In the spirit of LVS's Our Favorite Things issue, I decided to compile a few of my own. And who knows, maybe some of these will even make their list next year!
Bethlehem Food Co-op, Bethlehem
If you're interested in organic food, sustaining your community, and making healthy options available to residents of all income levels, make friends with the Bethlehem Food Co-op. Better yet, become a member-owner (as a member you actually own shares and thus get to vote on co-op policies and products) and be there when the doors of this brick-and-mortar store and community hub finally open. Food co-ops are democratically-run and member-owned, with a strong focus on community education (think: classes on container gardening or how to make the most of dried beans). Monthly meetings are held in South Bethlehem and are open to all, but for now head over to the Bethlehem Food Co-op website. You may say they're dreamers, but based on the support from the community, small business owners, and even city officials, they're not the only ones.
Miriam's Restaurant, Ethiopian food, Allentown
Imagine that someone brings you an edible, doughy plate the size of a medium pizza, drops little piles of exotically spiced lentils and vegetables, and tells you to eat all of it with your hands. Dig in! This is the magic of Ethiopian food, and thanks to Miriam's Restaurant, folks in the Lehigh Valley get to enjoy this interactive meal. A combination of small dishes is served on injera, a sour flatbread, that's torn off and used to scoop up the food. Miriam's is very vegetarian/vegan-friendly, two people can eat entrees and appetizers with leftovers for home and spend under $20 total. BYOB.
Tip: If you enjoy spicy food, ask for mit'mit'a, a chili-based dry spice blend served as a condiment to sprinkle on your food.
Mercantile Home, handpoured soy candles, Easton
Scent is powerful. A really good candle is a small luxury worthy of the investment. The candles from Mercantile Home are so deliciously crisp and unique, lighting one and dusting the bookshelves in my living room feels like a special experience. The silver paint-can packaging is simple and sleek enough to go with any decor, and they burn longer than other candles making them, comparatively, quite a bargain. As my go-to gift for nearly any occasion, I've never had a disappointed recipient. Scents change with the seasons, so be sure to re-stock every few months.
The Fountain in Town Square, Promenade Shops of Saucon Valley, Center Valley
Reminiscent of the public fountain on “The Square” in downtown Wilkes-Barre, inspiring nostalgic memories of farmers' market trips with my summer daycare, the fountain at the Promenade Shops is bursting with toddler giggles and refreshing misty air all summer long. Pack some books, a notebook, a laptop. Grab an iced coffee. Plunk down at a nearby table and allow yourself to be distracted by the sights and sounds of the utter, shimmering joy of children kicking and rolling through the water. If you convince yourself to let go of inhibitions and run through the fountain yourself, new, dry clothes can be found in every direction.
Mint Herbal Iced Tea, Horns, South Bethlehem
This is the grown-up, sophisticated, cool-older-sister of unsweetened iced teas everywhere. Horns fresh brews tea and infuses it with herbs and mint, making for the most refreshing beverage to hit your palate all summer. “Let's meet for coffee,” should be replaced by “Let's meet for iced tea,” in conversations across the Valley. Your pleasure will be doubled when you notice it's served in mason jars that seem to be bottomless, no matter how thirsty you are, so you can let go of that “it's running low” anxiety and drink up. How much can one person say about iced tea? Get a jar and tell me.
