While many children hunt for pastel-colored eggs this weekend, people in search of baked, fried and grilled chicken can head to two new restaurants in Bethlehem.
The Kartel Chicken Spot, offering chicken wings, chicken empanadas, homemade sides and more, held a grand opening April 1 at 432 W. Broad St. (former Santoro’s Franks & Chili spot); and King Wing, offering chicken wings, “fat sandwiches,” burgers and more, opened April 7 at 129 E. Third St. (former New York Gyro spot).
The Kartel Chicken Spot, with a few indoor seats and outdoor tables, is a family-run business operated by brothers Kartel Jones and Joseph Delgado.
The fast-casual eatery serves a variety of chicken platters, including fried and baked breasts, thighs and drumsticks, along with chicken wing meals available in homemade sauces such as Asian garlic and honey butter lime.
“The biggest sellers right now are the henny wings and the jerk chicken,” Jones said.
“The fried chicken, which is my grandma’s recipe, is also a huge hit,” Delgado added.
Platters, starting at $9.50 for a small, include your choice of two sides (corn, coleslaw, fries, potato salad, chicken salad, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, white or yellow rice with beans, mac and cheese, tostones and sweet plantains).
The Kartel Chicken Spot is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays; and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Info: 718-281-6710; instagram.com/the_kartel_chicken_spot.
The 25-seat King Wing, with booths, counter seating and traditional tables with chairs, is run by partners Shaban Sakr, Ali Kishar and Isam Sakr.
The eatery features more than a dozen homemade wing sauces, including mild flavors such as teriyaki and garlic parmesan and slightly spicy options such as mango habanero and red hot. Customers wishing to order the restaurant’s spiciest offering, “suicide,” must sign a waiver.
Pricing ranges from $7.99 for five wings to $59.99 or 50 wings. Dry rubs such as Cajun and Jamaican jerk are also available.
Nearly a dozen fat sandwiches ($8.95-$9.95), served with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and ketchup (unless stated otherwise), include a “Fat Lehigh” (chicken cheesesteak, mozzarella sticks, onion rings and fries), “Fat Rat” (chicken fingers, gyro meat, lettuce, tomato, gyro sauce and fries) and “Fat Blunt” (chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, macaroni and cheese bites, honey mustard and fries in a wrap).
Other menu highlights include cheesesteaks; salads; gyros and gyro platters; wraps such as Caesar chicken and barbecue chicken; sides such as fried pickles and jalapeno poppers; and desserts such as fried cheesecake, fried Oreos and milkshakes.
King Wing, which offers delivery through Grubhub and other third-party services, is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Hours may expand soon to include late-night service until 1 a.m. or later to cater to patrons leaving nearby bars and Wind Creek Bethlehem casino, the owners say. Info: 610-866-9464; kingwingpa.com.
Speaking of chicken, a Royal Farms convenience store, known for its fried chicken, on Tuesday got the green light from the Allentown Planning Commission to replace the longstanding Brass Rail restaurant at 3015 Lehigh St., my colleague Lindsay Weber reported.
The Brass Rail, a popular spot for cheesesteaks, hot dogs and pot roast sandwiches, last month announced that it would close June 4 after 91 years of business.
Developers want to consolidate three parcels of land, containing The Brass Rail, Budget Truck Rentals, Batteries + Bulbs store and Pacific Pride gas station, to build a Royal Farms convenience store with a car wash and gas station. Their plan includes demolishing three structures, including The Brass Rail, and adding 70 parking spaces for customers and employees.
Pennsylvania is home to 20 Royal Farms, but the Lehigh Street location would be the first in the Lehigh Valley. Info: royalfarms.com.
Another popular chain, McDonald’s, has expanded its regional footprint.
The newly constructed eatery, featuring a two-lane drive-thru, self-ordering kiosks and seating capacity for 42 customers, opened Thursday at 6690 Short Drive in Upper Saucon Township.
The restaurant operates next to a new Wawa gas station and convenience store at the southwest corner of Route 309 and Passer Road. A few homes, the former Truly Fine home furnishings store and the former Peppercorn Pub-turned apartment building were razed to make way for the new development.
The new eatery is the fifth area McDonald’s for franchise operators James and Karen McIntyre, who together operate under the Jamren McDonald’s business name. The couple also owns McDonald’s locations in Hellertown, Easton, Quakertown and Milford Township.
A destination for home-cooked meals, overnight lodging and social gatherings for more than 260 years is beginning a new chapter in Palmer Township.
The Seipsville Inn, at 2912 Old Nazareth Road, will house a new, family-run restaurant and bar, Elpedio’s Ristorante, starting May 1.
