Partners remind us to make time for our health. Here’s your friendly reminder to schedule your mammogram. To find a location near you, visit LVHN.org/mammo.
Spruce Meadow Farm
Resting on 3+ acres along a country road, this 1900 farmhouse offers chic country living close to Bucks County and Lehigh Valley destinations. Stunning sunlit rooms & updated kitchen with marble countertops. PA bank barn, garden shed. $479,000
Maple Ridge Lots
Two of the few remaining lots in the community of Maple Ridge Estates. 2.3 acres each, located at the end of a cul-de-sac, these neighboring lots offer open & wooded land, allowing you to position your home for a walkout basement. $285,000 ea.
Newport Ridge Construction
Red oak hardwood flooring, spacious rooms, and extraordinary craftsmanship. is European-style home is in the planning stages. Myron Haydt Development, Inc. will work with homeowners to create their dream home. 4 BRs, 4.5 baths, $1,889,000
Contemporary & Rural
Set on 4+ acres in Nockamixon Twp. w/wraparound porch, 2016 kitchen renovation w/quartz countertops, & easy flow into the family room and breakfast area. In-ground pool, koi pond, vegetable & flower gardens. 3 beds, 2.5 baths. $599,000
French Inspired Estate
Renovated under the guidance of designer Morrie Breyer, 1760s farmhouse sits on 15+ acres. French doors, custom floors, chef’s kitchen. Large patio, inground pool, pool & wisteria laden walkway. 4 beds, 4 baths. $1,249,000
11 Acre Building Lot
With views of lush wooded mountains bordering green these 11 acres provide a spectacular home site, adjacent Creek Lot. Superb location is just 10 minutes from New 60 minutes from PHL and 90 minutes from NYC. $379,000
Bucks County Farmhouse
1825 stone house on 88 acres. Eat-in
Photo by Alison Conklin
Balance
When it comes to being healthy, we pretty much know what we’ve got to do, right? (Exercise consistently, eat our fruits and veggies, avoid sugary cravings.) Though many of us struggle to find the right balance, it’s not exactly rocket science. So, with our annual health and wellness edition, I didn’t want to just recite all of the antiquated truths that we all already know. I wanted dig up some secrets. What steps can we be taking to better our health that we aren’t, simply because we don’t know they exist?
Thirty local restaurants were willing to help me answer that question by divulging their healthy hacks—or secret menu swaps—to remember when dining out in the Lehigh Valley. I’m guessing you probably don’t know how many restaurants let you swap out bread for lettuce wraps or which ones let you order veggies instead of chips with your spinach
dip and guacamole. I was surprised to learn the ways that restaurants can accommodate a gluten allergy (gluten-free chicken fingers, anyone?) and the number of places that offer the ultra-trendy (and vegan) Impossible Burger! Several restaurants shared the ways that they’re making their entire menu a healthy hack, while others told us what they believe to be the healthiest order at their establishment. Enjoying the Valley’s restaurant scene doesn’t need to feel like such a splurge, but rather, it’s all about balance.
We also took a different approach to health for our monthly Ask the Expert column. We could’ve talked to a local nutritionist or a trainer, but we decided to keep this theme of balance in mind. A solid circle of friends can be a big part of maintaining one’s mental health, but prioritizing friendship can often feel like a chore. And while a toxic friendship can sometimes be tough to cut ties with, it can deeply affect one’s health and happiness. We talked to Michaela Parlett, co-founder of eight/SEVEN—a nonprofit dedicated to cultivating depth within friendships. Read her tips on pg. 43!
L. RINALDI
krinaldi@lehighvalleystyle.com lvstylekristen
pdeller@lehighvalleystyle.com
PRIVATE SANCTUARY, DELAWARE
RIVER VIEWS
Fall in love with this stunning Frank Lloyd Wright inspired home on 135 acres with easy commute to NYC & NJ. This magnificent home has 4 Beds/ 3 Baths, bluestone in-ground pool, tennis court, barn & 2800 sq ft detached garage. Limitless possibilities. Call to learn more!
PREMIER HOMESITE, UPPER SAUCON TWP
Prestigious Blue Ridge West
Estates building lot with stunning views. Driveway is in place, foundation poured & all permits are current. Ready to build. 6.64 acres. $495,000
RENOVATED BRICK COLONIAL W/POOL, SPRINGFIELD TWP
Beautifully updated yet traditional home situated on over 10 lush acres with amazing mountain views in Palisades SD. Complete with private backyard for entertaining and over sized in-ground pool. 4 bedrooms, 2 full/1 half bath. $474,900
UNDERAGREEMENT SOLDIN20DAYS
PRIME SAUCON VALLEY LOCATION, LOWER SAUCON TWP
Pristine condominium located in an exclusive 6-unit development within walking distance to Saucon Valley CC golf courses. 4 Bedrooms, 4 full/1 half bath.
$760,000
NEWTO MARKET
SENSATIONAL GOLF CLUB LOCATION, UPPER SAUCON TWP
Luxurious nearly brand-new estate home on lush grounds, in a unique European-style setting across from Saucon Valley CC & Saucon Rail Trail. Condominium ownership, 4 bedrooms, 3 full/1 half bath, 2 offices. $1,400,000
Springwood’s resort-like environment provides the ultimate relaxation or entertainment haven. Top of the line amenities, pool, spa, 2 waterfalls & 5-hole putting green. 4.6 acres; 4 bedrooms, 5 full/1 half bath. $2,260,000
This grand French country manor with a sought-after address is surrounded by pristine grounds, stone walls & terraces and shows attention to every detail. 4 bedrooms, 4 full/2 half bath.
$1,799,000
LEFT TO RIGHT: Debra Protchko, MBA; Shanna Sigmans; Rebecca L. Francis, MBA
working on this issue
lehighvalleystyle.com
volume 20, issue 10
My cheat day meal of choice is...
Publisher Pamela K. Deller
A great
of
What the heck is a “cheat day”?
#teamnevernoteating
Mine would have to be mild wings with blue cheese and extra celery, because every bite needs a dipped piece of celery.
I do not believe in a cheat day. I believe in balance. I am known to sometimes have a cookie in the morning with detox tea. Not kidding!
My trash food of choice is a hot crispy basket of fries and chicken fingers. So classic. So greasy. So good.
Editor Kristen Rinaldi
Art Director Elaine Wyborski
Graphic Designer Thomas Körp
Advertising Executives
Kellie Bartholomew, Denise Lichty, Ronell Martz, Pam Taylor
Marketing & Events Manager Kelli Hertzog
Marketing Assistant Emily Melendez
Contributing Writers
Susan Bianchi, Alison Conklin, Carrie Havranek, Amy Unger, Daisy Willis
Contributing Photographers
Matt Bishop, Marco Calderon, Alison Conklin, Shelbie Pletz, Andrew Tomasino
Pizza with a thin but crispy crust and a lot of cheese.
Susan Bianchi
Contributing Writer
I was unaware of the app Eat Right Now and love its approach to addressing the emotional aspect of eating. Helping people create new healthy habit loops, versus focusing on what you eat, can be a game changer.
Anything from Cali Burrito in Allentown. I especially love the Old Monterey burrito and Santa Barbara tacos.
Easy for me! I live so close to Yocco's— the cheesesteak, onions rings and chocolate milk.
President/CEO : Paul Prass
Vice President/COO: Lisa Prass
Director of Creative Services: Erica Montes
Web Design Specialist: Taylor Van Kooten
Accounting: Donna Bachman
Circulation Manager : Andrea Karges
Amy Unger
Contributing Writer
What I learned from working on the A–Z Guide to Wellness feature is that making a small change in your daily routine can make a big difference in your overall health. I think even by just following some of the suggestions, you'll notice a little more pep in your step!
cheese!
slice
pizza—topped with broccoli, spinach and tomatoes to ease my guilt.
Daisy
Willis
Contributing
Writer
I loved working on the expert column about making friends, and being reminded that the foundation for every relationship is a solid friendship with yourself!
Carrie Havranek
Contributing
Writer
Fall In Love With Senior Living
Think back to the autumn seasons of your youth – plucking colorful apples at the peak of their ripeness, the aroma of Mom’s homemade cinnamon cider warming your bones as the scent wafts through the air, and joining friends and family at small fairs and festivals for hayrides and pumpkin harvesting. There was no better time to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors and embrace family, neighbors, and friends alike.
While Mom and Dad used to remind you to quickly grab a jacket before you raked the leaves, today they may struggle to find someone to help them with everyday activities. Mom still remembers how to pinch the exact amount of salt for her famous strawberry-rhubarb pie, but has she remembered to clear the gutters for the upcoming winter? What about Dad’s carefully curated yard? Is the path clear for trick-or-treaters or has little Johnny from across the street forgotten that he agreed to lend a hand?
At Rittenhouse Village At Lehigh Valley, we offer seniors a warm and cozy atmosphere coupled with the perfect amount of personalized care, enlightening lifestyle programs, and community involvement that makes fall a season worth celebrating. Chef-prepared sensational menus and daily activities allow our residents to embrace seasonal changes with the same glee that you and your children do.
As summer comes to a close and the chill in the air perks up your senses, remember that Mom and Dad are excited too and deserve to enjoy yet another autumn with the ones they love. Call today to schedule a free lunch and community tour, and fall in love with senior living at Rittenhouse Village At Lehigh Valley.
of Style Networking Event
at the Centennial Catering & Conference
On Thursday, August 22, local readers and community business leaders were invited to network with the 2019 Women of Style and Women Who Move the Valley, profiled in our August edition. Guests were welcomed with complimentary sparkling wine from Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery and hors d’oeuvres provided by Centennial Catering & Conference Center. During the event, all were invited to enjoy networking games and shop local businesses including AM Luxe, BOUTIQUETOGO, For the Girls, Hello Beautiful Salon & Boutique, I.O. Beauty Market and Sorrelli Jewelry. A floral hoop collaboration between Omnivent Inc. and Ornithea House of Flowers made for the perfect photo opportunity. By the end of the night, boxes were filled with wish-list donations provided by attendees, and a portion of the night’s proceeds benefited The Perfect Fit for Working Women.
Located
Center to benefit The Perfect Fit for Working Women | Photography by Vlad Image Studio
1. The 2019 Women of Style 2. Swag bag gifts for attendees with branded Audi roses 3. Taylor Made Polish pop-up shop 4. Hors d’oeuvres provided by Centennial Catering & Conference Center 5. Vehicle showcase from auto sponsor, Audi Allentown 6. Event sponsor, European Wax Center 7. Sparkling wine from Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery 8. Floral hoop photo opportunity by Omnivent Inc. and Ornithea House of Flowers 9. Hello Beautiful Salon & Boutique pop-up shop 10. The Perfect Fit for Working Women pop-up shop 11. Event sponsor, Gardner Law Office
of Style Networking Event
Located at the Centennial Catering & Conference Center to benefit The Perfect Fit for Working Women | Photography by Vlad Image Studio
1. Abby Ogden and Megan Fox 2. Adrienne Fessler and Alexandra Fly 3. Alida Rivera and Ruth Rivera 4. Alexis Wohlgemuth and Courtney Kulp
5. Alisa Tongg and Elena Tongg-Weiler 6. Alison Ruppe and Caley Bittner 7. Erin Deutsch and Karla Trumbauer 8. Danielle Cassidy and Darlene Pors
9. Elaine Pivinski and Dena Breslin 10. Elaine Zelker and Kristine Ortiz 11. Amanda Takacs and Melissa Siegfried 12. Fayez Baki and Sarah Murrat Baki
13. Leigh Ehrlich and Valerie Singley 14. Lisa Manento and Liz Huddle 15. Heidi Hoffer and Kathy Trimble 16. Mary Ann Pickell and Wendy Scott
Women of Style Networking Event
Located at the Centennial Catering & Conference Center to benefit The Perfect Fit for Working Women | Photography by Vlad Image Studio 17. Zakiya Smalls and Cindy Ritter 18. Samantha O’Donnell and Stephanie Spina 19. Patricia Johnson and Maggie Latimer 20. Stacey Redfield and Mildred Miller 21. Kati LaBuda and Kristie Strubeck 22. Tia Jones and Emily Melendez 23. Veronica Moore and Lindsay Watson 24. Sandy Green and Kim Davis
Located at Factory to benefit the Charter Arts Foundation & Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts | Photography by Anthony Martucci
1. Garth and Kristy Estadt, Charles C. Jefferson and Laura Virtue DeLayo 2. Jennifer and Richard Vermillion 3. Joe and Dawn Posh, and Cindy and Emrich Stellar 4. Peter Wrenn-Meleck, Frank Shipman and Amy Wrenn-Meleck 5. Damian Righi and Sylvette Rivera 6. Sheryl Maher, Diane LaBelle and Blaine Phillips
Find your way to your home sweet home.
