web1_Blue-Ribbon.jpg

Blue Ribbon Farm Dairy in West Pittston holds true to its roots

web1_EveningHatchFlyShop2.jpg

Fly fishing creates steady business for Evening Hatch shop

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; While an oyster may contain a pearl within its shell, a downtown restaurant also could boast of having a hidden gem.</p><p>The Oyster Restaurant, nestled inside the Best Western Plus Genetti Hotel &amp; Conference Center at 77 E. Market St., offers a lunch buffet that might outshine others in the area.</p><p>Thom Greco, who manages the Oyster, said that while a lunch buffet isn&#8217;t a new idea &#8212; the Oyster has been doing it since 1980 &#8212; he and the rest of the Genetti family wanted to take the experience a step further.</p><p>&#8220;When my uncle (Gus Genetti) ran the restaurant, he served a full lunch buffet and always tried to keep the prices reasonable,&#8221; Greco said. &#8220;When I took over in 2005, we looked to upscale the lunch and provide a consistency to the menu but still keep it affordable.&#8221;</p><p>The buffet, which costs $7.95 plus tax and runs from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, features themed days &#8211; from &#8220;Thanksgiving Turkey Day&#8221; on Tuesdays to &#8220;Vive la France&#8221; Day on Fridays. (See fact box for details about daily offerings.)</p><p>Greco also addressed the challenge of offering a quality dining experience within the constraints of a work-day schedule in which patrons might have just 30 minutes for lunch.</p><p>&#8220;Since many people are on a fixed time for lunch, they want to be in and out,&#8221; Greco said. &#8220;We put together a $7.95 buffet that includes a soft drink so we could give our diners value but also the ability to have a quick lunch.</p><p>&#8220;As soon as they are seated, we get their drink order and, because there are no add-ons, we can present them the check. This gives them the ability to get in and out in less than a half-hour if they choose to.&#8221;</p><p>Beyond the menu and price, Greco and his team also try to present a special ambience so that customers feel comfortable. With the voices of luminaries such as Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble piped throughout the room, along with elegant table and room set-ups, one knows that plastic forks and paper plates won&#8217;t fly here.</p><p>&#8220;We like to give everybody a chance to dine on white tablecloths, get attentive service and hear nice background music in a comfortable setting,&#8221; Greco said. &#8220;It&#8217;s not a vanilla box like other hotel restaurants. We want them to enjoy the atmosphere of Oyster.</p><p>&#8220;In the summer we open up Oyster Cabana so people can enjoy their meals outside.&#8221;</p><p>Greco said that while the restaurant caters to a wide range of clientele &#8212; from hotel guests and convention attendees to college students and downtown business people &#8212; the foundation of it all is family.</p><p>&#8220;The restaurant team (servers Michael Mason and Courtney Konklin and chefs Peter Adams and Malik Franklin) really is a family,&#8221; Greco said. &#8220;We truly feel that way, and share a common cause in serving the community well.&#8221;</p><p>And you can&#8217;t beat the price.</p><p>&#8220;We think this is a great deal,&#8221; Mason said. &#8220;If you go out to McDonald&#8217;s or another fast-food restaurant, after Happy Meals for the kids and your own food, you&#8217;re spending $20 or more.&#8221;</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Innovations-Fact-Box-Lunch-1.pdf">
<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Innovations-Fact-Box-Lunch-1.pdf</photo0><caption0></caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_Oyster-Lunch-Buffet.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_Oyster-Lunch-Buffet.jpg</photo1><caption1></caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_Frank-Sinatra-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Frank Sinatra </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_Frank-Sinatra-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>Frank Sinatra </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_Michael-Buble-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Michael Buble </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_Michael-Buble-1.jpg</photo3><caption3>Michael Buble </caption3><photoCredit3></photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_TTL043017lunchbuffet-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Guests enjoy the lunch buffet at the Oyster Restaurant inside the Best Western Plus Genetti Hotel &amp; Conference Center in Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_TTL043017lunchbuffet-1.jpg</photo4><caption4>Guests enjoy the lunch buffet at the Oyster Restaurant inside the Best Western Plus Genetti Hotel &amp; Conference Center in Wilkes-Barre. </caption4><photoCredit4>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dennis Raymo</p><p>draymo@civitasmedia.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Dennis Raymo at 570-991-6404.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Lunch buffet at the Oyster, with Sinatra and Buble