Jocko Willink: A Decisive Engagement, at the Philly’s Miller Theater on July 22, 2023
The Kimmel Cultural Campus presents, in association with Emporium Presents, podcaster, author, and retired SEAL officer, Jocko Willink: A Decisive Engagement, at the Miller Theater on July 22, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
In this special event, Willink will speak about human nature, leadership, war, atrocities, good and evil, and a myriad of other subjects, then conduct an extended Q&A session with the audience.
Jocko Willink: A Decisive Engagement, at the Philly’s Miller Theater on July 22, 2023
Jocko Willink is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer; co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win as well as Dichotomy of Leadership; host of the top-rated Jocko Podcast; and co-founder of Echelon Front, where he serves as Chief Executive Officer, leadership instructor, speaker, and strategic advisor.
Willink spent 20 years in the SEAL Teams, starting as an enlisted SEAL and rising through the ranks to become a SEAL officer. As commander of SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser during the battle of Ramadi, he orchestrated SEAL operations that helped the “Ready First” Brigade of the U.S. Army’s First Armored Division bring stability to the violent, war-torn city. Task Unit Bruiser became the most highly decorated Special Operations Unit of the Iraq War.
“Jocko Willink invites audiences into his world,
giving a unique voice to his experiences and sharing stories on our Campus for the first time,”
said Frances Egler
Senior Director of Programming and Presentations on the Kimmel Cultural Campus.
“With decades of knowledge and insight, we hope audiences leave informed and inspired, motivated to give their best in whatever they choose to pursue.”
Willink returned from Iraq to serve as Officer-in-Charge of training for all West Coast SEAL Teams. There he spearheaded the development of leadership training and personally instructed and mentored the next generation of SEAL leaders who have continued to perform with great success on the battlefield.
Willink is the recipient of the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and numerous other personal and unit awards. After retiring from the Navy, Willink co-founded the leadership consulting firm Echelon Front with Leif Babin where he teaches the leadership principles he learned on the battlefield to help others lead and win. In addition to his work in consulting, Willink is a jiu-jitsu instructor at Victory MMA & Fitness in San Diego and co-owns Origin USA, a company based in Maine, which produces lifestyle apps.
Willink also authored New York Times bestseller Discipline Equals Freedom Field Manual and the best-selling Way of the Warrior Kid children’s book series.
Other featured upcoming performances on the Kimmel Cultural Campus include John Mellencamp: Live and In Person (June 3, 2023, Miller Theater), Kevin James: The Irregardless Tour (June 16, 2023, Academy of Music) and WXPN Welcomes Rufus Wainwright: Folkocracy Tour (June 23, 2023, Miller Theater).
Jocko Willink: A Decisive Engagement Miller Theater on the Kimmel Cultural Campus Saturday, July 22, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
EMPORIUM PRESENTS Emporium Presents is a full-fledged national event promotion company. With offices in Auburn, WA and Nashville, TN. Emporium creates, produces, books, and markets world-class live experiences including concerts, comedians, and specialty events.
Emporium Presents produces hundreds of events annually in the United States and Canada ranging from clubs to arenas.
To date, Emporium Presents has promoted thousands of shows for renowned acts like Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton, Jason Mraz, The Scorpions, and The Trailer Park Boys. Upcoming shows from Emporium Presents include Billy Strings, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Tommy Emmanuel, The Avett Brothers, Straight No Chaser, Parker McCollum, Home Free, Wardruna, Bruce Dickinson, Kaleo, Dream Theater and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live. As you can see, Emporium Presents specializes in a variety of genres; whether you’re a fan of rock, hip-hop, soul, country, jam-bands, and even comedy, Emporium Presents continues to produce all of your favorite events from coast to coast! K
IMMEL CULTURAL CAMPUS Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, our mission is to engage the region’s diverse communities with art through performance and education. Our Cultural Campus serves more than 1-million guests per year and includes Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, and SEI Innovation Studio), the Academy of Music, and the Miller Theater (formerly the Merriam Theater) – representing more than 160 years of rich history for the performing arts along Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts.
We are home to The Philadelphia Orchestra and six esteemed Resident Companies: Opera Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, we are the region’s most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country.
Our Cultural Campus serves as a preeminent and inclusive place to enjoy exceptional experiences that reflect the spirit of our region by cultivating a creative and socially responsible environment where our community shares experiences that are delivered with pride, integrity, and respect. As a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization, we collaborate on, present, and produce a broad range of relevant and meaningful events, we serve as an active gathering space for social and community events, we educate the region’s young people through access to quality arts experiences, and we provide support to artists in the creation of new work. Read Kimmel Cultural Campus’ vision statement, world view, and mission statement here.
Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and how it encompasses our mission, coworkers, and programs here.
Sting and Shaggy Co-headline One Fine Day Festival at The Mann in Fairmount Park in Philly Sat September 9
Sting and Shaggy have curated and will co-headline the One Fine Day Festival, a full day of eclectic music featuring a diverse artist lineup across two stages coming exclusively to The Mann in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, PA, on Saturday, September 9, 2023.
Headlining the main stage at TD Pavilion at The Mann, Sting and Shaggy will perform their biggest hits together, trading off and collaborating on ‘Every Breath You Take,’ ‘Englishman In New York,’ ‘Message In A Bottle,’ ‘It Wasn’t Me,’ ‘Boombastic’ and ‘Angel’ and more.
The One Fine Day performance in Philadelphia is the only time in the USA where Sting and Shaggy, both managed by Cherrytree Music Company CEO Martin Kierszenbaum, will perform together in 2023.
“I love howShaggy and I effortlessly push each other to the creative edges,”
says Sting.
“After having made the 44/876 album together and recording an album of Frank Sinatra covers in a reggae style, a day of hits and musical adventures in one of our favorite cities seemed like the next illogical step!”
“Sting is a catalyst for musical curiosity,”
adds Shaggy.
“When we collaborate, we combine our musical tastes, individual cultures and a sense of wonder. We wanted to invite some of our favorite musicians to gather in real time and share that very vibe at ‘One Fine Day.’”
Headlining the Skyline Stage at the Mann for One Fine Day will be two-time Grammy Award-winning Thundercatthe funky bassist who is known for his collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Erykah Badu and Mac Miller.
Tickets will be available beginning with an artist presale starting on Tuesday, May 16 at 10 AM EST until Thursday, May 18 at 10 PM EST. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on sale beginning on Friday, May 19 at 10 AM EST at ticketmaster.com.
