DISH: BEER IN THE FINGER LAKES

by Nikki M. Mascali
Weekender Editor

BEER IN THE FINGER LAKES

The Finger Lakes region of New York isn’t all about wine, well, at least not this weekend. The fourth annual Ithaca Brew Fest will be held Saturday, Sept. 4 from 3-7 p.m. at Stewart Park on Cayuga Lake. The event is hosted by Wegmans, Ithaca Beer Co. and the Cayuga Radio Group.

The festival features beer samples from more than 45 local, regional and international breweries, food — including a Wegmans-catered tent offering gourmet food and beer pairings — and live music throughout the day.

A VIP package is available. It includes a sampling glass and admission bracelet that grants access into the VIP beer tent for the entire festival. VIP guests will be admitted into the tent at 2 p.m., one hour before festival doors open to the public, for lunch with the brewers, where they’ll be able to talk to brewery representatives, sample beers not yet available in the market and eat lunch catered by Wegmans.

General admission tickets are $35 in advance and $45 day of the event. VIP tickets are $75 and can only be purchased in advance. A portion of all ticket sales will benefit ongoing revitalization efforts at Stewart Park and the Cayuga Lake Waterfront. Tickets, directions and more info are available at www.ithacabrewfest.com.

TASTES OF ASIA

Asian Kitchen (121 South Main St., Wilkes-Barre) is now open. The restaurant features an extensive array of Chinese cuisine and Japanese sushi. Lunch specials are served Monday-Saturday from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

The restaurant is open Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. and Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Delivery is available.

For more info or to see Asian Kitchen’s menu call 570.822.0302 or visit www.asiankitchenpa.com

NEW KIELBASA KING

For the second year in a row, I was among the judges for the Kielbasa Contest during the Kielbasa Festival at Franchella’s Pub in Plymouth.

Hosted by Plymouth Alive, a non-profit organization that is working to revitalize the borough’s downtown, the two-day event has grown in leaps and bounds over the past seven years. It’s quickly become one of my favorite summer festivals in NEPA, not just because I get to sample some really good kielbasa, but because it’s a great time with truly great people.

After the other 17 judges and I donned our official Kielbasa Festival T-shirts, we got down to business to evaluate six different kielbasa samples based on taste, appearance and texture. We were split into two camps, fresh kielbasa and smoked, and the trays were paraded out before us with great fanfare.

The winner of both fresh and smoked categories this year were Bosak’s Choice Meats from Olyphant. Second place in fresh went to Fetch’s Food Store in Plymouth while the Plains Meat Market in Plains Twp. took third place. Komensky’s Market in Duryea placed second in smoked and there was a three-way tie between Park Market in Nanticoke, Fetch’s and Plains Meat Market for third place.

If you missed this festival, you really missed out on a good time — and a great chance to reintroduce yourself to downtown Plymouth. It was wonderful to see so many people out on the streets, stopping at the many vendors or popping into shops or bars for a quick break from the heat.

I can’t wait for next year, Plymouth Alive.(And thanks for the Tic Tacs!)

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