There are so many places of merit to have a breakfast or lunch experience in the Lehigh Valley, but we wanted to share with you the ones you might miss. In this case, hidden truly means hidden, as these spots are not in the high-profile streets of our downtowns. Instead, they are a bit off the beaten path or obscured in some manner. Bonus: Many of them are open through lunch, so they’re really more than just breakfast.
Tucker at the Silk Mill
Tucker is tucked away in the first phase of businesses at the Silk Mill in Easton, off 13th Street. But the name doesn’t refer to a person who owns it, nor its ensconced location—“tucker” is Australian slang for good food. Owners Jason Hoy and Mel Hansche are from the land down under, and they’ve brought their years of experience to this renovated industrial space—with a wine bar called Tucker After Hours to follow sometime in late spring or early summer.
You’ll find, yes, vegemite, but you’ll also encounter an entire toast menu because toast is trendy and a great delivery system for things like carrots roasted in za’atar, or avocado (of course), or mushrooms, kale, flax seeds and beyond. Hansche says the roasted carrot soup with miso, ginger and coconut is a “fan favorite,” and it’s topped with carrot shavings, sesame seeds and fresh herbs. On the other end of the flavor spectrum, mini Bundt cakes and banoffee pies are flying out the door, too. Tucker also sells milkshakes, but don’t expect them to be thick—Aussies don’t like ’em that way. Daytime beverages include loose-leaf Kusmi tea and Toby’s Estate coffee from Brooklyn (a single-origin and sustainably-minded business owned by a couple of Australians).
1247 Simon Blvd., Easton | 917.743.4624 | tuckersilkmill.com
Alfie’s Kitchen
A diner-like attitude and a café-like menu approach—that’s the way to describe this 64-seat eatery located in the Park Plaza strip mall of Forks Township. Breakfast is happily served all day (which is basically until 2 p.m.) and lunch starts at 11 a.m. Selections are a step up from the average diner, though. The house omelet is comprised of corned beef, pepperoni, onions, peppers, tomatoes and Swiss cheese. They’ve served a breakfast sandwich with eggs, lump crabmeat, avocado, spinach and more on a croissant, and lunch has included Cuban sandwiches.
Parents-and-daughter team Al, Denise and Dominique Crivellaro run the place, which opened in August. Most menu items check in under $10—nearly two dozen omelet selections made with fresh ingredients, including a house omelet that changes daily. Breakfast and brunch joints need lots of pancakes and French toast options, and Alfie’s provides those, too (Bananas Foster is a specialty). For lunch fare, there are salads and wraps (cheesesteak, Italian-style chicken) and tater tots come with sandwiches. Heartier fare such as burgers, including a couple of turkeys and one veggie, are available, too. When the weather breaks, you can sit outside.
1800 Sullivan Trl., Easton | 610.829.1660 | alfieskitchenforks.com
Café Santosha
This is perhaps the most hidden of them all. Santosha—which means contentment in Sanskrit—is the brainchild of Sarah Collins and her small army of able-bodied and cheerful staff. It’s mostly vegetarian and vegan fare, created with fresh local foods whenever possible. Where is this place, you ask? If you shop at Healthy Alternatives in Trexlertown, you know that it’s within the business, which Collins’s parents own.
Here, you can expect delicious and surprising flavor combinations. Collins keeps quinoa interesting by changing up what goes into the salad—along with other items, on a seasonal basis. The space is airy and filled with plants and a warm vibe. The refrigerator case is loaded with grab-and-go items such as coconut milk rice pudding. Two soups bubble away in crocks. Customer faves include the coconut curry vegetable stew, with mung bean noodles, chicken or tofu, black sesame seeds and cilantro. Lately, Collins says the sweet potato biscuits with allspice and sea salt “have been flying off the counter.”
7150 Hamilton Blvd., Trexlertown | 610.366.1711 | cafesantosha
Someday Café & Roastery
This spot on 611 South opened in October 2016 and is a beautiful hidden gem with canal views and outdoor seating. Reopening from winter break this month, Someday Café does crêpes—both sweet and savory—along with sandwiches served on the most impossibly crispy-and-soft grilled brioche bread (try the Caprese-like one). The burger, which is sourced locally, is one of the best in the area.
The space itself is rustic and charming, and owner Jeff Porter (yes, of Porters’ Pub) renovated it. Local art hangs on the walls, the utensils and paper plates are compostable and they roast their own beans on site from fair trade (the pub also serves the café’s coffee). You can hang out with the family for a meal after biking the canal path, or get some work done (there’s Wi-Fi). Or, instead, just come for ice cream—they happen to carry a selection from Klein Farms Creamery.
1400 Easton Rd., Riegelsville | 484.202.0611 | somedaycafepa
