BACK FOR SECONDS
Lehigh Valley poke bowl eatery saying ‘aloha’ to second area location
A taste of Hawaii is coming soon to upper Bucks County.
Aloha Poke, a year-old Lehigh County eatery offering poke (diced fresh fish) bowls along with smoothies, bubble tea and fruit tea, on June 13 will hold a grand opening of its second location at 641 S. West End Blvd. in Quakertown.
The new spot, next to VIP Nails, also will feature Vietnamese pho and Japanese ramen noodle dishes, owner Jeff Lin said.
Aloha Poke, which opened its original location last March at 7801 Glen Livet Drive West in Fogelsville’s Weis Plaza, serves a variety of signature poke bowls, $9.25-$11.99.
Popular selections include a Hawaii Bowl, featuring salmon, shrimp, crabmeat, avocado, edamame, corn, tomato, mango, crispy onion, masago and spicy mayo; and Super Bowl, featuring tuna, salmon, shrimp, chicken, edamame, corn, cucumber, green seaweed, mango, peanut, masago, spicy mayo, creamy wasabi and sweet teriyaki sauce.
Customers choose a base of sushi rice, brown rice, salad or, for a $1 upcharge, soba (Japanese noodle), zucchini noodle or half soba and half zucchini noodle.
For individuals who are slightly more picky, you also can create your own bowl for $8.99 through a five-step process.
First, you choose a base. Then, you choose two proteins (raw selections of ahi tuna, spicy tuna, salmon, spicy salmon and white tuna; and cooked selections of shrimp, chicken, tofu, boiled organic egg and crab meat salad) and up to six mix-ins (sweet corn, cucumber, mango, edamame, tomato, green pepper, red onion, carrot, pickle, pineapple, kimchi, jalapeno, green seaweed salad and avocado with $.50 upcharge).
For the last two steps, you pick up to two sauces (sweet teriyaki, spicy mayo, wasabi mayo, sweet chili sauce, ginger dressing, mango sauce, yuzu sauce and sriracha sauce) and toppings (wasabi peas, peanut, almond, sesame seeds, crispy onion, ginger, benito and masago with $.50 upcharge).
Other menu highlights include Vietnamese summer rolls, hot and iced tea and mochi ice cream. Info: alohapokepa. com.
More in Quakertown area
A couple of other businesses are also joining the Quakertown area’s retail roster:
First, Cerminaro Stone Supply LLC, offering a wide variety of natural stone along with flagstone and hardscaping installation, will hold a grand opening noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 6, at 1560 Allentown Road in Milford Township, according to a post on the business’ Facebook page.
The locally owned and operated company prides itself in “old world tradition” and aims to help contractors, do-it-yourself weekend warriors and others create “stone memories” one project at a time, according to a post on the business’ Facebook page. Customers can shop full color thermal flagstone, blue/grey thermal flagstone and more.
“We also offer several exclusive colors of flagstone manufactured in our own unique quarry located in the gorgeous Pocono mountains,” a grand opening announcement reads.
Owner Mike Cerminaro has been in the masonry industry for more than 20 years, starting as a bottom tier laborer and working his way up as a concrete finisher and lead mason, according to a post on the business’ website.
Services include ‘from scratch’ design and installation, full or partial rebuilds and touch-ups to existing patios, steps and walkways. Info: 267-680-5939; cerminarostone.com.
Second, Euphoria Tanning, offering UV tanning, airbrush tanning, red light therapy and teeth whitening, on May 1 held a grand opening at 332 W. Broad St., Floor 2, in Quakertown.
The business, above Always Beautiful Floral Design Studio, features two levels of UV tanning in lay-down beds and stand-up booths along with a range of tanning lotions and moisturizers.
You can choose a monthly membership plan, starting at $60, or a 5-, 10- or 20-session package. Info: euphoriatanning.com.
Diner updates
For fans of omelettes and open-faced sandwiches, I have news on a couple of local diners, one fresh and one familiar:
First, Lafayette College is hoping students and the community roll on over to The Trolley Stop on the ground floor of its newly constructed residence hall, McCartney Street Residences.
The full-service diner, offering “home-style diner classics” featuring local ingredients, opened May 29 at 201 McCartney St. on Easton’s College Hill, according to a news release.
The eatery, open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily to members of the Lafayette College campus and the general public, sources products from more than a dozen local partners, including Bank Street Creamery in Easton, Klein Farms Dairy & Creamery in Forks Township, Sandt’s Honey Co. in Forks Township, Nello’s Specialty Meats in Bushkill Township, Scholl Orchards in Bethlehem and Twin Maple Farms in East Allen Township.
