"Pennsylvania" news and stories

Even though it has some of the toughest liquor laws in the country, Pennsylvania is trying to get creative.

The state, which has strict control over the sale of beer, wine and spirits, has set up wine vending machines, the Associated Press reported. The "kiosks" are being tested in two grocery stores and may make an appearance in as many as 100 others around the state if they're a success.

With the swipe of a driver's license, a snap of the camera and after you blow into a breath sensor, you can purchase wine from the machines.

And customers seem to like them, the AP reported.

"This is just convenient one-stop shopping," Darby Golec, told the AP outside a Harrisburg grocery store. "It'll be nice to have it all in one area."

To much of the country, charismatic Food Network star and restaurateur Emeril Lagasse has become, well, just another household name. But in Bethlehem, Pa., tucked in the foothills of the state's Pocono Mountains, Emeril has become a culinary heartthrob whose embrace has sent the locals into a frenzy.

For the residents of this overhauled steel town already gaga over the coming of its first casino, the addition of Emeril's Chophouse side-by-side with the slots is a coup. After all, the Yankee (he hails from Fall River, Mass.) bypassed New York City (where he has a second home) and Boston (an hour from his birthplace) for "Christmas City" to house his first northeast eatery.

The Bam! man was on hand Tuesday for a media luncheon, and is currently in Bethlehem overseeing a test run of his 230-seat restaurant for its sold-out Friday opening. Located inside an old steel mill building, the restaurant is fittingly outfitted with cast-iron steel flourishes and a menu combining Emeril's bayou style with the no nonsense meat and potato sensibilities of the region: "We are very sensitive to the market no matter where we are," he told us.

A weekly look at the draft selection at beer-friendly bars across the country.

Last week, in honor of Super Bowl XLIII, we took "What's On Tap" to Tampa Bay. Well, to the winner goes the spoils, so this week we find ourselves in much colder terrain as we travel up north to Steelers' territory to visit Fat Head's Saloon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, home of this year's NFL World Champions.

Much of the battle in running a top-flight beer bar is dedication: Dedication to knowing your stuff, picking your products, finding the right distributor to make it happen. Some establishments, however, take things to the next level. In the past, I've praised beer bars for keeping a current draft list online. Well, Fat Head's does you one better, publishing a full-on PDF of their latest and greatest, including city of origin, tasting notes, ABV and price! According to a quick call to bar, they reprint and repost their draft list every time they switch out a keg and with the most recent update coming on February 3rd (that's yesterday), I have no reason to doubt they keep things fresh.

Way #2 to score dedication points, the bar boasts not one, but two beers brewed specifically for Fat Head's. Oregon's renowned Rogue Brewery whips up a Fat Head's Ale and Van Steenberge sends Head Trip (a Tripel) all the way from Belgium. I'm pretty sure not many other Pittsburgh bars can say that!

Still, in the end, it all comes down to what you're offering up on tap. After the jump, we'll take a look at Fat Head's hearty draft beer selection, and spread some news about why Cleveland area residents have something to look forward to...

After a decision earlier this month by Pennsylvania lawmakers to remove all mention of hormone-treated cows on milk containers, Governor Ed Rendell vehemently disagreed and reversed the issue, allowing the references to stay. The decision was initially enacted because State Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said the labels might cause consumers to think the treated milk was somehow inferior to non-treated milk, therefore slowing sales.

Why the sudden change? Rendell, along with the Consumers Union, dairy farms, and even Ben and Jerry's representatives thought that consumers deserved the right to know how their drinks were being produced. However, dairies that do choose to label their milk as "hormone-free" also have to list a disclaimer that their milk is no safer than milk that does contain hormones. This is because, despite rumors that hormones cause girls to hit puberty earlier or cause certain types of cancer, no research has proven either of these statements.

However, this hasn't stopped Canada from banning use of the hormone, which is used because it supposedly boosts milk production by 10%. Canada's reasoning? They say it causes mastitis, or udder infection, and reduces the number of pregnancies.

What do you think? Do you want to know whether or not your milk comes from hormone-treated cows? And how much does this fact - whether or not the cows were treated - affect what kind of milk you buy?

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In 2002, the state legislature of Pennsylvania passed a resolution, declaring that the second Saturday in January was to be known as "Invite your neighbor to dinner day." That just happens to be this upcoming Saturday. And no, I am not kidding. Their intention was to foster goodwill among people who live within close proximity of one another and to encourage people to reach out to the neighbors that they might not know well. They chose the second Saturday in January because they couldn't find any major holidays that would conflict with it and thought that it might also be a way for people to beat the post-holiday blues.

As a big proponent of communal eating, I love this idea and so thought I'd pass the word around. It's a great idea, even if you don't happen to live in the Keystone State (as I do). There's also a website that offers tips on ways to make dinner with a neighbor doable for you as well as a little history about how this movement got started. Even if you can't do it this Saturday, why not make a plan to get together with some neighbors for a meal. Keep it easy on yourself and make it potluck (this pasta bake makes a great potluck dish, if you need a little inspiration). Just have a meal with a neighbor and make your community a little closer.

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