Coffee, paninis on the menu at downtown’s La Vida Cafe
A new cafe is serving customers at a familiar spot in downtown Allentown.
La Vida Cafe, serving coffee, paninis, salads and more, opened June 15 at 19 N. Sixth St., on the ground floor of the Americus Hotel. The space previously housed the Life Church-run Cafe Vida, which suspended operations in December after 3½ years.
The new cafe’s food and drink selections, as well as its red-and-black aesthetic, are largely the same, but new operator Eli Yazbeck has updated the menu to include burgers with toppings like Cajun shrimp and caramelized onions. Also featured are “cheat day” options such as chicken fingers, wings and fries.
La Vida Cafe also serves salads, $8-$9, such as a Southwest (bean corn salsa, Monterey Jack cheese, pico de gallo, avocado and chipotle honey dressing) and Thailand (shredded carrot, walnuts, cucumber, red pepper, peanuts and peanut dressing), both served with chicken or quinoa; and paninis, $9 each, such as the Americus (Buffalo chicken, ranch, mozzarella, spinach and diced celery) and Tilghman (roasted turkey, Monterey Jack, roasted vegetables and garlic mayonnaise).
Breakfast options include three-egg omelets (with up to 20 ingredients to choose from), quesadillas like the Allentown (crumbled chorizo, scrambled egg and Monterey Jack with salsa and sour cream) and sandwiches (served on Texas toast or a bagel) like the PPL (pastrami, egg and Swiss).
Other menu highlights include homemade hummus, rotating soups, cold wraps, Greek yogurt bowls and children’s meals such as grilled cheese, hot dogs and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
The cafe, featuring indoor and outdoor seating, serves drip, cold brew and nitro coffee from Lansdale’s Backyards Beans Coffee Company. Customers can choose from an array of espresso drinks, including Americano, cappuccino, cortado and macchiato.
The business is open Monday through Saturday, with new hours — 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday — going into effect July 13. Info: 610-351-3799; lavidacafe.us.
Morning Call features reporter and Retail Watch columnist Ryan Kneller can be reached at 610-820-6597 or retailwatch@mcall.com.