Appearances are deceiving
At the corner of Broad and Guetter Sts. is a new restaurant. From the outside, it may not appear to be anything different. Doors, a few windows and outside patio are what you see. Walk in, check the place out. I was very surprised at the atmosphere and feel.
Layout: You walk in through 2 sets of doors. A podium with hostess / host is waiting to greet you. They are very friendly. To your right are a few tables. A small, U-shaped, bar seating about 14 people is also to your right. Left is the main dining area with various sized tables. The lighting is fairly low and easy on the eyes. As you can see in the photo, there is an outdoor patio when the weather is nice. Windows face 2 streets at the bar area.
I was there for a celebration of the restaurant being open. Arriving shortly after 6 p.m., the bar area was packed! About half the tables in the dining area were also full. A few people were enjoying the patio. Now, the main part about the Twisted Olive's atmosphere? Windows in the bar area provide a great view. Speaking with a few people, they mentioned how beautiful it will look in a snowfall and during Christmas. The lower lighting and view provides a relaxing experience.
Due to the crowd and my schedule, I did not have a chance to check out the dining area.
What about the food / drinks? I had a Diet Coke and their signature "Twisted Olives" appetizer. The presentation of the olives was unique: with light greens in a martini glass. Looking around, the pizza appeared to go over big! The Twisted Olives have a unique flavor where you could barely taste the olives. Price? Twisted Olives and Diet Coke: $12.00. Value for the money? Average. Considering I barely ate all day, it filled me for a few hours. Suggestion: a great way to start your meal. Taste? very different and very good.
Something else different about the Twisted Olive. The owners are a wife / husband team: Sherri and Steve Kershner. Steve is not only an owner; he does the best job possible keeping on top of the kitchen. Steve is the Master Chef!
Guest service: With Steve and the kitchen doing a great job keeping on top of orders; Sherri was making sure everyone was having a pleasant experience. Sherri did a great job in this area. Manager, Bob Howell, was also doing his best to talk to guests and answer questions. With the bar packed and dining area busy, the waitresses / bartenders stayed on top of everything. Observed wait times average from 1 to 4 minutes getting food and drinks. This may seem long, it was very crowded.
Layout: You walk in through 2 sets of doors. A podium with hostess / host is waiting to greet you. They are very friendly. To your right are a few tables. A small, U-shaped, bar seating about 14 people is also to your right. Left is the main dining area with various sized tables. The lighting is fairly low and easy on the eyes. As you can see in the photo, there is an outdoor patio when the weather is nice. Windows face 2 streets at the bar area.
I was there for a celebration of the restaurant being open. Arriving shortly after 6 p.m., the bar area was packed! About half the tables in the dining area were also full. A few people were enjoying the patio. Now, the main part about the Twisted Olive's atmosphere? Windows in the bar area provide a great view. Speaking with a few people, they mentioned how beautiful it will look in a snowfall and during Christmas. The lower lighting and view provides a relaxing experience.
Due to the crowd and my schedule, I did not have a chance to check out the dining area.
What about the food / drinks? I had a Diet Coke and their signature "Twisted Olives" appetizer. The presentation of the olives was unique: with light greens in a martini glass. Looking around, the pizza appeared to go over big! The Twisted Olives have a unique flavor where you could barely taste the olives. Price? Twisted Olives and Diet Coke: $12.00. Value for the money? Average. Considering I barely ate all day, it filled me for a few hours. Suggestion: a great way to start your meal. Taste? very different and very good.
Something else different about the Twisted Olive. The owners are a wife / husband team: Sherri and Steve Kershner. Steve is not only an owner; he does the best job possible keeping on top of the kitchen. Steve is the Master Chef!
Guest service: With Steve and the kitchen doing a great job keeping on top of orders; Sherri was making sure everyone was having a pleasant experience. Sherri did a great job in this area. Manager, Bob Howell, was also doing his best to talk to guests and answer questions. With the bar packed and dining area busy, the waitresses / bartenders stayed on top of everything. Observed wait times average from 1 to 4 minutes getting food and drinks. This may seem long, it was very crowded.
Update: The Twisted Olive has live music. I spoke with one of the owners. Had to find out if 09/27/13 was a once and done or if they will continue. The plans are to continue once a month for now. With the weather only slightly Chilly at night, it is outside on the patio.
Overall suggestion: Depends on your budget, honestly. Have a higher budget? The Twisted Olive is a nice place to stop by a few nights after work. Have a drink. Get some good food. Relax and take a break from life. Lower budget? A nice place for the occasional dinner when you want to treat yourself and someone else. From what I saw of the dining area, this is also a good place to if you are meeting a client. Dress code? I was there in jeans / tshirt / sneakers. First of two stops that night. Others attending? ranged from jeans / polo shirt to business professional. Best thing I can do, like always, is to say check them out online. In the Bethlehem, Pa area? Stop by and decide for yourself.
http://www.twistedolivebethlehem.com/home.html
https://www.facebook.com/TwistedOliveBethlehem
http://www.twistedolivebethlehem.com/home.html
https://www.facebook.com/TwistedOliveBethlehem