SPRING 2021
www.westendallentown.com
Volume 7, Number 1
WEST END LIVING
n
n
BUSINESS NEWS
After Closure in 2020, The Ritz Returns Under New Ownership providing much needed upgrades. They’ve replaced about 80 percent of the cooking gear. The original booths are still in place, but with new, more comfortable upholstery and improved lighting. Speaking of nostalgia, Wuchter said the revitalized Ritz will be overseen by Barry Fenstermaker, the Stinners’ manager for 22 years and an excellent chef. And the restaurant’s signature butter brickle ice cream is back on the menu—locally made, from the original recipe— along with up to 40 other flavors. The Ritz will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with dine-in PHOTO BY JANE GEIST PHOTOGRAPHY
When Ritz Barbecue closed last June, it left the hearts of many Allentown residents in pieces. Or, you could say, banana-split in two. Yearn no longer, those still suffering of heartbreak, because after six-figures worth of renovations and improvements, the landmark eatery is back. The Ritz’s new owners, Dan and Laurie Wuchter, are Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market veterans. The two have handed over control of their former business, Dan’s Bar-B-Qued Chickens, to their son. “After Grace and Jeff Stinner retired, and closed the Ritz, Raymond Hoffman [the late director of the Lehigh County Agricultural Society] came to us and said, ‘One of your dreams might be coming true.’ Dan’s dream had been to operate the Ritz—and Hoffman was inviting us to take it over,” Laurie Wuchter says. The Wuchters’ goal was maintain the Ritz’s air of nostalgia while
IN THIS ISSUE 1 The Ritz Returns 2 Readers of WEL 3 Focus on the Arts 6 News to Bank On 7 Ron’s Ramblings
and to-go options. The menu combines old favorites—baked beans, crab patties, fried oysters— with new features, such as weeklyspecial combos, and complete ham and turkey dinners-to-go for holiday meals. Wuchter said they’re also looking into re-creating the famous Hess’s strawberry pie. Future plans include creation of a “memory wall,” featuring 8 St. Patrick’s Update 10 Sam Miranda 11 Ringer’s Roost 11 What’s That Thing 12 Q&A Jeff Fries 12 Students of Note
patron-submitted nostalgic pictures, installation of a jukebox or indoor/outdoor sound system, and hosting live music events, fundraisers, and private parties. To submit photos for the memory wall, or for more information about summer employment opportunities, contact Shanel Fuentes 610.432.8425 or shanel@ fairgroundfarmersmkt.com. n
13 Representative Schlossberg 14 In Our Nature: Hawks 15 Tree Planting 15 Market Report Real Estate WINTER 2020 WEST
END LIVING 1