Menu highlights include appetizers such as cheese quesadillas, house-cut “Jersey disco” fries and Pocono Pickle Guy fried pickles; sandwiches like corned beef and Swiss on rye, pork roll and cheese on a Kaiser roll and a classic BLT with Nello’s bacon; and 4-ounce Pennsylvania beef burgers such as the “top of the hill”
(two grilled beef burgers on a griddled cheese sandwich with cheddar and American cheese, pickles, bacon, tomato and garlic aioli).
There are also “Loaded Leopard” macaroni and cheese bowls like “big city leopard” (Philly-style with chipped steak, peppers, onions and mushrooms); and all-day breakfast options such as house-made jumbo muffins, multi-grain griddle cakes, Belgian waffles, omelettes and eggs Benedict.
The diner’s name stems from Lafayette graduate and eventual Easton mayor David Nevin, who opened the city’s first electric trolley in 1888 with tracks running down College Hill. Info: thetrolleystop.net.
Second, Golden Gate Diner, which temporarily closed in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, is expected to reopen with a new look in a few weeks at 1318 Union Blvd. on Allentown’s East Side, co-owner Steve Mikroudis said.
The beloved diner, which opened in the early 1960s, has been temporarily closed for the past 14 months, with Mikroudis and his brother and co-operator, Gus Mikroudis, using much of that downtime to renovate the Lehigh Valley dining staple.
“Hopefully, we should be ready to reopen by the end of the month,” said Steve, who’s been running Gold Gate with his brother since 1988. “It took us a little longer than we expected because some things were backordered.”
The Mikroudises and a team of contractors overhauled the diner with interior and exterior improvements, including new illuminated signage, plastered façade, countertops, drop ceilings, pendant lighting, wall paint, subway tile accents and burgundy upholstered booths.
The diner’s menu will not change upon reopening, Steve said, with popular items like breakfast platters, sauteed dishes, burgers and wraps all set to return.
One change that loyal patrons should anticipate is that the diner will no longer operate as a 24-7 establishment, with its new hours tentatively set to be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, Steve said. Info: ggdiner.com.
Downtown Allentown Market
I’ll finish with a delicious venture that’s set to give the Downtown Allentown Market a pick-me-up this summer.
Reading Coffee Company, a Berks County-based business that imports fine coffee beans from around the world and roasts them in small batches daily, is planning to open a brick-and-mortar stand in mid-July at the food and beverage hall at 27 N. Seventh St., on the ArtsWalk, owner Frank Orman said.
The company, founded in 1989 in downtown Reading, offers high-quality, ethically traded coffee, including single-origins, rare exotics, unique blends and flavored varieties.
Now based in Birdsboro, the business is aiming to expand its regional presence.
“We’re really excited,” Orman said. “I bought the business two years ago from the original owner, Albert [VanMaanen], and we weathered COVID and are now looking at different ways to connect with the community.”
Reading Coffee features around two dozen single-origin coffees, including medium and dark roasts from Colombia, Burundi, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Peru, Sumatra and other international destinations, along with various blends and flavored varieties, including the most popular selection, “Jamaican Me Crazy,” a medium-roasted, 100% Colombian variety flavored with Kahlua, vanilla and caramel.
Customers at the market will be able to enjoy drip and pourover coffee along with specialty coffee drinks like cappuccino, lattes and nitro cold brew, and other beverages like all-natural energy drinks, juices and teas.
Because the market has a liquor license, Orman also is finalizing a menu of alcoholic coffee drinks.
Reading Coffee, filling the space left vacant by Doughnut Love, also will offer a menu of regionally sourced muffins, pastries and other baked goods along with a curated selection of soups, salads and other savory items.
Customers will be able to purchase growler fills of Reading Coffee’s cold brew along with bags of coffee to make at home and various coffee accessories.
Reading Coffee will join a line-up of more than a half dozen other market tenants, including another recently announced coming-soon business: Johnny’s ArtsWalk Diner, a casual concept offering burgers, cheesesteaks and more from the husband-and-wife team behind Johnny’s Bagels & Deli, with five locations throughout the Lehigh Valley.
Additionally, the market on Thursday welcomed 1838 , an Allentown-themed beer and wine bar from the operators of two existing market tenants, Batch Microcreamery and Middle Eastern favorite Zahra.
At 1838, named after the year that Allentown officially adopted its name, customers can enjoy a variety of wines, including reds, whites and blends, available by the glass, bottle or flight, co-owner Samantha Younes said.
They also can choose from an array of beers, including IPAs, lagers, porters and stouts, on draft and in cans and bottles.
“This will also be good for [downtown Allentown] residents to have beer and wine to-go,” said Younes, who also operates the longstanding Aladdin restaurant on Allentown’s East Side with her family. Info: downtownallentownmarket.com.
Retail Watch, appearing every weekend, keeps track of retail and restaurant news in the Lehigh Valley. Contact Ryan Kneller at 610-820-6597 or retailwatch@mcall.com.