Lehigh Valley Source

Restaurant Review: 4 Aces Grill’s Divine Ostrich Skewer Makes Up for Serving Mishap

4 Aces Grill
1301 W. Hamilton St.
Allentown, Pa. 18102
484-661-4723
Major credit cards accepted

By M. DAVID SNYDER
Special to Lehigh Valley Source

Having heard by word of mouth about 4 Aces Grill--a new place that had opened in Allentown--I decided to check it out. By foot is the best way to get to this quaint little eatery because street parking is neither readily available nor is there a parking lot. The place is handicapped accessible; a ramp, rather than stairs, leads to the front door. In addition, customers can enter through a large veranda intended for al fresco dining.

The staff was quite friendly as I entered, and I was told to sit anywhere. I love the restaurant's ambiance—an elegant, New Age green. Seating next to the open kitchen reminds one of a sushi bar; however, sushi is not on the menu. One of two flat-screen TVs was tuned to a jazz music station.

After perusing the menu, I settled on an Ostrich Skewer, cooked medium with an Herb Tamarind Marinade, setting on a chunky Orange Tamarind Sauce. It came with a delicious side salad of arugula, potatoes, and asparagus tips, all for $13. I also ordered the house-cut French Fries for $3. I had heard that the fries would be super-thin, but mine were cut like steak fries. My beverage was cranberry juice with ice for $1.50.

Cooked to divine perfection, the ostrich meat melted off the skewer. Likewise, the tamarind sauces were fabulous. Before my entrée arrived, I was offered complimentary homemade potato chips--a bit greasy for my taste--and three spoonfuls of salsa.

After the potato chips, I experienced a minor serving mishap. Another server placed a plate of Jalapeño poppers in front of me and said, “Here you go. Try these.” Although I didn’t order the poppers, I figured they were simply another complimentary dish. It turns out they weren’t, so it’s good that I took only one bite and pushed the plate away. (I like spicy food, but the poppers were too hot.)

When my original server noticed what had transpired, the other server was berated. They asked why I failed to say that I hadn’t ordered the poppers. “This was my first time here, and I was just given a plateful of chips that I didn’t order either,” I replied. “And you didn’t say, ‘Here are your poppers, sir.’ You said only ‘Try these.’ ” In the end, I wasn’t charged for my accidental bite.

I asked for a few menus to take home and was told that the restaurant usually offers a three-course prix-fixe dinner for $35. I’ve told my housemate and co-workers that the food is scrumptious. I am planning to return and take a guest with me.

M. David Snyder of Allentown is a multimedia artist and freelance writer.

Bethlehem’s Christmas City Celebration Starts Nov. 27

Photo by Shawn Hessinger/Lehigh Valley Source

Bethlehem, Pa. -- From the Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem family holiday marketplace to the festivities and fireworks of First Night Bethlehem on New Year’s Eve, visitors to historic Bethlehem, Pa.--the Christmas City--will discover more than 40 different family-friendly events and attractions celebrating the magic of the holiday season.

Bethlehem’s 2009 Christmas City celebration gets underway Nov. 27, 2009, with the opening of Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem and the City of Bethlehem’s official tree lighting ceremony at Payrow Plaza. The festivities continue daily through Dec. 31, when thousands gather to welcome in the New Year during the annual First Night Bethlehem music and arts celebration. 

At Christkindlmarkt--named one of the top holiday markets in the world by Travel and Leisure Magazine
--guests are invited to explore aisles of exquisite handmade works by more than 75 of the nation’s finest artisans, listen to the heart-warming sounds of live Christmas music, and sample a variety of delicious food. The event--which takes place Nov. 27-29 and Dec. 3-6, 10-13, and 17-20--is also home to jolly old St. Nicholas--who’s eager to greet children and hear their holiday wishes--as well as entertaining ice carving presentations, glassblowing demonstrations, and Germany’s Käthe Wohlfahrt, renowned for its authentic German ornaments, nutcrackers, and collectibles. Christkindlmarkt hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays; the event is located at Spring and Main streets in downtown Bethlehem.

This year’s Christmas City celebration will be even sweeter with the addition of PEEPS® Fest, the dynamic, new celebration of the confection that’s won the hearts and tastes buds of young and old throughout the nation. The family-focused event, presented by Just Born Inc.--the Bethlehem company that manufactures PEEPS--and ArtsQuest, will take place Dec. 30-31 at Spring and Main streets.

Highlights of the inaugural PEEPS Fest include PEEPS Olympics for kids, photos with the PEEPS mascot, smore making and a variety of music, art, and family fun. Several of the city’s restaurants will partner with the festival to offer special desserts made with PEEPS during Christmas week. In addition, the event will showcase a variety of dioramas created by area school children as part of the first Lehigh Valley PEEPS Scholastic Diorama Competition.