An exclusive VIP experience which includes access to a private lounge with samplings of Sting’s wine, Toscana IGT from Il Palagio paired with Philadelphia’s own Di Bruno Brothers gourmet cheeses is also available.
Post Malone Returns to Pennsylvania with the ‘If Y’all Weren’t Here, I’d Be Crying’ Tour
GRAMMY® Award-nominated 8x diamond-certified global superstar Post Malone unveiled his anxiously awaited fifth full-length offering and one of the most anticipated albums of 2023, Austin, will arrive on July 28th, 2023. You can pre-order/pre-save—HERE.
Additionally, Post will release his next single entitled “Mourning” this coming Friday May 19, 2023 via Mercury Records/Republic Records.
Post also announced his return to North America with the ‘If Y’all Weren’t Here, I’d Be Crying’Tour following his highly successful trek across the US and Canada last year and Europe this year for his long awaited ‘Twelve Carat Tour’.
The 2023 North America run will give fans his signature exhilarating performance with music from his upcoming album as well as fan-favorites in a completely reimagined show. Produced by Live Nation, the 24-date run kicks off on July 8 at Nobelsville’s Ruoff Music Center, making stops in Detroit, Toronto, Charlotte, Tampa, Atlanta, Dallas and more before wrapping up at San Bernardino’s Glen Helen Amphitheater on August 19.
“I love y’all so very much and I’m so excited to get out and do some more shows for y’all. Help me put a baby through college and come on out. Some cool new production, new songs, and a very very handsome man up on stage. Sending love to you and yours.” Says Post
TICKETS: Tickets will be available starting with a Citi presale (details below) beginning Wednesday, May 17 at 10am local time. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, May 19 at 10am local time on livenation.com
PRESALE: Citi is the official card of the Post Malone tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Wednesday, May 17 at 10am local time until Thursday, May 18 at 11:59pm local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.
VIP: The tour will also offer a variety of different VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but include premium tickets, access to the World Pong League VIP Lounge, exclusive VIP gift items and more. For more information, visit vipnation.com.
IF Y’ALL WEREN’T HERE, I’D BE CRYING 2023 TOUR DATES:
Sat Jul 08 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
Sun Jul 09 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Tue Jul 11 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Wed Jul 12 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
Fri Jul 14 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Sat Jul 15 – East Troy, WI – Alpine Valley Music Theatre
Mon Jul 17 – Buffalo, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
Mon Jul 31 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Tue Aug 01 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Thu Aug 03 – Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Amphitheatre
Sat Aug 05 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
Tue Aug 08 – Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Thu Aug 10 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
Sat Aug 12 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Sun Aug 13 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Tue Aug 15 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
Wed Aug 16 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Sat Aug 19 – San Bernardino, CA – Glen Helen Amphitheater
GRAMMY Award-nominated phenomenon Post Malone
A 8x diamond-certified GRAMMY® Award-nominated phenomenon, Dallas, TX artist Post Malone regularly rewrites history, blurs boundaries, and incites internet-breaking conversation with every move.
Emerging in 2015 with a genre-less brew that inspired a movement, he delivered the diamond-selling “Congratulations” [feat. Quavo], achieved back-to-back #1 debuts on the Billboard Top 200, received countless multi-Platinum certifications around the world, and smashed one record after another with his Hot 100-topping hits. In 2022, he pushed boundaries again with his fourth full-length offering, Twelve Carat Toothache, which marked his fourth consecutive Top 5 bow on the Top 200.
It also paved the way for his biggest headliner to date, The Twelve Carat Toothache Tour, taking over arenas for multiple dates in major cities throughout the year. He even scored “the highest-certified single in RIAA history” with the 17x-platinum “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse)” [feat. Swae Lee], netting the biggest single of his generation.
In 2023, he garnered a GRAMMY® Award nod in the category of “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance” for “I Like You (A Happier Song)” [with Doja Cat], marking his tenth career nomination in six years.
Three years prior, his 2019 third full-length, Hollywood’s Bleeding [Republic Records], represented an audience and critical high watermark.
Not only did it arrive at platinum status and eventually go triple-platinum, but it also reigned at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 for four weeks and returned to the chart for a fifth week, making for the longest run atop the chart of 2019 and the first release to do so in over a year.
The quadruple-platinum lead single “Circles” seized #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks. It notably occupied a spot on the chart for a record 39 weeks in total. Speaking of making history, he performed a massively popular Nirvana tribute concert on YouTube, raising over $10,000,000 for the World Health Organization in the fight against COVID-19. Hollywood’s Bleeding followed the immense success of the triple-Platinum beerbongs & Bentleys, which also landed at #1 a year prior.
In the wake of beerbongs & bentleys, Post crushed a record in place for 54 years. He charted nine songs in the Top 20 of the Hot 100, notching “the most songs in the Top 20 of the Hot 100 ever.” Moreover, he also trounced the record for most simultaneous Top 40 Hot 100 hits with 14.
As of 2023, his catalog comprises the GRAMMY® Award-nominated “rockstar” [feat. 21 Savage” (Diamond), “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse)” [feat. Swae Lee] (Diamond), “I Fall Apart” (5x-platinum), “Psycho” [feat. Ty Dolla $ign] (5x-platinum), “White Iverson” (5x-platinum), “Better Now” (4x-platinum), and more. Not to mention, he sold out numerous arena tours and hosted and curated his own mega-popular Posty Fest in 2018 and 2019. It all started with his quintuple-platinum influential 2016 debut, Stoney. With records under his belt that will likely never be surpassed and a generation of artists and audiences worldwide under his spell, Post Malone simply doesn’t stop.
You’ve Got Your Coffee All Wrong, shares Maurice Contreras at Volcanica Coffee
Just about everyone has their coffee preferences. But the truth is, most of us aren’t enjoying coffee the best it can be and we don’t even know it. The beans, the grinding, the flavor (or lack thereof).
And before you ask, nope, good coffee doesn’t need to be expensive. Actually most great coffee is more affordable than the bad stuff you’re currently drinking. True story.
But I wanted to get answers and advice from a coffee expert, so I had a conversation with Maurice Contreras from Volcanica Coffee.
