Expect to be wowed by the food, beer and prices at Hometown Heroes, a hard-working bar & grill that feels like your neighborhood pub. I consider it one of Bethlehem’s unsung treasures.

If you want to kick back with some friends, if you want to mellow out or pig out, you can do that here. If you want to ready yourself for bar hopping, you can lay the foundation here. If you’ve been out for a few hours, this is the place for a plate of disco fries.

Disco Fries = French fries with brown gravy and melted cheese.

You can thank our northern neighbors for this delicacy; in Canada this is called “poutine” and it kinda makes up for Bryan Adams. In the U.S. it’s called a most delicious solution to the munchies. If you’ve ever gone clubbing in NYC, you have probably devoured disco fries at a diner to revive yourself at the end of the night. Hometown Heroes smothers fries in savory, salty homemade gravy and melted fresh mozzarella. And you’d better say it like “mutz-a-rella.”

But before you get to the food, have a beer from the tap or bottle. Featured selections have included Guinness, Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Lord Chesterfield Ale, Yards Brawler, Victory Hop Devil, Lindeman’s Framboise, the elusive Leinenkugel, as well as PBR and Yuengling lager (domestic drafts are always $2!) Oh, and Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout which can sometimes be a meal in itself.

Along with the Disco Fries, my favorite appetizer is the house made tomato bruschetta with fresh mozzarella (“mutz”.)

The owners and the servers are affable yet attentive, and the food is meticulously prepared and promptly delivered to your table or the bar. Their menu offers something for everyone. Even kids, even vegetarians.

For meat lovers, though, the tasty 8 oz. Black Angus steak burger is an excellent choice. It’s as big as my face and served on a fresh crunchy roll. The heroes, several of which feature the fresh melted mutz option (which really classes up a sandwich, dontcha think?) are available in a half-size or whole. I have never seen anyone eat a whole sandwich. They are huge, not just in length but in girth. Take the Bri-Elle-T, which is a Hometown BLT with chicken tenders and ranch dressing added to it. A half-sandwich was so loaded with bacon that even I couldn’t finish it. And I love bacon! Once I ate the incredible Papa Allen: Ham, hot capicola, and tomatoes sautéed in butter then topped with melted mutz. Mamma mia. If you’re craving a hot pastrami sandwich, patronize this hometown joint instead of the Sands’ Carnegie Deli, and order a New Yorker.

Some come specifically to get the daily special hero. Like, on “Wild Card Sundays,” you can chomp on that big steak burger with three fried eggs, bacon and cheese, called the Alter Egg-o. If you eat one of these, let me know in the comments.

After a few visits to Hometown Heroes I started to crave it. And it wasn’t just because of the food. For $20 you can eat great, enjoy a few brews and have dollars left for a healthy tip and a few games of MegaMaxx. And sometimes, they even have cheesecake.

The fun superhero-themed website provides their full menu, including the daily specials and featured beers: www.heroesbethlehem.com

310 E. Goepp Street (near the intersection with Linden St, in the north side of Bethlehem)

610-317-8007

And after a year of waiting, the St. Patrick’s Day West End pub crawl is finally here too! Last year’s West End pub crawl was easily the best night out I’ve had all year. I cannot recommend this pub crawl enough!

As you can see from the picture on the right, Allentown’s West End alliance has a bunch of cool events coming up. I suggest you take a look at their Facebook fan page for more information.

But these are just some of the upcoming events that will be going on in the Lehigh Valley. Because if there is one thing we know how to do right in the LV, it’s use a holiday as an excuse to get sloppy drunk. Stay tuned to LV Scene for more information about all the St. Patrick’s Day festivities throughout our area.

Thursday – March 4, 2010

Associated Mess Live Improv Comedy – Pitcher’s Sports Bar – Allentown – The best/only live improv comedy in the Lehigh Valley. $8 or $5 with college ID. Cheap beer, too!

