“Drunken noodle.” That was all I needed to hear when I interviewed Matchimo Danpo months ago about the special dishes she planned to offer at the Thai Avenue restaurant (now open) in the K-Mart Shopping Center on Tilghman Street in South Whitehall, not far from the Upper Macungie border. Described as stir-fried flat noodles with broccoli, tomato, onion, bell peppers, egg, chili and basil leaves, it sounded so delicious and tempting that I knew exactly what to order when my mother-in-law and I stopped in for lunch on a recent Thursday: Lunch special 10. Drunken Noodle. Danpo had told me that…

Since my friends and I decided to eat lunch at the Chicken Lounge & Grill in the Dorneyville Shopping Center for my November review, we all opted for a chicken sandwich for lunch from the wide menu.  Little did we know the chicken dishes on the menu were not the reason for the restaurant's name! Manager Augie Moore said it took him years to learn that the Chicken Lounge got its name from an octagonal design in the original carpet that looked like chicken wire.  Wallpaper in the place also had some chickens on it, he said. "Hey, it was the '70s," Moore said defensively. Renovated 3.5 years ago…

The Hops Fogelsville Hotel is a historic landmark and the winner of multiple Patch "Reader's choice" polls for food and drink, so it came as a surprise to me that Patch had yet to fully review this restaurant. I set out to rectify that with a lunch the first Wednesday of this month with my husband Bruce and dear friends Stan and Matt Stephens, who run a successful family funeral business in Allentown. I first met Stan when writing obituaries for The Morning Call almost 40 years ago and was impressed with his professionalism and caring manner that has comforted my own family and countless …

  In honor of the recent launch of North Whitehall Patch and its new editor, Jennifer Rodgers, I have made this my first review of a "restaurant" in the township whose nearly 29 square miles include the villages of Mechanicsville, Orefield and Schnecksville. I put the term restaurant in quotes because, well, Tex's Smokin' BarBQ is actually a trailer set up along a busy stretch of Route 309 near Shankweiler's Drive-In on property owned by the Hunsicker Funeral Home. My former editor suggested the place out of curiosity concerning the smoke she would see wafting across the highway from a small …

  Sundays are “go-out-to-breakfast” days with our good friends Fred and Gail.  Usually we mix it up among diners and restaurants nearby for a variety of menu options and prices. One of our favorite places on the list is the Trivet Diner on Tilghman Street, where we often see returning customers. What brings us back: The Allentown Wrap. At $5.25, it is my husband’sfavorite breakfast and possibly Gail’s as well. Filled with generous helpings of scrambled egg, bacon and cheese, this pan-browned tortilla is served cut in half with a side of salsa. “They don’t skimp on the cheese,” Gail said of …

Given three options for dinner in early July, our friends Scott and Denise Stein picked Red Robin in the Tilghman Square Shopping Center in South Whitehall. "It's Josh's favorite," Denise said, referring to a nephew. Our friends had eaten there a half dozen times since the franchise opened almost 20 years ago, in August 1993. My husband Bruce also had enjoyed quite a few lunches there before he retired in November, but it had been a while since I had sampled the fare. Uncharacteristically, we both scanned the menu and settled on the same selection: a "BLTA" on a croissant with a fruit cup …

I used to think all Mexican food was pretty much the same: meat, beans and cheese loaded with calories in a crispy or soft tortilla. The only difference being quality, quantity and price. Some places, like the Mexicana Grille in Allentown, claim to be more authentic, adding the herb cilantro to its tacos and salads. Taco Bell offers Mexican fast food at fast-food prices; On the Border, a Mexican grill. So count me surprised by our first dinner at Cali Burrito, 3104 HamiltonBlvd., South Whitehall. I’d heard others rave about the burritos there but figured they just like to eat a lot for a …

Now that I no longer work full-time, I seldom stop at a drive-through, fast-food restaurant -- unless I need coffee. But what’s a hungry person to do when she doesn’t feel like cooking OR dining in? Arby’s. Why Arby’s?  Let me count: 1. Where else can you order deli-like sandwiches at a drive through? 2. Reubens with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Russian dressing on soft, swirled rye. 3. Arby’s still slices roast beef each day on the premises, something I watched with fascination as a kid, when the area’s first Arby’s opened on Lehigh Street in Allentown. 4. Chicken salad with grapes, celery and …

“Why do people go to buffets?”  my lunch partner asked Sunday, when we sat down at the Gourmet Buffet and Grille in the Dorneyville Shopping Center.       Leave it to my friend to ask the right question. “If it’s because of choices, there are plenty to pick from at other restaurants too,”  she mused. “Yes, but buffets offer even more choices than appear on a menu and you can take a little or a lot,”  I countered. Gourmet Buffet, which opened the end of last year, may very well be one of the largest buffets in the Lehigh Valley with more than 300 “authentic American, Japanese and Chinese” …

A funny thing happened on the way to my next restaurant review: the burrito place we were going to try in the K-mart shopping plaza had closed! So, we went to Sal’s Pizza, a few doors away. The appeal: we didn’t have to dress up, it was close by and we knew the food was good. Sal’s also has a liquor license, so patrons can have a beer or glass of wine with their sandwich, salad or dinner. This Sal’s Pizza is not a franchise. It is a single, family-owned restaurant. For years I’ve stopped at Sal’s on my way home from work because of its easy access, quick service and the fact that I could get …

