Home > Restaurants > Round Up >

Sunday Brunch

Places to find the best meal of the weekend

January 31, 2008

Email
Print View
Share
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
- Facebook
- Furl
- Google
- Reddit
- Spurl
- Yahoo
Add To Favorites
Add to playlist

Eggs Benedict (Credit: Morning Call photo)

What's not to like about brunch? We asked around, and here are the best spots to get your eggs benedict fix.

Granny McCarthy's Tearoom

534 Main St., Bethlehem

610-866-3244

If you had an Irish grandmother, this is what her house would probably look like.

The atmosphere is conducive to the saying on its sign, “Eat, drink and be merry.” The pub boasts 60 beers from all over the world and offers a lunch and dinner menu, as well as a Sunday brunch menu. This bar, complete with WiFi, is great for nearby Lafayette students. Keep a look out for open mic nights and live entertainment.

Stroudsmoor Country Inn

4 Stroudsmoor Road, Stroudsburg

570-421-6431

From the Friday evening seafood buffet, with its extensive antipasto bar, hearty soups and desserts to a glorious champagne brunch, there’s something for every taste at the elegant Stroudsmoor Country Inn. Craving a broad range of culinary temptations? The Stroudsmoor Country Inn’s American Harvest Buffet, served 3-8 p.m. Sundays, is a diner’s delight.

Blue Sky Cafe

22 W. Fourth Street, Bethlehem

610-867-9390

Start your morning right at this funky cafe. Serving up breakfast and lunch in newly redone digs, the Blue Sky Cafe calms patrons with an interior of greens and yellows. Cozy up to the extended counter where you can check out the chef whipping up breakfast stir-frys, banana bourbon french toast and wraps. There's art from local artists as well as from the owner adorning the walls. Reubens and rachels are popular items for lunch and their "mega breakfast sandwich," with avocado, egg, onion, tomatoes and gouda on foccacia bread really scores with the morning crowd. Vegans, vegetarians and meat-lovers can all find something tasty on the menu.

Pickles Steakhouse

3941 Chestnut St., Emmaus

610-966-1996

Pickles Steakhouse in Emmaus suits every age and size crowd. The kids’ menu has burgers, chicken fingers and hot dogs. The adult menu includes prime rib, steaks, chicken and seafood. Come hungry as steaks range from 20 ounce to 120 ounce (OK, the later serves four). Options abound for those who don’t eat red meat as well. Rotisserie chicken is a favorite. Of course, it’s free pickles for everyone while you wait.

Pistachio Bar & Grille

341 Cedar Crest Blvd., Allentown

610-435-7007

Walking through Pistachio’s loud, red doors feels like passing through a modern art gallery. Bright, primary colors fight for your attention while waiters seem to size up your wallet size. “Are we here to buy or are we just looking?” their eyes say. The menu is surprisingly long for a place that labels itself  trendy. There are pizzas and pastas, as well as a seafood heavy entrée list. But the inventive chopped salads are the most fun.

1741 on the Terrace

437 Main St., Bethlehem

610-867-2200

1741 on the Terrace, a fine dining restaurant located on the ground floor of Hotel Bethlehem, features contemporary American food in a wonderful historical setting. The dining room’s tall windows offer a spectacular view of the Bethlehem Star as well as the neighboring assemblage of historic Moravian buildings. An award winning culinary team prepares the meals while vintage wine selections and signature martinis add a distinctive flare to any dish.

Bolete

1740 Seidersville Rd., Bethlehem

610-868-6505

Formerly The Inn of the Falcon, Bolete offers a distinctive dining experience in a 200-year-old stone building. The restaurant presents a rustic sophistication with white upholstered seats interspersed among wooden chairs, and freshly painted walls meeting original floor boards. Sparkling chandeliers present undeniable elegance while table top candles offer an intimate country feel. The bar area boasts newer wood flooring while the bar itself is original. The restaurant showcases a unique menu that changes seasonally in order to ensure the freshness and integrity of ingredients. Prices are not overly extravagant, but don’t expect a ten to cover it. A sample menu, available on the restaurant’s Web site, includes such mouth watering dishes as potato crusted crab cake and house smoked pork chop.

Blakeslee Inn & Restaurant

Routes 115 & 903, Blakeslee

570-646-1100

On the edge of the Poconos, about an hour from the Lehigh Valley, the inn specializes in fine dining. The menu includes house specialty steaks and seafood. Specialties include Boursin chicken, European-style chicken breasts stuffed with Boursin cheese, wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon, and a New York strip-style veal cutlet, on the bone, served with French onion soup. Champagne Brunch starts at 11 a.m. every Sunday. Wednesday is Bistro Night with a special menu of trendy foods. Saturday high tea runs 2 until 3:30 p.m. every week. On Fridays and Saturdays, jazz pianist John Gasper entertains.