EASTON, Pa. — Prepare for a mix of haute cuisine and good ol' fashioned hearty eats, as Easton Restaurant Week returns for the winter edition starting Jan. 14.
Organizers are encouraging city residents and visitors to be an Easton Foodie, and “Enjoy[ing] dining that will make your taste buds smile,” with over 20 establishments offering prix-fixe menus for just about any palate, right up to Saturday, Jan. 20.
The event, sponsored by Morgan Stanley, Vinyl Press USA, and Maverick Media, is a hallmark of Easton’s culinary festivals which offers each eatery a chance to present a stellar menu at a fixed price, Christine Piper, partner and president of Maverick Media – which is based in Easton – said.
Over the past few years, Restaurant Week has made Easton a pivotal stop for foodies in and around the Lehigh Valley region.
“I think it comes down to community. I think that Easton is built with people that support local businesses, who support their community they live in and work in. They really just always support each other. It’s not just inviting visitors to come to our city, but it also it’s really something that the locals have grown to look forward to and enjoy,” Piper said.
Piper said Easton has become “a mecca of different types of restaurants, and it's not just downtown, it's the outskirts as well,” adding she is looking forward to visiting newcomers Queso at Casa and Lehigh Valley BBQ in particular.
Quadrant Coffee House, which has been participating in Restaurant Week for the past four events, is looking forward to offering customers a great menu to start their day or provide a welcome little break from exploring the eateries of Easton.
“Well, we have some really awesome offerings for Restaurant Week. My son, Arvids Danielsons, is my chef, and he is making quite a few things. He's doing a vegetarian pot pie, which we're excited about because a lot of folks are looking for vegetarian offerings during Restaurant Week. And that's going to be a pot pie with butternut squash, lentils, kale, parsnips, and peas, topped with a puff pastry. We're also going to do an amazing French dip, and some German yeast pancakes, among other things, so we're pretty excited,” owner Jo Moranville said.
Moranville said Restaurant Week is a “wonderful event,” and “it’s generally a very good week for us,” adding “All the restaurants appreciate how everybody comes down and supports the small independent restaurants that are putting out such high-quality foods.”
Marblehead Chowder House, which was ranked as the 15th best “Everyday Eats” restaurant by TripAdvisor in October 2023, will also be participating in Easton Restaurant Week.
Co-owner and operator John Reichard said Marblehead has been involved in the culinary celebration “for I can’t even tell you how long,” noting “It’s a great thing for Easton.”
“It's an opportunity for you to try many different cuisines at an affordable price. And you can try different dishes at each restaurant because of the fixed price, with two-to-three course menus, and some even offer four courses, which is fantastic."Christine Piper, partner and president of Maverick Media
“We're happy to show off our seafood and everything we can produce here right now. We offer lunch options for $25 and dinner options for $35, and for dinner you get an appetizer, you get an entrée that includes a side, and you get a dessert as well,” Reichard said.
“And none of them are scaled-down portions – some restaurants choose to do scale-down portions, but we give our full portions, and it really is a great deal. If you would buy this stuff a la carte, you would certainly spend more money.”
Marblehead will be offering firecracker shrimp, lobster bisque, warm crab dip, lobster cheese pierogis, baked shrimp carbonara, mignon chopped steak, linguini with white clam sauce, chicken teriyaki, and a selection of homemade desserts, including a delectable key lime pie.
Though the place is almost always packed, Reichard said he looks forward to Restaurant Week as it brings some new customers out.
“There's no doubt we do pick up in business; people do come out interested. We do see new faces, which is great. You know, Easton and the Lehigh Valley itself continues to grow population-wise, so it's nice to see new faces come in and try us out. And we hope we do good enough to get them back and have them back as regular guests,” Reichard said.
If you’re looking for something new, be sure check out the roast beef toast at Queso at Casa’s, the lamb T-bone with Mediterranean couscous and spinach pesto at Porters’ Pub & Restaurant, the Goodfellas Primavera with rigatoni, sautéed broccoli rabe, blistered tomatoes, roasted peppers, squash, and creamy pesto at Stoke Coal Fire Pizza & Bar, and… well, there’s just so much to offer, perhaps it’s best to check out the website for all the menus.
Just remember while you’re hitting up some of your favorite joints and exploring new eateries: parking rates in the vicinity of Centre Square have escalated, so it may be a better idea to keep your car at one of the local garages.
No matter what you like, there’s bound to be a great option at a superb price somewhere in Easton, Piper said, so take some time to check out the offerings.
And make sure to come hungry.
“It's an opportunity for you to try many different cuisines at an affordable price. And you can try different dishes at each restaurant because of the fixed price, with two to three-course menus, and some even offer four courses, which is fantastic,” Piper said.
“This is a fun way to gather with your friends, gather with the community, and enjoy all the culinary experiences that Easton has to offer.”
