Coffee & Treats in Phillipsburg

In 1988, Auntie Anne's founders Anne and Jonas Beiler purchased a Pennsylvania farmers' market stand, where they experimented with dough until they created a pretzel that seemed to strike the perfect chord with their customers. Today, at their more than 1,150 locations worldwide, the pretzel makers still hand roll the original recipe but have added to the menu with inventive options, such as the pepperoni pretzel and eight signature dipping sauces. The team constantly explores new uses for the pretzel dough, such as wrapping it around hot dogs, slicing it into bite-size nuggets, or using it to build historically accurate Austrian villages. To transform the snack into a meal, they accompany it with specialty drinks, including frozen-lemonade desserts.

When not twisting dough, Auntie Anne's team partners with the national charitable organization Alex?s Lemonade Stand Foundation, which raises funds to fight childhood cancer. They also reach out to the community through fundraising opportunities.

Every week, 16 new flavors of frozen yogurt fill So Fun! Frozen Yogurt's coolers, from the cheery orange swirl of mango tart to the decadent savory sweetness of Reese's peanut-butter cup. Customers grab a cup and help themselves to swirls of varied flavors, mixing and matching or sticking with a single base. Next, they progress to a toppings bar, where they layer yogurt with a scoop of cereal for an added crunch or slices of fresh fruit for an easier time smuggling the dessert into the gym. At the register, treats ring up by their weight, rendering the ratio of toppings to yogurt or yogurt to dinner completely up to the customer. Since the yogurt contains calcium, protein, and active live cultures, it can be considered a healthy alternative to many traditional desserts. Sugar-free and dairy-free options also lighten the calorie count.

A world of cuisines opens up before diners at Bonu Cafe. That's not an overstatement?the menu ranges from Mediterranean gyros and falafel to Mexican burritos and quesadillas. Or take your pick from barbecue burgers and french toast sandwiches to buffalo chicken wraps and hot ham and swiss sandwiches. If there is one thing to focus on, though, it's the restaurant's trademark dish: the kolach. This Czech pastry is traditionally stuffed with candied fruit, and at Bonu, they expand on those fillings and make egg and cheese, pepperoni pizza, and vegetarian versions as well.

Rice N Beans serves up traditional flavors of Latin America in a casual dining environment. Those flavors are seared into dishes such as quesadillas, empanadas, and arroz chaufas. Taste combinations are completed by sides such as plantains, guacamole, and fried yuca. They also offer vegetarian dishes such as tacos with rice and beans, chimichangas, and burritos.

Three-Way Cafe's midday-meal sculptors adorn palates with a dynamic array of salads, sandwiches, and soups, with seasonal specials available daily and deli trays for catered parties. While relaxing amid colorful murals, guests strap on their tongues' rucksacks and explore lunch options such as the cuban sandwich, with thin slices of pork and ham smothered in swiss cheese. All of the café's eponymous daily specialties can be commissioned either as salads, grilled paninis, or quesadillas. The italian salad or panini holds pepperoni, genoa salami, capocollo, and roasted red peppers in a provolone embrace equal in strength to the blue-cheese bite of the buffalo-chicken salad or quesadilla. Large groups helm their own bready excursions with kaiser rolls and an assortment of ham, turkey, and roast beef on the Three-Way Cafe deli tray. The sliced-cheese tray supports a dairy-laden display, and the café's fresh cupcakes keep sweet teeth under control and provide ammunition for miniature catapults.

Executive Chef Peter Choida draws on styles and influences from around the globe to design the small, shareable plates at Ginny's Bistro & Wine Bar. The tapas here are served in small portions in the traditional Spanish style, ideal for sampling a wide variety of bites such as risotto flecked with wild mushrooms and roasted prosciutto-wrapped asparagus. Ginny's also stocks its bar with varietals from Pinnacle Ridge Winery, whose award-winning wines are handcrafted and foot-squished nearby.