With a turn of the key, you’ve finally made it. The perfect kitchen, that full-sized yard, room for your children to grow and flourish. It’s home, and it’s yours—and that comes with some big questions for your financial future. After all, it’s never too early to start planning for whatever comes next.
Contact Magellan today and discover how you can live the life you want without financial constraints.
• L to R: Jessica Haklar, LPC; Chelsea Renna, Psy.D.; Susan Avrich, LPC; Kim Woodling, CEO, LCSW; Dave Borsos, Ph.D.; Karen Brooks-Wells, LPC; Cait Campanella, LPC; Laura Danner, LPC
• Seated: Joel Kromer, LCSW • Krystal Castellino, Front Desk Reception, Admin. Assistant; Sara Hudson, Office Manager, HR Director; Amanda Gonzalez, Assistant Office Mgr., Front Desk Supervisor; Brandy Bate, Accounting, Admin. Assistant, Intake Coordinator • Brenda Yost, Psy.D.; Heather O’Donnell, LPC; Linda Palmo, Ed.D.; Paul Woodling, CEO
Therapy isn’t only beneficial during times of crisis or personal tragedies.
As humans in relationships—familial, social, romantic, work-related or general interactions— we encounter stress. provides an for you to build a healthy personal connection, explore your and have them validated, or learn how to avoid becoming debilitated strong, uncomfortable emotions. The skills that develop through the therapeutic relationship will help foster greater self-worth and self-esteem. In turn, you can build a better relationship with and others.
So, whether life feels overwhelming, or you are looking to gain deeper self-awareness, the time to is now. Your future will you.
FALOWSKI is now seeing patients, just a short drive from
LEHIGH VALLEY.
Dr. Steven M. Falowski, a neurosurgeon at ARGIRES MAROTTI NEUROSURGICAL ASSOCIATES OF LANCASTER, has successfully provided treatment to numerous tremor sufferers and previously underwent his neurosurgical training at Thomas Jefferson University, with a focus on spinal cord stimulation and pain management, complex spinal procedures, and treatment for movement disorders such as deep brain stimulation. He specializes in neuromodulation and spinal procedures and has been the course director of the annual NANS spinal cord stimulation/neuromodulation workshop, which is the largest training course of its kind. If you or a loved one suffers from tremors and are looking to improve quality of life, look to Dr. Falowski. Call us today!
10 Things to Do This Month
OCTOBER 13
Country Jam Music and Fall Festival
Seven hours of fun, six ways to keep busy, five live bands and four cookout options comprise the Country Jam! Keep busy with the farmers’ market, pumpkin patch, beer garden, petting zoo, climbing wall and moon bounce. There’s something for everyone!
Advance: $10; Door: $15
Noon–6 p.m. | Bear Creek Mountain Resort | 101 Doe Mountain Ln. Macungie | 866.754.2822 bcmountainresort.com
OCTOBER 13
Allentown CROP Hunger Walk
Join in on the CROP Hunger Walk to support the goal of ending hunger in our community and around the world. Raise money with the one-mile or five-mile loop around Allentown. Those on the five-mile loop are able to join the Halloween Parade at the Allentown Fairgrounds.
Donation | 1 p.m. | St. Timothy Lutheran Church
140 S. Ott St., Allentown | 610.706.0168 | crophungerwalk.org
OCTOBER 18–20
Runner’s World Half & Festival
Meet the editors of Runner’s World magazine, or even challenge them to a race, at the Runner’s World Half & Festival. The weekend’s events include a 5K, 10K trail, half marathon, kid races and a dog run. There will be three race options, seminars and live music to make for a packed two days of exercise.
Prices vary | Times vary | ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem | 610.297.7100 | rwhalf.com
OCTOBER 6
Lehigh Valley Music Expo
Surround Sound Productions presents a music expo for all record, DVD and CD lovers. Pick through thousands of rare collectibles, posters, memorabilia and more.
Looking for a place to mingle with your pet, find a new groomer or even adopt a furry friend? The 11th annual Barktoberfest Pet Fair has you covered! Three pet training demonstrations will take place, along with a pet blessing given by a pastor. With a wide variety of vendors, the fair is also a great place to get new merch for you and your pet.
Free | 11 a.m.–3 p.m. | Macungie Memorial Park 50 N. Poplar St., Macungie | barktoberfestpetfair.com
OCTOBER
26
Halloween Bash Model Car Show
America On Wheels is giving guests a chance to show off their model cars and trucks with their 1st annual Halloween Bash Model Car Show. All are welcome to come check out the impressive vehicles on display. There will be prizes, vendors and more, with judging taking place at 1 p.m.
OCTOBER
19
BooFest
The Palmer Park Mall is transforming its venue for children and adults with special needs this October. Every age and ability level is welcome to come and enjoy the spirit of trick-or-treat in a safe, family-friendly environment.
Free | 10 a.m.–4 p.m. | Palmer
OCTOBER 5, 11, 18 & 26
Bountiful Harvest Expedition
Take in the scenic beauty of autumn on a two-hour train ride through the Secret Valley. Whether riding in the deluxe coach, the dining car, the first-class parlor or the locomotive, guests will be able to relax with seasonal snacks and ciders on the ride.
$36–$175 | Departure times vary Colebrookdale Railroad | 64 S. Washington St. Boyertown | 610.367.0200 | colebrookdalerailroad.com
OCTOBER 4–6 & 11–13
Oktoberfest at SteelStacks
October wouldn’t be the same without the celebration of German culture through Americanized Oktoberfest traditions! SteelStacks is offering two whole weekends of beer samples, live music, German cuisine and multiple attractions in celebration. Be prepared for events like the Great Lakes Timber Show, an ice sculpting competition, dachshund races and more.
Free | Fri.: 6–11 p.m.; Sat.: Noon–10 p.m.
Sun.: Noon–6 p.m. | ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks | 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem 610.332.1300 | steelstacks.org
$10 | 9 a.m.–3 p.m. | America On Museum | 5 N. Front St., Allentown 610.432.4200 | americaonwheels.org
OCTOBER
1
Journey
One of the most celebrated rock of all time is hitting the Wind Creek Center for a night of music. Journey’s album dropped in 1975, which 40 years of music and one night Valley to perform.
first which gives them in the
$99–$159 | Doors: 5:30 p.m.
Showtime: 7:30 p.m.
Wind Creek Event Center
77 Wind Creek Blvd., Bethlehem 610.297.7414 windcreekeventcenter.com
Photo by John Suzenski
Mall | 2455 Easton
Tape Swap Radio
BY DAISY WILLIS
The music scene in the Lehigh Valley keeps growing from the ground up, thanks to efforts like Tape Swap Radio, a series that presents great DIY and punk bands in live, radio and rooftop sessions. Well-curated Substance and a stripped-down “Tiny Desk Concert” style make Tape Swap an inviting venue for discovering local and imported bands.
Shamus McGroggan had been hosting a show on WDIY by the same name since 2008, while musician Matt Molchany operated Shards Recording Studio in Southside Bethlehem. Their powers combined in 2013, and now Tape Swap Radio encompasses not just a biweekly show on 88.1 FM, but online archives, local concerts and its own stage at ArtsFest each year in Allentown.
Always looking for new creative projects, McGroggan got access to the roof of Allentown’s old cigar factory with help from the Alternative Gallery’s Brandon Wunder, and added Rooftop Sessions to the Shard Sessions filmed at Molchany’s studio. Drones capture sweeping footage of the concert perched amid the city. “We have the crew and a small audience up there to recreate and capture the energy of a live show,” McGroggan says.
Listeners can also check out Tape Swap Radio concerts live at Bethlehem’s Ice House several times a year, raising money for Valley nonprofits. Vendors ply art, music memorabilia, CDs, records and punk-rock spirit at a yearly flea market that Molchany and McGroggan started two years ago. Though Tape Swap’s mission is almost dizzyingly diverse, McGroggan names a unifying inspiration: “We see the needs of the DIY music community, and we fulfill them.”
Visit Tape Swap online for the latest sessions and events, or tune in on WDIY to support and enjoy independent music and those dedicated to providing it.
tapeswapradio.com
Tone It Up: Balanced and Beautiful
BY KATRINA SCOTT & KARENA DAWN
Known for their intense workouts, the Tone It Up girls are shifting their focus to balance in their newest book. They highlight five areas to focus on: refresh, motivate, inspire, energize and relax. In addition to their five-day reset advice, the girls discuss workouts, recipes and leave blank workbook pages for your own goals.
Well + Good : 100 Healthy Recipes + Expert Advice for Better Living
BY ALEXIA BRUE & MELISSE GELULA
Well + Good goes above and beyond the expectations of a traditional cookbook. Brue and Gelula share make-at-home recipes with options ranging from vegan to keto. Their recipes hone in on health concerns and promise to benefit skin, sleep, mood, energy, focus, digestion and even sex.
Energy Medicine: The Science and Mystery of Healing
BY JILL BLAKEWAY, DAMC, LAC
Renowned herbalist, acupuncturist, energy healer and Well + Good council member, Dr. Jill Blakeway reveals her secrets to energy healing in her latest book. She breaks down how energy medicine can be used to diagnose and treat illnesses through traditional Chinese medicine. Through this book, readers will be able to get more in touch with their qi—a Chinese word that describes an energy that is supportive of life— and ultimately learn more about themselves.
This exhibit presents contemporary Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei’s depiction of tension in the digital age. There are prominent themes of government control that are displayed through handcuffs. It shows the lack of personal freedom through illustrations of Twitter birds surrounded by surveillance cameras pointed in their direction.
Golden Age is a reflection on Ai’s experience as a prisoner in China for criticizing its government. Ai is respected internationally for his stance on Chinese political issues and global concerns. He is a strong believer in the freedom of expression, but concerned with how technology is a threat to privacy.
Twisted Tales of Poe
OCTOBER 25–27
BY DAISY WILLIS
Get into the spooky spirit of Halloween with a free performance of Twisted Tales of Poe at Lafayette College’s Buck Hall. Edgar Allan Poe’s lilting poems and short stories of the macabre are well known for conjuring up the creeps, and in this free production they’re told in the captivating style of a ’40s radio play.
The adaptation was originally written by staff of a public radio station, and presents “The TellTale Heart,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” “The Black Cat” and “The Raven” performed with vintage microphones, musical accompaniment and sound effects created live. Actors will play multiple parts, dressed unobtrusively in black, while a crew provides the creaks and jingles that bring Poe’s well-crafted creations to life. “The audience loves seeing props like rice sprinkled on paper for rain,” says director Michael O’Neill.
