The invitation from Posh Properties and Meyer Jabara Hotels, the folks that run the Hyatt Place, stated "lite fare and libations" but then mentioned "catering by Shula's." I only wish I hadn't had such a big lunch at The Tavern on Liberty earlier in the day. Boy, these folks can throw a party!

The food was nothing short of fabulous! There was a raw bar, a huge display of shrimp and giant crab claws, and of course steak morsels so tender I thought they'd fall off my fork. I didn't even get to the carving or pasta stations (pictured) or to the various other delicious-looking side dishes.

The "Who's Who" of Lehigh Valley were all there and cameras flashed all night. Guests were treated to tours of the property and could sign up to win one of several wonderful prizes, including overnight stays at the Hyatt Place and its sister properties, the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Breinigsville and the new Courtyard by Marriott in Bethlehem.

I was lucky enough to win one of the prizes, a Bethlehem Tartan scarf, compliments of Donegal Square. In spite of my Polish last name, I'm Irish so I know I'll love my souvenir of the opening. But what I will really treasure most is the opportunity to celebrate this happy occasion with my friends in hospitality. Here's to your success!

My brother called me up Saturday afternoon to see if Casey and I wanted to go out to eat with him and his new woman. Paolo’s in Northampton was our original destination, but when Casey and I arrived, there was an hour and twenty minute wait so we made a quick decision to move our dinner date down the street to Assante Ristorante Italiano. There was also a wait at Assante's, but not as long ... and they have a bar, so we got a round of drinks while a waiter walked around with appetizers. That kept us content for a while.

Once we got seated, we wasted little time ordering an appetizer. We got Antipasto Misto Caldo, a combination of clams casino, clams oreganato, eggplant rollantini, mussels marinara, mozzarella in carrozza, and fried calamari. It was real good and there was a lot. That was then followed by soup and/or salad. By the time we got to our main courses everyone was full, but that didn’t slow us down. Casey had Calamarifra Diavolo - she absolutely loved it. I had the Mussels Marinara, which was great. Everything was so fresh and tasty.

While we were there, I noticed a banner announcing that Assante won The Morning Call's 2009 Readers Choice Award for Best Dessert in the Valley, but we didn't have the room to try it. Have you tried any desserts at Assante Ristorante Italiano?

Heading back to work at Spark after an early-evening meeting, I decided to head through the South Side of Bethlehem to see if any new restaurants had opened. After all, I had 2-3 hours of work ahead of me and doing it on an empty stomach was unthinkable.

I immediately noticed General Zapata near Nawab. I peered in a large picture window and saw a handful of tables and tasteful décor. The temptation of Caribbean-Mexican fusion food was too compelling to pass up.

The BYOB restaurant has eight tables and seating for 25. An earthy brown-orange color scheme exuded warmth, as did the wood floors and wall shelves displaying pottery and ornate brown bottles.

Caribbean-Mexican fusion is somewhat of a misnomer. General Zapata offers Caribbean/Hispanic food and Mexican food, not a combination (though a “jerk chicken taco” experiment would be worth trying). Nine combination platters offer a selection of traditional Hispanic foods, such as fried pork chops, onion steak, roast pork and fried chicken, each served with rice and beans or pigeon peas and small side salad.

General Zapata’s menu exhorts: “Try our famous hot sauce.” I complied, pouring copious amounts on my rice and beans. Good move. The tomato-based sauce had spicy notes and a citrusy, piquant finish that would have been ideal on Mexican food.

A post-meal conversation with owner Rick Garcia established that General Zapata’s is worth supporting. He and his family cook all the food from scratch and from traditional recipes. They use quality ingredients and supplement the herbs and spices with ample quantities of old-fashioned pride – something you cannot get from a homogeneous chain. Restaurants like General Zapata add true flavor to the Lehigh Valley’s dining scene.

This post was written by Lehigh Valley InSite guest blogger Michael Drabenstott, who also writes the Beyond Scrapple blog.

This was my first time at Pig Pen but not because I didn't know about it ... Justin has blogged about going there several times and my cousin, who doesn't even live here 9 months out of the year, raves about the place. When my buddy Aaron suggested we go there because his buddy Tommy was one of the new managers at Pig Pen, I was all for it.

Be forewarned: Pig Pen is HUGE! We walked through three rooms (the lounge/bar, the arcade, the bowling alley), each big enough to hold a decent-sized prom or wedding in, on our way to our final destination, the Slaughterhouse Pub. The Pub is smaller than even half of the other "rooms" in Pig Pen, which appeals to me since I don't like large crowds, but that also meant there wasn't room for a pool table.