Maurice Contreras, Volcanica Coffee
Native Costa Rican Maurice Contreras started Volcanica Coffee to import excellent-tasting coffee from volcanic regions, such as his homeland, to consumers. He started the company in his garage and now operates a coffee plant near Atlanta with 20 employees, including his wife and two adult children.
What is your favorite thing about coffee?
My favorite thing I like about coffee is really the flavor. That actually was how I got started. I’m from Costa Rica and for a long time I would do annual trips with the family. It was a family vacation. One of our trips we did a coffee farm tour. And just got to learn about coffee. And this is back in 2004. One of the things that dawned on me is how coffee in Costa Rica was so much better than coffee in the United States. I just didn’t understand why a 3rd world country had better coffee. The quality of coffee in the United States has really come down over several decades. So that’s when I thought that there was an opportunity to bring better tasting coffee or specialty coffee as it’s known today to the United States. That was really how it got started. It really was more about the flavor and just enjoying the richness of a Costa Rican coffee.
Is there a simple reason why first world coffee just isn’t as good?
Yeah, the general sense was because it became more of a highly produced, big production, big coffee house; and I’ll tell you a quick story. A lot of people don’t know this, the word Maxwell House, it actually is a chain of hotels. Some of them are still in existence. And so Maxwell House started from the Maxwell House Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. They served breakfast and they had really good coffee and it became really popular. It became very famous, and then eventually it became its own brand Maxwell House, and then it ended up getting acquired by corporate conglomerates. And that really good tasting coffee just turned into [not-great] coffee.
So that’s really what happened to coffee in the United States. At one time, back in the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, people would really appreciate good coffee and then just kind of lost sight of what good coffee was.
From a coffee lover’s point of view, what would you say to convince them to give your coffee a try?
That coffee really is an enjoyable drink to be appreciated and enjoyed for the flavor of what it is. It’s not just something to wake you up. But really coffee and all the different varieties, there’s a lot of flavor notes, a lot of different flavors to be enjoyed. A lot of it depends upon the different regions. My recommendation is try it out and get some good coffee with some flavor notes that you enjoy. Like, for example, Ethiopian coffees, they have a lot of berry notes, a lot of fruit tones, even red wine notes. Some of those things can really open up people’s perspective on coffee.
Before we jump more into coffee, I wanted to ask you about your background as far as the work you did before Volcanica Coffee
My career was in marketing specifically I was in the wireless telephone industry. It really was just about creating a brand. I was part of the startup team at TracFone Wireless which is now a part of Verizon. I was the National Director, I created the brand. In fact, there’s still a lot of things in the brand that I created. I had a passion for marketing.
It was kinda like, “Hey, gee whiz, what if I created my own brand and just created a business?”
And so I actually was on a hunt for a couple of years thinking what would be a good business? And then I just kind of stumbled on coffee because it was staring me in the face.
There’s such a message in there. The success you’re currently riding is because you took industry knowledge of marketing, a personal passion for coffee, and took the risk of putting them together in a business start-up.
Yep, that’s true. It was a risk because I was making a good living, I had a young family, I didn’t wanna affect any of that. It was something part-time, working nights and weekends, that’s how it all started out. I
How did your family feel about that? Was there anxiety?
It was definitely a struggle and I loved spending time with them and being with them. But part of how I resolved that was I would just wake up early in the morning and spend 1-2 hours before I had to go to work doing this. I didn’t want to neglect my family and I didn’t.
There’s so many people out there who aspire to take those steps and they always find reasons not to, but you found a way. When people are drinking your coffee, they’re not just drinking delicious coffee, they’re supporting someone who took a huge chance, who followed his passions.
So segueing to the actual coffee part now.
Your website mentions coffee regions and how the region’s soil contributes to the taste. A lot of our audience who’s into food and wine will realize the terroir aspect is very familiar to that.
Can you pick two or three regions and explain their soil and how it contributes to the taste?
I’ll start with African coffees. Their soil is very unique. Coffees from Africa tend to have a lot of berry notes, a lot more flavor of fruit which is very unique and very different compared to coffees from Indonesia.
Indonesian coffees tend to be lower in acidity. Acidity provides flavor but they’re still very good tasting coffees, even though they’re lower in acidity.
Also the coffee in Indonesia, Sumatra, for example, Papua New Guinea, and even Hawaiian Kona coffees, those tend to have a lot of boldness. When you taste the cup, your mouth just tends to [recognize] that bold flavor, which you don’t get in African coffees. So those are a couple examples.
So really it is like old world wine versus new world wine. A noticeable difference in mouth feel depending on what region you’re going after.
When people ask, Hey, what kind of coffee should I buy? I always ask, what kind of flavors do you like? Start there. Then for people that are experimenting, try different coffees from different regions.
You mentioned that you’re from Costa Rica. So tell us more about the Costa Rican volcanic regions.
It’s the most popular coffee growing region in Costa Rica, the Tarrazu area, which is very mountainous, goes up to 5,000 feet above sea level south of San Jose. Very steep.
The coffee beans, because of the volcanic soil, have a lot of flavor. It’s a very mild flavor, but very flavorful as well. And because of the elevations, the beans are also very dense. They’re a harder bean. In fact, there’s a designation strictly hard bean that is used in the industry because of that.
Being from Costa Rica I came here [to the U.S.] when I was a baby. My mom would tell stories about how she would assist with her father, which is my grandfather, in the harvest. Because my grandfather was a teacher, he would work out in the rural areas of Costa Rica where the coffee bean farmers worked. They would assist during harvest time with picking coffee beans off the tree. There was the connection going back a couple generations in our family.
There has been a coffee influence throughout generations of your family.
Yes. For decades, maybe even a century, coffee was the number one product for Costa Rica. Today it’s tourism.
I’m glad you brought up tourism. We cover a lot of travel. If somebody wanted to visit Costa Rica, maybe even a specific coffee lover, is there a place you can recommend to come visit?
One of the farms that we work with actually has an Airbnb right on their plantation. We’ve had several customers that have made trips there and have gone and stayed at the house. It’s gorgeous.
More people are working from home and making coffee at home. A lot of us making coffee wrong. Can you just walk us through step by step the best way to grind and brew your coffee?
The single largest improvement in the freshness of your coffee is by grinding your beans at home. A lot of people don’t know this: buying ground coffee, because it’s in smaller particles, tends to deteriorate very quickly. So you’re not enjoying the best of what coffee can be.
So first of all, grind at home and it’s the type of grinder.
