black clamshell container with small cubes of lamb over yellow rice topped with white sauce with fries and a side salad
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Review: Sizzling Bites in Reading, PA

exterior of a strip mall stand with cream-colored facade with red and white logo over the door that reads "Sizzling Bites Gyros & Platters"

I never would have thought that Berks County would become a hotbed for halal food, but it’s starting to feel that way. 

In a little over a year, at least four new halal spots have opened in the county: Sajal Hot Chicken & Gyro in Kutztown, NYC Deli in Reading, Zaytoon in Wyomissing, and the newest addition, Sizzling Bites in Muhlenberg Township. 

Sizzling Bites Halal Grill got its start in Bethlehem in 2024. Their Berks County location is the third for the chain, which opened in Easton earlier in 2025. (Scranton has already been announced as the site of their fourth location, coming in 2026). 

View of the order counter at Sizzling BItes in Reading, PA with a video menu board above a work station with warmers

The Muhlenberg location is along the 5th Street Highway in the Plaza 222 shopping center (the same strip mall that was home to Alebrije until it closed in 2025). 

And the new Sizzling Bites already has a strong following, as evident by the stream of people coming and going during the lunch rush on my visit. One person was ordering from the kiosk, another was studying the menu, three people were waiting for their orders, and a handful of tables were filled with those who already had their food. 

interior of a restaurant with white tables and red chairs with a white wall on the left and red wall on the right

I walked up the counter to order, which ended up costing me $6 more because I grabbed a pack of baklava out of the fridge next to me. I took the dessert and my bottle of iced tea to a table to wait for my lamb platter. 

Only about five minutes later, they were calling my name. I decided to stay and eat at the counter near one of the front windows. 

black clamshell container with small cubes of lamb over yellow rice topped with white sauce with fries and a side salad

The menu at Sizzling Bites is very similar to Zaytoon, the Wyomissing restaurant that has quickly become one of our favorite lunch spots. The lamb platter is my go-to at Zaytoon so I had to see how Sizzling Bites’ compares. 

Sizzling Bites uses diced lamb meat on their platter, which is different from the shaved lamb that Zaytoon serves. I was a little nervous about how the consistency would be, but the meat was incredibly tender. The bed of yellow rice underneath was very similar, and so was the delicious white sauce on top. 

The biggest difference in their platters isn’t the meat, it’s the sides. While Zaytoon’s meat and rice platters are served with a side salad and pita, Sizzling Bites’ is served with a side salad and French fries. 

I liked the fries, but it was more food than I needed, especially at lunchtime. I still ate it all, though – it was just too good to stop. 

clear plastic takeout container with two roll-shaped pieces of baklava topped with pistachio crumble

The baklava went home with me so Julie and I could share it that night. The two long rolls were each cut in half and topped with crushed pistachio. The pistachio added a unique flavor to them, but the real star was the honey, which was used in abundance giving them an addictively sweet flavor. 

My actual lamb platter was about $15, but with my drink and the baklava it ended up being close to $25. The fact that it was a dinner portion – and the fact that everything was delicious – made it well worth the money. 

Halal has found a home in Reading, and I’m here for it. 

BCE Rating
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Very Good

Sizzling Bites Halal Grill
3225 N. 5th Street Highway
Reading, PA 19605

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Carrot cake for dessert.
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4 Favorite Desserts of 2017

Every December, we take a look back at our favorite dishes of the past year. This time, we’re talking sweets. Here are our four favorite desserts we tried in 2017.

Editor’s Note: There are only four desserts on this list because we only splurged on dessert four times in 2017. For more information on why, check out my Food Blogger vs. Fat series.

Willoughby’s on Park – Carrot Cake

Neither of us had any room for dessert after finishing our steaks at Willoughby’s. But it was our anniversary, and we couldn’t help ourselves. The giant slice of cake was drizzled with caramel and garnished with whipped cream and strawberries. I’m a real sucker for carrot cake, and this was a good one. Read Full Review

Folino Estate Vineyard and Winery – Baklava

Julie’s birthday dinner ended with one of her favorite desserts: baklava. The layered pastry was served warm and the filling oozed out with the first forkful. The dark chocolate shavings added a bittersweet flavor to counteract the sweetness of the honey, and everything just came together beautifully. Read Full Review

Heisler’s Cloverleaf Dairy – Vanilla Milkshake

No road trip to this Schuylkill County institution is complete without Heisler’s famous ice cream, and I enjoyed mine in the form of a milkshake. There’s something about drinking a shake after enjoying a burger and fries that just feels right, and Heisler’s makes a mean milkshake. Read Full Review

Reading Hospital – Chocolate Trilogy Cake

Julie and I celebrated the birth of our first son on November 17, and we ended our hospital stay with a surf and turf dinner for two. And that dinner ended with a slice of chocolate trilogy cake – three layers of chocolate mousse that were absolutely decadent. The cake isn’t worth a two-night stay in the hospital, but baby Jakob was. And his arrival made the entire meal more memorable. Read Full Review

Best of Berks County Eats Desserts
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Review: Folino Estate Vineyard and Winery

castle-like facade of Folino Estate Vineyard and Winery at night

The end of January is a time of celebration in our house.