With a flat screen TV directly in front of me mounted behind the bar and one to my immediate left, I had no trouble watching the impressive performance by the Steelers while eating my large portion of chicken fingers and french fries (an affordable $7). Aaron and Brett took advantage of the $2 beer special while other Slaughterhouse patrons opted for the $3 SoCo and lime shots.

Slaughterhouse Pub is the only place inside Pig Pen where smoking is allowed. That fact coupled with its smallish size, touchscreen games, TVs and fair prices makes it very similar to other bars in the area. What makes it different, though, is its not filled with Philly or Pittsburgh fans like the majority of the other bars (which can be intimidating for the out-of-town-team fan) and unless one of the teams did something that truly warranted a reaction, the football fans weren't crazy - well, except for Brett and one other guy.

Given my job, I may be a bit biased, but this package really is great because it makes planning a Lehigh Valley golf experience easy. All I'd have to do is ...

1. Call the hotel to book my room.
2. Tell the hotel which participating course I want to play at and they'll set up my tee time.
3. Check into the hotel and pay for everything.
4. Hand in a voucher from the hotel at the course and hit the links.

Another reason I'd pick the Stay & Play package is because we got two new courses in the program for next year. They are both private clubs, but they're opening up their doors (or should I say greens) for this program only.

The first is Woodstone Country Club in Danielsville. I've played this one a few times and I must say that it is quite challenging. The course is super long at 7,090 yards. I would never consider walking this one, but I've seen people do it! It also offers an excellent all-grass practice range to warm up on. 

The second, my former home club, is Blue Ridge Country Club in Palmerton. This is a fantastic course with a beautiful layout and awesome views. Speaking of views, I've seen lots of wildlife on the course, from deer, bear, tortoise, all kinds of birds, weasels and raccoons to name a few. The course boasts 6,683 yards from the gold tees but you need to be precise to hit the greens - most of them are pretty small.

Are you still playing this year or are your bags in storage for the season?

Shuze owner Jennifer hand-picks every item in the store and can give you the back story on it. She's also effortlessly fashionable herself and has a great eye for style. And like a real friend, Jennifer will give you an honest opinion. I am tres jolie about the new pair of knee-high black leather boots that she suggested and am wearing them any chance I get.

I got a similar vibe at Boutique To Go (522 N. 19th St. Allentown). I was recently exchanging some tickets at the Civic Theatre box office across the street from Boutique To Go, and since I had a few extra minutes, I wandered in and looked around the store. Despite the fact that the other patrons in the store were old enough to be my (very fashionable) grandmother, there were many, many items that are very much "this season," if you follow these things, including:

• Chainmail and mixed metal, multi-strand bracelets and necklaces
• "Statement" pendants 
• A huge wall of handbags including jewel-toned totes

The mommies-to-be in my life (Jill, Kim, Kristen, Jessica) should drop some serious hints about this place - it's definitely a baby gift zone. Nothing essential, just fun, designer baby blankets, toys and decor. The prices at Boutique To Go were more than what you'll find at Target, but still not outrageous (and there's a sale going on now).

So for that unique piece for yourself, a one-of-a-kind gift or the satisfaction of supporting a local small business, both Boutique To Go and Shuze should be on your short list.

Have you been to either of them?

This post was written by Lehigh Valley InSite guest blogger Megan Santucci, who also writes the Lehigh Valley Transplant blog.

Last night the Lehigh Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau celebrated 25 years in the tourism business, so I thought I would do a little compare and contrast of tourism events and attractions. Here's Lehigh Valley 1984 vs. Lehigh Valley 2009.

* Pro baseballin Lehigh Valley was in the middle of a very long drought in 1984. The last major league affiliated team, the Allentown Red Sox, left town in 1960 (interesting fact: the Allentown Red Sox played at Max Hess Stadium, which is where the Lehigh Valley Mall is now located). Now we have the hugely successful AAA Philadelphia Phillies associated Lehigh Valley IronPigs, which arrived in 2008, and play in Allentown's beautiful Coca Cola Park. (Check out some of the past Lehigh Valley InSite blog posts on the IronPigs here.) 

* Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom. 1984 was a big year for Dorney Park. They were recovering from a fire that destroyed many buildings and rides the year before but also celebrating their 100th anniversary! Obviously, 25 years later Dorney celebrated another anniversary, their 125th, and is now a top notch amusement and water park. (Check out some of the past Lehigh Valley InSite blog posts on Dorney Park here.)

