ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A famed restaurateur who won the second season of Food Network’s “Iron Chef” has announced the opening date of the first of two planned downtown Allentown eateries.
José Garces, a James Beard Award-winning chef who won the second season of "Iron Chef," said Rosa Blanca will open for dinner and cocktail preview nights from 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, March 21, and Saturday, March 22.
The restaurant, on the ground floor of The Nines residential building at 950 Hamilton St., then will be closed on Sunday, March 23, and start its regular schedule on Monday, March 24.
“Rosa Blanca will flow from a breezy café with classic Cuban coffee and pastries by day to a tropical rum bar by night, bringing Little Havana in Miami to Allentown through great music, warm hospitality and, of course, wonderful food and drinks."Chef José Garces
Rosa Blanca’s regular hours will be 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays for breakfast and lunch; and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wednesdays through Sundays for breakfast and lunch and 4 p.m.-midnight for dinner and drinks.
Based on one of Garces’ popular restaurant concepts, Rosa Blanca will be a Cuban café and rum bar offering fast-casual service.
“This kind of hybrid concept is fairly unique in the Lehigh Valley,” Garces said.
“Rosa Blanca will flow from a breezy café with classic Cuban coffee and pastries by day to a tropical rum bar by night, bringing Little Havana in Miami to Allentown through great music, warm hospitality and, of course, wonderful food and drinks.
"Evenings at Rosa Blanca will be festive and fun, whether you’re headed to a show or event downtown or just looking for a special dining experience.”
Second restaurant coming
Rosa Blanca’s lunch and dinner menu will offer Cuban specialties and comfort food, such as Cubanos, crispy empanadas, soups, salads and entrees with flavors of the Caribbean.
The restaurant also will offer to-go service at a window on Hamilton Street and will begin catering this spring.
Garces’s planned second new restaurant in Allentown, Okatshe, will be a modern take on traditional Japanese izakaya, or casual bar. It will open in the second quarter of 2025 at a soon-to-be-announced location downtown.Chef José Garces
Garces’s planned second new restaurant in Allentown, Okatshe, will be a modern take on traditional Japanese izakaya, or casual bar. It will open in the second quarter of 2025 at a soon-to-be-announced location downtown, Garces said in a news release.
Garces is known for helping to build Philadelphia’s restaurant scene in the early 2000s.
Garces said he was attracted to downtown Allentown by the city’s continued revitalization and the placemaking efforts of downtown developer City Center Group.
City Center owns and operates the restaurant’s building on Hamilton Street in the Downtown West neighborhood, where Archer Music Hall and a Moxy Hotel both opened in early 2025.
Rosa Blanca’s interior by dash design of New York City features Art Deco style, lush greenery, and an emphasis on glamour to produce Cuba’s Golden Age aesthetic in the heart of Downtown West.
The 1,500-square-foot restaurant will seat around 40 guests indoors among the bar and tables. Sidewalk seating will accommodate around 30 additional guests.