We recommend a burr grinder. The other type of grinder is a blade grinder, which is a cheap type grinder, which does not do as well as a burr grinder.
Second thing is you wanna match your grind type to how you’re brewing. So there’s different levels, how fine or how course you want the coffee. If you’re doing a French press, you want to have a coarse grind. The opposite spectrum is an espresso grind. It’s almost like very fine sand. So if you had coarse coffee and an espresso maker, you’d have a bad cup of coffee. And the opposite too. If you had a French press where you’re using espresso ground coffee, you would not have a good tasting coffee. A lot of it has to do with the extraction and this is the chemistry behind coffee.
Then in the middle of that would be like a traditional drip grind, which most people have which is a medium coarseness of a grind type. That works best to pour over or a drip grind.
Once you buy the equipment, you’re saving quite a bit of money by doing this all at home. More value and quality out of doing it at home?
Oh yeah. A cup of coffee outside can cost $3-6. At home, 50 cents per cup. Plus you’re controlling the flavor, how hot it is and how fresh it is.
How many cups do you think the average coffee person drinks per day?
The average is between one to two cups per day. Wall Street Journal says 66% of Americans have had coffee within the last day.
So with volcanic, you’ve mentioned low acid. Tell us more.
Low acid coffee is actually a natural occurrence. There’s no additives that need to be added, at least we don’t add anything to our coffee. It’s just how it’s sourced. How it’s brewed also affects acidity.
So for example, the cold brew method tends to lower the acidity of coffee. Even more than if you brewed it traditionally in a drip grinder. It benefits people who suffer from acid reflux; and different types of indigestion abnormalities can benefit from low acidic coffee just because the pH is a higher number.
We have a lot of customers thanking us because they could not drink coffee before they heard about our low acid coffee, so now they can drink coffee again.
We have a blend of different coffees called the low acid coffee, plus 12 or 15 other coffees that are also rated as low acid. We rated them, we’ve done the pH levels on all of them, and all of them fall into that category of being lower in acidity.
Volcanica has built up a really strong community on your social media avenues. What have the results been like?
We’re on all the major socials: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok. It’s very easy to find us. We take customer feedback really seriously. We’re always looking for input and ideas.
We’ll get a request [to] carry a type of coffee or coffee from a region and we’ll always look into it.
We offer 100% customer satisfaction. We take returns, even when the customer just didn’t like a coffee, which is no fault of ours.
When someone does suggest a new bean, a new region, is that an easy outreach to investigate, or is that a whole process?
It is a whole process.
What’s a great online shopping strategy for finding the right coffee beans?
Align yourself with a brand that has a quality product. Look at customer reviews, their roasting technique. Then it’s a matter of what type of coffee do you like? What flavor notes? Something mild? Berry notes? Lower in acidity?
So I go onto your website to buy some beans. What’s a safe way to pick a bean that I’ll probably enjoy?
We carry over 150 different coffees, which is a lot. Visiting our website you have to know your preferences. Having some [filtering/search ] tools out there would be beneficial to people helping the selection process, that’s actually on our roadmap for the future.
Part of the reason why we have 150 coffees is because we’ve been listening to our customers over the years.
Tell us something about Volcanico Coffee that not everyone knows.
We love to give back. We’ve been blessed, we’ve been very successful, so we donate 1% of our website sales to an organization called Charity Water. They build water projects in impoverished communities around the world. This year we’re actually sponsoring a well in Ethiopia for a particular town. We know that we buy a lot of coffee from Ethiopia and we’d love to give back to them.
What is the future of coffee?
The future of coffee is specially curated lots. We call them our “Private Collection”. Farmers that are actually fermenting their coffee with mango, peach, different types of fruits. We have a few of them right now. We’re hoping to be carrying more in the near future.
Our audience is listening right now. What would you like them to do?
If you’re interested in finding out more about coffee and experiencing coffee, start exploring. We offer a great cup of coffee. Great different flavors and varieties. We even offer decafs, flavored coffees, something for everybody.
Philly Foodies want to know, what does Plant-based Honey Pair Well With?
You keep reading about plant-based honey. The environmental story, the nutrition. But how does it taste? What can you pair it with? Let’s find out in an exclusive interview with Mellody Food’s Darko Mandich.
Darko Mandich is a food entrepreneur in San Francisco. After spending almost a decade in the European honey industry as a business executive, Darko committed to reimagining the honey industry to become sustainable. Darko immigrated from Europe to California to launch Mellody, the world’s first plant-based honey brand. Darko is an advocate of saving the bees and wild pollinators.
Mellody Food’s Darko Mandich
Recently, I had a chance to talk with Darko.
You said you are a foodie. What are some incredible food pairings that you recommend with this honey?
When I like to talk about food, I always like to join food and beverage.
What does Plant-based Honey Pair Well With?
I’ll start with beverages first. I think this honey is perfect for mocktails and cocktails. It gives just enough of sweetness that someone is looking for in their alcoholic cocktail or non-alcoholic cocktail.
Will Plant-based Honey pair well With baklava
In terms of food, I would split it into savory and sweet. Sweet applications are my favorite, I just have a sweet tooth. My favorite dessert is Baklava because it comes from the part of the world where I come from. My wife, who’s a home chef, [used our honey to make] baklava and it was amazing.
We did an amazing collaboration with an upscale Italian plant-based restaurant in San Francisco Baia. They created this amazing, vegan panna cotta with our honey on top. It was culinary mastery developed by Chef Joshua Yap, who started working with Chef Matthew Kenny, who is also a well-known, plant-based chef.
Will plant-based honey pair well with a burger
In terms of savory applications, that opens a whole new world of opportunities. How we interact with stuff like pizza and honey, burgers and honey. Obviously honey and vinaigrette and olive oil, used as a dressing for salads, honey mustard, just name it.
What’s next for Mellody? What are the next steps out there for you?
Getting into as many restaurants as possible in this country. People are inquiring about the standalone product [separate from the speciality box] get it very soon at Eleven Madison Home.
Working on getting this product to as many people as possible, and just to invite everybody to participate in this mission of creating the sustainable future of honey.
I’m just excited about every tiny step in this journey until melody becomes the word for honey.
Eleven Madison Home’s The Specialty Tea and Honey Box featuring Mellody Honey
Is the honey currently available at Eleven Madison Home?
Yeah, the honey is currently available. The Specialty Tea and Honey Box launched for the Mother’s Day collection and Earth Month.