This behind-the-scenes experience of storytelling is a delightful way to enjoy a unique form of theater, and particularly exciting for kids. Twisted Tales’ first showing may be at the stroke of midnight, but on Sunday trick or treat, bags of candy add an extra incentive for young people to attend this gift to the community. “The theater department tries to do a free reading every year,” says O’Neill, and in recreating a radio show, “this will go beyond that.”
It bears repeating that for the rest of the department’s productions, Easton residents are offered free admission to the last dress rehearsal.
The adaptation-themed season includes Heddatron, a strange and funny tale involving robots in a rainforest, and The Monkey King, based on a Chinese legend.
With ample parking at Weiss Theater, there’s every reason to check out this free retelling of Poe’s classics. Reserve tickets to attend this fearsome feast of the eerie and ominous!
Free | Fri.: 11:59 p.m.; Sat.: 7:30 p.m.
Sun.: 2 p.m. | Lafayette College
Weiss Theater | 219 N. 3 rd St., Easton theater.lafayette.edu
522 N. 19th Street | Allentown, PA | 610-437-1663
boutiquetogo.com | Parking available in rear Monday, 11am to 4pm Tuesday – Friday, 10am to 5pm Saturday, 10am to 4pm
BEARDS AND BABES A OneStop Shop
Beards and Babes dubs itself the Valley’s first on-location wedding grooming service that caters to both bride and groom parties. Owners, founders and fully licensed beauty professionals, Brittney Conrad and her fiancé Zack Romero opened the business in November 2018 and worked their first wedding in April 2019. They offer a variety of services and packages. While brides are getting their hair and makeup done, grooms can enjoy a hot towel shave and beard rejuvenation. Specializing in bridal beauty for the past six years, Conrad and Romero are dedicated to making sure their clients are stress-free and relaxed. “I mean, come on, who doesn’t love to be pampered?” Conrad says. “Especially on one of their most special days in life.” Along with managing the business, Conrad acts as a makeup artist, hair stylist and airbrush tanning technician. She also hand-picks artists for weddings with larger parties. “We are committed to seeing every client beaming with both beauty and happiness,” she says, noting that the makeup trial usually seals the deal for most clients. “Not only are we beautifying, glamming and pampering, we are also bringing out confidence and peace of mind.”
417 Front St.,
YUVAN DAY SPA & SALON
Empowered
Inspired to create her own “world of art” after her son was born last year, Sherry Taneja founded Yuvan Day Spa & Salon. She is proud to be an owner of this all-women team. “It’s women-owned, empowering and giving women the opportunity to grow further in their careers,” says Taneja. “I’m driven by inquisitive passion for skin care, and my enthusiasm thrives for me to continue learning more about the skin-care world.” The salon’s service offerings include facials, advanced skin-care procedures, eyelash extensions, highlights, balayage, cutting, styling and makeup. They also have massage therapy and bridal makeup services. Most recently, the salon started offering all-natural manicures and pedicures. Their mission is to redefine youth and energy by revitalizing a healthy look for each of their clients. The staff has expertise in Aveda hair and skin products as well as Dermalogica skin products. Taneja hopes to take her passion for skin care to the next level. “I want to grow bigger with my team, create my own skin-care line in the near future and offer a variety of advanced treatments,” Taneja says.
3071 William Penn Hwy., Easton | 484.373.9722 | yuvanspa.com
HOTEL BETHLEHEM
EXECUTIVE CONFERENCE CENTER
A Booming Business Platform
Located less than a block away from Historic Hotel Bethlehem, the hotel’s Executive Conference Center has 5,000 square feet of amenities for corporate training and meetings. There are six intimate meeting rooms that vary in space to fit as few as 10 guests and up to as many as 80 people. Each room has state-of-the-art technology, ranging from dual screens to house sound to complimentary fiber-optic Wi-Fi. “[Through] this addition to the beautiful, new hotel meeting space, we are now able to accommodate multiple business meetings at the same time,” managing partner Bruce Haines says. “Traditional meeting space in the main hotel is now open to larger groups, and, at the same time, smaller groups are accommodated at the Executive Conference Center location.” The largest meeting space, Churchill Suite, was named after one of the most famous guests to ever stay at the hotel. The other suites include Ford (capacity of 16), Chrysler (capacity of 18), Edison (capacity of 20), Earhart (capacity of 12) and Heller Suites (capacity of 10). The Schwab Café offers fare for all Historic Hotel Bethlehem meeting locations. “Both facilities enjoy the same world-class culinary offerings from Chef Michael Adams and Executive Sous Chef Rodney Rivera [formerly executive chef of Shula’s Steak House],” says Haines.
LEHIGH VALLEY SUMMERBRIDGE
Emily Conners
Lehigh Valley Summerbridge (LVS) is a free, nonprofit enrichment program designed to aid low-income middle school students in preparing for college. Emily Conners has been involved in LVS since 2013, when she started as a summertime literature teacher in the program. In this position, she taught academic and enrichment courses to rising seventh and eighth grade students. She has since shifted her role from teaching to volunteering on the advisory board. “Not everyone in our community has the same opportunities, and I was immediately drawn to help Lehigh Valley Summerbridge in their powerful mission to assist middle school students with academic potential, yet limited resources, prepare for college,” Conners says.
Conners received her master’s in nonprofit leadership from the University of Pennsylvania and now uses her degree to ensure the sustainability and growth of the LVS program. Born and raised in the Lehigh Valley, Conners has always felt strongly about volunteer work to make her community stronger. “Volunteering brings us together as a community,” she says. “There is nothing greater we can do for our community than to help each other, especially those in need.”
Helping these students succeed, and possibly becoming first-generation college students, brings joy to Conners. Many students face obstacles out of their control, whether they are financial, an absence of resources or lack of
academic preparedness. “It is amazing watching these students build confidence in themselves and their skills, and see the looks on their faces when they realize that higher education is possible for them and that they have a team of people in their corner helping them every step of the way,” says Conners.
Conners is always encouraging others to take their passions and turn them around in a way to help others. “There are so many people in our community who need our help, especially young people, and there is so much more we can all do to support them,” says Conners.
A Community Space
The Downtown Allentown Market is a collaboration between nine local food and drink vendors. Ranging from Doughnut Love to Fresh Kitchen by Robert Irvine, the market offers an array of breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert options. Celebrity chef and host of The Food Network series Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine has a spot in Allentown’s first downtown food hall. Irvine will make several appearances throughout the year, but in his absence, high-quality dishes and a full-service bartender will remain.
“The Downtown Allentown Market was designed to be a community gathering space that showcases local and regional food merchants offering high-quality, fast-casual food and drink,” says Jeff Vaughan, vice president and director of PR for City Center Investment Corporation. The market can also be utilized as a space to host events. Featured events include, but are not limited to, live music, happy hours and brunches as well as crafting and planting classes. Open seven days a week with varying hours, the market calls to local residents, professionals and visitors. Certain vendors might be recognized by their association with other local restaurants or shops; for instance, Shinsen, a sushi and poke bowl stand, is run by the owners of Asian Bistros II in Bethlehem. Zahra serves Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food by the same family that runs Aladdin Restaurant in Allentown. Whether one is looking to mingle, participate in events or try authentic food, a trip to the Downtown Allentown Market may be worthwhile.
The Commodore: Gateway to Easton
The Commodore Project represents the first true private ground-up construction in nearly 30 years in downtown Easton.
Gain an exclusive inside look at the plans for this new residential, commercial, and rooftop restaurant mixed use building of unparalleled sophistication and class. Optima Durant Group President, Garett Vassel, will share his vision for The Commodore Project and what is to come in Fall 2020.
27 N. 7 th St., Downtown Allentown | downtownallentownmarket.com
LITTLE MISS KOREA
Enter to win a 50-minute Dermalinfusion facial, courtesy of Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, a $179.95 value.
FOR YOUR Caring future.
Having a child is one of life’s most precious experiences. You want only the best for your child. At St. Luke’s Pediatrics, we do too! Our team listens to your concerns, understands your child’s needs, mends broken bones, heals broken spirits and takes care of whatever life brings your way. St. Luke’s Pediatrics delivers the quality and compassionate care you expect for your child, now and for their future.
Harper, age 7, future actress
Choose a St. Luke’s Pediatrician today. New patients are always welcome!
St. Luke’s Pediatric Primary Care Practices Conveniently located in your neighborhood. Find a location close to you!
St. Luke’s Pediatric Specialists when your child needs specialty care.
St. Luke’s Pediatric Inpatient Unit 24/7/365, in-hospital pediatric physician coverage.
St. Luke’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Brand new unit opening in 2020 so your child can receive advanced care close to home.
Natural Beauty
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT BISHOP
It’s been said that beauty starts from within, and with these toxicant-free products, it’s true! Embrace self-care at Inside Outer Beauty Market.
How does Easton Outdoor’s selection differ from big-box stores?
A common misconception is that big-box stores have a larger selection than independent retailers. Big-box stores try to be everything to everyone, so while they have a lot of inventory, they may not have a good selection in certain categories. We focus on hiking, camping, rock climbing, trail running and casual endeavors so that we can provide a good selection that has been curated over time. The time and experience we have with these categories allows us to sift through all the noise and offer what we think is the most appropriate for our market.
How does your team assist various levels of outdoor enthusiasts, ranging from novice to expert?
Our approach is to listen to the customer first. We need to understand how each person plans on using the equipment, footwear or apparel before we can point them to the appropriate product that will suit their end use. For example, we don’t try to sell a fully supportive, backpacking hiking boot to a person that will only use the footwear for day hikes and light hiking.
What types of activities and excursions is Easton Outdoor the ideal retail destination for?
We carry apparel, footwear and equipment for hiking, camping, rock climbing, trail running and travel. We offer things as technical as climbing gear and as casual as dresses and warm winter jackets.
Tell us about some of the brands that you carry. We’ve made a conscious choice to offer high-quality brands. While these brands may cost a bit more than some of the big-box price-point brands, they are much more reliable and durable. We look at these products as investments. It’s better to pay a little more now
ADAM FAIRCHILD Owner
and not have to replace it later. Most of the brands we carry have a quality guarantee, so if anything goes wrong, they will fix it or replace it free of cost to the consumer. Some of the brands we carry include Patagonia, The North Face, Marmot, Mountain Hardwear, Sherpa, TenTree, Royal Robbins, Osprey, Deuter, Cotopaxi, Vasque, Salomon, Oboz, Teva, Mammut, Smartwool, Darn Tough and many others.
How does your staff stay up to date on trends and remain knowledgeable about the store’s inventory?
We are always looking for new brands and styles to keep things fresh. There are so many brands out there doing the same thing, so it’s exciting when we find a brand doing things differently! Some of these come to us through customer suggestions, like the brand Goodr sunglasses. Some come to us through the sales reps that sell existing brands that we carry and have a new brand they think would be a good fit for our store, like Cotopaxi and TenTree. The sales reps are key to the education process as well. They educate our staff about the products so that we can intelligently speak to the customer.
Is there a new item, gadget or trend that you’re particularly excited about for this fall?
We’re really excited about Goodr sunglasses! Goodr is a really fun company that makes sunglasses built for running. Their no-slip, no-bounce design with polarized lenses in a ton of fun colors for only $25 is why we’re having trouble keeping them in stock. We’re also really excited about a company called BioLite. They make solar-powered lights that allow you to charge your phone, tablet or laptop. Combine that with their portable wood-fueled stoves that charge electronics while cooking food and you’re ready for your next camping/glamping adventure!
Tell us about some of the events that Easton Outdoor hosts.
