The menu is broad and eclectic. You can find something for nearly every taste and they are equally good for lunch or dinner. They have a nice assortment of children’s selections on their menu as well. There is pizza with amusing river themed names as well as sandwiches, vegetarian selections and full dinners. So, whatever your preference, you will likely find something to suit you.

The prices on appetizers during Happy Hour can’t be beat! Our last visit in late July turned out  making it out from the city and arriving while it was still Happy Hour with 1/2 price appetizers. You can easily make a meal out of 2 or 3 of their generous appetizer portions and it won’t kill your budget.

Bucket of Shrimp

We’ve enjoyed appetizers (vegetarian ones as well), wraps, burgers, and buckets — yes, they are literally buckets  — of shrimp and fries, wings and fries, fish and chips. Great finger food, well prepared. The salads are huge as are most of the sandwiches. Come prepared with a hearty appetite.

The atmosphere is that of a well-worn local haunt, which only adds to the charm. There are flat screens around the dining area for those who what to keep up with the sports scene but it isn’t overwhelming. There are also pool tables and a full bar if you want to gather a group of friends for an evening out for good beer, conversation and a game of pool.

It does get a bit packed at times during Penguins or Steelers games. There’s a nice enclosed outdoor deck that allows you to escape the crowds when the weather is nice. They have specials and events throughout the year. It’s best to check their web site for that information to be up-to-date.

Prices range from $4.95 appetizers to $19.95 for a bucket with a whole pound of steamed crab legs. Appetizers  at 1/2 price during Happy Hour (subject to change without notice).

You should consider checking out their other locations as well — one might be more convenient for you. We’ve enjoyed very good beer at the Pour House, in Monroeville, PA,  where they have 14-18 styles of beer on tap. We haven’t tried the Rivertowne Inn in Verona, PA but with the same menu on offer I’m certain you will find something to enjoy there as well.

Hours: 11 am – 2 am (kitchen closes at 1:30 am)

Rivertowne Pub & Grille
14860 Route 30
North Huntingdon, PA 15642
412-823-2239

Otto’s has a bar area with several TVs, outside seating and two main dining areas. They also brew their own beer, with selections changing seasonally. Parking can be a problem on weekends and Tuesday trivia nights, but Otto’s has agreements with several neighboring businesses for additional free parking.

Otto’s is frequented by the Penn State students, but it is also a very family-friendly establishment. My Dad joined me on a recent visit and the menu was so extensive that we had difficulty deciding what to order. I went with the Drunken Chicken while my Dad opted for a Grilled Ribeye. The entree serving sizes were generous, however the soup sizes run small. My Dad ordered a bowl of the soup of the day and it was served in a very small cup. We were assured that was in fact the “bowl” size. While the food and the beer were excellent, the service was sub-par. I suspect that was due to our particular server, and not the whole establishment.

Otto’s is a place that I will visit again, I just hope I’m not met with the same inattentive and slow service as I was on my first visit. Many locals that I talked to spoke very highly of the place. Decent beer is difficult to find in Central PA (Budweiser doesn’t count!) and Otto’s brewers really know what they’re doing.

The kitchen is open on Sunday-Wednesday: 11AM – 10PM, Thursday-Saturday: 11AM-11PM, the bar closes at different times depending on business, so call 814-867-6886 for current information.

I’ve never been to any of Emeril Lagasse’s other restaurants before, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when my significant other’s parents said that we had a reservation there this past weekend.  The décor is very fitting with the rest of the casino, which has a steel theme (the casino itself is in a building that used to be part of the Bethlehem Steel Works), with dark browns and blacks and sheer reddish-orange curtains.  Interesting cylindrical crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling.  The extensive wine selection is displayed in a sort-of rotunda near the host desk.  This restaurant also has a section where you can sit and eat at a “bar” right in front of the kitchen and you can watch the world-class chefs preparing your meal.

For starters, we ordered some drinks and appetizers.  Their wine menu is HUGE and I’m sure you can find any type of wine that your taste buds desire.  We ordered a few lobster bisques, which were presented to us in a way that I’ve never seen before.  The server came over with a bowl that had a small lump of lobster meat in the center.  In their other hand was a small saucepan with the actual soup in it, and they slowly poured the soup around the lobster meat.  The bisque was not like other lobster bisques I’ve tried, it has some unique favoring that I couldn’t identify and a bit of a kick that pleasantly lingered in your throat after you finished.

For the main course, myself and my boyfriend’s mother both got the fresh fish of the day (mahi mahi) prepared in the “lighter style”: over cous cous and fresh veggies with tomato citrus vinaigrette (they also can prepare the fresh fish Creole style).  Very delicious – the vinaigrette was a perfect pairing with the fish and vegetables.  The men at the table both ordered steak, New York Strip and Filet Mignon.  A trio of sauces accompanies any steak order: house-made Worcestershire sauce, creamy horseradish sauce, and a Béarnaise sauce.  I didn’t try it, but apparently the Worcestershire was to die for and didn’t have the usual smoky taste that store brands have.  You can also order side dishes à la carte, which are big enough to share between two people. After we gorged ourselves on dinner, we enjoyed some vanilla bean crème brûlée for dessert (my favorite!).