It’s a specially curated box of artisanal teas coming from different parts of the world with honey and also amazing, shortbread cookies. All plant-based, also made with our honey. That’s available right now
Sometime very soon a standalone jar [of honey] will also be available to Eleven Madison Home.
Eleven Madison Home’s The Specialty Tea and Honey Box featuring Mellody Honey
Tell us again what’s available, how to find it; and how to follow you and support you.
Yeah, follow us on Instagram and TikTok at MellodyFoods
In terms of purchasing, head to ElevenMadisonHome.com and you can purchase it there.
Saving the bees is learning more about them. Learning more about pollinators and you can do that on our social media.
And finally, if you’re equally passionate about bees and plants as we are, ask your favorite restaurant to reach out to us to offer Mellody in your favorite restaurant. It can be a vegan restaurant on non-vegan.
We are gonna work with all the restaurants that reach out to us where people ask to see our product offered, either on the menu, either within a meal, or just if you order a cup of tea and you want a side of Mellody.
Philly Foodies curious about Plant-Based Honey Taste? Mellody’s Darko Mandich reveals the Surprise
Philadelphia knows food. Adventurous foodies, curious eaters. Plenty of people have heard about plant-based honey, but what does it actually taste like?
People might worry there’s a “laboratory” flavor? Has it lost its texture? Vibrancy? Is there a “diet” feel to it?
Exclusive Interview with Mellody Food’s Darko Mandich.
Darko Mandich is a food entrepreneur in San Francisco. After spending almost a decade in the European honey industry as a business executive, Darko committed to reimagining the honey industry to become sustainable. Darko immigrated from Europe to California to launch Mellody, the world’s first plant-based honey brand. Darko is an advocate of saving the bees and wild pollinators.
Mellody Food’s Darko Mandich
Recently, I had a chance to talk with Darko for nearly an hour.
Let’s talk about the honey. What’s the taste profile?
There are three aspects of products that people care about. Number one by far is taste. Number two is price, and number three is nutrition.
In terms of the taste, what we’re really after is the best tasting honeys that are made by bees.
The taste has to match rare honeys that you would find in parts of Europe; France, Italy. Very high quality Acacia honey, specifically.
If we talk about New Zealand, Australia, that’s Manuka honey; and we’re matching that.
So no compromise there.
Moving to the price, I grew up in poverty and I really want to make sure that everybody has access to this product at some point. But it’ll take us some time. So right now it’s premium quality, but it’s also premium price.
In terms of nutrition, we wanna do better than honey coming from bees. How? First and foremost, honey made by the bees contains a certain bacteria that’s called Clostridium. With our product, without the bees [there’s no Clostridium] bacteria.
I’m really proud to say that our product is allergen free; and that for people with allergies to honey and pollen, this is gonna be neutral.
Finally in terms of super ingredients or superfoods, our honey has more than what’s usually found in some of the honey types made by the bees.
The sugar profile is the same, the calorie content is the same, but the twist is there’s a little bit more of certain powerful active compounds that come from the plants.
That’s absolutely incredible. It’s enhanced honey. Is there a better word?
I like to call it a plant-based honey. And that category of plant-based honey is already elevated to the level of being enhanced compared to bee-made honey.
I’m really happy that Melody is starting this category. We are the world’s first plant-based honey.
There’s exactly one same sentence that we get to hear across 5,000 people that were involved in tasting this before it hit the market.
That sentence is: It’s honey.
People taste it, they’re amazed with it, and they say, “Oh my God, it’s honey.”
There are certain plant-based products that have their heart in best place in terms of mission and impact, but are just not delivering on [flavor] expectations. We just want to make sure that people across different categories of nutrition say that this is honey and that they love it.
Eleven Madison Home’s The Specialty Tea and Honey Box featuring Mellody Honey
Is the honey currently available at Eleven Madison Home?
Yeah, the honey is currently available. The Specialty Tea and Honey Box launched for the Mother’s Day collection and Earth Month.
It’s a specially curated box of artisanal teas coming from different parts of the world with honey and also amazing, shortbread cookies. All plant-based, also made with our honey. That’s available right now
Sometime very soon a standalone jar [of honey] will also be available to Eleven Madison Home.
Eleven Madison Home’s The Specialty Tea and Honey Box featuring Mellody Honey
Tell us again what’s available, how to find it; and how to follow you and support you.
Yeah, follow us on Instagram and TikTok at MellodyFoods
In terms of purchasing, head to ElevenMadisonHome.com and you can purchase it there.
Saving the bees is learning more about them. Learning more about pollinators and you can do that on our social media.
And finally, if you’re equally passionate about bees and plants as we are, ask your favorite restaurant to reach out to us to offer Mellody in your favorite restaurant. It can be a vegan restaurant on non-vegan.
We are gonna work with all the restaurants that reach out to us where people ask to see our product offered, either on the menu, either within a meal, or just if you order a cup of tea and you want a side of Mellody.
Yum! Jordan’s Skinny Mixes Reveals Tasty New Flavors in Exclusive Interview for ExpoWest 2023
Say yes if you love coffee. Say yes again if you love cocktails. Say yes a third time if you love ‘em, but wanna be healthier and save some money.
If you said yes to *any* of the above, you’re going to want to listen, because we just had twenty minutes with the woman who makes all those things happen for you.
This week at ExpoWest 2023 Jordan’s Skinny Mixes has a lot to share!
Jordan’s Skinny Mixes Margaritas
Their Naturally Sweetened line of margarita mixes is made with real lime juice and sweetened with agave and contains 75 % less sugar and calories than other leading brands. The four margarita mixes flavors are Classic, Peach, Spicy, and Strawberry Key Lime, and they do not contain any artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors.
Jordan’s Skinny Mixes natural line of skinny syrups is available in 4 guilt-free flavors, including Vanilla Bean, Salted Caramel, Cinnamon Dolce, and Chocolate Mocha
Their natural line of skinny syrups is available in 4 guilt-free flavors, including Vanilla Bean, Salted Caramel, Cinnamon Dolce, and Chocolate Mocha, for your coffee, tea, protein shakes, baking, or just about anything.
Jordan’s Skinny Mixes was founded in 2009 by female entrepreneur Jordan Engelhardt. The beverage brand was created with the simple desire to enjoy a margarita that wasn’t loaded with sugar and empty calories. Now with over 100 products, this female-led team is on a mission to craft beverages that cut the sugar and keep the fun from coffee ‘til cocktails.
