The Other Hazleton Diner

Byorek's Knotty Pine
Route 309 - Hazleton, PA
We stopped at a Hazleton icon for lunch today before heading down to see the Iron Pigs game in Allentown.  I had a cheesesteak with a side of Knotty Pine Fries which are topped with gravy and scumutz, both of which were very tasty.

Knotty Pine opened its doors in 1937 and has been in business ever since, but it's not a place that I remember from my childhood other than seeing the neon sign on the side of the road when we drove down Route 309.  When I was growing up, my grandparents would go out for dinner every Saturday night after my grandmother and great-grandmother got out of church, and there were two other diners that were just a few blocks away: The Blue Comet and Pegasus (which has since been renamed The Beltway Diner), so we almost always went to one or the other (usually Blue Comet).  Knotty Pine was a few miles up the road from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, so it was out-of-sight, out of mind.  You might think that driving for a few minutes would be no big deal, but if you knew my grandmother, you'd understand.  Let's just say that she's not the most patient person in the world.

It wasn't until I became an adult that I stopped at Knotty Pine to eat for the first time, and it was very good.  The place also has a very cool roadside diner vibe with thick wooden booths and paneling.  Check it out if you're in town.

Pizza, Pierogies And Popcorn

Laurel Drive In
South Church Street - Hazleton, PA
One of the best things about the Laurel Drive In is the food.  They've got a big menu, and everything is very tasty and reasonably priced.  It's perfect for a night of movies.

Summer Afternoon Nap

We got back from the Hometown Farmer's Market a little while ago.  Dad has crashed on Grandpa's recliner.

The Chewbaru Legacy

I passed this Subaru on the way to the ballpark this afternoon and my guess is that the driver is a dentist who has been hitting the nitrous oxide pretty hard.  As if the toothbrush army on the trunk and empty toothpaste tubes weren't enough, there are a row of dentures lining the top of the bumper and a mannequin head on the roof.  Not sure what all of the black and white photos are, but I'm going to assume they have something to do with teeth.

Follow The Planogram

1001 Retailing Nights
Software Etc (1991)

This was shared by capnskull on YouTube and it is pure gold for any retro gamer.  The first half of the video features a genie from the mysterious Mac-O-Wish 1001 computer who helps Bob understand the importance of visual merchandising.  The second half is a virtual tour of a Software Etc store as they existed in 1991, with spots to allow the viewer to pause the video and assess whether or not their store meets company guidelines.  Not only does it bring back memories of what video game stores looked like in the early 90's, but it's full of cheezy acting and terrible impersonations.

Off The Beaten Path: Hazleton Pitza

Off The Beaten Path (WYLN TV)
Hazleton Pitza 
This is pizza which is baked, packaged in a box, and meant to be eaten at room temperature.  It's a Hazleton original. When I was growing up, I had no idea that this wasn't a thing everywhere in the world.  There have been a number of brands that have come and gone, but two have been fixtures for nearly 100 years: Senape's and Longo's.