Every year, on the third weekend in May, we organize the Jacobsburg 5- and 10-Mile Trail Race at Jacobsburg State Park. We have been organizing this race for six years. There are not many trail races in the Lehigh Valley, so we wanted to give those that love running the trails a fun event. As an added bonus, we hide gnomes along the course and if you find a gnome and finish with your gnome then you win a prize!
What do you love most about being based in the Lehigh Valley? Tell us about the community of enthusiasts and outdoor opportunities here. The Lehigh Valley has so much to offer in outdoor activities!
We have a large community of people taking advantage of the unique environment in which we are placed. Whether you’re hiking, camping, running, cycling, mountain biking or boating, the Lehigh Valley has what you need. We have rivers and creeks that allow people to explore our waterways. We have opportunities for hiking, camping, running and mountain biking in the various preserves and state parks, in addition to the Appalachian Trail, which is just north of us. Explore what’s outside your back door and you’ll see a wealth of outdoor opportunities!
230 Northampton St. Easton | 610.829.1000 eastonoutdoorcompany.com
Featured Distilleries & Spirits
FIELD GUIDE TO: Friendship
BY DAISY WILLIS
“So many women crave friendship but don’t have it,” Michaela Parlett laments. She started the nonprofit eight/SEVEN with bestie Mary Engh when their own tight friendship inspired them to create opportunities for other women to develop authentic connections. Women or otherwise, those of us perplexed by the puzzle of building friendships as an adult will find Parlett’s insights inspiring.
by Pablo Farnan
Photo
Michaela Parlett
Mary Engh
A Paling Priority
For youngsters thrown together with other kids, making friends just sort of happens. Parlett watched her eight-year-old daughter on the playground display a child’s straightforward approach: “She walked up to a girl and said, ‘You’re wearing red, I’m wearing red—can we be friends?’”
By the time we’re adults, we’ve been burned enough to be wary, and the priorities of life pile up in front of friendship. Romantic relationships, work and family all seem to get more attention than friendship, despite its potential to boost our health and happiness. In fact, good buds help us through the ups and downs of our work, family and love lives!
“So often women become someone’s wife or mom,” Parlett says. “We wear a lot of labels and forget who we are when we strip the labels off.” Good friends are there for the you underneath.
“You’re wearing red, I’m wearing red—can we be friends?”
The Definition of Friendship
Parlett spent time listing the characteristics she values in a friend, including being willing to hurt her feelings rather than be a yes man, having good character and giving grace through inevitable struggles and mistakes.
Anything is easier to achieve when we understand what it is. Try thinking through what you value in friendship and making a list of five traits, and you’ll not only be more likely to discover them in others, but to provide them yourself.
Friendship at its realest means sharing the part of life that’s probably not getting posted on social media: the raw and vulnerable aspects of our lives that are made easier when we can share them. It’s work to build any relationship to that point, but so, so worth it.
Making and Maintaining
Venturing outside the friends of convenience that we make at work often means stepping outside your comfort zone. Find events that might draw folks with common interests, and look at your community like you just moved in. Explore it.
“I’d never done group fitness when I walked into barre3 a couple years ago,” Parlett says. “It was super intimidating, but I made so many good connections and friends.”
Take some pressure off yourself by letting relationships form organically. It’s OK if you don’t make friends overnight.
As life gets scheduled, time with friends tends to take a back seat, but Parlett says the intention to stay connected makes all the difference. “At the beginning of every month, I look at my calendar, think how many people I want to connect with, and who, and reach out and schedule it right away.”
Even if your effort isn’t this concerted, a little goes a long way. Just making a phone call or texting someone when you randomly think of them adds up.
Banal Pals and Frenemies
Sometimes being afraid of rejection means holding on to relationships that are no longer healthy for us. “When a friendship feels one-sided,” Parlett says, “that’s one of the biggest signs.”
Being patient is part of being a good friend, but our intuition tells us when something’s not right. If you feel judged or exhausted in a relationship, take the hint. “Tapping into your intuition is an important skill and a muscle. You have to start using it for it to get better,” Parlett says.
You become like the five people you spend the most time with. If that thought gives you pause, maybe your intuition is telling you to switch things up. It’s natural, especially for women, to feel guilty about allowing oneself to outgrow a friendship or gravitate towards new faces, but it’s OK to choose how to spend your limited time and energy. As Parlett points out, “You can love people from afar.”
Begin Within
The most foundational friendship of all—and the most difficult—is with ourselves.
Go back to that list of good-friend traits. Are you honest with yourself, and kind? Treat yourself the way you’d want a friend to treat you. And if you’re not in a romantic relationship, Parlett recommends embracing your “single season.” “Understand what you like, what you value, who you are—embrace and honor the space between no longer and not yet.”
“When you feel fulfilled on your own, you don’t put up with as much,” Parlett says. Embodying that trust and compassion for yourself helps you create and sustain the friendships and relationships that will support you throughout your life.
THE EXPERT
MICHAELA PARLETT Co-founder
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THE AWARDS SPEAK VOLUMES
The only board-certified female plastic surgeon in the Lehigh Valley
Ned Bolcar
Former Professional Athlete Turned Fitness Franchisee
BY AMY UNGER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW TOMASINO
Ned Bolcar is passionate about Phillipsburg. Ask the former high school football legend turned Notre Dame collegiate captain turned NFL player turned Orangetheory Fitness franchisee about his hometown, and he’ll gush effusively about the people and places that populated his formative years and molded him into the man he is today.
“Looking back now, I think how lucky I was,” he says. Bolcar is equally as complimentary about the Lehigh Valley. “People who aren’t from the Lehigh Valley, who are from places that don’t have as much pride and history, they don’t know what they’re missing.”
Whether Phillipsburg is actually part of the Valley, or an outlier on the other end of the Free Bridge, has been the subject of some debate over the years. But that’s neither here nor there to Bolcar —he considers himself both a native son of Pburg (or Lopatcong Township, if you want to get technical about the precise location of his childhood home) and the Valley. So, when a business opportunity came knocking in his old stomping grounds, he was happy to answer the call and deliver. Bolcar (along with his wife, Carolyn, and brother Brian) opened the Lehigh Valley’s first Orangetheory Fitness location in April. It’s inside the Allentown Towne Shopping Center off of Tilghman Street in South Whitehall Township. “We were always looking to get into the Lehigh Valley,” Bolcar says. “We’re proud to be here.”
He spent one season with the Seahawks and two with the Miami Dolphins...
Bolcar’s upbringing mirrors that of many other blue-collar kids and their families in the region in the 1970s and ’80s. “Very proud people. Very hardworking people,” he says of them. His dad was a state trooper; his mom was a nurse. One of three children (brother Brian is three years older, and sister Jean is a year and a half younger), Bolcar can recall shopping trips to the Whitehall and Palmer Park malls, pizza breaks on College Hill, swimming at the Lopatcong Pool, neighborhood barbecues and playing flashlight tag and jail break with friends on summer nights. “It was a great life,” he says. “We had everything we needed: a house, three meals a day, one vacation a year.”
It was also a life where sports were a priority for the young Ned. Bolcar started play baseball, basketball and football in elementary school. He excelled at all three, but it was football that made him a bold-faced name at Phillipsburg High School. He racked up a number of honors wearing the Stateliner garnet and grey, including his selection in 1984 as a USA Today High School All-American, and in 1985 as Parade magazine’s national football co-player of the year. From there, he joined the ranks of Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish squad in South Bend, Indiana, where the linebacker was a
two-time captain: in 1988—when the team won a national title—and again in 1989. Bolcar can vividly recall the training and intensity of his collegiate football career. “They were the toughest years of my life, but also probably the greatest,” he says. Luckily, he had a supportive fan base to keep him going. Bolcar says during the five years he spent at Notre Dame (he was a redshirt freshman), his parents missed only two games, traveling the 12 hours from their home to South Bend to see their son in action over and over again. Some of the people who watched him play in Phillipsburg were also in the stands; many others in Stateliner country rooted him on from afar and kept tabs on him through occasional write-ups in the local newspapers. Bolcar says he was honored to represent his hometown in the national spotlight. “You carry that pride and that respect for the home where you were raised.”
While Bolcar was racking up tackles at Notre Dame Stadium, he also made sure to hit the books off the field. After freshman year, he switched his major from engineering to economics and liberal arts and went on to graduate in 1989. He was drafted in the sixth round by the Seattle Seahawks the following year, but injuries cut his professional football career short. He spent one season with the Seahawks and two with the Miami Dolphins before hanging up his helmet for good.
Bolcar doesn’t speak with any bitterness about his abbreviated time in the NFL; perhaps that’s because other opportunities awaited him, both personally and professionally. He got a job on Wall Street and worked there for 19 years. A bachelor until the age of 44, he married his wife, Carolyn, in 2011. They welcomed their son, Cash, in 2012, and daughter, Vivienne, a year and a half later. They live in Warren, New Jersey, about 40 miles outside of Phillipsburg. Bolcar says he returns to the Pburg area whenever he can to visit family and friends who are still there. “I still have such an affinity for the Lehigh Valley,” he says.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16 • 7 P.M.
by Denise Pope, Ph.D., Stanford University Graduate School of Education Senior Lecturer and award-winning author and co-founder of Challenge Success
All events are free and open to the public. We are an independent preschool-8th grade school located at 1100 South 24th Street, Allentown. To register go to swain.org/parenting.
The Swain School Presented
insight
Florida-based Orangetheory Fitness first popped up on the Bolcars’ radar in 2013, when it was still a relatively new franchise. Bolcar says it stood out to him because it’s not a typical gym setting. “It’s not a place that you just walk into,” he says. “It’s all coach-led.” Orangetheory offers hour-long group fitness classes that blend cardiovascular activities and strength training. Participants wear monitors that broadcast their performance metrics in real time. The goal is to elevate the heart rate to the “orange zone”—84 to 91 percent of the individual’s maximum heart rate—for at least 12 minutes during that sweat fest of an hour. Orangetheory’s founders posit that such a workout will metabolically charge the body by forcing it to work harder to recover oxygen, resulting in a revved-up metabolism that burns calories long after the hard work is done. Even if you can’t quite wrap your head around the science of it, know this: “You’re going to walk out and say, holy heck, that was the best workout I’ve ever had,” says Bolcar. And boredom, he says, won’t be a problem, because the routines change every day.
“You are pushing yourself to your own limits at your own pace.”
The Bolcars opened their first Orangetheory franchise in New Providence, New Jersey, in October of 2014. Locations in Middletown and Shrewsbury followed in July of 2016 and April of 2017, respectively, before they launched Orangetheory in the Lehigh Valley this past April, and they’re not done yet. Bolcar says they’re eyeing one or two more potential locations in New Jersey, plus a spot outside of Easton, for a grand total of seven sites. It’s a franchise, he says, that he believes in.
“It’s a great brand. You hear these [success] stories over and over again,” Bolcar explains. “People who haven’t worked out in ages are now running on the treadmill. I love the fact that any person, whether you’re in shape or not, can walk in and know that we will help them through the beginning stages.”
The key, he says, is a coaching staff that knows how to motivate without overdoing it. “You are pushing yourself to your own limits at your own pace.”
Another win, Bolcar says, is being able to provide job opportunities for 80-plus people from all walks of life in his beloved Lehigh Valley and beyond.