Skinny Mixes can now be found in over 13,000 specialty retail locations across the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe, including Target stores, Skinnymixes.com, and Amazon.
Jordan Engelhardt is an impressive person, so when I had the chance to meet up and have a conversation, it was an easy yes.
Just to give us some background, what were you up to before launching back in 2009?
Back in 2009 I was a recent college graduate working in real estate as an appraiser. I launched this product [Jordan’s Skinny Mixes] right when the recession was basically at its peak. It had just started and the market crashed pretty heavily in Florida where I was living at the time.
So I found myself without work, and this idea that I felt pretty strongly about.
What are some of the biggest changes you’ve navigated in the industry over those 10 years?
Oh, there’s been a lot. The world has evolved much more to natural products, which is why we’re here at Expo West as we just have launched our new natural line so this is pretty big for us.
Also, the customization of flavors over the years have just gotten more and more prevalent.
Millennials, and the population in general, really like the variety of flavors, and being able to customize everything. And then Covid really drove at-home consumption of coffee. So I think all of those trends over the last 10 years have really helped drive this company’s growth.
When Covid forced everyone to stay home, did that become a “lucky opportunity” for the business and boost at-home coffee drinking?
It was certainly fortunate in some ways, but in many other ways [not as much]. We were selling to many grocery accounts. We’re selling to a lot of specialty stores which had no choice but to close their doors. So we lost quite a bit of distribution during that time, but were able to make up for it online [with website e-commerce]. So [with market] penetration and trying to drive consumer growth, in that capacity, yes, it was fortunate. But it was also a little bit scary [for us], like many other businesses at the same time.
What is the biggest misconception in general about skinny mixes?
People don’t necessarily understand the versatility of our syrup and how you can not only use it for coffee, but you can use it for baking and protein shakes, and just anything.
Flavored syrups are great for iced teas. You can simply just add a dash to water and transform your water.
Once we got the samples this week, the amount of random things we’ve tried [the skinny mixes] with just to see how it’d go.
I love it! It’s part of the fun and part of the great relationship we have with our consumers. They
have so much fun experimenting and making these recipes, and then including us on that.
So [experimenting with the syrups on different foods] just became a benefit over the years. It’s certainly something we think about now.
We have this really amazing closed Facebook group that has really active members. It’s called “Skinny mixes. Share your recipe”. You can see the amount of creativity that our users come up with and then they share their recipes.
One person put it with sweet potatoes, they used it on egg sandwiches. Interesting wild things that you would never think about.
Can you share a little bit about the inspiration behind the line and how you develop the flavors?
Yes, of course. We have a great relationship with our consumers, and they asked for it. When they ask, we listen. We do a lot of innovation. We launch a lot of flavors.
So that’s where it came from and it’s really done. We’ve gotten into Target with this line. We take a lot of pride in listening to what our customers want, and this is what they wanted
What’s the development process like for these flavors?
We have several partnerships with different food labs and beverage labs. We start by verbally explaining to them what we’re looking for. We have a big panel at our company and we just do a lot of tasting. It often takes quite a bit of time because we take a lot of pride in making sure it tastes exactly what we were visualizing.
We can come up with anything from “Mermaid” to “Unicorn”. The different food labs across the country are amazing and they make it happen.
It’s a slow, methodical approach. Then we have a larger tasting panel and we keep going until we find just the right mix.
That’s incredible. What’s the timeline from concept to finished product?
It varies widely. It could take a couple of months or it could take over a year. Probably on average, about 4 to 6 months.
Do you ever try to create flavors and they don’t end up working out?
Oh, it happens all the time, especially in the beginning. We’re innovating constantly. Trends change fairly quickly. We’ve been fortunate with a robust website where we can test things quite easily and pivot.
Are there any teases as to what flavors might be next?
Well at the show we’re launching our naturally sweetened flavors. French vanilla, caramel, peppermint, mocha and pumpkin spice. Maybe some new seasonal offerings after that. We’re constantly innovating, constantly looking at new categories.
Switching over to coffee, what inspired you to launch coffee syrups?
12 years ago the company started with cocktail mixes. With the popularity of Starbucks and people going through the drive through and having what they thought was guilt-free drinks but was not necessarily guilt free.
They didn’t realize how many calories they are consuming with their Frappuccino or their latte.
It immediately seemed like another way to really help people not have such a sugar laden beverage every single day.
That’s why the coffee syrup was developed. Since cocktail mixes are so seasonal, coffee syrup is something that consumers consume daily. So it was a natural extension for the product line with the coffee syrup
You have some new coffee flavors launching as well
Listening to the trends and looking at the popularity of the most popular flavors just through our [tasting] panel. and you know, just having a great team that’s out and about, and looking at menus, and using some common sense, if you will, and reading up on trends, it’s then a 3 prong process.
You’re getting a lot of positive attention at ExpoWest. What in your opinion, makes for a successful trade show?
Taking the step to take the risk to be there and have your branding there; and be open to meeting consumers and buyers in the trade. We try to make it fun. So we serve cocktails, and we’re going to be serving espresso Martinis today. Yesterday we served Margaritas, and we had a speakeasy happy hour. It helps people really understand the brand, and come by and see us. I think that’s most important, really put your brand out there and your brand’s personality and just have fun with it.
Can you talk a little bit about the mission behind Jordan’s Skinny Mixes?
Our mission summarized is crafting beverages that cut the sugar and keep the fun for a healthier, more flavorful lifestyle and to make everyday moments simply sweeter.
What is your biggest call to action for the audience?
I’d love the consumers to experiment at home. I’d love for them to make their latte at home. Make that morning coffee at home. So many people will say it’s going to be a better experience.
Try our products. You’re going to save calories. You’re going to save time. You’re going to save money.
Check out Jordan’s Skinny Mixes latest and greatest recipes by following on Instagram –@skinnymixes, Facebook-@skinnymixes, TikTok –TikTok , and Pinterest –@skinnymixes
Favorite Dinner and a Movie? Asking Movie-Lover Chris Gore, ‘Attack of the Doc’ available April 24
Dinner and a movie is a classic. Date night. Out with friends. Or out making new friends. Everyone has a favorite dish and drink they look for on the menu. Or maybe you’re ready to taste something new?
