Allentown PA: Youell's Oyster House (December 2015)

My spouse and I dined at Youell’s Oyster House most recently on a Sunday afternoon in late December 2015 (Christmas weekend). Youell’s is open for dinner daily (and for lunch on special occasions like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day). The restaurant accepts reservations by telephone or using their own computerized reservation system. Complimentary street parking is available.

 

Youell’s is located one block south of Hamilton Street at the corner of 23rd and Walnut Streets. The restaurant has been in operation since the late 1800s. The owners completely renovated and reopened the building after a serious fire in early 2013, and reopened the restaurant in early 2014. The renovation is quite nice, with a large bar (and bar table seating) as well as dining on the street level, with additional dining space on a mezzanine level. The restaurant features a rooftop garden with an apiary for honeybees (the restaurant uses and sells its own honey); disappointingly, no outdoor dining is available although it seems like they have room for it if they so desired. Historically, from the late 1800s to the early 1990s, Youell’s was located in Easton. In the early 1990s, a second location was opened in the West End of Allentown, and two years later, the Easton location was sold and later shuttered.

Youell’s specialty is seafood, and they display a raw bar on their regular bar. Many different types of seafood and combinations are available. If you sit in the bar area, you can choose from the pub menu or the regular dining room menu; whereas if you sit in the dining room, you must order off the dining room menu (not from the pub menu). We have eaten here several times since it re-opened, once in the dining room, and twice in the bar area. On our last visit, we shared the chicken meatballs, which come four to an order, and feature a sort of chicken salad encased in light breading, accompanied by a dipping sauce. These meatballs were not what we expected, and we found them to be a bit heavy (one per person would have been enough, but we each had two). We then ordered the paella and the tacos as entrees. The rice in the paella was moist, whereas most paella rice is a bit dry; it contained a few mussels, a few clams, some white fish, chorizo, and chicken, along with the rice and veggies. (Sadly, two of the large clam shells in the paella arrived completely cracked and broken. We felt that was a quality issue and they should not have been served; however, when we pointed the broken shells out to the bartender who served us, he offered no recourse.) The tacos came three to an order: one chicken, one white fish, and one shrimp. The menu said that the proteins were “all fried tempura style”, although they arrived freshly cooked and sans breading, plus they were extremely spicy from the mango sambal sauce which was too strong to appreciate the broccoli/Brussel sprout/cabbage slaw. For dessert, we shared their amazing Swiss nut cake, which is sort of like a pie filled to the brim with candied walnuts, and accompanied by whipped cream and yummy cinnamon ice cream. This is not the first time that we have enjoyed that nut dessert, and it is so tasty that we are compelled to order it every time that we visit. (Note that the nut pie is a seasonal menu item, served only in the fall and winter.) On previous visits, we have also ordered the combination seafood platter, both fried and broiled (we recommend the broiled over the fried). The restaurant serves warm rolls, accompanied by plenty of butter served in cute clam shells.

We would visit Youell’s more often if it were open for lunch on weekends. We like the variety of the two menus available in the bar area. And the Swiss nut cake should not be missed

Bethlehem PA: Carnegie Deli (December 2015)

My spouse and I dined at the Carnegie Deli on a Saturday afternoon in late December 2015 (Christmas weekend). Carnegie Deli does not accept reservations, and because it is located in the Sands Casino, can be busy at prime times. (They do have a special seating queue for loyalty members of the casino.) The Carnegie Deli is open for lunch and dinner Tuesdays through Sundays (closed on Mondays). Parking is available in the Sands garage or in a surface parking lot.

 

We have visited the original Carnegie Deli in Manhattan several times, although sadly, it has been closed since April 2015 because of an illegal gas hookup, and its future is uncertain. The Lehigh Valley location only resembles the original space in that they feature signed celebrity photos on the back wall.

