Foodies will be salivating this year
Steel City Gyro in South Whitehall, Zest bar+grill in Bethlehem among eateries opening in 2019
Happy 2019, Retail Watchers! The new year promises to bring several exciting Lehigh Valley restaurants — from Greenhouse and Enotecca in Allentown and Madeline’s Restaurant in Fogelsville to Mountain View Drive-In in Bushkill Township and Three Birds
Coffeehouse in
Easton.
One of the newest restaurants to join the
Lehigh Valley dining scene is
Steel City Gyro, which opened
Dec. 21 in Trexler
Mall at 6900
Hamilton Blvd. in
Lower Macungie
Township.
Owner Steve Hadid, of South Whitehall Township, is operating the Mediterranean restaurant with his parents, Edmond and Samia, who previously ran Mediterranean Cafe and Grill off Route 100 in Fogelsville for seven years.
The couple sold that restaurant in 2016 due to health problems affecting a family member, Hadid said.
Steel City’s menu features more than 40 items, including appetizers such as baba ghanoush, grape leaves and lebnee; salads such as fattoush with pomegranate dressing, Mama’s Garlic (Hadid’s mom’s recipe) and tabouli; and sandwiches ($5.99-$12.99) such as a Steel City Gyro (beef and lamb), grilled chicken melt and arnabit (fried cauliflower).
Entrees ($15.99-$20.99), including marinated garlic chicken, kefta, lamb, shrimp and veggie kabobs, come with a salad, one side such as rice or mixed vegetables and pita bread.
Steel City, offering seating for 52 people, is named after the Lehigh Valley’s rich steelmaking history, Hadid said. Also, “Hadid” means steel in Arabic.
The family kept the former Poblano Med Mex Grill’s ordering counter, so guests can watch as their food is prepared.
“We want you to see us making your food — whether it’s falafel, kabobs or gyros — on the spot,” Hadid said. “Our food is very different and can’t be turned into fast food.” Info: 484-2746019.
Zest debuts
Another highly anticipated restaurant, Zest bar+grill, on Wednesday opened for dinner only on the rooftop floor of the new Gateway at Greenway Park building at 306 S. New St. in south Bethlehem.
The restaurant, from the creators of the 16-year-old Grille 3501 in South Whitehall Township, will open for lunch and dinner beginning Monday, according to the restaurant’s website.
Owner John Trapani and executive chef/owner John Pukanecz have drawn upon their culinary and social experience to establish a restaurant defined by “great enthusiasm and energy,” according to the website.
The culinary team, working in an open kitchen, are offering appetizers ($10-$19) such as crispy lobster risotto, lamb spareribs, rabbit agnolotti and seared foie gras; salads such as shaved asparagus, smoked trout, and spiced pecan and goat cheese; and entrees ($24-$34) such as duck breast, halibut, Berkshire pork cheeks and Maine lobster tails.
Zest’s beverage program features a varietal-focused wine list, fresh takes on seasonal fruit-inspired cocktails and a beer selection emphasizing local craft beers on draft and sought-after bottled beers.
Zest, occupying a 4,200-square-foot space on the building’s sixth floor, offers indoor/outdoor, four-season balcony seating where guests can enjoy views of the SteelStacks campus, Hill to Hill and Fahy bridges and beyond. Info: zestbethlehem.com.
Vaping spots
For smokers looking to kick butts in the new year, The Vaping Oasis, offering electronic cigarettes and accessories, is planning to open its third location in mid-February in the 25th Street Shopping Center in Palmer Township.
The new store, next to Smokin’ Joe’s Tobacco Shop Inc., will offer The Vaping Oasis’ full line of products, including vaporizers and e-liquids, as well as a larger selection of CBD oils, said Bonnie Butz, who operates the business with her son, Harley.
The Vaping Oasis also operates locations in Lower Nazareth and Whitehall townships. Info: 610-3652363.
Another vaping store, Wolfe Den Vapor, last month moved from South Mall in Salisbury Township to 2905 W. Emmaus Ave. in Allentown (across from Turkey Hill), according to the business’ Facebook page.
Info: 610-797-2025.
Odds and ends
If you’re looking to get fit in the new year, the Lehigh Valley’s first Orangetheory Fitness studio will open this spring in South Whitehall Township.
The fitness franchise, with more than 1,000 locations worldwide, is aiming to open a studio in April in the Allentown Towne Center at 4713 Tilghman St. (next to shuttered Kmart), according to the business’ Facebook page.
The Boca Raton, Fla., chain offers one-hour, full-body workouts that change daily and are focused on training endurance, strength and power.
Gyms offer heart rate-based interval training, “which burns more calories post workout than traditional exercise,” according to the company’s website.
Members can use Orangetheory’s heart-rate monitoring technology, OTbeat, which allows them to see realtime data such as calories burned and heart beats-per-minute during their workouts.
Each Orangetheory studio is equipped with equipment such as treadmills, rowers, bikes, striders, dumbbells, medicine balls and TRX suspension trainers. There are also lockers, restrooms and showers.
Group workouts, motivation from coaches and the studios’ signature orange lighting create a high-energy atmosphere and give members an “adrenaline boost,” according to the company’s website.
Monthly membership packages include Premier (unlimited classes), Elite (eight classes a month) and Basic (four classes a month), with all packages including access to more than 1,000 studios. Info: 610-360-0090.
Giant Food Stores shoppers will soon have another location in the Lehigh Valley to save money on gas with their BonusCard.
The store at 2174 W. Union Blvd. in Bethlehem is building a fuel station near its Lehigh Shopping Center parking lot, according to Kristen Moore, spokeswoman for Brixmor Property Group, which owns and operates the shopping center.
The site, next to Rite-Aid, previously housed a Hollywood Video movie and video game rental shop, which has been demolished to make way for the fuel station.
“Work is underway and we anticipate opening in the spring,” Giant spokeswoman Ashley Flower said.
Closing notes
Speaking of grocery stores, Weis Markets at 7001 Route 309 in Upper Saucon Township will close in a few weeks.
“We have made the difficult decision to close our Fairmont Village Shopping Center location on or around Jan. 25,” said Weis spokesman Dennis Curtin, who did not provide a reason for the store’s upcoming closure. “We have also informed the store’s 37 full- and parttime associates of this decision and have offered them employment in one of our other stores in the region. All have accepted and will remain with our company.”
Founded in 1912, Weis Markets Inc. is a Mid-Atlantic food retailer operating 204 stores in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and West Virginia.
The company operates about a dozen Lehigh Valley stores, including a recently remodeled location on Route 873 in Schnecksville. Info: weismarkets.com.
Another business bidding farewell is La Belle Cuisine–Fine Cookware, set to close Jan. 31 at 447 Chestnut St. in Emmaus.
According to owner Nancy O’Keefe, the 41-year-old store will hold an inventory reduction sale during January, where discounts will range from 25 to 40 percent off.
Sale items will include everything except perishable items — coffee, tea and food products — which are sold on the store’s website, cooksite.com. The store is open Wednesday through Saturday. Info: 610-928-0070.
One final closing note: Several readers have inquired about Hardball Cider’s 1-year-old tasting room, which closed a few weeks ago at 553 Main St. in Bethlehem.
Unfortunately, I don’t have much information to share. Geoffrey Deen, who operates the Upper Mount Bethel Township craft hard cidery, did not return messages seeking comment.