Whiskey Business

87 Wood Street
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
(570) 829-4567
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This gem of NEPA may not be around for long, judging by the FOR SALE signs out front. But if you get the chance, get in while the getting is good. The wings are incredible, and the smoking not too bad (at least when I was there).

Creepy guy hiding in the mirrored specials wall.

The interior is one giant snaking bar (and snacking), with plenty of room to sidle up. I am sincerely disappointed that this place isn't closer to Philly. It's everything a dive bar should strive to be.

I decided to order a pepperoni and banana-pepper pie, because the bartender told me she loved the pizza. It was thick crust, with a puffy dough, but was surprisingly tasty. The greasy pepperoni and spicy peppers definitely helped build out the flavor.

The cheese wasn't completely mozzarella, it was some kind of blend that added a bit of sharpness. I don't know if it was prov or cheddar, but it was tasty.

The wings were the real star, however. I got an order of half honey hot, half chipotle ranch. They were perfectly rendered, and stayed impossibly crispy even though they were coated in a generous amount of sauce. The honey hot had just enough sweetness, and a well measured dose of heat. Why is it so hard for other places to get this right?

The chipotle ranch were next level delicious though. It was like a ranch gravy boat spilled into a hot pepper plant that was aflame. The perfect combination of cooling ranch, spicy chipotle, and perfectly cooked wings. I hope if they do sell, they don't change a thing.

Cebula's Bar & Lounge

295 Main Street
Dupont, PA 18641
(570) 655-8809
Website

NEPA is home to the "Pizza Capital of the World" in Old Forge, but to be honest, I didn't really like the look of most of the options there. On a drive up 81, I decided Dupont was the stop for me. They have a gem called Cebula's, which boasts Polish potato crust pizza. When I pulled up, I knew it was the place for me.

A few locals were inside drinking and eating "reheats" which are slices that have been pre-made, and reheated, obviously. There were not a whole host of options, which made sense. Some kind of proprietary hot pepper blend, and the standard garlic powder and oregano. Worked for me.

The slices that came out were surprisingly good. A sort of hybrid of frozen Sicilian and pizzaz, the crust was uniquely soft and airy on top, but still nicely browned on the bottom.

The sauce was crushed tomato and onion, nothing too crazy, but nice and rich.

Now when I say "slices" I'm utilizing my cultural finesse; in the great northeast, they're called "cuts" and a whole pizza pie isn't a pie at all – it's a "tray" – and that's that. Consider yourself learned and don't ask questions. My half-tray boasted 8 large cuts and so I definitely took some to go. I'll admit, a cut of reheats that you reheat again is where it's at.

The cheese, however, was perhaps even stranger than the potato dough. It was a blend of some sort, but definitely had a heavy American cheese presence. I love the creamy texture of American on pizza (once in a while) and it complemented the spongy soft texture of the crust (thanks, potato flour).

At $2.25 a cut, it was cheap for our area, but apparently expensive for NEPA. Either way, I loved the atmosphere, the pizza, and the place. Will definitely stop back when I am on my way up north.