Our readers have eaten and they like what they are tasting! Here are 27 of their favorite restaurants for 2014.
Photo by Alison Conklin
Billy's Downtown Diner
Favorite Diner
Over the last couple of years this venerable booth, stool and counter hot spot has seen their business grow in size—literally—with the addition of a second location in Allentown and now with the remodeling to create extra space at its Broad Street location in Bethlehem. So what's got these locales buzzing with hungry locals?
Decadent definitely describes many of the items on Billy's menu. Like Mic's Cannoli Tower—creamy cannoli filling sandwiched between brioche French toast topped with fresh strawberries, chocolate chips, drizzled with chocolate syrup, crowned with whipped cream and dusted with powdered sugar. This downtown institution's slogan is “Not Your Ordinary Diner,” after all.
“I play with my food,” says Billy Kounoupis about his menu. Giving credit to his wife Yanna, he adds, “She has a taste for a more European-type of flair and I love classic ingredients.” Merging both of those worlds is easy for them, Kounoupis says, “Creating the name for the dish is where havoc sets in!”
And Billy's diners have their favorite dishes and are not happy when new ones crowd them off the menu. “I get more hate mail for taking items off the menu,” he says. But there's no need to send hate missives—if you have a craving for an old favorite, just ask and they'll make it for you.
10 E. Broad St., Bethlehem | 610.867.0105840 Hamilton St., Allentown | 610.432.5484 | billysdiner.com
Photo by Donovan Roberts Witmer
Steve Kershner
Favorite Chef
Kershner has been putting the twist on delicious in the Valley for decades.
Twisted Olive | 51 W. Broad St., Bethlehem | 610.419.1200 | twistedolivebethlehem.com
Photo by Alison Conklin
Wally's Deli
Favorite Deli
At Wally's, it's not a hoagie, or a sandwich, or a sub. It's a “Hog.” That's a stacked sandwich in which you take a bite and get a taste of everything in the sandwich.
“It makes a difference,” says Wally Roberts, who owns the shops with his wife, Susan. “The Hog tastes the same, first bite to last.”
Fresh and homemade is key at Wally's Deli. They make their own scrapple, crab cakes, filet fresh chicken breasts on site, and all the soups and sauces are homemade on the premises. They even make their own spices.
Wally's offers many specialty sandwiches, and the names are almost as fun to read as they are to eat: Porky, Sassy Sow, Surfin' Turkey, Wart Hog and Boss Hog, just to name a few. For carb-conscious patrons, there's the UnHog—a “sandwich in a bowl, not on a roll.”
Grilled cheese sandwiches are available in a few variations. But there's a new one that will blow the bread off a regular grilled cheese. The Scrappy Grilled Cheese features scrapple, raw onions, four eggs and jalapeno jelly. Oh, and cheese!
1245 Chestnut St., Emmaus | 610.967.1347711 N. 17th St., Allentown | 610.435.7177 | wallys-deli.com
Photo by Donovan Roberts Witmer
The Hotel Bethlehem
Favorite Brunch
Has a new chef in the house! Click here for details.
437 Main St., Bethlehem | 610.625.2219 | 1741ontheterrace.com
Photo by Donovan Roberts Witmer
Corked
Favorite New Restaurant, Bethlehem Favorite & Favorite Atmosphere
The new kid on the block, Joe Grisafi, scores big with readers with wins in three categories this year.
515 Main St., Bethlehem | 610.625.9463 | corkedwinebar.com
Photo by Alison Conklin
Roma Ristorante
Favorite Italian
Paolo Grisafi knows his way around an Italian kitchen. After all, he learned to sauté at age 16 in his family's Villa Romana restaurant in Allentown. Apart from a stint in the Marines a few years ago, he's been in the business ever since.
At Roma, he develops many recipes himself, offering different features every weekend. Many dishes on the menu can be customized, for example, chicken, shrimp or veal, can all be ordered Marsala-, Florentine-, Piccata-, or Francese-style. The culinary possibilities are endless at Roma.
Grisafi says they serve “simple food,” but the ingredients are top-quality and the food is prepared in such a way that brings out the flavors through consistency and attention to detail. Not such a simple task!
Don't be surprised if one day you turn on the Food Network and Grisafi is sautéing his way to a Chopped win. “I'd love to be on that show, to see what I can do with the ingredients,” he says. “Those chefs are cooking at the next level.”
925 Airport Center Dr., Allentown | 610.841.7662 | romapa.com
Photo by Alison Conklin
Jumbars
Favorite Café
Charming and always delicious in the tradition of a true café.