The Carnegie Deli cures and smokes all of their own meat products, and bakes all of their famous cheesecakes at their commissary in Carlstadt, New Jersey. The Deli is known for its old world, kosher-style favorites like pastrami, corned beef, and brisket; they claim that their sandwiches weigh in at over a pound each.

The Lehigh Valley outpost of the Carnegie Deli is a large, bright open space, with primarily table seating and just four booths. The restaurant does not feature a bar where you can have a drink (although they do serve alcohol at the tables). A take-out counter is available. The restaurant has black-and-white checkered tile floors, wooden tables and chairs, and red leather booths. The kitchen area is somewhat open to the dining area, and there are display cases in the front and rear of the space that hold desserst, drinks, and other cold items (the cases are not serve yourself).

After customers are seated, waitstaff delivers two kinds of pickles as a snack. The restaurant has recently started offering half portions on their large sandwiches. (Previously, there was a sharing charge, which appears to have since been eliminated.) The regular (extra-large) sandwich portion size is still available; however, the sandwiches do not seem as large as they used to be in NYC. The restaurant currently serves sandwiches with a choice of fries (the best value), potato salad, or macaroni salad. (We seem to remember these sides costing “extra” previously.) We have tried the knishes, the potato pancakes, and the macaroni and cheese, but we return again and again to the pastrami or corned beef sandwiches, which are now served on your choice of white, wheat, or rye bread (although we cannot imagine eating pastrami or corned beef on anything but a good Jewish rye bread!). Condiments (brown mustard, mayonnaise, and ketchup) are on every table so that you can dress your sandwich according to your taste. (Nearly 20 years ago, we were almost thrown out of the Manhattan location for requesting mayonnaise on our pastrami sandwich, so the restaurant has come a long way since then!) We ordered two desserts: the housemade rice pudding (which was not sweet enough for our taste, and could have benefitted from being served slightly warm and perhaps with some whipped cream), and the fresh strawberry cheesecake. (The rice pudding portion was immense, but the size of the cheesecake was “normal”, not what we think of as “Carnegie Deli” size.)

Service was perfunctory; most guests just stop in for a quick bite between gaming, so the Carnegie Deli really is not a place where patrons tend to linger. 

Authentic deli meats are hard to find in the Lehigh Valley, particularly good pastrami, so the Carnegie Deli fits the bill without having to drive to Manhattan. (Truth be told, even in Manhattan, we usually prefer Katz’s Deli over the Carnegie Deli, but we will happily “take what we can get” in Bethlehem!)

Allentown PA: The Dime (December 2015)

My spouse and I dined most recently at The Dime with extended family on a Friday evening in late December 2015 (Christmas Day). (We dined previously at The Dime in early 2015 as a party of two.) The Dime is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They accept reservations by telephone or via the Open Table reservation system. Parking is available in the Renaissance Hotel/PPL Center garage; valet parking is also available for $6. You can also choose to park on the street (meters run until 10:00 pm except on Sundays) or in a nearby surface parking lot.

 

The Dime, which opened in January of 2015, is so named because it is the location of the former Dime Savings Bank. The restaurant is located on the third floor of the Renaissance Hotel at the corner of Seventh and Hamilton Streets, directly above the main entrance to the PPL Center. (There are doors on the third floor, adjacent to where the Dime is located, that lead directly to the PPL Center, although we have never seen them open. It would be difficult to control the crowd entering the arena;, but perhaps the hotel unlocks the doors when an event is over.)

The restaurant space is gorgeous, with large tall windows that overlook the square. The kitchen is open to the restaurant, so you can see the chefs work. Several large semi-circular booths (which easily sat our party of 7 adults) are available, as well as smaller tables that can be joined into any configuration. A private event space is also available. The bar area has a hip and trendy look, with a glass wine cellar and seating at the bar, tables, and in a lounge-type area. Another lounge area that is shared by hotel guests is located outside of the restaurant and bar. An elevator leads from the parking garage and lobby to the third floor, where The Dime is located; a separate elevator bank leads to guestrooms.

