More eats and drinks
A former hot spot for sinking putts and downing milkshakes is set to be revived in Lehigh Township.
Fore Scoops, an ice cream shop and miniature golf facility, is expected to open in late July at 4315 W. Mountain View Drive, according to owner Jesse Probus, who purchased the more than 8-acre property earlier this year.
The site, just west of Edgemont Park Roller Rink, for decades was home to Edgemont Acres Drive-In and Miniature Golf Course, Probus said. In recent years, Casey’s Cafe & Mini Golf operated there.
Probus, who also operates the 13-year-old Sick Ink Studios tattoo and piercing shop in Whitehall Township, is handling most of the facility’s renovations, including new flooring, dry wall and kitchen equipment. Outside, he’s planning to add landscaping, neon lights and Rhino Linings protective coating to each hole.
The 30-seat eatery will offer at least 20 hard ice cream flavors and at least six varieties of soft-serve or frozen yogurt. Hot food also will be available. Info: facebook.com/Fore -Scoops.
Fans of Hardball Cider ,a hard cidery offering baseballthemed beverages such as the Fastball and Slider, were caught off-guard by the abrupt December closure of the business’ 1-year-old tasting room on Main Street in downtown Bethlehem.
Fortunately, the 6-year-old business regrouped and is looking to hit a home run with a new taproom, which opened Saturday at 805 Orchard Road in Upper Mount Bethel Township. The site is also home to Hardball’s production facility and Hardball owner Geoffrey’s Deen’s parents’ Elvern Farms.
The tap room, with seating for 30 guests, occupies a renovated building that last housed a farm market in the 1980s, Deen said.
“I’m really just looking to concentrate on the farm and keep things as simple as possible,” Deen said. “For me, (the Bethlehem taproom) turned
into more of a restaurant and that wasn’t ever a business that I found over time that I wanted to be in.”
The taproom, open Friday through Sunday, features 10 taps, including seven devoted to Hardball favorites such as the raspberry-flavored Riseball.
There also are guest beer taps from local craft breweries, spirits from Eight Oaks Craft Distillers in New Tripoli, made-onsite flatbreads and periodic food trucks, Deen said.
The family’s roughly 80-acre property, which offers great views of the Delaware Water Gap, features a picturesque lake and about 20 acres of fruit trees, including apple, pear, peach and plum.
You also can enjoy outdoor seating, fire pits, lawn games and tours of the cidery, housed in an early 19th-century barn. Info: hardballcider.com.
Another craft beverage business making moves is Hellertown-based Lost Tavern Brewing.
As Morning Call beer columnist Craig Larimer reported this week, the nearly 3-year-old brew pub announced plans for launching its much-anticipated second taproom at Bethlehem’s Moravian Book Shop.
A public grand opening at the 444 Main St. location is scheduled for 3 p.m.-midnight Friday with preview days set for 3-7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. The taproom will have 17 taps offering Lost Tavern beers as well as a few selections from other Pennsylvania breweries.
The venue, which also will serve wine from Lower Saucon Township’s Black River Farms and nitro coffee from Bethlehem’s The Joint, will share seating space with Dave’s Deli & Gelato.
The deli, based in Hanover Township, Northampton County, plans to offer made-toorder sandwiches, soups, salads, homemade gelato and more. Info: daves-deli.com; losttavernbrewing.com.
One last bit of foodie news: The upcoming J&C Crab Juicy Seafood restaurant, which I first reported on in early April, is actually coming to the former CiCi’s Pizza space — not the the former Sakura Japanese & Chinese Steak House as I originally reported — in Whitehall Square at 2180 MacArthur Road.
The “coming soon” banner was temporarily placed on the former Sakura space until CiCi’s closed next door in mid-April.
“It should be coming sometime before August,” co-owner Eddie Zhang said of the seafood restaurant.”
J&C Crab, a chain with locations in Florida and Massachusetts, offers appetizers such as hush puppies and raw and steamed oysters; fried baskets ($10-$12) such as catfish and shrimp (includes cajun fries); and “Get Your Hands Dirty” seafood selections (market price) such as crawfish and lobster tail (includes corn and potato). Info: jccrab.com.