1342 Chelsea Ave., Bethlehem | 610.866.1660 | jumbars.com
Photo by Alison Conklin
A Ca Mia
Favorite B.Y.O.B
B.Y.O.B. restaurants abound in the Valley, but LVS readers who know what dishes best complement their most fabulous vintages of vino head north to A Ca Mia in Walnutport. Paolo Nota, chef at the long-closed-but-not-forgotten Pane e Vino and the former chef/owner of Paolo's, has opened his latest restaurant closer to his home.
Nota's experience and expertise has combined to create a strong following of diners who know he doesn't cut corners to present his version of Italian fare—the expected, such as Chicken Parmigiana, but also “dishes that represent in the best way possible the food of my country,” he explains. He serves the requisite pasta, but also includes many fish entrees, including sea bass, tuna, grouper, salmon and swordfish.
“When Italians go out to eat, they want to experience the cooking of a chef that they can't experience at home,” he says. So, along the way he has incorporated that into his menus with such items as pumpkin ravioli in a light curry white wine sauce.
4330 Lehigh Dr., Walnutport | 610.760.3207 | 610.760.3208 | acamiapa.com
Photo by Alison Conklin
Jenny's Kuali
Favorite Vegetarian
The word “kuali” means small wok in Malaysian. But the food at Jenny's Kuali has huge flavors, thanks in part to Jenny and Roy Lim's insistence on using fresh ingredients. Complex and diverse, their homemade Malaysian dishes feature exotic spices like curry, cumin and turmeric, along with other distinct ingredients. The food reflects the many cultures present in Malaysia, including the Malays, Chinese and Indians.
Meat is on the menu, but the many vegetarian dishes available and their willingness to customize dishes to customers' tastes has resulted in Lehigh Valley vegetarians embracing Jenny's Kuali as their favorite vegetarian restaurant. Many dishes can be made vegetarian, vegan and/or gluten-free to accommodate diners' tastes and requirements.
Among the most popular items are bean curd and baby bok choy and the homemade vegetable dumplings. Roti paratha, a favorite appetizer, is Indian-style bread served with a chicken or vegetable curry dipping sauce.
You might be sitting in Jenny's Kuali on Bethlehem's south side, but your taste buds will have you thinking you're in Malaysia.
102 E. Fourth St., Bethlehem | 610.758.8088 | jennyskuali.com
Photo by Alison Conklin
Gio Italian Grill
Favorite Gourmet Pizza
Giovanna and Tony DiMaio have been serving up cheesy, saucy, crusty happiness for nearly a decade.
6465 Village Ln., Macungie | 610.966.9446 | gioitaliangrill.com
Photo by Donovan Roberts Witmer
Shula's Steak House
Favorite Steakhouse
Best place to grab a center cut in Center Valley.
The Promenade Shop at Saucon Valley | 610.841.5600 | shulacentervalley.com
Photo by Alison Conklin
Bolete
Favorite Special Occasion
Every night is a big night out when Chef Lee Chizmar is cooking for you.
1740 Seidersville Rd., Bethlehem | 610.868.6505 | boleterestaurant.com
Photo by Alison Conklin
Savory Grille
Favorite Farm-to-Table
“It's an honor,” says Chef Shawn Doyle of the designation bestowed on the Savory Grille by this year's LVS readers. Although he doesn't claim that the Savory Grille is a farm-to-table restaurant, he can see why patrons have given it that distinction. “They may assume that, by the type of food and appearance,” he explains. His culinary esthetic is fresh, clean and nicely presented.
If he can source ingredients locally he will and especially this time of year he does. “We're in a perfect area,” he says. “We can get poultry, mushrooms, fruit, vegetables, nearby. Everything is wholesome and I know where everything comes from, although it might not be from within a 50-mile radius.”
Usually, Doyle likes to keep the menu pared down to six to nine appetizers, nine entrees, three salad dressings and six desserts.
They also make their own pasta, bread, sauces, glosses and glazes.
He doesn't set the menu on idle though. “I'm too restless,” he says with a laugh. “There's so much variety out there, I like to change it up to keep our guests happy.”
2934 Seisholtzville Rd., Macungie | 610.845.2010 | savorygrille.com
Photo by Donovan Roberts Witmer
White Orchids Thai Cuisine
Favorite Thai & Favorite Asian
Where chic dining combines with curries of many colors.
