Fiamma Italian Grill set to welcome back ‘family’
For Joseph Jurkivo, the customers who came into his Italian restaurant weren’t just a way to make to make him money.
They were people who really meant something.
“I have always created my restaurant to be a place for people to feel like they weren’t customers,” Jurkivo said. “We wanted them to feel as if they were family to us. Everyone that comes through the door, you are important to us.”
Jurkivo will be able to finally open the doors to his restaurant, Fiamma Italian Grill near Bethlehem, for the first time since a fire forced its closure on Feb. 13.
Opening date is Jan. 18 for the restaurant, which is at 2118 Schoenersville Road in Hanover Township, Northampton County.
Fans of the restaurant could not be happier. Hundreds of comments and reactions on social media poured in when news broke of the restaurant’s reopening.
“Being a small Italian restaurant that sits 90 people, it warms our hearts to have people react the way they have,” he said. “It makes you more humble and in touch with the whole community. It means so much to us.”
A fire ripped through a section of the restaurant the day before Valentine’s, forcing Jurkivo to cancel nearly 250 dinner reservations.
Jurkivo said for the most part the restaurant should look the same to diners as it did before the fire. The exterior of the restaurant is now a warm beige and the inside has been thoroughly cleaned, repaired, replaced and repainted.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Jurkivo said the restaurant’s reopening is even more meaningful.
“With the fire happening the day before we ruined a lot of Valentines,” Jurkivo said. “It was out of our control but it was hurtful for me to know that I had let people down. This is a year of redemption for me, for all those people who I had let down last year.”
Info: https://www.facebook.com/ FiammaItalianGrill
The return of another popular restaurant
Like Fiamma, Easton’s State Cafe and Grille also suffered a fire last year. The popular restaurant, at 14-16 S. 5th S., just around the block from the State Theatre, has been closed since the fire happened in April.
The restaurant posted on its social media that it’s looking like they will reopen by the end of the month. (And that’s welcome news to fans of their famous pancakes, breakfast sandwiches and more.)
Stay up to date: https://www.facebook. com/thestatecafeandgrill
And even more good news
I have had a lot of folks over the past few months reach out to me about Bethlehem’s Anatolian Kitchen, which specializes in Mediterranean food, particularly Turkish dishes. The restaurant at 3016 Linden St. been closed for the past few months as it expanded.
The project is complete and the restaurant reopened just before Christmas.
Info: https://www.facebook.com/ anatoliankitchenbethlehem
Another spot for a slice
For Emmaus residents, there’s a new choice in neighborhood pizza.
Affinito Pizza Parlor and Cafe has opened at 1328 Chestnut St., in the space formerly occupied by Cavaluzzo’s.
Affinito offers a variety of pizza styles — from classic red in thick and thin crust to specialty pies such as “prosciutto rucola,” featuring crushed plum tomatoes. extra virgin olive oil, fresh mozzarella, all topped with prosciutto, argula and shaved Parmesan. The restaurant’s menu also features numerous varieties of white pizza with a host of different toppings.
If you want to dine on something other than pizza, Affinito’s menu is full of options including stromboli, 12-inch hoagies, hot sandwiches, cheesesteaks and appetizers and sides (including homemade meatballs.) They also have a variety of salads and pasta dishes as well.
The restaurant is having a soft opening with limited hours for now: 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It is also cash only to start.
Site of beloved restaurant gets a new tenant
For those missing south Bethlehem’s Jenny’s Kuali, there’s something new in its space that’s offering a fresh take on Asian dishes.
Wonder Kitchen is now occupying the space, 102 E. Fourth St., left vacated when the popular Jenny’s Kuali closed its doors after 10 years in early September.
Wonder Kitchen bills itself as offering farm-to-table fare, with a menu full of fresh dishes including pork dumplings with house-made dipping sauce, chicken satay with freshly-made peanut dipping sauce and Singapore noodles (stir-fried rice noodles with vegetables and spicy. You’ll also find hot and cold tea drinks and “butterfly lemonade,” which is lemonade combined with dried pea flowers that have been steeped in hot water and sugar.
Info: https://www.facebook.com/ profile.php?id=100087636786495.
Had your fill of restaurant news? We have more...
It’s looking like a new restaurant with a unique menu focus is coming to Bethlehem Township.
88 K-Pot, which bills itself as specializing in “the most authentic Chinese Hotpot,” is coming to 3926 Nazareth Pike. The restaurant’s website does not list an opening date.
Chinese Hotpot is typically a communal meal that combines a pot filled with a broth that’s continuously heated and diners add ingredients and use dipping sauces for extra flavor.
There’s not much info yet on this restaurant but I’ll keep checking on it. Here’s the website: https://www.88kpot. com/