“You’re helping people stay healthy, and you’re helping the community. That’s something to be proud of.”
allentown.orangetheoryfitness.com
in the Digital Age
BY SUSAN BIANCHI, MS, HEALTH & WELLNESS COACH
There are countless apps to measure and track every aspect of your life. Apps for weight management and fitness tracking have flooded the market, and it’s no wonder that an area in which many struggle would have the most options. If you are wondering what the right app might be for you, here are things to consider and programs that may align with your goals.
living well
Determining which app is best suited for you starts with establishing how much interaction you want to have with the app and what kind of support you need. Is the goal to create food and lifestyle shifts with interactive education, food tracking and coaching along the way to help create smarter choices? Is it more basic tracking to just keep things in check? Or is food tracking the last thing you want to do and would you rather have tools to help with shifting away from stress and the emotional side of eating?
Basic Tracking
If you are simply looking for a food and activity log to keep yourself in check and accountable, then basic apps like Lose It! and MyFitnessPal may be a good fit. Both have large food databases as well as the ability to scan barcodes for easy tracking. Lose It! does have an additional app, SnapIt™, that allows you to just take a picture of your food rather than having to log it. It is still in beta testing and caloric accuracy may be questionable; however, convenience cannot be beat, especially if you are averse to manually logging foods. To upgrade for more extensive integration with fitness trackers as well as more comprehensive nutrient tracking, Lose It! charges $39.99 per year and MyFitnessPal charges $49.99 per year.
Making a Lifestyle Change
If you are looking for a well-integrated program that provides tracking of food, exercise, education and motivational support in a highly interactive way, Noom may be a good option. The focus is creating a lifestyle shift and a “new normal” through interactive tools and quizzes. It also includes a personal coach to help keep you motivated and accountable, which is unique compared to other Noom prides itself on taking a behavioral approach, with an extensive intake form considering habits, likes and dislikes—whether at home or dine out and what part of you struggle most with snacking.
Although Noom touts and supports behavioral is still a caloric-based program with of calorie reduction through better food and lifestyle changes. There are no foods groups that are banned in Noom. Instead, grouped into three categories based on and calorie density. The color coding of into green, yellow and red categories helps designate which foods can be eaten without caution and which foods should be consumed
in moderation. This can take away the stigma of certain foods and helps educate the user on which foods should be most celebrated. Red food items are the most calorically dense and are caution foods. This category does include healthy oils like avocado, nuts and seeds. The downside is that some users may limit the red category foods too much and not get enough healthy fats in their diet. Nutritious, calorically dense foods can also provide satiety as well as anti-inflammatory components. Noom does give a lot of bells and whistles, including personalized suggestions, engaging graphics and quizzes, integration with fitness apps, exercise tracking, workouts and personal coaching. And it comes at a cost. A 14-day trial is only $1, but ongoing costs are $59 per month. A yearlong plan does bring the cost down to just under $20/month, which puts it more in line with other programs.
Changing Your Relationship with Food
Developed by Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry and medicine at University of Massachussetts School of Medicine, Eat Right Now is an evidence-based program that is not about calories, but rather a program to change one’s relationship with food. Utilizing mindfulness training, it focuses on identifying habit loops that drive unhealthy eating patterns and addictive behaviors while shifting them into a healthyhabit loop. The program’s interactive exercises look to increase awareness of triggers and retrain the user to hear the body’s true hunger signals versus a stress-eating response. The program’s research has shown it helps reduce food cravings by 40 percent. It includes daily lessons, journaling and live coaching in weekly group meetings. With less emphasis on what you are eating and more emphasis on the why, Eat Right Now offers a comprehensive program to address and shift the emotional relationship with food.
The program has three tiers of pricing, which include $24.99 monthly, $99.99 for six months or $129.99 for a year. It has a 28-day moneyback guarantee.
Tracking, previously known as “food journaling,” has been a proven method for monitoring and aiding in weight management; however, weight and food can be a very complex issue. Your individual goals and your relationship with food may help with your decision-making process. Apps can be a supportive tool to track and help foster shifts in eating habits, but also note that most are very general frameworks and may not be personalized enough to fit your bio-individuality.
SPOTLIGHT ON Healthy Nutrition & Fitness Programs
Shed those excess pounds and get back in shape with help from these local experts.
Interested in advertising in our next Spotlight section? Call 484.546.0408 for more information.
Personal Training for All Ages & Levels
GYMGUYZ ® Lehigh Valley
Bethlehem
484.488.3400 | gymguyz.com/lehigh-valley-pa
GYMGUYZ® provides in-home personal training to individuals. It’s the most convenient way to get fit. They bring the workout—including certified personal training coaches and equipment—to the client. GYMGUYZ® works with clients no matter their fitness level and regardless of ability, age or experience. Their personal training coaches work with each client to establish fitness goals and create a plan to reach those goals.
A local landmark, Queen’s has represented health and wellness through nutrition and education for many years, offering a wide variety of organic, vegan, vegetarian, raw, gluten-free and natural products. Shop the great selection of organic produce, grass-fed beef, free-range chicken and Berlin Natural Bakery breads. The homeopathic remedies and vitamins section includes natural soaps, shampoos and makeup.
The Ollin Studio by Paola 521 E. 4 th St., 3 rd Floor, Bethlehem 917.502.1896 | theollinstudio.com
The Ollin Studio by Paola offers the only certified and licensed GYROTONIC® studio in the Lehigh Valley. Additionally, it’s also a fully equipped Pilates studio. All classes are private and personalized for each unique individual. These methods are safe, versatile and effective for all ages and fitness levels. Paola has over 19 years of teaching experience in New York City and the Lehigh Valley.
THE UNITY OF TWO
Wellness is an important aspect of life to New Attitude Salon and Day Spa owner Trish McAdams-Burt, and she had a vision of adding to her already successful salon and spa, but there was no room to expand.
Trish believes things happen for a reason, and when the building next door became available, the journey began. She wanted to bring to the area a center where a guest could relax, enjoy the quiet space of meditation, have a body treatment or just sit and enjoy a cup of espresso and get education on nutrition and overall better health.
The wellness center will bring to the area a salt room, infrared saunas, massage therapy, LED light therapy, yoga, nutritional and CBD products, and coaching on life, health and nutrition.
As the vision expands, Trish’s husband, Dr. Dave Burt of Mountainville Dental in Allentown and Enhanced Dental Arts in Bethlehem, will be offering Botox treatments and teeth whitening take-home trays to enhance and complement one’s overall health, wellness and beauty.
Village at Stones Crossing Rd., Easton 610.253.5550
VISIBLE RESULTS WITH ZERO DOWNTIME
NewBodyContour may be the “new kid on the block,” but they are making their name known in a big way with an exclusive technology that noninvasively eliminates fat, tightens and lifts sagging skin, smooths cellulite and reduces wrinkles.
Don’t be fooled by the modest staff size, these two ladies are a force to be reckoned with! This dream team of Dr. Mary Bartek and Nicki Brown combines an extensive medical background and 30+ years of private practice ownership with a seasoned esthetician with 10 years of experience in the beauty and wellness industry. Pioneering these treatments in the Lehigh Valley, NewBodyContour is the only clinic/spa with this technology in the area.
NewBodyContour guarantees to “strip an inch of fat off of every medically approved patient on their first treatment.” New patients receive introductory pricing and a complimentary consultation with Nicki for details of the procedure and to ensure a clear plan. Dr. Bartek is very involved with her patients, which is why NewBodyContour is found under the same roof as Bartek Chiropractic. Contact NewBodyContour today, because Nicki books up quickly!
a-z guide to WELLNESS
By Amy Unger
Could living your best, most balanced life be as achievable as learning the alphabet? We’d like to think so! From aloe-infused drinks to CBD to IV vitamin therapy to wine (yes, wine!), here are 26 ways to start prioritizing your health.
bamboo massage
Heated bamboo is used to roll and knead the stress and trouble spots right out of your body at Healing Hands in Bethlehem. They promise you’ll feel refreshed, rejuvenated and renewed long after the massage is over.
c
CBD products are all the rage these days. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is an active ingredient in cannabis that doesn’t produce a “high” like marijuana. Users swear by its effectiveness in treating a variety of maladies, like anxiety, pain, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. CBD products are popping up in more places locally, like Your CBD Store in Emmaus.
518 Main St., Bethlehem | 610.882.4325 | healhands.com
344 Main St., Emmaus | 610.421.6195 | yourcbdstorelv
Deep water running at the Rodale Aquatic Center at Cedar Crest College in Allentown is the perfect class for runners or anyone else looking for a quick-moving, effective workout. And, it’s a lot easier on the joints than pounding the macadam.
100 College Dr., Allentown | 610.606.4670 | cedarcrest.edu/rac
early morning
bootcamp
Rise and grind with the ladies of Sweat Like A Girl in Nazareth. Ditch the excuses and commit just 30 minutes of your morning to busting a move. You’ll get in a full-body workout and ramp up the motivation you need to tackle the rest of your day, all before 6 am. P.S.—girls only! No boys allowed.
311 B Industrial Dr., Nazareth 610.207.4682 | sweatlikeagirl.com
Study after study shows that four-legged companions can do wonders for their owners’ physical and mental health. Local shelters like The Sanctuary at Haafsville, Animals in Distress in Coopersburg and Peaceable Kingdom in Whitehall are loaded with lovable canines, kitties and more… patiently waiting for their “furever” homes. thesanctuarypa.org | animalsindistresspa.org | lvpeaceablekingdom.info
GUT HEALTH
Go with your gut, so the saying goes… unless your gut is telling you to adopt unhealthy habits that will disrupt the balance of the trillions of bacteria that have taken up residence in your GI tract. A happy gut can lead to better sleep, stronger immunity and a healthier heart. Bethlehem’s Restoration Space can help you get yours in tip-top shape.
406 Delaware Ave. Suite 4, Bethlehem 484.241.4220 | therestorationspace.com
Photo by Alison Conklin
Experts say raw honey can be a good source of antioxidants, while helping to calm digestive issues and soothe sore throats. Funny Farm Apiaries has more than 60 hives scattered across Berks County. Customers can stock up on honey that’s chock-full of beneficial pollen, minerals and enzymes.
Various retail locations | funnyfarmapiaries.com
IV vitamin therapy
Getting poked with a needle may not sound incredibly appealing, but more and more people are opting to roll up their sleeves for IV vitamin therapy. According to Allentown’s IGLOO Cryotherapy, which offers the service, it’s a way to deliver nutrients directly to the bloodstream for faster and more effective absorption. They have concoctions to help you combat jet lag and hangovers, or to simply rehydrate and boost your immunity.
jJulie Stark, founder of Kempton-based Stark Juice, was juicing long before juicing became trendy. Her raw, cold-pressed juices are made from locally grown fruits and vegetables without heat or pasteurization, leaving behind precious nutrients and enzymes. You can pick up your own bottle of Green Glow, Berry Me or Lemon Drop (and many more) at the Allentown Farmers Market. Or there’s Smoothie Queenz in Allentown, pictured here, which offers Juicer Shots that are meant to enhance breast and prostate health while also offering a boost to the immune system.
801.557.0832 | starkjuice
104 N. 9 th St., Allentown | 610.351.1185 | catertoyourdiet
Photo by Shelbie Pletz
TITLE Boxing Club in Trexlertown invites you to “find your fierce” through one of its kickboxing or full-body boxing workouts. If you’re tired of the same old treadmill and StairMaster scene at the gym, this could be just the place for you. They cater to newbies as well as seasoned sparrers, so pull on your gloves, belly up to the bag and get going.
7150 Hamilton Blvd. Suite 165, Trexlertown 610.351.1938 | titleboxingclub.com
An open mind leads to new opportunities and experiences. Whether you’re hankering for a hobby or exploring your career options, Lehigh Carbon Community College and Northampton Community College offer a variety of possibilities—everything from grant writing to organic gardening to cheese-making. Or, roll up your sleeves at Allentown’s Baum School of Art and try your hand at wheel-thrown pottery or painting.
lccc.edu northampton.edu baumschool.org
Dr. Deb Romberger of Allentown is an instructor in the art of mindfulness-based stress reduction. She teaches techniques that aid in letting go of everyday aggravations and living in the now. Her classes and programs range from one-offs to several hours to several weeks.