On our most recent visit, we ordered several entrees among our group: monkfish wrapped in bacon, crabcake sandwich (but without the bread), romaine lettuce salad, salmon, lamb shank, chicken, and stroganoff. The half-roasted chicken (served with sweet potato wedges and French green beans), and the lamb shank (served with polenta and grilled onions and tomatoes), were our favorites, as well as the short rib and mushroom stroganoff. We shared several desserts: the peanut butter gelato, the pear and apple pie (which was enormous and served warm), and the pumpkin marscapone mousse (served in a jar and layered with different ingredients). On a previous visit, we ordered the nutella dessert, which was delicious and served in a similar jarred/layered presentation to the pumpkin mousse. 

Although we will not rush right back to The Dime (there are so many other nearby restaurants such as the Hamilton Kitchen, Centro, Grain, and Roar), it presents a dining option that is always open in Downtown Allentown because it is the hotel restaurant.

Easton PA: 3rd & Ferry Fish Market (December 2015)

\My spouse and I dined at 3^rd & Ferry Fish Market most recently with extended family on a Thursday afternoon in late December 2015 (Christmas Eve). (We have dined at the restaurant two or three times previously as just a party of two diners.) 3^rd & Ferry is open for lunch and dinner daily. Metered parking is available on the street or in a nearby surface parking lot. The restaurant accepts reservations by telephone or using the Open Table reservation system.

 

3^rd & Ferry Fish Market opened in December of 2013 in the former space of Lipkins furniture store, on the corner of (surprise!) Third and Ferry Streets in Downtown Easton, close to Market Square, the Crayola Factory, and the State Theatre. Although the building renovation took over 3 years to complete due to structural issues, the space is now beautiful! The owners of 3^rd & Ferry previously owned Vintage Restaurant and Bar (at the Morgan Hill Golf Course). The chef hails from the former Farmhouse restaurant in Emmaus (which closed in early 2013).

Upon entering the restaurant, you pass the open kitchen fronted by a selection of raw bar items on ice. The restaurant is divided into several spaces: the long bar with adjacent high-top tables, the street-level dining area, and the mezzanine dining area (which is accessed by an open metal staircase). Restrooms are located on the basement level, as is a private function room (an elevator is available as well as stairs). Lots of wood, wrought-iron railings, and very high ceilings lend a slightly industrial feel to the space. Outdoor dining is available in nice weather on a sidewalk spot enclosed by a wrought-iron fence. (Also, the restaurant has outdoor heaters to take the chill off on a cool day.)

On our most recent visit, we shared one of the fresh seafood towers (even the small tower, priced at $50, contains lots of items such as 4 extra-jumbo shrimp, lump crabmeat, 8 oysters, 8 clams, 12 mussels, tartare, and ceviche. (Our only suggestion is to serve more “chips” with the tartare and the ceviche; one tortilla chip for the tartare, and a few small plantain chips for the ceviche, were not enough for our party of five diners.) We also shared the lobster-crab tostada appetizer, which we have also enjoyed on a previous visit. For entrees, we ordered shrimp and clam linguini, the cioppino (one of the specials that day), the lobster roll, and the cod (served with starch and vegetable). The freshly cut french fries (topped with crab aioli for an additional $2) that came with the lobster roll were most delicious, even though we are not particularly french fry fans! The crabmeat topping is well worth the upcharge – be sure to try it! The restaurant delivers rolls and butter before your meal. The restaurants “pieshake” desserts are so unique – a slice of pie blended into a milkshake (made with nearby Bank Street Creamery’s ice cream). Another memorable item that the restaurant serves is their “Crabby Mary”, an Old Bay Bloody Mary that is garnished with a jumbo shrimp, crabmeat, and a crabcake slider!

We enjoy dining at 3^rd & Ferry, and feel that it has some of the freshest seafood available in the Lehigh Valley.

March 2017