Freelance writer w/focus on hospitality, travel, food and business. Blog: cheeseplatesandroomservice.com. Work appears in many publications across the US. Winner of five Keystone Media awards and one NAMPA award.
Business is thriving for Bellefonte bed-and-breakfast owners after pandemic challenges
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Part of Bellefonte’s draws for visitors are the unique lodging opportunities available at local bed-and-breakfasts. Owning and operating a B&B requires hard work and commitment, plus a passion for people and hospitality. Three Bellefonte B&B proprietors share how they have continued to thrive amid chang...
Centre County’s 1st female distiller is getting national attention. You might catch her on TV
This article was provided by HappyValley Industry, an Affinity Connection-run website that highlights local tech companies. Read more and sign up for the newsletter at happyvalleyindustry.com.
Erica Unruh’s circuitous route to becoming Centre County’s first female distiller could be described as a “happy (Valley) accident.”
Unruh was born and raised in Northern California where her family enjoyed homebrewing. It was a hobby that appealed to her, and when she became an adult, she began trying ...
Mary Cardwell Dawson play explores racism in opera and the tenacity to overcome
/Entertainment
When it comes to the music industry, one pioneering female seems to get short shrift for her contributions, and the Pittsburgh Opera is taking measures to change that with the final production of their 2023-2024 season. “The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson,” a 70-minute play with music, will resonate with all audiences who can appreciate one woman’s tenacity as she strives to overcome the obstacles placed in her way by a segregated society.
“Dawson was a teacher and a pianist w...
Penn Staters’ support has helped Herlocher’s Dipping Mustard spread beyond Happy Valley
This article was provided by HappyValley Industry, an Affinity Connection-run website that highlights local tech companies. Read more and sign up for the newsletter at happyvalleyindustry.com.
Most Penn State alums — or anyone who’s spent even a small amount of time in Happy Valley — know Herlocher’s Dipping Mustard. The bright yellow mustard stands out through the glass jar emblazoned with Penn State blue and white. However, while the brand is irrefutably tied to Penn State, its reach now st...
Paranormal researcher shares tales of the supernatural at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
/Local
Do you believe in the things that go bump in the night, or are you a skeptic?
Either way you’ll be entertained when Dustin Pari takes the stage at the Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall in Munhall on April 18 at 8 p.m.
As a motivational speaker and paranormal researcher who has appeared numerous times on television’s “Ghost Hunters,” “Ghost Hunters International” and “Destination Truth,” Pari comes by his paranormal passion honestly.
“When I was 9 years old, I saw a humanoid-shaped shado...
Check out a Q&A with the general manager of Husk in Charleston
Husk, the restaurant that has been a hit in Charleston since its inception in late 2010, is undergoing a few changes this year to include casual dining at the bar and patio to make the destination more accessible.
SC Biz News sat down with Steven Chandler, general manager, Husk in Charleston, to learn more about the restaurant.
Question: We hear all the time about restaurants being “farm-to-table.” What sets Husk apart from the others?
Answer: Farm-to-table is a weird moniker. Everything come...
New restaurant coming to former Oak Hill Café space in Greenville
Greenville continues to grow its reputation as a “foodie town” with its latest restaurant concept coming to 2510 Poinsett Highway.
People familiar with the busy area may recognize the building as the one where the old Oak and Fire restaurant operated. (Oak & Fire was was from the team behind the acclaimed Oak Hill Café in the same space).
A new concept, called “HeyDay,” is the latest eatery conceived by the KO Restaurant Group, which is known for other di...
River City Brass Band merges music with visual arts in Pictures at an Exhibition
/Editor's Pick
River City Brass Band will marry music and art during performances across the region in April, including shows in Greensburg and Bethel Park.
The beloved River City Brass Band (RCB), which also has the distinction of being the only professional full-time brass band in the country, is bringing a unique performance to four locations in Southwestern Pennsylvania this April.
Called Pictures at an Exhibition, the concert is inspired by the visual arts, with selections like “Night on...
Singer, songwriter, nomad: Joshua Radin takes the stage in Pittsburgh
Editor's Pick
By Stephanie Kalina-Metzger
Down-to-earth, devoid of bells and whistles, unafraid, vulnerable and minimalist – these are all words that describe Joshua Radin.
The world-renowned artist counts among his credits a staggering 1 billion streams and 1 million records sold — an exemplary feat he accomplished simply, with a guitar in his hands and a song in his soul.
A Musician’s Journey
When it comes to becoming a musician, you could say that Radin was a late bloomer.
“I’ve always lo...
Scranton-to-NYC rail line eyed with optimism
When it comes to resurrecting the Scranton-to-New York City rail line, you’ll be hard-pressed to hear any negativity, at least in the Scranton region.
Everyone seems to be in favor of the idea which would restore a service that was shut down in 1970.
A Casey, Cartwright Proposal
On December 5, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-8) announced that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) had included Northeastern Pennsylvania in its Corridor Identificat...
The mystery behind Mechanicsburg’s beloved bookshop
Stephanie Kalina-Metzger//February 28, 2024//
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The shop local movement is alive and well, at least when it comes to independent bookstores, which, just a few short years ago, seemed to be going the way of the dodo bird.
The New York Times weighed in on the issue in 2020, reporting that their future looked bleak, with sales falling nearly 30 percent. Something interesting happened after the pandemic, however. According to a survey conducted by the American Booksellers Ass...
Former FIG chef opens restaurant at The Pinch hotel in downtown Charleston
March 11, 2024
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If you follow the news in the food world, you might already know that Chef Jason Stanhope won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southeast in 2015. The talented chef recently stepped down from his 15-year stint at Charleston’s award-winning restaurant FIG, to pursue a new venture called Lowland.
The restaurant, which opened in mid-November of last year, is part of The Pinch, a 22-suite boutique hotel on the corner of King and George streets i...
Blues sensation Kenny Wayne Shepherd set to rock Greensburg’s Palace Theatre
The Palace Theatre will, once again, prove itself as a destination for music lovers when blues-rock icon, 5-time Grammy-nominated guitarist and Louisiana native Kenny Wayne Shepherd takes the stage on March 10.
A Childhood Obsession
Malcolm Gladwell claims that to master one’s craft, one must be willing to practice — a lot.
“It takes 10,000 hours to truly master anything. Time spent leads to experience and experience leads to proficiency,” he said, in his best-selling book “Outliers.”
If that...
One of America’s oldest herb shops builds upon founder’s legacy
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Herb lovers are in their element the minute they step into the Mechanicsburg shop known as the Rosemary House & Gardens, located at 120 S. Market Street. The cozy, aromatic little business which opened in 1968 has the distinction of being one of the oldest herb shops in America. The iconic haven for herbal remedies that have withstood the test of time is owned by Susanna Reppert Brill and was founded by her mother, Bertha.
“Part of the reason for the location was due to...
Mining Your Roots: A trip to coal country helps our writer connect with her great-grandfather
I remember very little about my great-grandfather, Ignatz Kalina.
I have but one picture of him—a fading black-and-white photo of the two of us, sitting together on a couch, in his living room in Taylor, Pa. I seem to recall that day when I, young and squirmy, was forced to sit for a photo when I had so much to explore in those new-to-me surroundings.
With the ongoing Ukrainian/Russian conflict, I’ve been thinking more about him and my great-grandmother, Paulina, who left the region for the U...