610.554.0144 | mindfulnesslv.com
Photo by Alison Conklin
Photo by Alison Conklin
N nutrition response testing
The Bethlehem Nutrition and Wellness Center offers this non-invasive, natural method of analyzing the body’s physical and nutritional needs. It’s a form of applied kinesiology that can identify food intolerances as well as immune stressors and toxins. Once the problems are pinpointed, the center can assist in coming up with a game plan for restoring the body’s natural balance.
3400 Bath Pke. Suite 101, Bethlehem 610.419.3909 | bethlehemnutrition.com
Healthy Alternatives in Trexlertown has been at the forefront of the local organic movement since the 1990s. The store offers a myriad of natural, organic and vegetarian health food options and supplements, including a lengthy list of products from local farms and businesses. Inside you’ll find Café Santosha, which also sources local ingredients in the creation of palate pleasers like its Kraut Grilled Cheese sandwich and fruit, yogurt and granola parfait.
7150 Hamilton Blvd. Unit 130, Trexlertown 610.366.9866 | healthyalt.com
Photo
Seek solace along any one of the Lehigh Valley’s nature trails or in its many parks. The 77-acre Dorothy Rider Pool Wildlife Sanctuary in Emmaus offers seven different hiking and walking trails. You’ll meander past ponds, meadows, flowers and greenery, and perhaps catch a glimpse of any one of the dozens of bird species that have been spotted in the area.
R rejuvenate
Recharge your batteries with the Rejuvenate Organic Superfood Smoothie from Greenmouth in Allentown or Easton. It’s a delicious mix of berries, banana, greens, goji berries, açaí, chia seeds and coconut water.
134 N. 2 nd St., Easton | 484.560.5136 21 N. 7th St., Allentown | 610.810.8302 greenmouthjuicecafe.com
The secret to better-looking skin may lie under the sea with the seaweed wrap at Qi Spa in Catasauqua. Seaweed has been said to work as a detoxifier, while also improving skin’s elasticity and appearance.
429 Front St., Catasauqua 610.443.1746 | qispapa.com
TEAM VARK
Whether you’re training for your first race or your 500th, this running club based out of Aardvark Sports Shop in Bethlehem will help you get to the finish line. For this merry band of athletes, the camaraderie is just as important as the calorie burn.
559 Main St. Suite 122, Bethlehem 610.866.8300 | aardvarksportsshop.com
unplug
Hey, you. Yeah, you—the one awash in the glow of your cell phone or tablet screen. It’s time to power down for a digital detox. Instead of trolling your friends’ news feeds, why not check out one of the events organized by the Lehigh Valley’s dozens of Meetup groups, and make memories of your own? You know, IRL.
meetup.com
wine
Lots of studies have cheered the health benefits of drinking red wine (in moderation, ahem!)—as if you really needed a reason to uncork a bottle or two with your besties or your boo. Mark your calendar for October 12 and 13, when the locally owned and operated wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail will celebrate Chambourcin Weekend. lehighvalleywinetrail.com
Vwvolunteer
It’s good for the body, and good for the soul. So many organizations across the region depend on volunteers to keep doing what they do, so why not put your time and talents to good use? The Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley can help you find a good fit.
2158 Avenue C Suite 201, Bethlehem 610.807.0336 | volunteerlv.org
x-rays
Oral health can be a good indicator of your overall health. And there’s a reason x-rays are a part of most dental hygiene plans—they’re a basic tool to identify any problems plaguing your pearly whites. But millions of Americans have hang-ups about going to the dentist— some avoid it at all costs. Luckily, places like the Hellertown Dental Group specialize in putting the anxious at ease.
1213 Main St., Hellertown | 484.240.4998 hellertowndentalgroup.com
yoga
It’s believed that the origins of yoga can be traced back thousands of years. Now, it remains a very effective way to reduce stress, increase strength, lose weight and combat sleep problems and depression. “There’s also the incredible aspect of community that comes with jumping into a group class,” says local instructor Megan Braemore of Allentown Yoga, which recently launched a series of outdoor classes in the heart of Downtown Allentown. “And of course, there’s that ‘after-yoga glow’ you walk out with after a great session.”
allentown.yoga
z
The average American spends about 25 years of his or her life sleeping. If you’re going to make that big of a time commitment, you might as well do it right. Consistent restless nights are tied to a host of health problems. Both St. Luke’s University Health Network and Lehigh Valley Health Network have sleep centers that can diagnose and correct whatever’s disrupting your sack time.
slhn.org | lvhn.org
Photo by Marco Calderon
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24th 6 – 9PM
Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market
With 66 years of history—and over 60 unique merchants— the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market has a well-earned reputation for variety (and deliciousness). Open Thursday through Saturday, its quality products, friendly faces and weekly specials are sure to turn you into a regular.
Interested in advertising in our next Spotlight section?
Call 484.546.0408 for more information.
A Tradition Since 1954
Stoltzfus Amish Deli
610.432.5250 | stoltzfusmeats.com
Stoltzfus Amish Deli has been offering quality meats and cheese from Lancaster County to the Lehigh Valley for more than 35 years. They specialize in their own smoked hams, bacon, ring bologna and sausage, plus snack sticks and a large variety of deli meats and cheese. The smiling staff is committed to friendly, courteous service and encourages lots of taste-testing to make the shopping experience exceptional.
The Perfect Pick for Any Palate
New York Pickle
610.435.4310 | newyorkpickle.com
New York Pickle is a unique specialty shop in the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market with over 12 pickle types to choose from, plus a wide variety of imported and hand-stuffed olives, home-made olive spreads, salsas, barrel-cured sauerkraut and cheddar cheesestuffed pickles. Fresh, healthy and nearby, they’re sure to please any palate.
Seoul to Soul
Little Miss Korea
610.841.3444 | littlemisskorea.net
Fusing the American dream with Korean flavor, the Cha family brings fresh South Korean taste to the Lehigh Valley. Find cross-cultural dishes like Kimchi Fries, Bulgogi Cheesesteak or the Carrot Ginger Chicken Salad, and Korean classics like Tofu Hot Pot, Japchae and Bibimbap. Also, meet them on weekends at both the Easton and Emmaus farmers’ markets. They’re also at the brand-new Downtown Allentown Market on the ArtsWalk.
Down-Home Southern Cooking
Southern Delights
610.841.7022
Stop in and get some “Down-Home Southern Cooking.” Southern Delights has a variety of delicious, down-home Southern dishes— made fresh every day. The desserts are made from scratch—from their oven to the customer’s table. Come visit and take home lunch, dinner and dessert, or let them cater a special event. Call for catering at 610.841.7022.
A Reputation
Built on Service
Dave’s Vacuum Cleaner Sales & Service
610.433.6861 | davesvac.com
Dave’s Vacuum Cleaner Sales & Service has been serving the Lehigh Valley since 1961. They provide their customers with vacuum cleaner sales, repairs, parts, bags and filters for all vacuum cleaner makes and models. They offer free repair estimates on vacuum cleaners and sewing machines at their two convenient locations in Allentown. Stop by and see them today.
Eat Healthy. Eat Mediterranean.
Foods of the Mediterranean
484.767.7543 | mediterraneanfoodpa.com
Foods of the Mediterranean, a flavorful new casual dining experience, takes ancient Eastern Mediterranean dishes and gives them a modern twist. Aside from their famous gyros, they offer vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options to satisfy everyone’s taste buds. Choose from a tempting selection of appetizers and a vast array of health-conscious and satisfying salads. Need a special event catered? They can do that too.
From the Heart of Amish Country
Amish Village Kitchen & Bakery Kitchen: 610.841.0414 | Bakery: 610.776.7727
At the Amish Village Kitchen, fresh, homemade and Pennsylvania Dutch are the native language. All the family recipes are made from scratch, with local ingredients from the heart of Amish Country. Taste buds are sent back in time with the house-made soups, real mashed potatoes, hand-formed meatloaf or a slice of fresh apple pie.
Bagels & More
Ben & Co. Cafe
610.841.3220
Looking for “New York Style” bagels here in the Valley? Then Ben & Co. Cafe is the spot. They carry authentic, all-natural bagels in a variety of flavors. In addition to bagels, breakfast sandwiches and deli sandwiches, they also offer gourmet cupcakes from a local favorite: Custom Cakes by Adele. For the best selection, make sure to visit their newly-renovated shop early. Bagels and cupcakes this good sell out fast.
A 5-Star Experience
Johnny’s Fresh Meats
610.439.0220
Proudly serving quality beef and pork to the Lehigh Valley for almost 70 years, Johnny’s Fresh Meats’ third-generation owners still carry on some of the original traditions. Everything is trimmed to perfection and ready for customers to enjoy, and the friendly staff is excited to help answer any questions to make dinner a five-star experience!
Green Gorilla 99%+ Pure CBD
Shaffer Health Center
484.201.1952
Shaffer Health Center is proud to offer Green Gorilla, the purest CBD oil on the market, now in gummy form. Green Gorilla 99%+ pure CBD products are both USDA-certified organic and a great value, available every day for 30 percent off the suggested retail price. Visit Shaffer Health Center to learn more about this and other healthy living products.
Only the Best
Mr. Bill’s Poultry
610.432.1108 | mrbills.com
Mr. Bill’s has been serving the Lehigh Valley since 1992, offering a complete selection of organic or all-natural Bell & Evans chickens, Koch’s turkeys and duck. Mr. Bill’s also carries poultry specialties, such as sausages and burgers (all poultry, of course), readyto-cook meals, even chicken bone broth and turkey ring bologna and kielbasa. Customers deserve the best!
HEALTHY HACKS
BY KRISTEN RINALDI
30 SECRET MENU SWAPS FOR DINING OUT IN THE VALLEY
Making good food choices is easy in the comfort and control of one’s own kitchen, but dining out can derail even the most dedicated dieter. And with such an enticing local restaurant scene, staying home is not an option. We investigated to find some secret menu items and healthy eating hacks to keep in mind when placing your next order. Whether your goal is to eat more plants, eat less beef or just cut the carbs, we’ve got you covered.
LEAN & GREEN
ONE
Substitute the bread on your sandwich or the tortilla on your taco with lettuce at The View at Morgan Hill. Yes, this means you can still enjoy that crispy Cajun shrimp!
TWO
Any of Fegley’s Brew Works’ burgers can be made on lettuce wraps instead of buns, and all of their sandwiches can be made in a wrap.
THREE
Don’t miss out on delicious guac just because of a few chips. The team at Casa Toro Mexican Grill is happy to swap ’em out for veggies! Wash it all down with one of their margaritas, which can be made “skinny,” a.k.a., sugarfree. And don’t worry, all of their margs are already made with fresh lime juice for less calories!
FOUR
At blue grillhouse, guests can request vegetable dippers instead of the typical flatbreads or crackers that accompany their Baby Spinach and Artichoke Dip or the Jumbo Lump Crab Dip.
FIVE
The Slate Pub in Pen Argyl will swap any sandwich out for salad, serving a cheesesteak on lettuce instead of a bun. They’re also happy to replace your fries with some seasonal farm-totable vegetables. And as for drinks, they offer agave as an alternative to simple syrup.
SIX
Enjoy Edge Restaurant’s Tuna Tartare without the weight of a wonton. How about cucumbers instead? Complete with sesame oil and ginger lime aioli, the Tuna Tartare can even be made spicy upon request! In the mood for hummus? Edge’s team will happily swap out the pita for assorted vegetables.