Every January 27, Julie knows I’m going to take her out for her birthday dinner. Each year I try to find a new place for my wife and I to enjoy a romantic evening in her honor.

This year, that place was the Folino Estate Vineyard and Winery.

Folino Estate opened in the fall of 2015 on a sprawling tract along Old Route 22, just off the Krumsville exit of Interstate 78 in northern Berks County.

Pulling up to the building for the first time, you would never know that it is just a little more than a year old. It was built to resemble a historic estate in Tuscany, and it accomplishes that.

interior archway with exposed stone at the base and a sign that reads "ristorante"

Even the lobby, the Piazza Folino, feels like something out of an Italian street scene, complete with sidewalk-style tables and chairs.

The restaurant, though, feels exceptionally modern. From the large fireplace in the middle of the dining room to the open kitchen, Folino Estate does well to avoid clichés.

The menu is distinctly Italian, but it is definitely not clichéd either. Folino Estate features some wholly unique offerings that you won’t find on the menus at Berks County’s other Italian restaurants.

cup of onion soup with cheese

Italian onion soup is just one example. I’ve enjoyed many a cup of French onion soup, covered in melted gruyere cheese. But this was different.

For one, there was no melted cheese on top. Instead, mozzarella and fontina cheeses were melted on toasted Italian bread pieces that took the place of croutons in the soup.

Did it remind me of French onion? Of course. But it was different, and I enjoyed this Italian twist. The soup, itself, was a little salty, but I enjoyed it, especially the addition of the mozzarella.

mozzarella and tomato with olives drizzled in balsamic

Julie’s appetizer was the tomato and fresh mozzarella, a typical caprese salad with the unexpected addition of a mass of olives.

For most guests, pairing dinner with a glass of Folino’s own wine is a highlight. For me, a non-drinker, I decided to take my wine in my food.

plate of wine-infused pasta topped with grilled chicken breast strips and shaved Parmesan cheese

Drunken pasta sounded like nothing that I have ever tried. The tagliatelle pasta was infused with red wine, giving it a purple hue. It was also cooked in red wine, with olive oil and roasted garlic. Our waitress made sure to ask, “Do you like red wine?” because the flavor was going to be ever-present in this dish.

And it was. The pasta was delicious, holding the distinct flavors of red wine throughout. I also especially enjoyed the shaved pecorino Romano cheese that topped the dish, adding a sharp, salty note to the dish.

I added chicken to the dish only so that I would have a protein. It didn’t add much except to make it a little more filling.

tall glass with a fruity drink topped with whipped cream next to a glass of wine

Julie is not one for wine pairings, either. She orders whatever wine she likes, and she really liked her glass of moscato, fruity but slightly dry so it wasn’t too sweet.

plate of two crab cakes with roasted red potatoes and brussels sprouts

Her meal was a pair of crab cakes with Brussels sprouts and red potatoes.

The crab cakes were almost all meat with just enough filler to hold them together. The red wine dijonaise sauce perfectly complimented the fresh cakes, one of which she saved for later.

In my opinion, the best thing on her plate was the Brussels sprouts in pancetta jam. They featured big chunks of salty pancetta (almost bacon) and a sweet jam that was just perfect.

slice of baklava with chocolate shavings

We couldn’t stop there – we were celebrating, after all – so we took a look at the dessert menu. Our waitress suggested to order off the specials because they are always incredible. Among the specials was baklava, Julie’s favorite. So there was no doubt what we were getting.

The baklava was served warm and the nuts and honey filling oozed out from the start. Dark chocolate shavings were a nice addition to the dish, melting in your mouth with the flaky pastry.

It was a memorable ending to a memorable birthday meal.

At the end of the evening, our final total was $70, a very reasonable price for three courses and a glass of wine.

Folino Estate provided quite an experience, exactly what we were hoping for on this special occasion.

Happy birthday, Julie.

BCE Rating
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Excellent
Price: Reasonable

Folino Estate Winery & Vineyard
340 Old U.S. 22
Kutztown, PA 19530

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