nearly dried up and on the verge of browning, but fear not, it will still retain good flavor.

Remove the pan from the oven and use a spatula to mix the ingredients. The goat cheese will have melted and will make a nice flavoring over the other components. Enjoy!

Mustard as a Marinade

www.dressingsontheside.com

This is a plug for my favorite marinade and/or dressing: Trader Joe's Aoli Garlic Mustard Sauce. This mustard sauce is perfect with both vegetables and meat.

For example, I just made myself some excellent grilled vegetables using this mustard as a marinade. I had zucchini, red onion, and red pepper on hand for my recipe today, but the flavor is great with almost any vegetable.

Because we don't have a grill at our apartment, we're making do with an All-Clad stovetop grill pan (from Williams-Sonoma) and we're totally happy with it. It even gives the appearance of being grilled with the charred lines from the raise divets in the pan. Before putting the vegetables in the pan, I tossed them in the mustard, a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and then let them cook to perfection on high heat.

This mustard sauce is also excellent as a chicken or porkchop marinade. I should also mention of course that it has a really great flavor for any of your other mustard applications- I think it's smoother than most Dijon mustards and equally flavorful.

Another Reason for Popeye (and You) to Eat Spinach

http://bornbackwards.com

Put down the can, Popeye, we've got a better spinach recipe for you to try. Really though, spinach is one of my favorite greens to have on hand to make any of the following recipes quickly.

It can be served raw in salads with apples, walnuts, cranberries, a little feta or goat cheese, and a balsamic vinagrette, for example.

Or, my favorite, sauteed.
Heat the skillet to medium-high, add copious amounts of spinach (it cooks down to nothing), drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with seasoned salt and you've got yourself a winner. Let it cook until the spinach wilts and the olive oil and spices are well distributed. This is a great side to any meat dish, or combined with fresh tomatoes.

Another favorite sauteed spinach dish: on medium-high heat, combine spinach, olive oil, thinly sliced apples, red onion, salt, pepper, and cheddar. Saute until the spinach is wilted and the apples are cooked. The cheddar can be added after you've taken it off the heat or at the end so that it melts a little.
Ta-dah! No more boring spinach.

Quinoa: It's Better Than Rice

I like rice, but I love quinoa. It is a better grain than rice for every reason except for sushi applications.
Quinoa is faster and easier to cook- 2:1 water to quinoa, combine, bring to a boil until water is absorbed.
1 cup of quinoa will take about 15 minutes for all of the water to evaporate. If seasoning beforehand is desirable, the quinoa can be toasted with a little olive oil and spices before adding water.
Quinoa also keeps longer and fresher in the refrigerator without congealing to an unappealing block. I often make batches for a week and then add fresh ingredients when I want to eat it.

Here's what I've been adding to a single-person serving of quinoa, kind of tabouleh-inspired:
Change the proportions to your taste.

• Add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 minced garlic clove
• Equal parts of chopped tomato and minced red onion (approximately a half cup)
• Parsley and Feta (approximately a quarter cup)
• Salt, ground pepper

Delectable.
*Also great with tomato, basil, feta/mozzarella combinations

Still wondering exactly quinoa is? Here's some background from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa. Scroll down to Nutritional Value for a good summary.

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!