For those interested in Bethlehem’s rich history and holiday traditions, the Christmas City also features numerous opportunities to learn about the customs and heritage of the Moravians who christened Bethlehem on Christmas Eve 1741. 

At An Old-fashioned Moravian Christmas, presented by Central Moravian Church, the charming story of the early Moravians comes to life through music, song, and story. Performances feature organist Rebecca Kleintop Owens on the Moller/Walker pipe organ, as well as select appearances by Mainstreet Brass Quartet and Central Moravian Choir, making this a must-see show for Christmas City visitors. Showtimes are 2 p.m. Dec. 3-5 and 10-12, and performances take place in historic, 200-year-old Central Moravian Church, Main and Church streets.

Other attractions that focus on early Bethlehem and the holidays include the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem; the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, which exhibits exquisite china, dollhouse, and textile collections; and Bethlehem by Night Bus Tours that showcase the lights, sights, and sounds of the Christmas City.

Visitors looking for a quiet, quaint way to discover Bethlehem can embark on lantern-led Old-Bethlehem Walking Tours of the historic district, presented by Historic Bethlehem Partnership. On these tours that take place daily Nov. 27-Dec. 23 and Dec. 26-30, guides in period dress lead groups through Bethlehem’s charming historic district to discover what life was like in the early Moravian town on the colonial frontier and experience the city’s collection of beautifully preserved 18th-century Germanic style buildings, which is unsurpassed in the nation.

This year’s Christmas City celebration also features the special 10th anniversary presentation of the popular “Christmas City Follies,” presented by Touchstone Theatre. An area tradition, the shows offer music, wit, and holiday hijinks all wrapped in a wonderful vaudevillian package. Shows will take place inside the Christkindlmarkt tents at Spring and Main streets. Dates are Dec. 26-27, with 7 p.m. evening shows and special children’s performances at 2 p.m.

On Dec. 31, Bethlehem’s holiday festivities go out with a bang, with the music, magic, and fun of First Night Bethlehem. This annual celebration of the arts features more than 30 musical and children’s performers at various venues throughout the city’s downtown. Fun family activities such as ice skating, snowman building, ice carving, and arts and crafts are also featured. The activities get underway with the First Night Bethlehem 5K at 1 p.m., and they’re capped off at midnight by the dropping of the Just Born PEEP and a spectacular fireworks display welcoming the New Year. 

Tickets for many 2009 Christmas City events are now on sale on the official Christmas City Web site, www.christmascity.org. Select events, such as Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem and First Night Bethlehem, are offering special savings on tickets purchased prior to the start of the holiday season.

For complete information on all of Bethlehem’s holiday events and attractions, visit www.christmascity.org.

Public Invited to Free Author Talk, Mini Tour of Bethlehem's Flat Iron Building

The Flat Iron Building was designed by A.W. Leh.
Photo by John Kish IV

Bethlehem, Pa. -- The public is invited to a free talk by author Ken Raniere and a mini tour of Bethlehem's Flat Iron Building from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009, at Stone Soup Studio, 301 Broadway, South Bethlehem.

Raniere, who lives in Coopersburg, is author of “A Living Legacy: Architecture of A.W. Leh,” (Moon Trail Books, 2009). The Flat Iron Building was designed by A.W. Leh (1848-1918) during the turn of the century Industrial Era.

“A.W. Leh created a good part of the architectural backdrop against which the dramas of people’s daily lives here in Bethlehem were played out,” says Raniere.

Raniere has spent nearly two years researching Leh, who designed more than 250 buildings across the Lehigh Valley, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. Buildings designed by Leh within the city of Bethlehem are numerous and include Ambre’ Studio, Broughal Middle School, Moravian College’s Comenius Hall, Landmark Commons, the New Reformed Church, and Main Street Commons, formerly Orr’s Department Store.

The book’s photographer is John Kish IV.

For more information, call Stone Soup Studio at 610-867-4626.

Stefano's Donates 25th Anniversary Proceeds to Make A Wish Foundation

Photo and text by DIANA MORSE
Of Lehigh Valley Source

A quarter century has passed since Stefano and Patricia Lombardo (middle and right) opened Stefano’s restaurant on Route 191, Bethlehem. Sons Tony (left) and Domenico (back) were on hand to help their parents entertain a full house of guests in celebration on Thursday evening, Sept. 24, 2009.

According to Stefano Lombardo, today’s hottest dishes haven’t changed much in 25 years. Guests still love the cavatelli calabrese, Stefano’s delectable creation of chicken sauteed in garlic, with broccoli and fire-roasted peppers, served over cavatelli noodles.

Over the years, Stefano’s has raised more than $300,000 for Special Olympics. For the restaurant’s 25th anniversary, the Lombardo family chose to donate proceeds to the Make A Wish Foundation, to benefit a local 4-year-old, Maria, who has heart disease. Maria’s wish is to go to Disney World.

“Do good, and people will treat you good,” Stefano Lombardo says. “That’s been our motto and always will be.”