Bolete

When chef Lee Chizmar moved back to the Lehigh Valley from Boston with his girlfriend and partner, Erin Shea, he knew they'd need a lot to go right for their restaurant, Bolete, to succeed.

There were sustainable farmers and artisan food purveyors who needed to be discovered and cultivated. And half a dozen now inspire Bolete's constantly evolving seasonal menus with creations ranging from plump Happy Farms duck eggs (deep-fried whole with runny centers and perched over wild mushrooms and porcini foam) to Scholl's peaches (steeped into gastrique that rings the scallops with an aurora of orchard sweetness).

They would need luck to find enough kitchen talent to help Chizmar transform those ingredients into New American cooking of a sophistication the Lehigh Valley had rarely seen. And then they could only hope someone would take notice of such doings in a restaurant scene as fledgling and far-flung as Bethlehem - a wish requited early with national kudos from magazines such as Conde Nast Traveler and Gourmet.

But who could foresee the spelunking lights?

As if cooking on the culinary frontier wasn't complicated enough, working in a historic stone tavern that dates to its days as a colonial stagecoach stop has its own challenges. The slanting plank floors, the creaky front porch that groans under the decorative weight of giant pumpkins and wildflowers, and a cozy side bar reputedly haunted by Civil War-era ghosts are part of the charm. But when the vintage electricity inconveniently blinks off in the kitchen during the middle of weekend dinner - it has happened twice, unbeknownst to diners whose the lights stayed on - Bolete's cooks know to improvise.

The six-burner stove keeps ablazin' and the chefs simply strap on miner-style head lamps, which, coincidentally, all these Lehigh Valley cooks just happen to have in their packs.

"We're outdoorsy around here," Chizmar says.

There's also talent aplenty to go around, especially between Chizmar and Shea, who met in the Boston restaurant scene, and whose front-of-the-house and kitchen collaboration here is reminiscent in both its aesthetic and quality of Bryan Sikora and Aimee Olexy's early efforts at Django.

For one thing, there is a distinctive personal touch to every aspect of this restaurant, from the linen-covered chairs and farmhouse table that lend a modern feel to the historic space, to the well-informed service, to a nicely chosen wine list and bar that highlight quality finds in every bottle.