There’s something special happening on Main Street in Nazareth. And that special thing is a cafe whose entire menu is completely absent of gluten and dairy, the first of its kind in the Lehigh Valley.
You might be reading and think, oh, this doesn’t apply to me, so I can stop reading. (Please, keep going—the food is great regardless of what it’s “missing.”) It might seem niche, or like it’s not that big of a deal, but people have been going out of their way to eat at Indigo 52 since it opened in February 2022. It happened during this interview.
Food allergies and intolerances are increasingly diagnosed these days and while one might not impact you, consider for a moment the family member, coworker or good friend who can’t easily digest gluten or dairy. Imagine that something you might take for granted—going out to eat and ordering anything off the menu and enjoying it without getting sick—is an impossibility. For many, it’s necessary to engage in extensive behind-the-scenes research, phone calls and conversations before making a reservation.
“I want to do something purposeful. I want to give people a meal they are happy with and the experience they deserve,” says owner Felicia Rocchino.
So, the fact that a restaurant takes your comfort (digestive and otherwise) to heart by putting in place all the necessary precautions and protocols? And the fact that it’s not just one item on the menu but the entire menu? Well, that’s pretty life-changing. It’s borne out of Rocchino’s own journey of discovery with celiac disease and the subsequent need to give up dairy, too. And, naturally, the frustration of dining out without 100 percent knowing what is in your food.
“Gluten is in everything, and even if you are taking every necessary precaution, people can still get sick,” she says. In other words, it’s not as simple as just asking for a sandwich with gluten-free bread, as gluten is often also in sauces and condiments, and when it’s airborne (think about how flour makes a mess), it’s very easy to unknowingly come into contact with it.
Indigo 52 is a cozy and sweet spot with a capacity of a couple of dozen diners or so. Rocchino’s a Bethlehem native and food and retail consultant who was looking for the right space for several years before this one became available. It’s a dream come true for her—and possibly for others, too.
“People can come here with their entire family, and if you can’t have gluten, the entire menu is something you can consider. I want you to be able to take your grandfather here,” she says.
So, what’s on this menu? Indigo 52 makes a little bit of everything; all of it is designed to reduce as much negative dietary impact as possible. It steers clear of foods that can be reactive and/or inflammatory—there’s also no shellfish or peanuts. Sauces are instead made from substitutes like cashew cream, but those are real eggs in the cafe’s Farmers’ Frittata and the Eggs Benedict breakfast, not vegan ones. Soy and sugar are deemphasized. It’s not strictly a vegan cafe, but the proteins are ethically sourced as much as possible: wild-caught salmon, grass-fed beef and antibiotic-free chicken and bacon, for example. However, the menu is predominantly plant-based in its philosophy and execution, and everything is made from scratch. Ingredients are sourced locally, as much as possible; the microgreens come from 3 Willows Farm, just a few blocks away. “They just walk them over,” she says.
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Stuffed French Toast - With cashew cream, smothered in seasonal jam, topped with fresh fruit and 100-percent pure Grade A maple syrup.
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Ginger Stir Fry - Grain-free battered cauliflower, organic wilted spinach, red peppers, house-made orange ginger sauce and quinoa rice mix
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Indigo 52 is a cozy and sweet spot with a capacity of a couple of dozen diners or so.
In talking with Rocchino, it’s clear she has put extensive thought into every item on the menu, so there is a balance of offerings but that the items play well together. “I take into consideration other aspects across the menu, whether it’s coconut, soy, or maybe how many nightshades or corn are on the menu,” she explains. (Nightshades can be difficult to tolerate for some people with autoimmune issues.)
The food is creative and fresh, and she’s very much present; she wants to really get to know her customers. So, for brunch, ask her about the stuffed French toast (cashew cream, seasonal jam and fresh fruit) as it’s a favorite. Standout appetizers include the cauliflower “wings,” served with a mild, buffalo or maple garlic sauce, and the sweet potato mini sampler. They’re little sweet potato “toasts” loaded with toppings that include house-made hummus, mango salsa, bruschetta and smashed avocado. “That’s available with different veggies based on the season,” she says.
Lunch or dinner might bring you a hankering for the falafel bowl, loaded with veggies and with a lemon cashew/almond tzatziki (instead of yogurt). Mac and cheese is comfort food that those with dairy and gluten issues often very much miss, and Rocchino’s version is a gluten-free pasta with cauliflower-based, vegan asiago-style “cheese,” along with sundried tomatoes. Some items are designed for seasonal ingredients, too, such as the Buddha Bowl, with lots of fresh veggies over greens with rice and quinoa and a ginger sesame oil. Crab cakes take a vegan form (thanks to hearts of palm).
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Grilled salmon, served with mango salsa, charred cauliflower and a pineapple red pepper flake reduction.
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Sundried Tomato Pasta - Organic chickpea pasta with wilted organic spinach, mushroom and sundried tomatoes.
You’ll find dessert here (people love the Zebra Cake but one of the options as of this writing was a raw carrot cake). Everything Rocchino puts on the menu is carefully considered. So, for example, there’s a raw carrot cake, but then there’s also some chocolate-covered strawberries if you want something a little simpler.
Ultimately, what she’s doing is opening people’s eyes through community-building. The indigo color refers to the third eye in the chakra system. “I had a very clear vision about what Indigo 52 would be. The idea is to open your mind to look at a different way of eating and your health,” she explains.
And the community-building part comes naturally—she’s also behind the Lehigh Valley Gluten-Free Facebook, too. “I’m loud and proud about this.” The restaurant, of course, is its own burgeoning community. She says people “get very emotional about this food. It’s not even in your mind that you could go somewhere and eat everything on the menu.” In that way, what Rocchino is doing feels very much like a soul mission.
“People come in and are sitting among people who share some of the same issues, and you can really feel validated when talking to other people about your experiences. It’s bigger than just eating my food. I’m creating a community for safe, healthy and delicious meals,” she says.
Indigo 52
52 S. Main St., Nazareth | 610.365.2026 | indigo52.cafe
*Please check their website and/or social media for current operating hours and procedures.
Hours
Thurs.–Sat.: 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; Sun.: 10 a.m.–2 p.m. (brunch)
Parking
Street parking, Downtown Nazareth
Reservations
Required for dine-in; takeout also available
What to Order
Indigo 52 is developing a bit of a reputation for its French toast, because when you can’t have gluten and a restaurant makes a delicious French toast, that’s noteworthy. Try their stir fry with ginger and either chicken or cauliflower “chicken.” There’s a surprising side dish that people are digging, and that’s the pineapple Brussels sprouts; they’re roasted and tossed in a pineapple red pepper flake reduction. Salmon is always a winner; Indigo’s is served with mango salsa, charred cauliflower and that pineapple red pepper flake reduction. Save room for the Zebra Cake, a black-and-white, double-stacked brownie filled with cashew cream cheese.
Published as "Inside Dish" in the October 2022 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