* Golf. Lehigh Valley used to be a tough place to get a tee time 25 years ago with only 7 public courses:
* Willow Brook Golf Course (9 holes at the time)
* Twin Lakes now Iron Lakes Country Club
* Green Pond Country Club
* Allentown Municipal Golf Course
* Bethlehem Golf Club
* Locust Valley Golf Club
* Wedgewood Golf Course.
25 years later, I'm happy to say we are a hacker’s paradise. Since 1987, Lehigh Valley has doubled in public golf courses. 
* 1986 Indian Creek Golf Course
* 1992 Center Valley Club
* 1993 Southmoore Golf Course
* 1993 Whitetail Golf Club
* 1995 Olde Homestead Golf Club
* 2004 The Club at Morgan Hill
* 2006 Riverview Country Club.

I think I'm going to continue this comparison next week. Not sure on who or what yet, but I will dig up some goodies though so stay tuned.

In the meantime, what changes have you noticed in Lehigh Valley over the past 25 years? 

Co-worker:  "Did you bring lunch?"

Me:  "Yes"

Co-worker:  "I did too."

Then there is a ten second hesitation...followed by:

Co-worker:  "Do you want to go out?"

Me:  "Sure!!! Where?"

After all ... the gourmet Lean Cuisine I have waiting for me in the freezer doesn't expire until January 2011.

Well, we now have a new place to go ... Made in Brazil. The owners of Rios Brazilian Steak House in Nazareth have opened their latest Lehigh Valley Restaurant for lunch and dinner in the Holiday Inn Allentown Center City, which is conveniently located across the street from our office.

I've experienced their "Rodizio" all-you-can-eat barbecue (a.k.a. "meat-fest") in Nazareth so I can't wait to patronize them here in Allentown. They just opened yesterday so I'm giving them a week or so to get used to their new space before I go for lunch.

I can tell they will be successful in their latest venture because our informal "First Monday Happy Hour" gathering of downtown Allentown workers, held at the hotel this month, was packed. Everyone couldn't wait to try the complimentary sampling of Made in Brazil's fare.

So, now we have even more lunch and dinner choices on Hamilton Street. That Lean Cuisine in the freezer may actually expire!

Hey Kim ... did you bring lunch? 

All of my lunchmates ordered burritos, which I took to mean they were pretty darn good, so I stepped outside my comfort zone and ordered my first burrito ... ever! I decided on marinated steak as my protein of choice (other options include shredded beef, chicken and vegetarian). At Burrito Grille, they make your food to order right in front of you - just like at a Subway - so I opted for the cilantro-lime rice, shredded lettuce and cheese, sour cream and, after hearing Liz rave about how yummy they are, pinto beans.

I took a seat in Burrito Grille's laid-back seating area and tried to figure out how to eat this thing. It had to be at least 6" long and 2-3" in diameter! According to Brian, the key is to balance one end on the plate and literally chow down on it. Don't let the size fool you - even though it looked huge, it was just the right amount of food. 

Once I got the hang of eating it, I realized how tasty it was. The flavor was delicious, which had to be the marinade on the steak. In the beginning, I was wary about having rice and beans actually be part of the burrito itself, but I have to say that the pintos made me a fan.

My first experience at Burrito Grille was a good one and I can't wait to return. Have you been there yet?

We started off with a one-hour massage with private rooms located next to each other. The treatment rooms were tranquil with candles and soft music playing. The table was heated which made it very comfortable. 

Monica was my massage therapist and I would recommend her to anyone who is looking for a more spiritual experience. She is also trained to do reiki which is something I would love to try in the future. Monica did a great job from head to toe with my massage. Stacey said her treatment was good as well, but her back ended up going out on her halfway through the treatment. It had nothing to do with the therapist, she just can't lay flat on her back or stomach for long periods. I thought I heard her yelping a little through the door, but I was enjoying myself too much to have Monica stop. I figured she was in good hands. We definitely had some good laughs about it for the rest of the evening!

Before we knew it we were off to our pedicures. This part was just ok for me because I have ticklish feet and the heated massage chairs were broken! Ugh!

Our last treatment was a manicure. The best part was the almond scented scrub they used. My technician did a nice job and made me feel like I could really get used to this kind of lifestyle! 

TC Salon & Spa in Allentown is going to be moving to the old Shanty restaurant building on 19th St. in the West End district. I am looking forward to visiting again once they open. They also have a Bethlehem location (Read about Tracey's experience there). Other than reiki, is there any other treatments I should try? Anyone have a hot stone massage before?