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hahahahahhahaha, that's a good one. If you lump-in Italian-american restaurants as "American", I would classify about 90% of the restaurants in the area as American. People in this area might be the most unadventurous eaters - I've never seen so many adults refuse to eat any vegetables (except french fries and onion rings of course).
That being said, most of the Chinese restaurants are pretty good, although there are some stinkers too. Evergreen (Fogelsville) is a bit of a hike, but we would usually get takeout from there. Hunan Springs (Wescosville) is the best eat-in option. Asian Bistro (Trexlertown) is a "jack of all trades" Chinese/Thai/Japanese Frankenstein that looks sketchy from the outside and is expensive, but the food is pretty good. There's an inordinate amount of Chinese buffets in the area, all ranging in quality from average to below-average.
There's a Mediterranean place in Trexlertown called "Steel City Gyro" which isn't bad, but great either. I heard Sahara in Wescosville was good but never went there (I gave up on finding decent restaurants by the time I heard about it).
Come to think of it, I don't recall ever going to a sushi place while I was in Lehigh Valley, aside from the take-out stuff from supermarkets. No memory of Indian places either. There has to be one somewhere.
And you didn't ask, but the best pizza is Salvatore's in Macungie. It's silly to drive 15 minutes each way, but it's the only pizza place I could find that felt like I was on the east coast. Pub on Main isn't far from Salvatore's, and it's not a bad time even though it's pretty-typical pub grub.
My favorite restaurant in the area was Trapp Door between Emmaus and Macungie. It's American food, but they actually give a damn. However, it's on the pricey side (pricier than it would be in an area with good food competition). The Shelby (in the Whole Foods shopping center) is decent too, but it's mostly American fare.
In short, my wife and I became really good at home-cooking during our 6 year stint in Lehigh Valley, but we would go to Philly for any big night out. We would also base our vacations on its food scene, and spare no expense on dining while we were there. If you take food seriously, you'll probably get frustrated by the area.
btw this is all in regards to the greater-Macungie stretch of Lehigh Valley. Maybe there's better variety elsewhere, but I haven't seen it.
PS: the following "American AF" chains were also absent, and I never realized how much I would miss them until I lacked access to them: Dairy Queen, Hooters, Panda Express
^This. Lack of good restaurant options in the Lehigh Valley is one of my biggest complaints with the area. I moved from NJ where good restaurants are everywhere, and I feel like I made a mistake. The people here are huge too. So many fat and unhealthy people here. Restaurants, for some reason, are dirty here too. Even chains like Texas Roadhouse just seem to be not very clean. You get that mildew dishrag smell from so many places.
I went to the Kutztown folk festival and it was 1/4 scooters, and morbidly obese people double-fisting bratwurst and french fries. Not a vegetable in sight. I never heard of bacon dressing until I got here, yes basically pouring lard on your french fries. I also never witnessed someone put sugar on their salad until I got here. A lady sugared a salad at the Olive Garden (which is about the best Italian you can get here, maybe Buca di Beppo is a little better but that's not saying much).
Any vegetables seemed to be pickled or fried, if eaten at all. No good Greek food anywhere. In NJ, you can get a greek salad with gyro chicken and tzatziki. No one even knows what that is here. But I did watch someone at Cici's pizza eat 17 slices of pizza. He was on a scooter and looked to be about 400 lbs. No healthy Asian options here- only buffets and they're terrible (cheapest quality food imaginable).
This is a Golden Corral / Old Country Buffet type of area. Just no market for healthy food. Seafood? Other than Youells Oyster House is non-existent. Even there, most dishes are pasta with a coated seafood on top. Very very hard to find a fresh piece of fish grilled without some kind of thick breading ala Long John Silvers. If they do, its never cooked right either, and comes out like a piece of rubber.
I went to a bagel store and got a bagel and butter and it tasted like melted plastic. I asked the guy what he put on the bagel because it truly tasted toxic and he showed me a 5 lb brick of almost neon yellow margarine, the label only said "table grade margarine". I spit it out and threw it away.
Although I try not to eat out, sometimes its inevitable for work and networking with others, so I do. I've gained some weight living here, and I know its due to the lack of anything healthy to eat and also very few public parks in the Lehigh Valley. I have to drive back to NJ to get outdoor space! The most densely populated state has way more parks and trails than this area. Since driving back is a PIA, I almost never do it. Any green spaces here are golf courses and cemeteries, or private property. Nockamixon is nice but can't go there all the time and its massively crowded and not all that natural.
I'm selling my house after 2 years of living here. Will probably move to Upstate NY. Just something weird about this area, people aren't very friendly and seem angry all the time. Can't seem to get good doctors/specialists or contractors or anyone to provide a service with a smile. Locals hate people from NJ and NYC- very resistant to change. Its a very fast food/ meat and potatoes type of place. The commute to NJ/NYC is so long, I think people are overstressed or they have to make due with exceptionally low wage jobs in the LV. No way to afford a decent place on a LV wage. Prices here aren't all that cheap.
