Bad Day? Don’t Cook. Eat Local.

By Michael Buck and Michelle Pittman

Miserable days happen. The kind when you have a stress knot in the middle of your back. The kind when you go home with a pounding headache right in between your eyes. These days leave us with a general misery that makes us want to not cook dinner.

Spend time in the kitchen? Not tonight. Throw some money at the problem. Yes. We’ll have someone else cook us dinner! Still, we’re conscious about our food source (unless it’s a really bad day, then all bets are off).

So it’s lucky for us that there are enough restaurateurs in the Lehigh Valley that are locally minded. They’ve got just the menu for us, and it’s made with local and/or organic ingredients.

In Easton? Try Pearly Baker’s Ale House, 11 Centre Square. One-third of their menu comes from local sources. Personally, we can vouch for their local beef burgers. They satisfy. Want to take it a step further? Pearly’s frequently carries local beer from Weyerbacher and, of course, Yuengling a little further afield.

In Bethlehem? Check out Fegley’s Brew Works, 569 Main St. They serve up plenty of chicken, pork and beef that is humanely raised and hormone free. While not local, their salad spring mix and spinach is organic, according to the restaurant’s web site.

How about Salisbury Township? That slice of land in between Bethlehem and Allentown? That’s where you will find Bolete, 1740 Seidersville Road. Save this for a special occasion; it’s quite possibly the best meal in the Lehigh Valley. Even better? It’s all locally sourced. Dress sharp and come hungry.

Further west, in Emmaus, is The Farmhouse, 1449 Chestnut St. We’ve never had the pleasure of dining here. But if its reputation holds up, the locally-sourced and seasonal menu will make your taste buds very happy.

What else? What local-food restaurant did we forget? Let us know! Post a comment. Where’s good?