The Other Fish definitely is the best alternative sushi in the valley

The Other Fish sushi restaurant on Broad Street in Bethlehem really does stand out against the other sushi restaurants in the Lehigh Valley. Between Tokyo Do, Kome and 24 East- The Other Fish embraces a comfort and welcoming feel that others do not.

Decorated eclectically and embracing the indie side of decor, The Other Fish has a sense of comfort that I felt after immediately walking through the door. Restaurant owner, Matt Reichard says that is the goal of the establishment.
"We want to have a welcoming, friendly restaurant."

With one larger table in the front of the restaurant, bar seating and a few two-tops along the wall, The Other Fish is small, quaint and fills up quickly. Because of the enormous popularity, The Other Fish can't take reservations- first come, first serve. 

Being the only sushi restaurant in Bethlehem that has free delivery, The Other Fish is ideal and does a lot of business delivering all over the valley- especially college campuses.

When eating at The Other Fish for lunch, I ordered miso soup and a shrimp tempura roll- a modest choice considering all of the different options on the extensive menu. The interesting rolls, and very different compared to other sushi restaurants, are named out of originality.
"A lot of our rolls are pretty different then anywhere else. Almost every roll on the menu is named after our customers or friends," said Matt.

Jay, the sushi chef, has been said to be the only master sushi chef in the valley.

When comparing his restaurant to competition in the Lehigh Valley, Matt says he is not afraid of what they're doing. The Other Fish is focused on the customer and creating a friendly feel.

"I know almost 80% of our customers by name, they make it unique more than anything else. We're not traditional by any means," said Matt.

I would fully have to agree with the 28-year-old owner. Although it's been there for seven years, I hadn't been to the restaurant since it opened in 2005. Walking in, I started chatting with Matt and employee, Janelle, as if we were old friends.

Although the sushi was amazing, the overall atmosphere and the friendliness and realness of the staff made me fall in love with The Other Fish. Oh, and of course the fact that it's BYOB!

The Other Fish is closed Sunday and Monday but is opened the other days of the  week for lunch and dinner.

Check out Yelp's review and dineindie's blog about The Other fish
AND check out their facebook! LIKE IT

The Other Fish- here I come!

I'm excited to announce this week's food venture- The Other Fish Sushi Bar on Broad Street in Bethlehem. Sushi is by far one of my favorite types of food and I love trying out different sushi places, each one is always different. I've been to The Other Fish once before a few years ago and I'm excited to revisit and try some great sushi, according to reviews.

I'm always afraid to venture outside of my sushi comfort zone but hopefully I'll man-up and try something other then tempura sushi. 

According to dineindie.com, The Other Fish is the only true Japanese sushi in the Lehigh Valley. 

"The Other Fish serves top notch sushi specialties in a cozy, diner-style atmosphere.The only true Japanese Master Sushi chef in the Lehigh Valley. Try the Garlic Tuna! BYOB"

The Other Fish reviews on Yelp seem to be relatively positive although somewhat mixed, check it out: http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-other-fish-bethlehem

Also, check out The Other Fish's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Other-Fish-Sushi-Bar/26058299289

Can't wait to feast on some amazing sushi!

Molinari's (not your average) Italian Restaurant

Walking into Molinari's on 3rd Street in Bethlehem made me a little nervous. I was afraid that the restaurant would look similar to those failed businesses that had been in that space before- boy, was I wrong. Molinari's had transformed into a beautiful, classic restaurant with a full bar, beautiful and classic decor and traditional Italian scents filling the air. Previous reviews of Molinari's stated that it felt like you were walking into Rome when walking into the restaurant- I could not agree more.