One big sell of this restaurant (other than the Emeril name, of course) is that they are stimulating the local economy and buying local produce as much as possible.  The free-roam chickens, beets, and other vegetables on the menu are all grown locally to the Lehigh Valley.  The service seems to be another big draw.  We were waited on by a friend of the family, who was so friendly and helpful during the entire dinner service.  We heard rumors that if you get up from your seat during dinner, someone will come over and give you a new napkin by the time you get back.  None of us got up during dinner to find out if that was true or not, but I suspect that is probably is true because the wait staff was really up top of things.

I’m sure you’re wondering about price.  The menu is pricey, and if you decide to get an appetizer, and a salad, and a side dish, and dessert, and a drink… well, it adds up.  Most of the appetizers and salads are close to $10, and most of the dinner plates are between $25 and $40.  If you’re in the area or at the casino and are looking for a nice, upscale dining experience, definitely give Emeril’s Chop House a try.

Emeril’s Chop House

77 Sands Boulevard

Bethlehem, PA 18015

484-777-7777

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Since The Hop House is known mainly for their beer selection, on the menu they have indicated their beer suggestions to go with some of the entrees.  They have a pretty long draught list (I counted about 26) and a variety of specialty beers, too.  There are daily happy hour specials and each night has a different beer special, which is indicated on their website.  Wednesday is 15 cent wing night – you can’t beat a deal like that.

The Ross Township location has a big parking lot next door with free parking (this is a major improvement from the lack of parking back when it was the Barking Shark) and the Greentree location has free parking as well as outdoor seating.  The Greentree location also plays host to popular local bands on a weekly basis; the schedule is on the website.

I did notice after I left that I was charged for an iced tea when I only had a water, but I’m not one to make a fuss over something little like that.  Despite the mistake on the bill, the total came to under $30 for an appetizer and two entrees.  I’d definitely like to go back to try some of their other entrees and sample some beer.

The Hop House – www.thehophouse.com

Greentree location – 2749 Noblestown Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15205, 412-922-9560

Ross Township location- 5510 Babcock Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237, 412-366-3606

Actually something had my mind on bento all day so I had already printed out their menu at http://www.oishiibento.com  so I could get in and out with my Spicy Pork Bulgogi Bento. Additionally, the website is as clean and friendly as the restaurant- something you don’t always experience.

I was delighted to find the restaurant clean and airy with window seating and plenty of traditional yet modern Japanese decorations you’d find in the home. The staff was pleasant, polite and quick and it took about 5 minutes for my order, totalling $7.40-something. I ended up having to walk across Oakland to get a 40 minute bus home so it’s a good thing I ordered bento, which is one of the most portable dishes on earth. Well-packed, it survived the trip with the miso soup unscathed in its styrofoam bowl and everything at exactly the right temperature- no reheats. 

So here’s what you get: my bento had a choise of soup or salad and I took soup. A generous portion (I’m having the rest today for lunch) of spicy pork and steamed rice w/sesame seed, 2 potstickers, a cold rice salad, miso soup and kimchee. The pork wasn’t as spicy as I was anticipating but the flavour was nice and complex and I’m not a fan of mushrooms but they were blended into the dish quite well.  I’ll never turn down a potsticker (excuse my American english, I’m not even sure what these were called besides yummy) and I tried kimchee and miso soup for the first time.

Let’s just say I didn’t hate the kimchee but it is strong and I loved the miso soup- it’s a unique and lovely light tasteing broth. And okay, I’ll admit I didn’t touch the cold salad- I have this thing against cold salads in general but it didn’t smell too bad.
  Oishii Bento’s menu includes both Japanese and Korean offerings from udon to sushi, rice bowls to bento, and very reasonably priced sides such as miso, edamame, kimchee and tempura amongst others. This is definitely a place I’ll hit up again, and they have a pretty cool business card too. You’ll find it on Oakland Avenue on the right hand side before Citizen’s Bank- ironically it’s across the street from Sushi Boat and a door or two past Sezchuan.  Visit their site http://www.oishiibento.com  for online coupons.

Oishii Bento
  proprietor: Si Hyuk Choi
  119 Oakland Avenue
  Pittsburgh, PA 15213
  412.687.3335
  Mon-Fri 10:30a-9p
  Sat: 11a-9p

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I went in for a late lunch and was seated right away. There is an area out front for outdoor dining, but as thunderstorms were looming, I opted to eat inside. The decor is naturally in chocolate-ish colors: a lot of browns and dark orange. Very reminiscent of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

Much of the menu is made on-site and I started my lunch with a cup of chicken noodle soup. The broth was a bit salty for my liking, but overall it was good. My lunch consisted of “Jess’s Favorite Salad in the Whole World”. I don’t know who Jess is, but that salad was pretty tasty! The salad had fresh mixed greens, strawberries and chopped almonds. It was supposed to be topped with coconut crusted chicken, but I opted for regular grilled chicken instead. Even better than the salad was the homemade poppy seed dressing. It was absolutely fantastic. Thinking about it now makes my mouth water and I wish I would have purchased a bottle to bring home with me.

Looking for a complete dining experience, I did order dessert. I opted for a homemade pecan pie, but it was much too sweet for me. I ate one bite and I just couldn’t handle anymore sweetness. There is a variety of desserts and the chef even rotates several specialties daily.

The service was incredibly friendly and attentive. I am in Hershey regularly and I will definitely go back to the Chocolate Avenue Grill. Perhaps I will experience the dinner menu next time.

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