Today I sat down with Chris Gore, the writer / director / producer of “Attack of the Doc!” to talk about his go to dinner out for a show.
Attack of the Show! was unique, way ahead of its time and was a milestone that had a huge impact on geek culture. Available for streaming and more as of April 24, 2023.
This deep dive documentary features pop icons including Wil Wheaton, John Cena, Joel McHale, Peter Jackson, Kumail Nanjiani, Whitney Cummings, Danny Pudi, and many more!
“Attack of the Doc!” is written, directed & produced by Chris Gore.
I’m playing with the idea of doing a segment called “Dinner and a Movie”. What’s your go-to dinner, whether you’re on date night or out with friends?
The Alamo Draft House, which I first attended when I was at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, built a whole chain of movie theaters based on that premise, based on the idea of food and film, right? That is a huge thing.
I would recommend any Alamo Draft House. When it comes to a dinner that I’m going to eat out, I love salmon, which sounds weird. Gimme salmon and some broccoli, and I’ll be very happy. I know Broccoli is maybe not popular with everybody. I’m one of the people who loves broccoli.
We’re serving Attack of the Doc – Arita, which is going to be a custom margarita, at the premiere of ‘Attack of the Doc’ which is gonna be at the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, California.
But when I was in Austin, Texas, one of my favorite drinks, which is only served at one bar there, called the Jackalope. You walk into the lobby of the Jackalope, you can look this up, I’m sure it’s on their Instagram. It’s definitely on my Instagram. They have a giant Jackalope rabbit you can pose with, you can get on it, you can saddle up on the Jackalope and take pictures of yourself riding on the Jackalope. But they serve this drink that is delicious. It’s vodka based. There are a bunch of other things in it. It’s called the Reverse Cowgirl, only in Texas. And you go to the Jackalope Bar on Sixth Street and grab yourself several reverse cow cowgirls. I’ve done it many times.
“Attack of the Doc!” is written, directed & produced by Chris Gore, produced & edited by Bobby Schwartz, co-produced by Walter Areas, with additional co-editing by Anthony Ray Bench and Phillip H. Eubanks, and with an original score composed by Austin Smith. This deep dive documentary features pop icons including Wil Wheaton, John Cena, Joel McHale, Peter Jackson, Kumail Nanjiani, Whitney Cummings, Danny Pudi, Eric Andre, Jerry Stiller, Joe Rogan, Jimmy Fallen, Kel Mitchell, Anne Meara, Stan Lee, Sara Jean Underwood, Carrie Keagan, Riley Steele, Tom Green, Anthony Daniels, Michael Winslow, Joey Kern, Joan Rivers, Chris Hardwick, Robert Kirkman, Greg Nicotero, Jessica Chobot, Tony Hawk, and Alison Haislip, among others as we search for the truth.
“Attack of the Show! was unique, way ahead of its time and was a milestone that had a huge impact on geek culture. Its core audience is one of the most coveted around the globe. I think viewers of the original show will be down for learning the history of the network and the show which helped usher in the age of nerd culture. Frankly, G4TV and Attack of the Show! are responsible for making it cool to be a nerd,” states Gore. “And at the end of the day, I hope the documentary entertains fans and reminds them of a time when a TV show could be dangerous and provide some laughs without fear of being canceled. Everyone who worked on the documentary is a super fan, so this movie was made by fans for fans.”
Attack of the Doc! Synopsis
Before the rise of big tech, social media and Marvel movies, Attack of the Show! chronicled nerd culture’s unlikely acceptance as mainstream. G4TV’s flagship show launched the careers of hosts Olivia Munn and Kevin Pereira and was beloved by fans – a unique celebration of geek culture before it was cool. Diving into colossal cream pies, wearing fat suits for comedy and putting internet servers where the sun don’t shine – anything could happen on an episode of Attack of the Show! It’s been years since the show went off the air and one question has lingered: what really happened to G4TV and Attack of the Show? Enter Attack Of The Doc! — the new film written and directed by Chris Gore, promises to answer one of pop culture’s longest running mysteries.
Attack of the Doc is available as of April 24 and watch the trailerhere.
Follow the documentary and its journey available on Video on Demand and TVOD/Digital platforms on April 24th, 2023, which is the 21st Anniversary of the launch of G4TV.
It’s Springtime in the city and Manhattan’s La Grande Boucherie Offers an inspired New Springtime Menu led by Executive Chef Maxime Kien.
Starting March 15, La Grande Boucherie is offering a new menu for Spring time. In addition to its best-selling current menu, the new items led by Executive Chef Maxime Kien promises dishes you won’t find on any other Manhattan menu, such as the refreshing Salad De Poireaux.
The goal of the menu under Executive Chef Maxime Kien’s leadership is to keep the plates simple and express the food’s pure expression, not to distract with too many flavors, but rather to be true to one specific flavor and present it in its best form.
Manhattan’s La Grande Boucherie
Manhattanites and foodies already find the name La Grande Boucherie very familiar as it’s the most-booked restaurant in the city and the other NYC restaurants within the company include Boucherie Union Square, Boucherie West Village, Petite Boucherie.
Executive Chef Maxime Kien is a world-renowned chef with more than two decades of experience in fine dining. Growing up in the Côte D’azur region of Southern France, Maxime developed a deep appreciation for natural ingredients Southern France has to offer.
He has worked in several esteemed establishments around the country. The Hilton in Cleveland and Cincinnati, the only AAA Five Diamond recipient in Ohio and one out of 68 in the United States. His most recent position was Resort Executive Chef at Nemacolin Woodland Resort, a 5 Star 5 Diamond property in Pennsylvania.
Over the next several months, The Group NYC is launching restaurants in major cities throughout North America and Executive Chef Maxime Kien is a leader in that revolution.
Today we walk through a decadent and delicious multi-course meal.
Executive Chef Maxime Kien explains:
Tonight you’re gonna be tasting all the new dishes that started two nights ago. The idea would be to transition from what was done in the past and now with me coming in and bringing a different vibe.
People think about French food and they think about heavy food, a lot of butter, a lot of cream, strong flavors, but sometimes it’s depending on which part of France you come from, it’s gonna be something completely different. If you drive for 30 minutes, it may feel like it’s the same region, but no, it’s gonna be different aromas, different flavors, different techniques.
So tonight is going to be some dishes that we just started that are going to be a little bit more on the lighter version as we approach spring and summer.