The restaurant had indeed captured the rustic sense of Italy instead of the Americanized- Italian restaurants that you can find on every street in Bethlehem, which is what clearly set this place apart in the Christmas City.
The prices are reasonable for the quality of food that a customer is receiving, not quite as cheap as your wannabe Italian restaurant down the street but every penny spent is worth it.
Walking in for lunch, I sat at the bar and was immediately greeted by a friendly face behind the bar. After ordering the baby arugula salad and a pepperanada and mozzarella panini, the general manager Marco Carrozza continued to chat with me about other restaurants in Bethlehem.
Marco showed me the wide spread array of Italian wines, beers and liquors and described Molinari's dedication to real Italian food.
After eating my fantastic salad and panini, I talked with sous chef Erik Hoffman about his favorite dishes and how Molinari's is unique.
"No one is doing what we're doing, we're trying to keep it fresh and local. The menu is small so we can put emphasis into a few really great dishes," he said.


Working at Bolete and Molly's Irish Pub, Erik has been around the restaurant block in the Lehigh Valley and confirms that Molinari's staff is impeccable and works great together. His favorite thing on the menu? The Roasted Monkfish in Brodetto.
Erik suggested I go for a gelato for dessert and chose the honey torrone which was amazing, so clearly freshly made and I wanted more. Erik and the kitchen staff also had me try another dessert which was similar to a creme flan with figs which was equally delicious.




"We're trying to stay way from Americanized- Italian restaurants, we're trying to stay authentic and rustic," said Erik.


With only a few months into the restaurant being opened, it is clear that Molinari's has steered clear of the inevitable fate of previous businesses in that corner store. I really can't wait to return and feast on the homemade pizza that overwhelmingly filled the entire restaurant with what pizza should smell like.


Visit Molinari's for lunch or dinner and make your reservation by phone or even, via their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/MolinariMangia?sk=info

En Route to Molinari's Italian Restaurant

Molinari's is a new and, apparently, thriving restaurant in south-side Bethlehem. Never having been there, I plan on making my first Molinari's trip this week to find an interesting face to chat with and a table for one. Although there are tons of Italian restaurants in Bethlehem, Molinari's seems to be something special- according to reviews.

Of those that I read, I've seen barely-if any-negative feedback. Here's a Yelp review that is helping decide on what to get when I visit the place myself:

"I have been here several times, and I'm in love. The muscles appetizer is amazing. After I had the burrata for the first time, and I thought about it for days-sooo good. They have a  bruschetta with broccoli pesto-absolutely delicious. Their homemade pastas are good and have a nice bite to them. I had monk fish for the first time here-crispy skin, meaty texture, mild fish flavor, and a sauce to die for. The homemade gelatos are the perfect finish-small bites of creamy sweetness. The hazelnut gelato is unlike anything I've ever had before. The food preparation here is top notch and the staff are always friendly. I'm getting hungry just thinking about Molinari's."

Although I'm excited to eat and devour some supposedly fantastic Italian dishes, I'm also really excited to meet this incredible staff and put a face behind Molinari's.

The building that Molinari's is located in used to be The Steel Grille and Lucky Duck's Diner- both of which failed miserably. Let's cross our fingers and hope Molinari's isn't anything like these previous restaurant failures.

Molinari's avidly keeps up with it's Facebook page too- which I think seems pretty neat. Some customers even make reservations via Facebook and get an immediate confirmation! Seems like great service.
According to Facebook and Yelp, this is Molinari's description of itself:

"Hospitality as only Italy can provide. Authentic Italian food. Freshly made pasta. Pizza in the Neapolitan style. Gelato and sorbetto made on premises. Italian wine list. Italian craft beers. Simple, fresh, flavorful."

Here is the Molinari's menu from fellow blogger, The El Vee: http://theelvee.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Molinaris-Menu.pdf

Check out Molinari's website at http://www.molinarimangia.com/
Check out Yelp's site on Molinari's: http://www.yelp.com/biz/molinaris-bethlehem
Or their Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MolinariMangia?sk=info

The Mint's got some spicy classics

Having been to The Mint before for lunch, I knew exactly what to get as soon as I walked in the bank-inspired-theme restaurant. Previously a bank on Broad Street and 12th Avenue in West Bethlehem, The Mint owner and head chef, Dominico "Chef Mimmo" Lombardo embraced the bank decor with a modern, colorful twist when it first opened in the summer of 2011.

