RETHINKING ‘DINNER AND A SHOW’
Lehigh Valley has some hot spots with cool new concepts
Few Lehigh Valley restaurants have been as anticipated as Meli European Taverna, opening Tuesday in Easton .
The restaurant, from the same group behind Yianni’s Taverna in Lower Saucon Township, has released slick social videos featuring sneak peeks of its dishes and its moody, sophisticated interior. That’s all part of the plan, according to Priscilla Mateo, operations manager at both Meli and Yianni’s. “We’re doing a twist and flair on European cuisine, doing it our way,” she said.
While Yianni’s features traditional Greek dishes in a comforting, warm environment, Mateo said that Meli — which translates to “honey” in Greek — will offer a dining experience that pulls from across the Mediterranean.
“Meli is all around a lot more fun,” Mateo said, referencing the 322 Northampton St. restaurant’s tagline wishing customers a “wicked fun” time.
That wicked fun can be seen in Meli’s dishes. One dish that’s been teased is dakos salata, a dish from Crete that layers barley rusks, tomatoes and feta mousse, then tops the concoction off with shallots, capers and a swirl of extra virgin olive oil. Photos from the soft opening leaked online show meat skewers served with tzatziki, legs of lamb and single-serving dessert tarts.
Any one who’s eaten at a Greek restaurant will be familiar with saganaki, the flaming plate of goat cheese that elicits cheers. Mateo said that thrilling performance will be part of the general dining experience at Meli, with octopus sliced tableside and seafood served whole. Gyros won’t be handheld but rather served on platters, and both dishes and cocktails will be served outside of the standard structure of having waiters arrive with plates.
The culinary brains behind these imaginative dishes is Salah Ben Attou, who was born and raised in Morocco and is trained in French and European cuisine. Ben Attou is coming from Yianni’s Taverna and has a keen sense of Greek cuisine, but is bringing his Mediterranean background and training to the forefront with what he described as a “not … boring
menu.”
That distinction is what Mateo hoped to convey as well. “This is not Yianni’s 2.0,” she said. “We’re different.”
Also opening a second location that strives to twist what you expect is Bibi’s Tiffin. Owner Sonia Bhamra announced on Instagram that the Bethlehem Township Indian restaurant highlighting chaat, or Indian street food and snacks, would be getting a sister location at 1044 Trexlertown Road in Upper Macungie Township.
Bhamra said that while traditional Indian restaurant faves like naans and curries will be available, Bibi’s Tiffin will also offer hot and cold chaats. Chaats are often composed of crispy lentils, stuffed breads, pops of fruit and vegetables served in surprising ways, and sauces ranging from tart tamarind, cooling yogurt, herby cilantro and spicy hot sauces. The combinations are limitless and, for the uninitiated, will change how you think about snacks with the explosion of flavors and textures.
For Bhamra, those combinations offer the unique challenge of taking casual, somewhat messy food and making it upscale — and she’s ready for it.
“I’m thrilled,” she said. “I can’t wait to open.”
Bhamra wants to open by mid-May, with a soft opening scheduled for sometime in April after renovations to the space. The store will be especially sweet for her: Her father’s South Asian grocery, Bibi’s Grocery, shares the same address and will be next door.
HangDog Outdoor Adventure,
which features the largest outdoor ropes course in the Northeast, opened last year, but hopes to make this year one that changes how you think about an adventure ropes site.
For one, it has a craft beer garden, food truck, cafe and live music all integrated into the premises.
“Zip lines are going over and you can cheer people on,” Mike McCreary, the “CEO of fun” at HangDog, said.
You may not think of the site at 410 Cedarville Road in Williams Township as a spot for gourmet food, but McCreary said he wants to challenge that notion with an in-house brewing company and homemade fried chicken.
“It’s brined and fried on site, and we use pressure fryers right here,” he said. That fried chicken also has a gluten-free version. McCreary said he’s also worked to develop an “awesome” pinsa, which is a Roman-style pizza crust that is easier to digest than traditional pizza thanks to its combination of flours and sourdough base.
“It’s low in gluten and sugar,” McCreary said.
He hopes that these foodie options mean that you don’t have to be into climbing or ziplining to enjoy the premises. HangDog has outfitted the whole facility with DMX controlled lighting and acoustics for music and integrating those more passive activities with adventure courses for the more actively inclined. McCreary also tried to keep the operation as environmentally sustainable as possible, retrofitting the facility with old shipping containers and serving beer in round aluminum cups. “That way, your beer stays cold, and we can recycle the cups after,” he said.
HangDog, which will open April 6, is running a promotion right now, offering a season pass for $99 instead of the usual $199. Details can be found on HangDog’s site, hangdoglv.com.
Briefly
Dulce Bakery opened
March 9 at 1120 W. Linden
St. in Allentown, in the former spot held by Luna’s Bakery. The bakery will sell sweet pastries as suggested by its name, but will also offer breads, empanadas and sandwiches for those craving something more savory.
Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township is bringing three new retailers.
Blue Flame Events, which organizes a variety of events across the Lehigh Valley, will be opening a storefront April 1 with handcrafted and locally made goods. Lehigh Valley Fashion Week Shops will be a spinoff of Lehigh Valley Fashion Week, offering customers boutique fashions from the area and beyond. And Santalexa & Fitness Love will specialize in hair products and extensions as well as eyelash care, wigs, and other health products.
This week’s sunshine, blossoming flowers, and warm breezes mean spring is in the air — and with it, outdoor dining (the best kind of dining, in my opinion). I’ll be writing about spring dining in a couple weeks; if you have thoughts about where Lehigh Valley residents should be eating this spring, let me know!