Wow, Vintage Sunlight. We moved here from NJ (we lived in Hackettstown, Jefferson, Chester, and Lebanon, NJ) and have quite an opposite opinion. We were born in and grew up in NJ, move here in March. It sounds like you just miss NJ, so why not move back? I don't understand, given your post, why you wouldn't and now consider upstate NY instead.
For us (and the vast majority of our neighbors, who are almost all from NJ and NY) it's NJ where many people are SO rude and hostile (hence, don't have a great reputation in other places, not just PA). It's a result of the overpopulation and stress there, we know that and forgive. We're glad to be away from the traffic and extreme cost of living, not to mention the unhealthy environment (one of the most polluted states).
But, to each his own. If you love and miss a place, you will only search out and find fault with anywhere else. Life is short, do what makes you happy.
PS I also lived in upstate NY - no thanks to that, for many, many reasons. It's a whole different place than NJ and the NYC burbs. Be careful before you make another move that you regret. Good luck!
Obviously, you really didn't get out too much... We go out with friends a couple of times a month, never go to chain stores and have no problem finding great ethnic and farm to table restaurants.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VintageSunlight
^This. Lack of good restaurant options in the Lehigh Valley is one of my biggest complaints with the area. I moved from NJ where good restaurants are everywhere, and I feel like I made a mistake. The people here are huge too. So many fat and unhealthy people here. Restaurants, for some reason, are dirty here too. Even chains like Texas Roadhouse just seem to be not very clean. You get that mildew dishrag smell from so many places.
I went to the Kutztown folk festival and it was 1/4 scooters, and morbidly obese people double-fisting bratwurst and french fries. Not a vegetable in sight. I never heard of bacon dressing until I got here, yes basically pouring lard on your french fries. I also never witnessed someone put sugar on their salad until I got here. This is a PA Dutch festival with traditional PA Dutch food. The bacon dressing, BTW is served over spinach.
Any vegetables seemed to be pickled or fried, if eaten at all. No good Greek food anywhere.
In NJ, you can get a greek salad with gyro chicken and tzatziki. No one even knows what that is here. Greek restaurants - Damascus RestaurantNostos Greek Restaurant But I did watch someone at Cici's pizza eat 17 slices of pizza. He was on a scooter and looked to be about 400 lbs. No healthy Asian options here- only buffets and they're terrible (cheapest quality food imaginable). Our favorite Thai place -http://www.swadeethaihouse.com/ Favorite Chinesehttp://asiaorientalcuisine.com/ I haven't eaten at a buffet place for 15 years.
I went to a bagel store and got a bagel and butter and it tasted like melted plastic. I asked the guy what he put on the bagel because it truly tasted toxic and he showed me a 5 lb brick of almost neon yellow margarine, the label only said "table grade margarine". I spit it out and threw it away.You might be right about bagels. I don't really eat them.
I'm selling my house after 2 years of living here. Will probably move to Upstate NY. Just something weird about this area, people aren't very friendly and seem angry all the time. Can't seem to get good doctors/specialists or contractors or anyone to provide a service with a smile. Locals hate people from NJ and NYC- very resistant to change. Its a very fast food/ meat and potatoes type of place. No idea where you've been eating but we eat very little meat and have no problems finding places with fresh food that's served with a smile. The commute to NJ/NYC is so long, I think people are overstressed or they have to make due with exceptionally low wage jobs in the LV. No way to afford a decent place on a LV wage. Prices here aren't all that cheap.
I don't know quite where you lived VintageSunlight or who you hung out with but I wish you had asked for some guidance when you moved here. The Lehigh Valley has an abundance of restaurants, parks and entertainment. There are vegetable stands on every fourth road in the summer with fresh garden vegetables and eggs. There are multiple CSA's you can join, Vineyards, Pick your own fruit places and wonderful farmers markets. I've lived in upstate NY. It's a beautiful area but the winters are even longer than here. Good luck to you.
VintageSunlight, regarding the comments on people's weight, I might remind you that NJ and PA aren't that far apart in the obesity statistics. Why does other people's weight offend you? I saw a lot of the activities you describe while at the boardwalk on the NJ shore, at sporting events, concerts, festivals and other events while I lived there too (recently). A taylor ham egg & cheese sandwich, NJ delicacy, is basically dripping with fat/cholesterol too and a heart-attack sandwich. (Full disclosure, I love them but sparingly).
I side with VintageSunlight but I lived in Macungie during my time there. The western parts of Lehigh Valley are exactly as they described. I think that the disconnect is that the eastern parts of NJ *seem* to be more like NJ. I wouldn't know though, as that part was 30 minutes away from where I lived.
I side with VintageSunlight but I lived in Macungie during my time there. The western parts of Lehigh Valley are exactly as they described. I think that the disconnect is that the eastern parts of NJ *seem* to be more like NJ. I wouldn't know though, as that part was 30 minutes away from where I lived.
