Theatre: Cirque du Soleil Crystal at PPL Center (June 2019)

Crystal is an arena touring show by Cirque du Soleil that started previewing to the public in October 2017, with an official premiere in December 2017. It is Cirque du Soleil's 42nd original show since 1984, and the first one done on an ice rink, where most of the performers are ice skating throughout the show, and blends several circus acts with high-level ice skating. It is described as a woman shattering reality to discover herself in the world of possibility. 

Kurt Browning, a four-time world champion Canadian figure skater, joined the creative team as the Skating Performances Senior Designer, along with Benjamin Agosto, four-time world medalist American ice dancer, as the Skating Performances Designer. 

Crystal is not just an ice show, it’s the very first experience on ice from Cirque du Soleil. Watch world-class ice skaters and acrobats claim their new frozen playground with speed and fluidity as they challenge the laws of gravity with never-before-seen acrobatics. A new kind of performance as Cirque du Soleil meets the ice to defy all expectations.

Directed by Shana Carroll and Sebastien Soldevila, Crystal, our misfit heroine, takes you on an exhilarating tale of self-discovery as she dives into a world of her own imagination. Feel the adrenaline as she soars through this surreal world to become what she was always destined to be: confident, curious, and creative. CRYSTAL invites you to suspend reality and glide into a world that springs to colorful life with astounding visual projections and a soundtrack that seamlessly blends popular music (U2’s “Beautiful Day”. Beyonce’s “Halo”, Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman”, and Sia’s “Chandelier”) with the signature sound of Cirque du Soleil. 

Links to the Morning Call articles Link Link

Easton: The Bayou (June 2019)

The Bayou Easton - NOLA Cuisine in Downtown Easton

My spouse and I dined at The Bayou in Easton for lunch on a Sunday afternoon in June 2019. The Bayou is open daily for lunch and dinner. Diners can book a table using the online RESY reservation system. 

The Bayou Easton (which opened in summer 2017) is the second location for Bethlehem’s Bayou (opened in 2014). The Eaton Bayou is located in Center Square in the space formerly occupied by Valenca restaurant. The owners also operate Queen City BBQ and Cork and Cage in Allentown (and the now-shuttered Grain as well). Metered street parking is available in front of the restauarnt, or on nearby side streets, parking lots, and a parking deck/garage.

The corner location offers lots of windows throughout the space, including in the front bar area and the main dining room. The bar features metal chandeliers, a slate-blue and white coffered ceiling, and a brick-tiled back wall, with high-top tables along the windows opposite the bar. A semi-open kitchen window in a bright white brick wall offers a focal point in the main room, accented by toile wallpaper on the yellow-bordered tray ceiling. An additional room provides overflow dining and event space. In warmer weather, patrons can also dine at outdoor tables on the sidewalk, surrounded by a wrought iron fence. 

The Bayou serves Southern/Cajun/New Orleans cuisine in a variety of plate sizes (snacks, small, and large). We shared two small plates (cauliflower and shrimp), followed by two entrees (an enormous portion of four pieces of fried chicken, served in a metal pail in Easton versus on a wooden cutting board in Bethlehem, and accompanied by mashed sweet potatoes [which we subbed for jalapeno grits]). For dessert, we shared the peanut butter mousse dirt dessert. The Bayou offers a full liquor license.

We enjoyed our outdoor lunch at the Bayou Easton.

Hawley: The Boat House (June 2019)

The Boat House – Wish It Was Next to the Water

My spouse and I dined at the Boat House for lunch on a Saturday afternoon in June 2019. The Boat House is open daily for lunch and dinner. Reservations are not accepted, although diners can call ahead if you have a large party.

The Boat House opened in May 1999 in Hawley near the shores of Lake Wallenpaupack. (We mistakenly thought that the restaurant was perched lakeside; instead, only a small glimpse of the lake is visible down the boat access road.) The restaurant is operated by the Woodloch Pines Resort, although it is located 20 minutes away. Back in the 1950s, an ice cream stand/miniature golf course was located on this site, and later the Sunset Grove Restaurant. 

Indoors, guests can sit in the open bar area, with seating at the bar itself or at adjacent high-top tables. The main dining room offers seating at regular-height tables in an L-shaped room painted pale yellow above the chair rail and bright blue below and hung with nautical decor. Outdoors, a small awning-covered deck offers seating at about six tables (both high-tops and regular height), as well as at a small L-shaped bar that seats about 6 people. Plenty of parking is available in an adjacent surface lot.

The Boat House serves American and international cuisine. As a starter, we shared the potato skins, followed by the Korean pork belly sandwich on a steamed bun (with choice of side, which in our case was macaroni salad) and the fish and chips. A full liquor license is available.

We enjoyed our al fresco lunch at The Boat House.