The Flavors of "Christmas City USA"

WHERE TO STAY

Immediately following Thanksgiving, downtown Bethlehem morphs into a holiday wonderland. Businesses of Christmas City spruce up their facades, lining them with white lights and candles, greenery and wreaths. Christmas music blares through the strollable streetscape, with the historic Hotel Bethlehem at the epicenter of the hustle and bustle. Known for decking the halls with lights, holly, trimmed Christmas trees and manger scenes, the hotel is also famous for its family-friendly Santa brunches. Executive chef David Troxell mans the culinary program for the two in-house restaurants, 1741 on the Terrace and the Tap Room. Both spots place a firm focus on produce sourced from nearby Coopersburg’s Liberty Gardens.

WHERE TO EAT

With menus so seasonal they are different every day, chef Lee Chizmar and his partner, Erin Shea, of Bolete Restaurant and Inn, expose diners to the ingredients, farmers and artisan purveyors of the Lehigh Valley through breathtaking dishes. Situated in a colonial-era stone inn, Bolete is a hub of the farm-focused food scene here. In fact, one regular became a farmer because he was so inspired by his meals.

Chizmar’s cooking is just as exceptional as his ingredients. The chef ’s tasting (six courses for $75) might be the best Christmas present you could give yourself. From crispy asparagus salad with sunny-side-up duck egg, to fork-tender grass-fed beef with foie gras emulsion and Misty Bay day boat sea scallops with porcini puree and foam, his dishes entice all year long. And don’t forget to leave room for the Mason jar–served butterscotch pudding.

Splashed in purples and lime greens, Mint Gastropub, based in a former bank building on Bethlehem’s South Side, takes a whimsical approach to the upscale bar concept. Chef Domenic Lombardo, a mainstay of the Lehigh Valley food scene, runs the kitchen. His specialty is reinvented comfort food. The “Buttons and Bones,” for example, pairs pickled button mushrooms with bone marrow pancetta. His “Sloppy Doe” is a clever, venison-based take on the lowbrow Manwich. The cocktail program, with dueling new- and old-school rosters, is in sync with the chef’s menus—cheeky yet time honored.

WHERE TO DRINK

Ever since spring 1998, the Fegley family has led the craft beer culture of the Lehigh Valley, paying homage to the region’s industrial past with Bethlehem Brew Works. The most attractive brewpub seat is at the red-brick-lined bar, where you can spy repeat Great American Beer Festival–winner Beau Baden in the brewing room concocting his next cult classic, like the dry-hopped Hop’solutely Triple IPA. His more obscure releases arrive seasonally, including the Rude Elf ’s Reserve, a high-octane dark ale accented with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove.

For those more inclined to imbibe prohibition-era cocktails, escape to the South Side of Bethlehem to the Bookstore Speakeasy. Like any proper speakeasy, the entryway is unmarked—look closely for the nearly hidden stairs leading to a side door. Once inside, a pseudo lobby lined with hardcover books surrounds you, but with the parting of the black-velvet curtains, you’re introduced to an amberlit dining room, accented with Art Deco touches, vintage furniture and menus secreted in books. Jazz musicians perform nightly, and barkeeps play their parts with the requisite waxed mustaches and ostentatious cocktail mixing techniques. The list of stiff concoctions changes regularly, but the Violet Tendencies (a mix of tequila blanco, sloe gin, crème de violette, absinthe verte and Champagne) will likely be on the menu through winter.