Friday – March 5, 2010

White Trash Bash – Drinky’s – Easton – “107 The Bone’s Scotty Brilliant and DJ Dangerous Dan. Dress “Trashy” in your wife beaters, trucker hats, etc. for $2 Shots All Night! $4 Red Bull & Vodkas All Day, $2 Any Pint (10-12). No Cover Charge.”

Saturday – March 6, 2010

One Night in Vegas – Starter’s Riverport – Bethlehem – DJ Roonie G is back at Starter’s Riverport. So if you missed the first One Night in Vegas, have no fear, One Night in Vegas Vol. 3 should do the trick.

The night starts at 7PM and is open to anyone looking to show off their singing, spoken word, or comedy abilities. Need any more information?  Check out the Facebook event page.

If so, maybe you’re like me. All your friends love chicken wings and everyone wants to get an order when you go out. You’ve tried to enjoy the neon orange mouth-burners. But somehow, you just can’t figure out why it’s better to gnaw around bones for little strips of chicken — while getting greasy sauce all over your mouth, face and fingers. — than to just eat chicken tenders. You like that initial buffalo wing flavor, until you feel like your mouth is on fire.

I know all about you. I was you. Until I went to Snuzzles. No, it’s not a stuffed animal store or a spin-off of the Snuggie, but the unique name means you aren’t likely to forget you’ve heard about it. You are likely to forget how to get there though, mostly because you’ll probably be worried your driver is taking you to some remote part of Berks County to drop you and leave you. Snuzzles is tucked away on a back road, with no other commercial buildings in sight, a few miles outside Kutztown. There’s no sign… so unless you are going with someone who knows where it is, just look out for the gravel parking lot overflowing with cars.

Once inside, Snuzzles feels like a ski lodge and biker bar morphed into one, minus the overpriced sweaters and cigarette smoke. If you go on a Friday or Saturday night, expect to wait for a table, especially if you have a big party. But the wait isn’t bad at all if you enjoy a few beers at the bar. It’s hard to feel guilty about getting whatever you want at Snuzzles because everything is so reasonably priced. While they cater to families and large parties (some of their normal tables seat 12 or more), they do not cater to plastic. So bring your cash, or use the ATM in the bar area.

Snuzzles is known for its pizza and steak sandwiches, but my friends know it for its wings. This is the kind of place where you go around the table, everyone says how many wings they want, and you add up your order on a napkin. Or maybe that’s just me. But, we normally put in orders between 60 and 100 wings.. just to start.

So what’s so amazing about the wings? The wings that will convert you to be a chicken wing fanatic? The sauce is the key. Snuzzles only has one sauce… and it’s hot. No Caribbean mango pineapple spice or sweet tangy honeybee zinger sauce. But, believe me, you don’t need another sauce. I’m not one for spicy or hot foods, but I can’t get enough of this stuff.. even if my eyes are watering. It’s that good. The wings are a good size and meaty too, so you aren’t pulling at tough strings of meat that won’t part with the bone. You can get a large serving of bleu cheese or ranch, and celery, which is a must if your mouth is tender and can’t take too much heat. There’s nothing better when it comes to bar food than a hot plate of Snuzzles wings coming to your table. My mouth waters just dreaming about it. My friends and I have long tried to convince the very friendly staff to bottle it.. but no luck yet. My vegetarian friend gets a little cup of the sauce to dip her french fries in. Do I need to convince you anymore that it’s that good?

The good food doesn’t stop there. Try the fried vegetables for a not-so-good-for-you, but unique, way to get some veggies, complete with melted cheese sauce. The cheesesteaks are one of my personal favorites, but don’t miss out on perusing the page of the menu with the customer sandwich creations. There are some creative and delicious concoctions. And the pizza is great. As if a pizza couldn’t get any better, they offer at least two pizzas that have their signature wing sauce on it. It’s heaven on a doughy, cheesy pie. If you want to be full for a week, order a stromboli and try to finish it. I dare you. I even dare two of you to finish one.