The Mint features multiple menus- lunch, dinner, late night and an extremely extensive wine and beer menu. Between grilled cheese, tater tots and mac & cheese- it seems, at first glance, that The Mint sells glorified diner food at an expensive price. This assumption is completely false. Each food menu features these favorite comfort foods with an artistic twist that everyone knows and loves.


David Serfass, a server at The Mint since the opening, loves the restaurants decor, microbrews and has a few favorites from the menu of his own.


"It's traditional food done non-traditional ways. It's food that everyone is willing to identify with but will still be surprised by," said Serfass.


I ordered a bowl of the Wasabi Pea Soup with bacon lardons and crispy rice cakes. Not only was this the most fantastic pea soup I've ever had- and I am a huge soup fan- but the presentation was extremely intriguing (and only $9). Serfass poured the steaming soup from a hot kettle over the rice cakes and bacon- tableside service.


As for Serfass, he has a few menu favorites of his own.
 "The bank burger is something unique, the crabcakes are one of my favorites and the carrot soup is brand new."


As for other Mint-goers, almost everyone on Yelp's site decided they would definitely go back- check out what others think: http://tinyurl.com/7pe2mfn


Visit bethlehemmint.com to check out their unique menu and decor or check out their Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Mint/104382892989571?ref=ts


Check out my video interview with Chef Mimmo and The Mint:

Easy Weenies Isn't Just a Clever Name

As a regular customer at the plentiful southside Bethlehem bars, I constantly am witnessing friends of mine and fellow bar-hoppers heading over to the hot dog cart on 4th Street. Finally, after much deliberation, I headed to the long-lined cart myself and ordered a chicken-kabob.


The $6 kabob was lined with grilled, hot chicken breast and an array of crisp, grilled veggies. Not only was my food fantastic, the overall scene of this simple cart was crazy. I never thought that a hot dog cart would have such a following.

Heading back to interview the hot dog man himself a few days later, Michael Hernandez explained to me the relationships he's built with customers, his competition and his loyalty to Sabrett dogs.
The cart itself has been in its' original spot, across from Homebase Skateshop on 4th Street, for over two years. Originating in Easton, Easy Weenies is now a staple in South Bethlehem.


Hernandez, the sole hot dog man of the southside cart, says he and his fellow Easy Weenie-ins, brother Chris Morales, are looking to expand throughout the Lehigh Valley.


Although the cart is one-of-a-kind in Bethlehem, Easy Weenies has competition on Lehigh University's campus. A hot dog cart, just dogs, sells boiled hot dogs. Hernandez has also heard of the possibility of a food truck coming soon to the campus. When asked if he was hesitant about his competition, Hernandez simply brushed it aside, knowing Easy Weenies is the top cart in town.


"We have a steady tine of customers, so we'll always do well," he said.

The menu for the cart is extremely lengthy compared to your classic hot dog cart. Complete with vegetarian options, cheese steaks and filet steak kabobs; this cart isn't just a pitstop after a night of drinking. Hernandez gets call-in orders throughout the day, people walking by the cart for lunch, even drive-by orders as people are headed around the block waiting for their Weenie order.


The young business owners are extremely loyal to their customers, heading up to New York City to purchase Sabrett hot dogs monthly.


"We only use Sabretts, it's the only hot dog we'll ever sell," said Hernandez.


Hernandez's suggestion? The Monster- 1/2 pound of hamburger and 1/2 of cheesesteak in a bun or a wrap. The menu just added fajita and cheesesteak wraps, too.


"Now you can pretty much get anything in wrap," he says.


Along with great food and great passer-by's, Hernandez has music playing from an iHome dock.


"Music draws people in, they hear music and they always stop by to see what's going on," Hernandez said.


Although originally causing some controversy, Easy Weenies is constanty getting great reviews. Check out Yelp's take on Easy Weenies! yelp.com/biz/easy-weenies-bethlehem


Follow this fantastic eastery on Twitter at @Easyweenies and head over to their Facebook page. facebook.com/EasyWeenies