Yummy New Restaurant Near Downtown

I recently had a chance to grab lunch at the Four Aces Grill and was pleasantly surprised by this tasty, classy dining experience on the edge of downtown Allentown.

I was there in the middle of work, so my friend and I didn't have a lot of time on our hands, but we still had a great meal in a relaxing environment.

I'll cut to the chase and talk about the food...I had the Moroccan burger, which is made of ostrich, spices, pine nuts and apricot, topped with a lightly-spiced chipotle-jalapeno mayo. The burger was lean and had rich flavor from a blend of Moroccan spices. The burger came with a side of homemade potato chips that were light and crispy and not too salty.

My friend ordered the Bison skewer. The meat was tenderly barbecued and served with a lightly sweet side of homemade creamed corn and black beans. It came with a side of salad greens.

We also shared a side of hand-battered onion rings, which had a light and fluffy tempura-like coating, rather than greasy breadcrumbs.

The menu offers several kinds of burgers, made from a variety of meats, such as lamb, tuna and Angus beef. But there are also options for vegetarians, such as one of the chef's creative salads or the veggie skewer.

Not only is the food incredible, but the ambiance is classic bistro, yet relaxing. The owners really took their time renovating the space. The front picture window now holds accordion doors, which open fully to the stone-floored patio, allowing the outdoors in and the indoors out. The walls are a nice, neutral tone with attractive woodwork. The entire space feels clean and airy.

Each table contained a vase of fresh flowers. There are even a few seats at the counter where you can watch the chef in action.

Lunch was great; I highly recommend a visit. I hope to go another time for dinner and check out more of the selections. I wish the owners luck and hope they have success.

4 Aces Grill
1301 Hamilton Street
484-661-4723

No camera at lunch. Image is borrowed from Urbanspoon.com

Life is a Cabaret

I finally had a chance to check out the Spotlight Cabaret and Piano Bar at Allentown Brew Works and was really impressed with the show.

Once a month (on the 4th Tuesday) Allentown Public Theatre, a fledgling company, takes over the High Gravity Lounge on the second floor of ABW. A crew of talented singers and actors perform familiar show tunes from contemporary musicals, classics by the Gershwin brothers, and more. My favorite performance was a rendition of "Summertime."

There is a $5 cover charge and a two-drink minimum (alcoholic or non) to see the show with the proceeds benefiting Allentown Public Theatre, a recent non-profit. There were about a dozen attentive audience members there during my visit.

Sure, it's not the smoky little dive bar we'd like to romantically picture as the home of a cabaret show, but it is very comfortable and appropriate. Small tables were clustered around a low stage, adjacent to the piano. The singers' interaction with the public also helped make it a more intimate experience.

After the initial performance, members of the audience were encouraged to leaf through the song books and perform a piece along with the live piano accompaniment. My friends and I were not brave enough to sing ourselves, but we plan on leafing through some songbooks soon for the day we're feeling brave enough to join in.

If you like musical theatre or great vocals by people who really know how to belt it, I would recommend a trip to the "cabaret." The performers are truly talented and the theatre company could use public support to help get off the ground.

This is a really nice treat to have in downtown Allentown.

The next cabaret will be held at 8 p.m., Tues. October 27.

For more info on Allentown Public Theatre click HERE.

Pictured above: The great Ms. Liza in one of my favorite musicals, "Cabaret."