The menu is much more extensive than what I’ve listed above.. in fact it’s a colorful jumble of delicious food. So you can try something new every time! Or, if you’re like me, you’ll want to, but you’ll want your favorite too much.

Snuzzles is a great place to go with a big group of friends before a night out.. or as your night out! They have a wide selection of beer and other alcohol at the bar, and it won’t leave a huge dent in your wallet. A hint if you want to go on a weekend… go early or late. Try getting there around 4:30 or 5 for an early dinner, or wait until 8 or 8:30. You won’t have to wait nearly as long, and if you go later, you can avoid most of the children.

All in all.. if you mention Snuzzles to me, you’d better be mentioning when we’re going to go next.

Snuzzles is located at 145 Lyons Rd in Mertztown, PA. For more information, visit their website at www.snuzzles.net

Five reality TV stars are making a pit stop Saturday night at the PigPen in Allentown which makes this your chance to party with 12 Pack from I Love New York and Lil’ Hood from For the Love of Ray J. All the important information can be found at the Facebook event page. No word on drink specials at this point, but I’m sure they’ll throw something your way.

Friday – February 19, 2010

The Firehouse – Bethlehem – Pre-Mardi Party – No cover, dress to impress. DJ $weetlife mixing video and music. $2 Miller Lite Bottles, $2 Kamikaze Shots, and $5 Hurricanes.

Saturday – February 20, 2010

Starter’s Riverport – Bethlehem – Masque 2 – Audio Dynamikz is “bringing Bourbon St to Bethlehem”, no cover, bead contest with a cash prize, complimentary beads and mask will be provided.

The Firehouse – Bethlehem – Bourbon Street on Broadway – $1.50 Coors Lite drafts, $2 Coors Lite bottles, and $2 bourbon shots

If you’re like me, you thought fondue was just melted cheese or chocolate cooked over a little burner and stirred up with color coded forks. Maybe you hosted a fondue party to try to appear all cosmopolitan. Well, it’s a pain in the ass to make your own fondue, so just go to The Melting Pot for the full experience.

This national fondue chain restaurant moved onto “restaurant row” on Broad Street in downtown Bethlehem. If you’re up for a high-calorie adventure, it’s the place to go.

Basically, “fondue” is just food dipped into a pot. The Melting Pot goes beyond basic.

A nose-wrinkling smell of boiling meat is the first thing that hits me when I enter the warm, lush feeling entryway. No, that’s not the most appetizing odor. But it gets better!

I’ve been to the Melting Pot a few times. It doesn’t get any easier for me to order. It’s puzzling. To make my choices clearer, I start with a fancy drink. My favorite is the Strawberry Blonde Martini: $9 worth of champagne, strawberry vodka and fruity flavors. Sparkly! The wine list is extensive, and, expensive.

If you want to start with dessert, you must have the Yin Yang martini. But, if you do that, you might not be hungry for the dessert fondues, which to me are the top reasons to go to The Melting Pot.

First know that you’ll be spending a lot of time with your waitperson. They’ll cook everything at your table on burners. They’ll explain the process to you as they’re cooking. “Now, I’ll add the garlic.” “Let’s turn the heat down to 3.” “I’m going to flambé this chocolate now.” If you don’t like your server, your meal is going to suck. I have liked all of my servers here, they’re personable and professional.

There’s this big deal called the Big Night Out which includes a cheese fondue, a salad, an entrée and a dessert, all themed together. Right now you can get Alpine. I’ve never found this appealing but if you’ve skied Germany or Switzerland, you might enjoy reminiscing: “And after the Matterhorn, I had the best melted Gruyere and bratwurst, just like this!” I do not know what the Big Night Out costs, but I assume it’s a big price.

If you don’t want to stomach that, go a la carte. Depending on your table size, you’ll have one or two burners within easy reach and you’ll share one or two cheese fondues. You’ll spear bread cubes, apple slices and veggies with your color-coded fork. It’s so good you’ll be scraping the pot and asking for second plates of “dippers.”