I believe a good idea would be to start with the leek salad. It’s very light. The idea of taking a simple product [such] as a leek and then making it as your starter dish. I’m not trying to be pretentious. You can go anywhere in the city and you will not find a leek salad on any other menu besides us. I did that menu for my tasting for Emil (Stefkov), the owner, and he absolutely loved it.
And that, to me, was good recognition to put that on the menu because it’s simple it’s rustic, but it’s very flavorful; and you’re not gonna find it anywhere else.
After that, the scallops. That’s another dish that I did for Emil and everybody loved it. And so we’ll be able to see dishes that have just gotten started.
I explain to Chef Max that I always look for a “story” within the courses, from starter to entree to dessert and more. Is he telling a story with his courses?
My story is: simplicity is best. I don’t try to do an overly-complicated dish that you’re not gonna be able to understand. So simplicity. Taking a beautiful product as simple as a leek, [deciding what’s] gonna complement it, and it’s gonna give you a chance to be able to taste something that hopefully you’ve never tasted before, or not in that fashion at least. Being able to say, ‘Oh, you know what? That leek salad was so simple that it was beautiful. That’s what I’m trying to accomplish. That’s the whole story.’
Boucherie Old Fashioned Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Espolon Anejo, Lavender, Plum
An excellent rendition of the Classic Old Fashioned. The lavender adds dimension to the nose. The Espolon Anejo added spice to the mouth.
Chef Maxime Chien La Grande Boucherie Salad De Poireaux
Salad De Poireaux
Braised leeks and smashed eggs vinaigrette topped with roasted hazelnuts.
This is a meal by itself. Refreshing, but providing an earthy note. An excellent palate cleanser. But surprisingly filling starter dish.
Chef Maxine Kien’s La Grande Boucherie Les St Jacques Roties
Les St Jacques Roties
Roasted scallops, thyme polenta, and herb salad
This was presented exactly as I could have wished for. Per Chef Max’s suggestion, it was a simple dish, delivered incredibly well. It was heaven to look at, smell and taste. By my third bite, I still wanted more.
Branzino
Pan-Seared Mediterranean Branzino, topped with Olive Oil vinaigrette and watercrest salad.
A perfect combination of flavors. The white fish was tender and flavorful. The carrot, onion side was a partner without ever overwhelming the star of the plate. Highly recommend.
Chef Maxime Kien’s La Grande Bouchiere Flan Parisien
Flan Parisien
Vanilla Malagasy custard with gianduja heart
Pushing your spoon into the crust as it bursts creates a sensual triumph. The flan’s crumbly, biscuit-like texture allows your spoon to ease in and pull out the most delicious Vanilla Malagasy. You might promise yourself you’re only going to have one bite. But this plate deserves more attention leaving you craving a second or third spoon visit. And honestly, you’ll be dreaming about it again tonight.
Chef Max fulfills his promise. Not only are the new menu items light, Spring and Summer-oriented, but they’re unique to Manhattan.
If you’re a passionate foodie who craves new and invented plated, full of original flavors, presented simply, but powerfully, you need to visit La Grande Boucherie.
Philly, You Hungry? Looking for the best bites, drink and flavors outside the area? For Eastern PA commuters, Restaurant Week is happening now, March 5-11.
The Greater Northampton Area Chamber of Commerce, a proud partner of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, is bringing back the most delicious week with their annual Restaurant Week!
Hungry, Northampton Restaurant Week is happening now
From Sunday, March 5th – Saturday, March 11th, food lovers from across the Lehigh Valley can get a taste of everything that the Greater Northampton Area’s food and beverage scene has to offer.
Participating locations will offer a variety of specials that include, but are not limited to, “set-price” or “prix fixe” menus, gift card deals, and discounted specials.
Patrons will have a chance to return to their favorite spots with added incentives or to try new eateries during GNACC Restaurant Week.
As of February 24th, twelve outstanding restaurants and eateries are participating.
There are so many wonderful restaurants and eateries in the Boroughs of Northampton and Bath and their surrounding townships, and this is a great way for them to gain the exposure they deserve.
There are plenty of dining options, something for everyone!
Greater Northampton Area Restaurant Week is also a great opportunity for the community to come together and break bread with one another, all while supporting the local economy and uniting the neighborhoods that make up the Northampton Area School District.
It is a fun week to gather together with friends and loved ones to wrap up the winter months, too.
Dave Kerper, of Lehigh Valley Restaurant Group and Board Chair of the Greater Northampton Area Chamber of Commerce excitedly promotes the week:
“Welcome to the most delicious
week of the year!
This is a mouthwatering opportunity that you don’t want to miss! It’s a chance to dive headfirst into flavor town and explore the diverse and delicious cuisine that our fantastic local restaurants have to offer at a great value. Not only will you get to tantalize your taste buds with exciting dishes and offers, but you’ll also be supporting the local establishments that make our area so unique.
Come on out and join the flavor revolution during Restaurant Week March 5 – 11! “
We are happy to be a part of Northampton’s Restaurant week once again
as it shows our commitment to giving back to the community
that has kept us thriving here as well.
Support local!”
states Kim Koehler
Special thanks to our Greater Northampton Restaurant Week Bronze Sponsor, Embassy Bank, for their support of this local initiative.
Embassy is an advocate for the Greater Northampton Area community. Mark Haldaman of Embassy adds,
“Embassy Bank is supporting Greater Northampton Area Restaurant Week
because we feel it’s important to promote the local flavors of the many communities
that make up the Lehigh Valley.
We are a wonderful collection of great people and neighborhoods and it’s important to celebrate that by bringing people together like this.”
Also thanks to B104, the Greater Northampton Area Restaurant Week Marketing Sponsor, for sharing the excitement of this weeklong event and keeping our communities connected. Be sure to stay tuned in to win!
“During this week our hard-working restaurants extend special deals and added menu items to the community so that its members have an even more enticing and affordable way to dine out and support the local “mom and pop” eateries.
It means so much to them to have a successful week and have added opportunities to interact with an increased number of patrons. Get out and taste a new place! Make a date or bring the family,” said Nicole Miles, manager of the Greater Northampton Area Chamber of Commerce.
Finally, the Chamber is offering another enticing way to engage in this special week. Take the chance to be a winner!
Check our GNACC FACEBOOK PAGE for a chance to win gift cards to the participating eateries and listen to WAEB and B-104 on your radio or iHeart app for a chance to call in and win gift cards.
