Sunday, July 29, 2012

Upcoming Events in Late Summer/Fall/Winter 2012

There are a lot of fun festivals in the Lehigh Valley beginning in July and lasting until the end of the year. In order to keep track of them, I'm posting a list (with links, where possible) here.

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER

Musikfest (August 3-12)
Muhlenberg Hospital Festival (August 15-18)
VegFest (September 8)
Celtic Classic (September 28-30)


OCTOBER

Oktoberfest (October 5-7 and October 12-14)
Easton Garlic Fest (October 6-7)
Fall Foliage Festival (October 6-21, weekends)
Bethlehem Harvest Festival (October 13)
Just Desserts (October 19)


NOVEMBER-DECEMBER

Christkindlmarkt (November 15-December 23)
Christmas City Village (November 23-December 23)
Peeps Fest (December 31)

Sunday, July 22, 2012

2012 Burnside Plantation Blueberry Festival

One of my favorite local events to attend is the annual Burnside Plantation Blueberry Festival. I love blueberries, plus I like supporting an historical site in the Lehigh Valley. It's also fun going there to remind myself of the happy years I spent working at Martin Tower, which is now used as a parking area for visitors to the festival.

There seemed to be more Moravian-inspired demonstrations at the 2012 festival. My husband and I saw women cooking, a man making beer and a blacksmith. It's possible that we just missed them in previous years. We also happened to be at the festival when a group of young Irish dancers were performing.

Pictured: Moravian women cooking

Pictured: Moravian beer maker

Pictured: fresh local produce for sale

Pictured: mosaic artist

Pictured: concession stand

Besides walking around and looking at the various crafts, we bought a few blueberry pastries and enjoyed cold smoothies, which were a welcomed treat on the hot day. My favorite pastry was a soft pretzel from Stations Cafe that had blueberries baked into the dough. It was a yummy treat that wasn't super sweet.

Congratulations to the people at Burnside Plantation who made this festival possible. It was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I hope to see even more crafters and local produce sellers there next year.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Roma Ristorante

I've long been a fan of Taste of Italy, on Catasauqua Road in Allentown. The same family that runs that restaurant also operates a more upscale Italian restaurant on the other side of Airport Road, in the new shopping center. The new restaurant is Roma Ristorante.

Pictured: front of restaurant

One of the most fun things about Roma is the fact that guests are greeted by a statue of a Roman soldier, standing outside of the restaurant. The inside of Roma is beautifully decorated in tones of blue and brown, creating a very relaxing and sophisticated environment in which to enjoy delicious food. A beautiful glass wave divides the bar area from the dining area.

Pictured: inside of restaurant

I ordered fettuccine with garlic and oil for my meal. Before my pasta arrived, I snacked on fresh baked bread that was served with olive oil and spices.

Pictured: fettuccine with garlic and oil

The portion was huge. I ended up taking 2/3 of it home. It tasted wonderful at the restaurant, and even better when I had it again a couple days later. I'm pretty sure there must have been some butter melted in with the oil. My pasta had a fantastic buttery taste to it. It was perfect with the large pieces of garlic that were generously mixed throughout the pasta.

Would I order this again? Absolutely! I think I actually prefer the garlic and oil over red sauce.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Vintage Restaurant and Bar

One of the nicest places in the Lehigh Valley for dining with a great view is Vintage Restaurant and Bar, part of the The Club at Morgan Hill in Easton. You don't have to go there to golf in order to enjoy the fine food in the restaurant. Just bring your appetite and a camera, because you'll want to take pictures of the Lehigh Valley. The views are spectacular!

Pictured: outside of restaurant

Pictured: entrance to dining room

Pictured: inside of dining room

Pictured: tomato soup and grilled cheese

Pictured: cheeseburger and fries with bacon and cheese sauce

Pictured: incredible view of the Lehigh Valley

Pictured: another view of the Lehigh Valley

The day was perfect for looking down into the valley. The views in the opposite direction were stunning too, but I didn't feel like walking back up the huge hill to take any photographs.

Pictured: coolest sticker on a car, ever!

The Star Wars fan in me thinks the owner of this car is awesome!

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