In this edition of Pottstown Foodie: after months of waiting and work, Contessa Pasta Bar calls Pottstown “home.” Also, ice cream haven Coventry Parlor at Laurel Locks offers free fall movies on Saturdays.
Contessa Pasta Bar Open, ‘Excited’ to Call Pottstown Home
POTTSTOWN PA – The highly anticipated Contessa Pasta Bar has been open in downtown Pottstown, at 251 E. High St., for nearly a month (since Aug. 22, Friday). It has already gained more than 1,600 followers on Instagram and another 800 on Facebook.
Contessa’s debut, which followed months of planning and work, generated plenty of excitement. Chef Proprietor Lewis Leiterman, who also is responsible for Rivertown Taps in Phoenixville, says he and his staff “had a blast, and are so excited to call Pottstown our home!”

As new menu items are added, many social media users continually point to the mouth-watering photographic appeal of Contessa’s “scratch-made” food. Those images feature its house-made pasta, small plates, and entrées. Readers cite them as prime drivers for making reservations on Tock.
BYOB for Now; a Liquor License on the Way
Unfortunately, what hasn’t yet arrived at Contessa is its liquor license, the restaurant acknowledges. It was hoped the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board would have issued it months ago, but as of Sept. 5 the restaurant estimated the wait could take “another few weeks.”
Until then, the restaurant is BYOB. However, it also offers “an extensive mocktail selection that is so freaking delicious it will make you not even miss the booze,” it says. Once the license is in hand, Contessa promises diners can expect a variety of “creative cocktails” available to accompany their food choices.
Reservations Preferred, but Walk-Ins Welcome
Advance reservations are preferred, and accepted for parties of 1 to 10, for both dining and take-out services. A wide range of dining times, from 4 p.m. on, is listed for meals both early and late. Walk-ins are welcome too, Contessa notes.
By the way, expect some reservation competition from food-loving residents of not-too-distant Center City.
In collaboration with Sally Philadelphia, Contessa made a name for itself during February as a pop-up operation. It earned rave reviews for a 5-course tasting event there. The added good news: a similar 5-course introduction, known as “Trust Us,” also is available now on the Pottstown menu.
Photos from the Contessa Pasta Bar page on Facebook
Six More Free Fall Movies Await at Coventry Parlor

POTTSTOWN PA – Six fall movies remain on the screening schedule through early November at the Coventry Parlor at Laurel Locks restaurant, 653 Laurelwood Rd.
Its breakfast and lunch menus are changing too, it adds, to include weekly specials, classic customer favorites, and more than 20 new items and flavor variations. The parlor also is well known for its cones and frozen desserts, featuring about two dozen flavors of hand-dipped ice cream.
Coventry Parlor, in operation for more than 60 years, is inviting the public to join it every Saturday through the first week of November for its free movies. Those planning to attend are encouraged to “bring some cozy blankets and curl up under the stars” to watch classic movies on a massive screen.
Movies generally start 15 minutes after sundown. On the schedule are:
- Sept. 20, “The Parent Trap;”
- Sept. 27, “Night at the Museum;”
- Oct. 4, “Monsters Inc.;”
- Oct. 11, “The Sound of Music;”
- Oct. 25, “Hotel Transylvania;” and
- Nov. 1, “Halloween.”
Coventry Parlor is open Mondays from 4-9 p.m. (without its grill), and Tuesdays through Sundays from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, send the restaurant an e-mail to coventryparlorll@gmail.com, or use its online contact form.
Photo by American Heritage Chocolate on Unsplash, used under license

Our reporting on local dining covers activities and events of restaurants, and food or beverage suppliers, within Montgomery, Berks, and Chester PA counties. Find more articles here. Also, see or follow “Pottstown Foodie” on Facebook.

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