The chocolate fondue choices are all heavenly. But whichever you choose, you’ll get a plate of rice krispies treats, pound cake, strawberries, brownies, marshmallows bananas and cheesecake to immerse and devour.

In between cheese and chocolate, if you desire, you can have a salad and/or an entrée.

Well, the salads are lackluster in comparison to the cooked food. And, the act of cooking raw meat and seafood in a steaming pot of boiling oil and broth directly in front of me, when there’s a chance I might undercook it, and I lose meat chunks in the pot as they mix with my dining companions’ meat chunks, well, it’s kind of weird. Is this what they do in the Alps? Really? The Melting Pot makes it as appealing as possible. You’ll select a plate of raw ingredients, which are seasoned. You select your cooking method, which is seasoned. Then you are presented with dipping sauces in case you need even more flavors. The combinations of tastes are seemingly endless and the dinner is spent trying all the food on the table, every which way. That’s part of the fun of The Melting Pot.

Fondue rules: Remember your fork color. No double dipping. Don’t let the fork touch your mouth. All of these rules are void if your dining partner is a very close friend.

When to go to The Melting Pot:

First date? I wouldn’t recommend it.

Third date? Probably not. If you have the full dinner, you might feel incredibly full, breathing garlic, and sweating from the steamy pot of oil at your table. Better to wait until at least your fourth rendezvous.

Special occasion? Absolutely. The Melting Pot makes celebrating easy on the party-planner. Make your reservations and they’ll offer you the package options of balloons, a vase of roses, photo souvenirs and more.

Business meetings? Leave the meeting at the office and break the ice here. Don’t talk business with cheese dripping down your face.

My favorite dishes:

Cheese fondue: Wisconsin Trio (Fontina, Butterkase, and Buttermilk Bleu with wine and scallions and sherry.)

Chocolate fondue: Chocolate S’mores!

Each is $16 for a pot that feeds two.

What I’m excited about:

The first Ladies’ Night at this location will be next Tuesday, February 23. Special $5 martinis and glasses of wine, special $35 per person 4-course menu! Girly friends in other cities rave about The Melting Pot’s Ladies’ Night deals. Also, join “Club Fondue” and get coupons and event notices sent to you. And, guys, Ladies’ Night might be a good time to relax at the posh bar.

The Melting Pot is one of a handful of restaurants in the Lehigh Valley for which you can make reservations conveniently on Open Table. Why talk to a live person when there’s an app for that?

The Melting Pot is located at 1 East Broad Street, Suite 100 (corner of North New Street & E. Broad) Bethlehem, PA 18018

(484) 241-4939

Link for menus and event info at this location: http://www.meltingpot.com/locations.aspx?z=18018&n=171935

Mothers Bar & Grill – Easton – Fat Tuesday – No Cover, DJ Dangerous Dan, $1.99 Soco Lime Shots, $1.99 Domestic Drafts, lots of beads.

Roosevelt’s 21st – Bethlehem – 1st Annual Fat Tuesday Party – DJ JJ Sands, $1.99 SoCo Lime Shots, $1.99 Domestic Drafts, Trivia 7-10.

Pigpen Sports Bar – Allentown – Mardi Gras Party – Tons of stuff going on at the PigPen, check out theFacebook event page for all the info.

The Firehouse – Bethlehem – Fat Tuesday Party – DJ SYNYSTR in the mix 10-2. $1.50 Coors Light Drafts, $2 Coors Light Bottles, $2 Bourbon Shots, $100 for girls with the most beads and free Beads for everyone all night

Scroll on down to the “blue box” below this post and click where it says “Mardi Gras Party Roundup”. That title is actually a bit misleading, there are lots of ideas there that aren’t Mardi Gras related. I think you might find something of interest to you. Have a great weekend!