DISH: What's that smell?

Bucolic Bethel Woods is the perfect backdrop to a wine fest.

by Nikki M. Mascali
Weekender Editor

WHAT’S THAT SMELL? THE HOT AND STINKY GARLIC & HERB FESTIVAL!

The scent of garlic will waft through Northeastern Pennsylvania this weekend when the Keystone State Hot and Stinky Garlic & Herb Festival is held at Zanolini Nursery & Country Shop (603 St. Johns Road, Drums) Saturday, Aug. 27 from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 28 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Among the festival’s foodie festivities is the Hot Pepper Eating Contest, held Saturday at 1 p.m.; the Light ’Em Up Chili Cook Off, which starts Sunday at 10:30 a.m. with judging at 3 p.m. Festivalgoers can purchase a spoon and tasting cup for $1, and then vote for their favorite.

Vampires might want to get lost during the Garlic Eating Contest on Sunday from noon-1 p.m. Each contestant receives a clove they must peel and eat before moving on to the next round. If the contest reaches the twentieth round, the person who can eat five cloves the fastest will be declared the winner.

Other attractions at the festival include music by The Two Of Us, a Chinese auction that opens Saturday at 11 a.m., with winners picked Sunday at 5 p.m., and a garden tour with Zanolini Nursery’s Jim Gibson.

For more info and complete schedule, visit zanolininursery.com or call 570.788.3152.

BEER DELI TO CHANGE HANDS

One of my favorite lunchtime spots, The Beer Deli (175 Welles St., Forty Fort) is in the works to be sold to John and Jodie Rivero of Shavertown. Frank and Bob Roccograndi opened the deli in 1987, and the closing is expected to happen at the end of August.

“We want to spend more time with our grandchildren,” Bob Roccograndi, 67, told The Times Leader last week.

Fear not, frequent visitors, the menu will remain the same.

“We want to do right by the Roccograndi family,” said Rivero, who has been in the private-club industry for 20 years, including with Glenmaura National Golf Club in Moosic and Fox Hill Country Club in Exeter. “We don’t plan to make any changes.”

Roccograndi shared that he and his brother are passing along all their recipes to the Riveros.

“You will have the same recipes, free desserts and friendly employees and ownership,” he stated.

As much as I love just about everything on The Beer Deli’s menu, the free dessert, which is often cookies or ice cream, is, well, a pretty sweet way to end a meal there.

The Beer Deli is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. For more info, call 288.8141 or visit beerdeli.com.

WOODSTOCK & WINE

Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (200 Hurd Road, Bethel, N.Y.) will hold its annual Wine Fest Sunday, Aug. 28 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., featuring 20-plus wineries from the Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes. The event also features short seminars, live music and specialty food, cheese and craft vendors.

The tasting fee is $10, which includes a complimentary glass while supplies last. Tickets are available via the box office, BethelWoodsCenter.org, Ticketmaster or 800.745.3000. General admission is $5, as are tickets for designated drivers. Parking is free, and the event is rain or shine.

Bethel Woods, which is about three hours away from NEPA, is located at the site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival. The property also includes The Museum at Bethel Woods, which, as stated on its website, “is a leading authority on the history of the 1960s and its transformative impact on the world.”

As someone who has been to the venue and its museum (and is a fan of wine), I can’t imagine a more perfect day — or setting! Visit Bethel’s website or call 866.781.2922 for more info.