Four brothers — Peter, Lou, Dino and Dero Pettinelli — will operate the full-service Elpedio’s where they previously operated The Pub at Seipsville for the past five years.
Elpedio’s is named after their late father, Elpedio “Pete” Pettinelli, who purchased the three-story structure in 1977.
Over the decades, the Pettinellis offered various types of cuisine, including continental, Hispanic and seafood, at the historic site, Lou said.
“Finally, we said, ‘You know what? We listened to everybody,’” Lou said. “It was fine, but we were never really happy with the whole thing because our roots are Italian. And we always wanted to open an Italian restaurant.”
The full-service Elpedio’s, offering fine Italian cuisine in a colonial, rustic setting, will serve several specialties from the Pettinellis’ native Marche region, an east-central part of Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea.
Menu highlights will include passatelli con brodo (“peasant” noodles in chicken broth); appetizers such as fried calamari and charcuterie; house-made pasta such as fettuccine alfredo and tagliatelle al ragu alla Bolognese; chicken and veal dishes such as alla Marsala and alla Parmigiano; beef and pork dishes such as filet mignon in a mushroom sherry wine sauce and grilled bone-in pork chop; and seafood selections such as shrimp scampi and surf and turf (5-ounce lobster tail and 14-ounce boneless ribeye with roasted potatoes and vegetables).
In addition to pasta, house-made items will include Italian bread, sauces and desserts such as bread pudding and tiramisu.
“We’re listening to our heart,” Lou said of the new menu and concept.
Additionally, the property’s private event space is getting overhauled and will double as the restaurant’s main dining room — accommodating up to 90 customers, and Sunday brunch service, featuring a buffet option ($23) and la carte items such as lobster cake “Bennies” and bananas Foster French toast, will be introduced. Reservations: 610-252-3620; seipsville.com.
A few miles southeast of the Seipsville Inn, Emilio Montesdeoca, of Easton, and his father, Cesar Montesdeoca, of Palmer, recently purchased The Castel Club at 270 E. Kleinhans St. on Easton’s South Side, according to a news release.
After updating the banquet hall, they plan to offer the facility — tentatively named El Club — for wedding receptions, bridal showers, birthday parties, corporate events and more starting in June, Emilio said.
The original club, which is more than 100 years old, plans to relocate.
“We’d like to keep the history of this iconic building and continue serving the community,” Emilio said.
The 9,000-square-foot building holds up to 250 people and has a wraparound bar, dance floor and ample off-street parking.
Emilio, who is a realtor with Morganelli Properties, has been investing in Lehigh Valley properties with his father since 2006. He previously was an owner of the recently-closed Easton Taco & Rotisserie in Easton’s West Ward.
For individuals seeking new forms of self-expression, Obsidian Tattoo and Piercing Parlor, which opened nine years ago on West Broad Street in Bethlehem, earlier this month announced its second location at 173 Main St. in Emmaus.
The business, founded by Andy Gehris and Tasha Bird, specializes in custom-drawn body art, replicated image body art, cover-up body art and superior body piercings, according to an online business description.
“All artists have several years of experience,” the description continues. “We also provide the best selection of the highest-quality body jewelry in the area for affordable prices.”
The Emmaus location fills the space previously occupied by Stonewood Interiors, which moved to West Hamilton Street in Allentown in 2019. Info: obsidianparlor.com.
From fresh ink to fresh clothes, Lux Laundry, featuring 34 washers and dryers, opened April 6 at 411 Front St. in Catasauqua.
Owner Joseph DiGiovanna, of Slatington, purchased the former Sunnyside Coin Laundry facility in late 2021 and implemented renovations over the past several months, including redoing the floor, adding shiplap to the walls and installing eight new washers and dryers.
Lux Laundry, open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, features 45-pound capacity commercial washers, complimentary wi-fi and folding tables.
“We’ll also be adding wash-and-fold service,” DiGiovanna said. Info: 760-826-2961; facebook.com/luxlaundryllc.
Lastly, Ella’s Ristorante & Pizzeria, serving Italian and Mexican cuisines, has closed for an indefinite period of time at 639 Main St. in Hellertown, according to a message posted on the business’ Facebook page.
“Thank you so much for your concern in the community,” the April 8 announcement reads. “Unfortunately, as of this past Tuesday, we had to shut down our business indefinitely due to extreme understaffing issues.”
Ella’s owner Mike Zavaleta opened the BYOB restaurant in 2019 in the space that previously housed Bella’s Ristorante.
Retail Watch, appearing every weekend, keeps track of retail and restaurant news in the Lehigh Valley. Contact Ryan Kneller at 610-820-6597 or retailwatch@mcall.com.