Page 40 - Indulge August/September 2016
P. 40
ing out in the valley A TRUE BLUE EXPERIENCE: Faimneplfeoaotdm, osphere Courtesy Paxos Group
By Patrick O'Donnell
40 | INDULGE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 Twenty-four years ago, one of the Lehigh Valley’s Blue changes its happy hour and patio menus
premiere restaurants opened with flying colors. seasonally, and switches things up on its brunch, lunch
You might even say it came out of the blue. and dinner menus “roughly annually,” Bevacqua says. “Our
Owned by the Paxos Restaurant Group, the award- varied cuts of steak are always popular with our guests —
wining blue — all lowercase — began life as the upscale perfectly marbled steaks coming out of Chicago that we
Candlelight Inn in the 1980s. After a successful run of enhance with the best sea salt and our own pepper blend
nearly two decades, the restaurant at 4431 Easton Ave. and sear at high temperatures to lock in flavor. That said,
in Bethlehem Township was renovated, rebranded and everything on our bar and patio menu is a best seller this
reopened as a grill house in 1992. time of year: from flatbreads and buttermilk fried chicken
Then, in 2011, it got another makeover, this time giving wings to beer battered shrimp and lobster fritters.”
it a more contemporary — and bluish — feel that included
restyled carpeting, paint and decor. Rich hardwood floors A favorite menu item for Paxos Restaurant’s Corporate
were added around the main bar, and some 2,000 LED Chef Christopher Heath is the Braised Boneless Short
lights were strung outside, making the restaurant literally Rib. “It’s braised to perfection in red wine, rich stock
glow blue. and aromatics ... we garnish this dish with baby
But the patio, added in 2012, is where blue really carrots, caramelized pearl onions and fresh horseradish,
shines. It features a stone-encircled, glass-enclosed finishing with reduced braising liquid with a little butter,”
fireplace, rustic wood ceiling, cozy tables, a chic bar, Bevacqua says.
seating for 80 and space for almost double that when you
take into account standing room. “As a grill house, blue has something for everyone,” she
“Our big public ‘event’ is truly the reopening of the says. “The casual diner can enjoy fish and chips or a burger
patio for the season. Rain or shine — since our patio is and a beer, while a business luncheon or celebratory dinner
both covered and heated — our guests make an event can be filled with high-end steaks and quality wines. Our
out of gathering on the patio throughout spring, summer menu is very diverse.”
and early fall,” says Paxos Group Marketing Director
Jillian Bevacqua. Reservations for the main dining area and bar,
The success of blue led George Paxos, the which seat about 250, aren’t required but are definitely
entrepreneur behind the restaurant group, to open recommended, especially during the weekend. The patio
upscale Italian eatery Melt in 2006 and Torre, a “modern area can’t be reserved, so arrive early if you’re looking for
Mexican restaurant” in 2014. Both are in the Promenade the alfresco experience.
Shops at Saucon Valley. By the end of the summer the
group plans to open Top Cut, a steakhouse that will be “Blue seeks to offer a threefold dining experience:
located on Melt’s rooftop. delicious cuisine, impressive atmosphere and impeccable
service,” Bevacqua says. “Our guests come to us looking
for more than just a meal; they want an experience. Our
goal every day is to provide a memorable experience for
our guests.”
By Patrick O'Donnell
40 | INDULGE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 Twenty-four years ago, one of the Lehigh Valley’s Blue changes its happy hour and patio menus
premiere restaurants opened with flying colors. seasonally, and switches things up on its brunch, lunch
You might even say it came out of the blue. and dinner menus “roughly annually,” Bevacqua says. “Our
Owned by the Paxos Restaurant Group, the award- varied cuts of steak are always popular with our guests —
wining blue — all lowercase — began life as the upscale perfectly marbled steaks coming out of Chicago that we
Candlelight Inn in the 1980s. After a successful run of enhance with the best sea salt and our own pepper blend
nearly two decades, the restaurant at 4431 Easton Ave. and sear at high temperatures to lock in flavor. That said,
in Bethlehem Township was renovated, rebranded and everything on our bar and patio menu is a best seller this
reopened as a grill house in 1992. time of year: from flatbreads and buttermilk fried chicken
Then, in 2011, it got another makeover, this time giving wings to beer battered shrimp and lobster fritters.”
it a more contemporary — and bluish — feel that included
restyled carpeting, paint and decor. Rich hardwood floors A favorite menu item for Paxos Restaurant’s Corporate
were added around the main bar, and some 2,000 LED Chef Christopher Heath is the Braised Boneless Short
lights were strung outside, making the restaurant literally Rib. “It’s braised to perfection in red wine, rich stock
glow blue. and aromatics ... we garnish this dish with baby
But the patio, added in 2012, is where blue really carrots, caramelized pearl onions and fresh horseradish,
shines. It features a stone-encircled, glass-enclosed finishing with reduced braising liquid with a little butter,”
fireplace, rustic wood ceiling, cozy tables, a chic bar, Bevacqua says.
seating for 80 and space for almost double that when you
take into account standing room. “As a grill house, blue has something for everyone,” she
“Our big public ‘event’ is truly the reopening of the says. “The casual diner can enjoy fish and chips or a burger
patio for the season. Rain or shine — since our patio is and a beer, while a business luncheon or celebratory dinner
both covered and heated — our guests make an event can be filled with high-end steaks and quality wines. Our
out of gathering on the patio throughout spring, summer menu is very diverse.”
and early fall,” says Paxos Group Marketing Director
Jillian Bevacqua. Reservations for the main dining area and bar,
The success of blue led George Paxos, the which seat about 250, aren’t required but are definitely
entrepreneur behind the restaurant group, to open recommended, especially during the weekend. The patio
upscale Italian eatery Melt in 2006 and Torre, a “modern area can’t be reserved, so arrive early if you’re looking for
Mexican restaurant” in 2014. Both are in the Promenade the alfresco experience.
Shops at Saucon Valley. By the end of the summer the
group plans to open Top Cut, a steakhouse that will be “Blue seeks to offer a threefold dining experience:
located on Melt’s rooftop. delicious cuisine, impressive atmosphere and impeccable
service,” Bevacqua says. “Our guests come to us looking
for more than just a meal; they want an experience. Our
goal every day is to provide a memorable experience for
our guests.”