I think that western Lehigh county is just more rural, not that eastern Lehigh Valley is like New Jersey. I've lived in Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties and they were all similar to where we live now. Really, I think no matter where you live in the area a simple yelp or tripadvisor search will pull up tons of places to try. It's just a matter of how far you are willing to go.
^This. Lack of good restaurant options in the Lehigh Valley is one of my biggest complaints with the area. I moved from NJ where good restaurants are everywhere, and I feel like I made a mistake. The people here are huge too. So many fat and unhealthy people here. Restaurants, for some reason, are dirty here too. Even chains like Texas Roadhouse just seem to be not very clean. You get that mildew dishrag smell from so many places.
I went to the Kutztown folk festival and it was 1/4 scooters, and morbidly obese people double-fisting bratwurst and french fries. Not a vegetable in sight. I never heard of bacon dressing until I got here, yes basically pouring lard on your french fries. I also never witnessed someone put sugar on their salad until I got here. A lady sugared a salad at the Olive Garden (which is about the best Italian you can get here, maybe Buca di Beppo is a little better but that's not saying much).
Any vegetables seemed to be pickled or fried, if eaten at all. No good Greek food anywhere. In NJ, you can get a greek salad with gyro chicken and tzatziki. No one even knows what that is here. But I did watch someone at Cici's pizza eat 17 slices of pizza. He was on a scooter and looked to be about 400 lbs. No healthy Asian options here- only buffets and they're terrible (cheapest quality food imaginable).
This is a Golden Corral / Old Country Buffet type of area. Just no market for healthy food. Seafood? Other than Youells Oyster House is non-existent. Even there, most dishes are pasta with a coated seafood on top. Very very hard to find a fresh piece of fish grilled without some kind of thick breading ala Long John Silvers. If they do, its never cooked right either, and comes out like a piece of rubber.
I went to a bagel store and got a bagel and butter and it tasted like melted plastic. I asked the guy what he put on the bagel because it truly tasted toxic and he showed me a 5 lb brick of almost neon yellow margarine, the label only said "table grade margarine". I spit it out and threw it away.
Although I try not to eat out, sometimes its inevitable for work and networking with others, so I do. I've gained some weight living here, and I know its due to the lack of anything healthy to eat and also very few public parks in the Lehigh Valley. I have to drive back to NJ to get outdoor space! The most densely populated state has way more parks and trails than this area. Since driving back is a PIA, I almost never do it. Any green spaces here are golf courses and cemeteries, or private property. Nockamixon is nice but can't go there all the time and its massively crowded and not all that natural.
I'm selling my house after 2 years of living here. Will probably move to Upstate NY. Just something weird about this area, people aren't very friendly and seem angry all the time. Can't seem to get good doctors/specialists or contractors or anyone to provide a service with a smile. Locals hate people from NJ and NYC- very resistant to change. Its a very fast food/ meat and potatoes type of place. The commute to NJ/NYC is so long, I think people are overstressed or they have to make due with exceptionally low wage jobs in the LV. No way to afford a decent place on a LV wage. Prices here aren't all that cheap.
Let me address your points. I'm not sure where in the LV you are located, but from my experience:
Greek: There are a few diners here that are Jersey style. I like Diner 248. There is also great Mediterranean (Aladin, Daddy's). The store Azar Market also has very good Greek ingredients and pre-made food. We had a Greek themed party this summer and bought a lot of stuff from there.
Seafood: The Bolete guy just opened a new Seafood place in Easton Public Market. Blue is also good and I hear good things about 3rd and Ferry Fish Market, but haven't been.
Bagels: Agree 100%
Parks: Are you on crack? There are tons of parks. We routinely go to 2 close by and I'm not an outdoor guy, but at the very least, there is Jacobsburg and Nockamixon. The Center Valley Park with the Rail Trail is also very nice.
Doctors: LVHN & St. Luke's are the 2 leading employers here. The hospitals are brand new or have recently been renovated. Anderson just built a whole new building. Both Hospital Urgent Care Centers are growing like crazy too. Healthcare here is as good as any mid-sized city in the country.
I side with VintageSunlight but I lived in Macungie during my time there. The western parts of Lehigh Valley are exactly as they described. I think that the disconnect is that the eastern parts of NJ *seem* to be more like NJ. I wouldn't know though, as that part was 30 minutes away from where I lived.
Agree. I have lived in the LV for 8+ years and have only been to Macungie once for a vintage car show. But Macungie is like 45 minutes from Easton. That's the middle of nowhere.
Agree. I have lived in the LV for 8+ years and have only been to Macungie once for a vintage car show. But Macungie is like 45 minutes from Easton. That's the middle of nowhere.
This is definitely a matter of perspective. I go to Macungie pretty often, Easton is a place I don't often go, unless you count driving past it on the way to EWR. It's not in the middle of nowhere, it's next to Emmaus and 5 minutes from Costco.
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