SEVEN
by
It might not say it on the menu, but Torre at the Promenade allows any guest to swap their taco or fajita tortilla out for a lettuce wrap. Yes, this means you can enjoy $2.65 tacos without the guilt during happy hour! Upon request, they also offer baked tortilla chips instead of fried ones, so keep enjoying that guac, salsa or Elote corn dip!
Photo
Alison Conklin
GLUTEN - FREE
EIGHT
No matter your dietary restrictions, most of The Mint Gastropub’s menu is prepared in a gluten-free fashion. Opt for their famous chickpea fries!
NINE
Swap out any burger or sandwich bread for a gluten-free or vegan bun at Slopeside Pub & Grill.
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
Prime Steak House offers gluten-free lunch and dinner menus, but they’re also happy to make accommodations to the regular menu, substituting any of their pasta dishes for rice. And on their appetizer menu, they’ll gladly serve lightly salted tortilla chips or raw veggies with their spinach dip, instead of bread.
FOURTEEN
Order Ringer’s Roost’s cauliflower crust pizza and enjoy it with garlic sautéed shrimp, tomato, basil and mozzarella. Additionally, any sandwich is offered as a wrap at Ringer’s!
Melt’s customers go crazy for their gluten-free pasta. While store-bought, gluten-free pasta can sometimes have an off-putting texture, the team at Melt hears that theirs is a true substitute that can actually be enjoyed.
THIRTEEN
Did you know that Folino Estate Vineyard & Winery in Kutztown offers a gluten-free pizza and a gluten-free tagliatelle pasta option? Even with a dietary restriction, you don’t have to go home craving that Drunken Pasta or a slice of their Farmers Market Vegetable pizza.
At Keystone Pub & Grill, gluten-free diners can still enjoy burgers, sandwiches, hoagies and cheesesteaks, thanks to their gluten-free rolls. Skipping the bread altogether? They’ll make any sandwich on a bed of lettuce. If you’re going the salad route, they’re happy to replace the breaded chicken tenders with grilled boneless chicken breast in their buffalo chicken salad. And who can go to Keystone and not order wings? Ask for them without sauce and add it yourself as needed.
FIFTEEN
When dining at The Shelby at the Hamilton Crossings, all burger buns and sandwich breads can be swapped out for a lettuce or gluten-free Gluten-free sometimes And executive Cristian Gonzalez says guests love their gluten-free, vegan and dairyfree lasagna. What’s more, veggies can always be swapped for starches, and cauliflower rice is available with any entrée. PhotobyMattBishop available. can
SIXTEEN
Though they’re famous for their beef burgers, Bell Hall in Allentown allows guests to substitute any beef patty with an Impossible Burger or chicken patty. they recommend ordering
SEVENTEEN
Hops Fogelsville will fire up any burger with a vegetable or turkey patty substitution! All sandwiches can also be made into wraps or on
BEEFFREE ZONE
EIGHTEEN
Union & Finch offers a unique twist with their falafel patty as a substitute for beef! Guests can also enjoy their fresh-roasted spaghetti squash with heirloom tomato pomodoro sauce as a substitute to their meat-based pasta sauce.
of gluten-free garlic
NINETEEN
TWENTY
While their menu explicitly asks guests to refrain from making food modifications, it doesn’t get any clearer than the I Don’t Eat Meat burger at The Flying Egg in Bethlehem. The handmade veggie patty is topped with artichoke, sundried tomato, provolone tofu “aioli.”
At The Hummus House, there are separate meateater and vegan/ vegetarian menus for heroes, paninis and wraps. Their other menu offerings are also labeled accordingly. What’s more, The Hummus House offers the Impossible Burger and the all-new Beyond Meat Burger.
GUILTLESS ORDERS
TWENTYFOUR
TWENTYONE
TWENTYTWO
TWENTYTHREE
Social Still Distillery says to order their Jackfruit Tacos, which are vegan, cholesterol-free, a complete protein and high in vitamins, for a healthier option. And because this is a distillery, drinks are always part of the equation. Social Still recommends a spiked seltzer to quench your thirst.
Ask the team about healthy hacks at Molinari’s in Bethlehem, and they’ll tell you there’s a reason why Italians live long healthy lives—their food is fresh, local and simple, and they eat slowly and moderately. According to them, their food is already a healthy hack!
Dining at the Red Stag Pub doesn’t always have to mean fish n’ chips, which owner Neville Gardner calls “the traditional, not-sohealthy Irish/British fast food.” Instead, he recommends that cautious diners opt for their wild salmon caught off of the Faroe Islands,
served with greens and a yogurt or vinaigrette dressing, or their homemade pesto. Other options include their fresh haddock—used for fish n’ chips—broiled and served with seasonal vegetables, or their Scottish smoked salmon served on a wholesome whole-meal Irish bread or with scrambled eggs.
TWENTYFIVE
At The Beam Yard at Steel Club, guests looking for a plant-based option can enjoy the Vegan Salad (grilled asparagus, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, quinoa and lemon vinaigrette), Vegan Scallops (pan-seared tofu scallops, Asian vegetables and red lentils, topped with a pineapple and mango salsa) or the Vegan Pizza, made ,
with a cauliflower crust. The Beam Yard also offers the Impossible Burger, and can make even their chicken fingers gluten-free! Their advice is to call ahead and they’ll be sure to meet just about any dietary restriction.
When dining at Copperhead Grille
Michael Dontas and Michael Dontas Jr. recommend perusing their “Grilled with Chimmi” section of the menu. Chimmi is Copperhead’s version of chimichurri, and is made with garlic, sun-dried tomato, parsley and citrus-infused vegetable oil spread. Delicious on grilled meats, seafood and vegetables, Dontas credits this section of the menu for allowing him and Dontas Jr. to lose more than 50 pounds over the last few years. What’s more, it’s glutenfree, dairy-free and keto-friendly!
CHAIN GAME
TWENTYSIX
Chef Shawn Doyle says that, at Savory Grille, they changed their entire philosophy on things a while ago. Here, it’s less a hack and more a way of cooking. Gone are the days of mounting everything in butter, he says. At Savory Grille, they’re using reduced stocks instead of cream and olive oil instead
of dairy. It takes a little more time, and a few more products, but it makes a big difference, he explains. Doyle says he loves a good ribeye, but it’s pretty fatty, so they created a ribeye filet, which is a smaller—but a more usable—portion. He also says that a benefit of making everything in house means that they can modify their recipes to accommodate dietary restrictions
Photo byAlisonConklin
or requests, which Doyle believes is a reason guests choose to dine there.
TWENTYSEVEN
Under the Vegetarian Delights section of the menu, Wert’s Café offers vegetable lasagna, eggplant parmesan and a stir-fry vegetable dish.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Ease your way in one healthy step at a time at Red Robin. Request the Tavern Bun to save 130 calories; ask for your burger open-faced to enjoy just half of the bun; order your sandwich “wedgie style” for a fresh lettuce wrap; or skip the bun and go completely naked! What’s more, the Impossible Burger patty can be substituted on any of Red Robin’s Gourmet Burgers, which range from Sautéed ‘Shroom to Banzai.
TWENTY-NINE
Make any sandwich an Unwich at Jimmy John’s and replace that bun with lettuce. This simple— and totally customizable—swap promises fewer calories, fresh lettuce, hand-sliced veggies and all-natural meats.
THIRTY
Skip the (award-winning) bread and order your hoagie in a bowl at PrimoHoagies!
Toasty Fall Fire Pits
BY DAISY WILLIS
It’s fire pit season in the Lehigh Valley! Read on for ways to enjoy them in all their festive fall glory.
Fully covered with ceiling heaters, blue’s vast patio can keep all its guests comfortable until the first frost brings outdoor dining to a close, but those who want to feel the fire’s heat can take advantage of seating right around the fire pit and place food and drinks on a surrounding edge.
2. Promenade Shops
2845 Center Valley Pkwy., Center Valley | 610.791.9707 thepromenadeshopsatsauconvalley.com
Across from the AMC Theatre and in front of Center Valley Creamery are fire pits surrounded by Adirondack chairs. A new patio space near GNC and uBreakiFix has soft seating, cell phone charging stations and games. Lovely places to alight during an evening out or to warm up during the Promenade’s Halloween Dance Party and Movie Night!
3. Slopeside at Blue Mountain
1660 Blue Mountain Dr., Palmerton 610.824.1557 | skibluemt.com
Blue Mountain Resort is also home to Slopeside Pub & Grill, where the outdoor seating looks out over beautiful vistas of the Poconos all year round. Fire pits with Adirondack chairs are perfect for drinks before dinner or after ziplining through fiery fall foliage.
4. Copperhead Grille
5737 Rte. 378, Bethlehem
610.282.4600 | copperheadgrille.com
Renovations on Center Valley’s Copperhead Grille location have added a 2,000-square-foot outdoor bar featuring a cozy and capacious fire pit centerpiece. Lounging on stone benches circling the fire is a great way to enjoy a chilly evening with a chillier drink.
OAK’s glass-enclosed rooftop bar shows the sky for an outdoors-esque experience. In colder seasons, fire pits are lit in the center of counters, perfect for meandering around in the ambiance of hanging lights.
Tuesday Oct. 22rd 6:00–9:00 p.m. Auction begins at 7:00 p.m.
Notch
SAME SAME (BUT DIFFERENT) APPROACH TO ASIAN FUSION IN A MODERN SETTING
BY CARRIE HAVRANEK | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALISON CONKLIN
We’ve got a lot of lovely restaurants. And lots of great Asian ones, too, but what we haven’t had, until now, is a Pan-Asian dining experience that’s firmly rooted in American hospitality. That is to say fusion-oriented (because what isn’t, anymore?), progressive and downright approachable. Notch calls itself a Modern Kitchen and Bar, and it is. However, it also feels more Asian than perhaps it wants to admit—even though there are no automated, waving cat statues at the register, nor are there fish tanks, nor can I imagine the soundtrack to include those stereotypically soothing sounds of the music of the Far East. (I have to imagine much of this, because there’s sawdust on the floor and servers are being interviewed as I write this—they’re preparing to open in a month.)
I’m not too far off the mark—according to owner Jeff Virojanapa, whose family also owns White Orchids Thai Cuisine restaurant in Center Valley, the nomenclature works on a few levels. “The name Notch comes from creating a restaurant that is a ‘notch above’ Asian fusion in the Lehigh Valley. Many Asian fusion restaurants have a menu with a Chinese, Thai and sushi menu section. We want the entire menu to be a fusion of Asian flavors focusing on modern American comfort foods, with these great flavor profiles from all parts of Asia,” he says.
The restaurant has been a dream in the works for a while now, and Virojanapa has naturally assembled a dream team. The kitchen is run by Tyler Baxter, 33, who’s originally from Coopersburg and is a new parent (along with his restaurant-industry wife, Laura, who works at 3rd and Ferry Fish Market). Baxter has opened kitchens at Cosmopolitan, The Bayou and Grain, many of them as executive chef. Most recently, he worked at Emeril’s Chop House.
SHRIMP TOAST
Red miso remoulade, charred cabbage, pickled onion,
...the place where elements of Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese food merge, as filtered through an American comfort-food lens.
He’s also a graduate of Northampton Community College’s culinary program. Sean Rainey, executive sous chef, is back there with him, too— he’s worked at Savory Grille, along with Cosmopolitan, The Bayou and Grain. (Yep, that’s right, the last three with Baxter.)
