UNION & FINCH UPDATES MENU

Whether you’re a meat lover, vegetarian or non-discriminatory eater of all things, an updated menu at Allentown’s Union & Finch restaurant features creative dishes for all diets.

The 1528 W. Union St. bistro, owned by husband and wife Ed and Shahnaz Hanna, a couple of weeks ago introduced more than a dozen new menu items, including salads such as quinoa tabouli and adoboseasoned grilled tuna taco and sandwiches such as a falafel burger and “Gold Label Burger” (custom 8-ounce Pat LaFrieda blend, made exclusively for Union & Finch, featuring prime dry-aged beef cuts topped with caramelized onions).

“The Gold Label Burger is offered in limited quantities weekly due to the beef blend,” Ed noted.

Supplementing existing entrees ($14-$28) such as chicken and waffle, steak frites and vegetarian loaf are new main courses such as pan-seared branzino topped with heirloom tomato bruschetta, creamy risotto and asparagus; Caribbean duck breast with coconut quinoa and long grain rice, mango chutney and arugula salad; and gaucho steak, an 8-ounce Pat LaFrieda flat iron steak with chimichurri, sweet potato fries, fried plantains and asparagus.

Two new pasta dishes include vegan spaghetti, made with roasted spaghetti squash and heirloom tomato pomodoro sauce; and “Not Your Momma’s Pasta,” featuring housemade pappardelle topped with a Bolognese sauce of beef, pork and veal.

Other new additions include small plates ($5-$12) such as burrata, kimchi sliders and battered-and-fried smelts with harissa sauce.

Union & Finch, celebrating its third anniversary this weekend, offers weekly specials including “Wing It Wednesdays,” featuring half price wings and beer pitcher specials, and “Burger & Beer Thursdays,” featuring the Union Burger and any draft beer for $10. For reservations, call 610-4321522.