OPENING DATE SET FOR DOWNTOWN ALLENTOWN MARKET
The Downtown Allentown Market — a food hall on the ArtsWalk featuring nine vendors, including Food Network’s Robert Irvine — will open Sept. 19, according to social media posts from the market.
Jeff Vaughn, City Center Investment Corp. spokesman, said it’s a soft opening for the market, which will welcome customers starting at 5 p.m.
A grand opening celebration weekend will be held Oct. 11-13. More details are coming but a ribbon-cutting ceremony, featuring Irvine, will be held at 4 p.m. Oct. 11.
According to the market’s website, the hours for the market (27 N. Seventh St.) will be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
The market will feature highquality, fast-casual food and beverages, including baked goods, coffee, soups, salads, sandwiches and craft beer.
One of the most anticipated vendors is Irvine, star of “Restaurant Impossible” and “Dinner Impossible.” His Fresh Kitchen will specialize in dishes crafted in front of customers at its counter seating, and will be complemented by a full-service bartender. Think: Old-fashioned diner with great food at a reasonable price, with a diverse menu that’s perfect for busy downtown workers and nearby residents.
The other vendors:
■ Little Miss Korea, an authentic,
fresh Korean bowl concept with a 1-year-old location at the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market.
■ Batch Microcreamery, a startup offering made-fromscratch ice cream that will be handcrafted on-site with fresh ingredients.
■ Shinsen, a sushi and poke bowl concept from the owners of the 5-year-old Asian Bistros II on Schoenersville Road in Bethlehem.
■ Zahra, a Middle Eastern/ Mediterranean concept from the Younes family, which operates Allentown’s Aladdin restaurant, which originated in 1981 on Second Street before moving to Union Boulevard in 1999.
■ Doughnut Love, was started by Susan Ott in 2017, with a
mission to share the love of good food in doughnut form. It will serve doughnuts, baked goods, coffee and espresso. You can also find it at the Easton Farmers’ Market.
■ Licensed 2 Grill @ The Market, a Southern diner concept from Diane and Robert Johnson, who operate a Licensed 2 Grill food truck and brick-and-mortar location in Emmaus. Licensed 2 Grill @ The Market will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
■ Tavola, a startup artisan pizza and signature pasta concept using locally sourced ingredients and focusing on freshness.
■ Boardroom Spirits, a familyowned craft distillery producing vodka, natural fruit-infused vodkas, gin, rum, brandies and specialty spirits that launched four years ago in Lansdale, Montgomery County. The Allentown location also will offer Pennsylvania craft beers and wines.
Along with market vendors, a neighborhood grocery store, Radish Republic, is expected to open in early October. The store will be operated by Nicole and Steve Shelly, owners of Local Food Market LV, which delivers high-quality, locally grown and produced food to Lehigh Valley businesses, houses and apartments. The Shellys also run the Fresh Fridays open-air market in the Allentown Arts Park each Friday afternoon from May to October.
Info: www.downtownallentownmarket.com.