Now, about that menu. It takes some guts to name your restaurant Notch—it is nothing if not ambitious. With about 200 seats altogether, including an outdoor covered patio, a 20-seat bar, two floors and a private chef’s table, Notch seeks to elevate the experience beyond your expectations. It sounds like marketing-speak, but in talking with Baxter and Joshua Coates, 32, the beverage manager who’s got extensive experience in the region and out of state
(Colorado), this ethos, this passionate commitment, comes with the territory. That territory is the place where elements of Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese food merge, as filtered through an American comfort-food lens. If you’re not familiar with these cuisines equally, don’t worry. You’d be hard-pressed to find something that isn’t familiar, but with a twist, which is how the best food—regardless of culture of origin—ought to be. For example, the Drunken Rice Cake isn’t a rice cake as you know it, but instead, the dish feels like a loosely rendered Asian version of pasta with Bolognese, with a kick. The spicy Korean Fried Chicken is delicious and proves that love of fried food, but chicken in particular, is universal and needs no language. It’s got a sticky garlic sauce, and is served with radish and pickles and two Chinese milk breads (these are soft, slightly sweet square rolls). The dish is assertively flavorful, enough to let you know who’s boss —the chicken, clearly—but it’s not overpoweringly spicy. I also sampled
the Shrimp Toast, a classic ChineseAmerican dish, made unique with charred cabbage, sesame seeds and a red miso remoulade. You’ll find dumplings (sweet potato), steamed bao buns, curry dishes and bibimbap. And there’s a Viet-Cajun Pad Thai dish that’s a conceptual mind bender born out of geographic serendipities —in other words, a Vietnamese population that has sprung up in culinary proximity to Cajun flavors. Baxter cites Houston, for example. This mash-up is a thing born of reality, he explains.
Notch also does a banh mi, but the “Hand Helds” menu also includes a burrito and a burger: the former, with basil fried rice, strip steak, edamame salad and chili aioli; the latter with soy glazed onions, aged cheddar and bacon on a brioche bun. It is familiar, but different.
Speaking of which, as Coates explains, there’s an expression in Thai culture, “same same,” which means similar, but different. (This strikes me, for the record, as totally different from our Americanism “same difference.”) And Notch embodies much of that approach behind the bar, too. The cocktail menu is one of the most inventive I’ve seen in these parts, on par with creative implementation, say, of beets and mushrooms in cocktails at Molinari’s and the strong culinary approach behind Bolete’s bar. The menu offers two drinks that will always be variations on a theme—Same Same, But Different. One of them might have an ingredient or two that the other doesn’t; club soda, or bitters, or something to that effect. You won’t find a straight up espresso martini, with recognizable coffee and vodka ingredients among others, but rather the Deja Brew. It’s a surprisingly nuanced combination
of Caffè Borghetti espresso liqueur, cinnamon, rum and lime.
The most unusual thing you may encounter though, from the bar, isn’t perhaps one drink versus another. It’s the crystal-clear ice cube, which, yes, looks pretty sexy as far as ice cubes go, and is functionally optimal for mixology in that it melts incredibly slowly. “It’s the coolest thing that no one will notice,” says Coates. Until now, perhaps! It’s time-consuming to prep the ice this way, which is called directional freezing. (Go ahead, ask Siri about it. We’ll wait.)
Even the experience of opening a restaurant, which Baxter has done several times, is similar but different. I asked him how things have changed in the very compressed period of accelerated career change he’s experienced in the past five or six years since he graduated from culinary school. Does it get easier, or harder, to be at the forefront of
a restaurant opening? “I still get stressed, because I know more, but I get stressed about different things,” he says. No matter how many times you are opening a restaurant from the ground up—many of them have involved extensive construction— there are always new variables and challenges depending on the menu,
location and, of course, the humans involved. (Humans are often the biggest variable).
So, I suppose this whole exercise raises the question. Is Notch an American restaurant with Asianfusion fare, or an Asian restaurant with American food?
Yes, you can make one. How far ahead do you need to book? Don’t know! Only time will tell!
Specials
Well, there are definitely specialties that will rotate, but the Large Format Pork Shoulder is bound to cause a stir in the dining room; it’s something to behold. It requires 48 hours advance notice to properly prep it, and serves at least four people ($150). Notch also offers a chef’s table that’s bookable for groups or individuals—you can reserve as large or as small a group as you like, or just sidle up to it and join whomever’s there. Additionally, there are plans to offer a dim sum brunch on Sundays at Notch, too, with a distilled version of the menu. Happy Hour: Mon.–Fri.: 4–6 p.m. with classic cocktails available.
5036 Hamilton Blvd., Allentown 610.841.4610 | notchmknb.com
Stuffed Acorn Squash
with Spiced Lamb and Tahini WITH JASON HOY
TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY
BY ALISON CONKLIN
Jason Hoy and his wife, Melanie Hansche, moved to the United States from Australia three years ago, and they settled in Easton because they fell in love with the strong community and the vibrancy of the city. Two years ago, they opened Tucker—an Australian-style café that features fresh, local, healthy and sustainable food—at the Simon Silk Mill.
Hoy worked in the wine industry for more than two decades, and Hansche is the deputy editor of Food & Wine magazine. At Tucker, everything is made from scratch daily and Hoy says the relationship they have with their farmers is the most important— or, at least, just as important as his feelings about coffee. “Australians take their coffee very seriously,” he says. You will not find a large drip-filter coffee machine at Tucker, but rather small-batch roasters from Partners Coffee in Brooklyn, which is another Australian company.
Their go-to fall dish is a riff on Yotam Ottolenghi’s lamb-stuffed eggplant dish from Jerusalem: A Cookbook “Every night is date night,” says Hoy, “but this dish makes it feel like an extra-special night in.” It takes flavors from Lebanese spices and lamb, which is a nod back to their Australian roots. Hoy says the extra steps involved in making this dish ensure it’ll never disappoint!
814.857.8502 | tuckersilkmill.com
INGREDIENTS
2 acorn squash, halved and seeds removed
1 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for brushing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 lb. ground lamb
3 Tbsp. pine nuts
2 tsp. tomato paste
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. tamarind concentrate
1 cinnamon stick
Pomegranate seeds, to serve (optional)
TAHINI SAUCE
3 Tbsp. tahini
1 garlic clove, finely grated
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Sea salt
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400°F. To make the tahini sauce, place the tahini, garlic, lemon and salt in a small bowl and mix to a thick paste. Add 2 tablespoons of water and mix to combine (it may seize; keep stirring). Your sauce should be drizzling consistency—add 1 tablespoon of water if needed to reach desired consistency. Set aside.
Arrange the squash in a large baking dish, cut side up. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, until slightly browned.
Meanwhile, mix the cinnamon, cumin and paprika. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and half the spice mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring a few times, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the lamb and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned (about 4 minutes). Stir in the pine nuts, tomato paste, half the parsley and 1 teaspoon sugar and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the filling into the squash. Combine the remaining spices, 1/2 cup of water, lemon juice, tamarind, remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar and a pinch each of salt and pepper, and pour into the baking dish. Add the cinnamon stick and cover the dish with foil. Bake for about 1 hour, basting twice with the pan juices, until squash is very tender.
Transfer squash to plates or a platter and spoon over pan juices. Drizzle with tahini sauce and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and remaining parsley to serve.
Note: You can find tamarind concentrate in the Asian aisle at the supermarket.
e Shoppes at Hellertown 610.838.8004 // dimaios.net
Order The Lehigh Valley Housewives cocktail at the Insider Happy Hour at Notch on October 8.
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Gluten-Free Options
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Entrée Price Range:
$ under $15
$$ $15-$25
$$$ $25+
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10 a.m.–1 p.m. on Sun. Brunch, lunch & dinner.
The Grille at Bear Creek $$
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Bucks
McCoole’s at the Historic Red Lion Inn $-$$$
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Carbon
Slopeside Pub & Grill $-$$$
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Lehigh
Aladdin Restaurant $$
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Foundation Tavern $$
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Gio Italian Grill $$
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The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley, 610.798.9000, meltgrill.com
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The Mint Gastropub $$ 1223 W. Broad St., Bethlehem, 610.419.3810, bethlehemmint.com
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Pocono Brewery Co. $$ 938 Lifestyle Center, Whitehall, 610.264.2194, poconobrewery.com
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Ringers Roost $$ 1801 W. Liberty St., Allentown, 610.437.4941, ringersroost1801.com
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The Tavern on Liberty $
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Top Cut Steakhouse $$$
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Torre $$
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Union and Finch $$
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White Orchids Thai Cuisine $$
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Northampton
1741 on the Terrace $$$
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Apollo Grill $$$
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The Lehigh Valley’s premiere sports grille, offering signature homemade recipes. Two great locations. Brunch, lunch & dinner.
DiMaio’s Italian Ristorante & Pizzeria $$
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Don Juan Mex Grill $
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McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub
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$$$
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Molinari’s $$
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Prime Steak House $$
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Rakkii Ramen $$
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The Slate Pub $
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Social Still $$$
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Experience a variety of fresh culinary dishes from around the world at Steelworks Buffet & Grill. Featuring live action cooking and a fully stocked bar, guests will enjoy a variety of fresh international culinary dishes at the all-you-can-eat buffet or choose their favorites from the a la carte menu, including artisan pizza, a pasta station, fresh-carved meats and more. Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Tap Room at Hotel Bethlehem $$ 437 Main St., Bethlehem, 610.625.2226, hotelbethlehem.com
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Upscale casual dining with the best view in the Lehigh Valley. Brunch, lunch, dinner & late night.
ZEST bar+grille $$$
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Autumn in Granada Gallows Hill Spirits Co.
BY KRISTEN RINALDI
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHELBIE PLETZ
This fall, cozy up with Gallows Hill Spirits’ Autumn in Granada cocktail, made with their own Soothsayer vodka, Limoncello di Piano and Cannellacello di Piano (cinnamon liqueur), and featuring Root Crafted’s The Granada mixer.
Root Crafted mixers are made with all-natural, organic ingredients, so enjoying a cocktail doesn’t have to be such an indulgence. One of Root’s six mixer variations available, The Granada is healthful and antioxidant packed, made with pomegranate, lemongrass and a hint of orange.
“It’s our take on the Cosmo,” says Trish Lauden, co-founder of Root Crafted alongside Diane Aemisegeo. And while Root Crafted’s mixers are designed to make easy, simple cocktails at home—in the case of The Granada, just add vodka and enjoy it up or on the rocks!—Lauden loves that their friends at Gallows Hill Spirits get inventive with their concoctions.
Their Autumn in Granada cocktail came to be the way they always do at Gallows Hill Spirits—a collaborative brainstorm between head bartender Elena Handley, salesperson Brian Stein and owner Bob Piano. And the distillery’s collaboration with Root Crafted came just as naturally. Piano says they met at an event and just started mixing on site. Always looking to support his friends, Piano says they offer several local wines and beers at the distillery. “The rules are if I don’t know the owner of a place, they’re not on tap here,” he explains.
Gallows Hill Spirits recently took home eight 2019 wins in the international Bartender Spirits Awards. Piano says they entered eight spirits and all eight medaled. Though their gin received one of just 19 total golds awarded this year, Piano says, “I’m most proud of our limoncello,” which got silver and scored higher than Luxardo, one made in Italy.
The distillery honors Piano’s maternal ancestry and his eighttimes-great-grandfather Samuel Wardell, who was executed during the Salem witch trials. Piano regularly gives tours of the distillery, educating guests on the history of the trials and commemorating those who lost their lives. Piano pays homage to his father’s side by naming their Italian liqueurs “di Piano,” which means “of the house of Piano.”
2200 S. 12th St., Allentown | 610.628.9445 | gallowshillspirits.com