The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley | 610.841.7499 | whiteorchidsthaicuisine.com
Photo by Donovan Roberts Witmer
Mesa Modern Mexican
Favorite Mexican
The best choice for upscale Mexican dining this side of the border.
42 S. 3rd St., Easton | 610.829.2101 | mesamexican.com
Photo by Donovan Roberts Witmer
3rd and Ferry Fish Market
Favorite Seafood
56 S. 3rd St., Easton | 610.829.1404 | thirdandferry.com
Photo by Donovan Roberts Witmer
Maxim's 22
Favorite French
Oooh La La! Just the smell of the breads alone will have you feeling transported to le Marais!
322 Northampton St., Easton | 610.252.2622 | maxims22.com
Photo by Alison Conklin
Sette Luna
Favorite Easton
With so many gastronomical choices in Easton these days, being named favorite Easton restaurant is high praise indeed. Locals and not-so locals have been drawn in by Sette Luna's charming, rustic atmosphere—the cozy bar in the back, the wine cellar and the al fresco dining option. And they have returned again and again for the food and overall experience.
“The entire staff certainly is key to our success,” says managing partner Josh Palmer. “We have some servers who have been with us since day one, eight years ago. They know who's drinking what, where they like to sit.”
He also says consistency of the dishes is important, and again, gives credit to the staff. “A dish should be the same whether you ordered it last week or last year, that's paramount,” he explains.
It bears noting that Sette Luna's sister restaurant, Maxim's 22, was named Best French Restaurant in this year's Decadent Dish poll. Clearly, they are feeding foodies right!
219 Ferry St., Easton | 610.253.8888 | setteluna.com
Photo by Donovan Roberts Witmer
Komé
Favorite Japanese
Bring your friends for a sizzling, good night at the hibachi grill or sushi bar.
The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley | 610.798.9888 | komerestaurant.com
Hunan Springs
Favorite Chinese
The best atmosphere to enjoy classic Chinese cuisine when dining out is a must.
4939 Hamilton Blvd., Wescosville | 610.366.8338 | hunansprings.com
Nawab
Favorite Indian
When only the most authentic taste of Indian spice will do.
13 E. 4th St., Bethlehem | 610.691.0388 | nawabcuisine.com
Photo by Donovan Roberts Witmer
The Aladdin Restaurant
Favorite Middle Eastern
Crazy for kabobs? Get your fill and the thrill of the rest of their Middle Eastern menu while catching their exotic belly dancers in action.
651 Union Blvd., Allentown | 610.437.4023 | aladdinlv.com
Photo by Alison Conklin
Hops at the Paddock
Favorite Neighborhood Place
For many LVS readers and other regulars, Hops at the Paddock really is the place where everybody knows your name. Co-owner Carol Hoppy says that the staff has a lot to do with that. “We have a great staff,” she says, “they are warm and welcoming—when you walk in you get a feeling of belonging.”
Another reason may be that Hoppy, her husband and son chose to keep “The Paddock” moniker when they bought the place about three years ago. “We wanted to keep it in the name as a courtesy to the past owners,” she explains.
The Hoppys also kept the famous Paddock Pizza on the menu, which also includes cheesesteaks, bolis and a popular quesadilla, along with dinners prepared by a new chef. They strive to keep the prices affordable so families can enjoy dinner out together without feeling the pinch. It's enough to make the gang at Cheers jealous.
1945 W. Columbia St., Allentown | 610.437.3911 | hopspaddock.com
Photo by Colin Coleman Fotos
Grille 3501
Allentown Favorite
Where every dish is such a work of art, you'll feel bad digging into it—until you take that first bite!
3501 Broadway, Allentown | 610.706.0100 | grille3501.com
Photo by Alison Conklin
Apollo Grill
Favorite Appetizer Menu
People return to this Broad Street staple time and again in hopes of indulging in every appetizer option on the menu.
85 W. Broad St., Bethlehem | 610.865.9600 | apollogrill.com
Photo by Alison Conklin
Looper's Grille and Bar
Favorite Martini Menu
A long bar and an even longer martini menu provide plenty of options for a fun night out.
313 E. 3rd St., Bethlehem | 610.882.2424 | loopersgrilleandbar.com
Photo by Brian Wcislo
Yiannis Taverna
Favorite Mediterranean
It tastes like you're dining along the Aegean, but Mediterranean perfection can be found in Bethlehem.
3760 Old Philadelphia Pk., Bethlehem | 610.867.8821 | yiannistaverna.com