A full parking lot tells me one of two things: the restaurant has great food or the lot is too small. At P.J. Whelihan’s Pub & Restaurant, it might be both. Located at the increasingly busy intersection of Cetronia Road and Broadway in a grand and golden stuccoed two-story, Whelihan’s is perched perilously close to the street on a lot perpetually full of cars, trucks and motorcycles. And, judging from the tongue-tingling tastes during a recent lunch, its appreciative customers could probably easily fill a lot twice the size. P.J's is known for its wings, boasting, “Nobody does buffalo like we…

If you like a quiet, dimly lit, hole-in-the-wall in which to hide or read while eating your lunch, you might want to avoid Panera Bread in the Village West shopping center.  On a recent Thursday at noon, the place bustled with business. My mother-in-law and I marveled at the steady stream of customers and wondered how the lines moved so quickly and how everyone found a seat. “It was a busy day for us,“ Manager Steve Trexler acknowledged. And he should know: In 2005 at age 16, he started as a clerk and worked his way up the ranks to his recent promotion. That Panera is a place people …

Chianti is a red Italian wine produced in Tuscany.  It also is the name of an Italian restaurant at the bottlenecked end of Crackersport Road, near Daniels Cadillac/BMW dealership and the West End Racquetball Club. My husband and I had eaten at Chianti Italiano Ristorante once before, but too many years ago to remember much about the food or décor.  I wanted to try it again because I had read that it was under new ownership. Also, I clipped coupons from at least three publications, which these days can make a difference between folks eating out or staying home. The layout appeared familiar: …

I had already heard good things about Randall’s On The Orchard before trying it for a recent date night with my husband. My sister and her girlfriends had been there twice in the first few weeks it had opened. Also, I knew that the former House of Strawberries/Orchard Fish Co. in Orefield was now owned by the man who had made Henry’s Salt of the Sea in Allentown a long-time favorite, Randy Maurer. Bruce and I were not disappointed. First impression: A cute exterior with a multi-level deck and seating, should the line extend out the doors, and a ramp entrance on the other side for those who …

Lazeez (la-ZEEZ) lives up to its name, which means “delicious” in Arabic. Everything I sampled for lunch with my mother-in-law Ginny and a friend on a recent, rainy Thursday tasted fresh and grilled and seasoned to perfection. I chose Lazeez for this review after having had some take-out from the restaurant months earlier.  What impressed me was not only the made-to-order freshness and taste of the Mediterranean fare, but also the friendliness of the family running the place. Adnan Haddad, his wife Waad and mother Madlyn are the owners, cooks and bottle washers.  They opened in December 2009 …

The last time I had eaten anything from the Outback steakhouse probably was five years ago. I had tired of waiting to be seated at the popular chain in the Village West Shopping Center, so I ordered take-out for my husband and me to share at home. I had ordered petite filet, baked potato, mixed veggies and salad, knowing that the portions were big enough for us to at least share the salad and potato. I didn’t go back after that because it seemed to me that the price was high, even given the freakishly large potato. But since the restaurant renovated in mid-June, I’ve been wondering if the …

If you’ve ever fantasized about having your own chef to prepare healthy, fresh foods to your liking, step inside the Wild Rice restaurant in the Tilghman Square shopping center. My mother-in-law, Ginny, and I did this month, taking seats at one of four Hibachi tables in the relatively new Asian eatery, which also features a sushi bar and two other sections, one with booths, the other with tables that can accommodate a large group.  Owned by a family that also owns the China House in Schnecksville, Wild Rice offers alcoholic drinks, menus for children and desserts such as “fried cheesecake” …

I thought I’d try an Italian restaurant for my next dinner review because they tend to have selections that appeal to all members of my family, including lots of pasta and pizza. We chose Attilio’s because I had been there for a birthday lunch with co-workers eons ago and remembered it fondly. Sadly, the food on our more recent visit was not nearly as memorable. My husband Bruce had a meatball sandwich ($5.25) and I had the eggplant parmesan sandwich ($5.75). Both came out piping hot on fresh, crusty rolls. The eggplant was fresh, not a frozen patty. But for us, the sauce, er “gravy” as my …

I used to think I could live without bread, preferring to “spend” those calories on dessert. That was until I met Jason Guo and tasted his amazing sweet and savory breads. Guo is the owner of the new Bread Box Bakery & Café in the Tilghman Square Shopping Center in South Whitehall. He had me at the first bite of his fresh-baked “coco butter cream.”  Imagine sinking your teeth into a mound of the softest bread on earth, decorated with a ripple of rich, smooth cream.  OMG! “Try the green tea swirl,“ he urged, adding that the round loaf was coffee bread filled with an espresso cheese, crushed …

One of the busiest restaurant days of the year -- Mother’s Day -- is behind us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still enjoy a special lunch or, in this case, brunch. In fact, I prefer a less-crowded, more relaxed day to celebrate motherhood. I had wanted to take my mother-in-law to try the new brunch at Easy Street Eats, a relatively new restaurant also on Tilghman Street, but the place closed before we could get a taste. The nerve! And less than a month after I purchased a $30 certificate online for half price.  Such is the fickle finger of fate with many restaurants, even the good ones: here…