Maxim's 22: A French Bistro in Easton brought you by the owners of Sette Luna

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I received an email a while back from one of the owners of Sette Luna, which is definitely among my favorite restaurants in the Lehigh Valley. The restaurant's inspired northern Italian menu, ambiance and service keep me coming back for brunch, business lunches, and delicious dinners. It's one of the places on my short list for special nights out, especially when friends and family are visiting from out of town.

Naturally I was excited to hear that the team was bringing a new restaurant concept to downtown Easton: a true French bistro, called Maxim's 22 Bistro and Brasserie. It is opening in a space on the ground floor of the former Pomeroy's building (322 Northampton St., Easton).


According to Maxim's 22 Owner Josh:

We are planning an October 2nd open date.  The theme and concept is a traditional French Bistro & Brasserie.  This is overall casual fare at an affordable price point.  The menu features everything from oysters to burgers to steak frites to half roast chicken to pates and steaks.  It will offer Easton's, if not the Valley's largest specialty draft beer selection and an affordable, extensive wine selection.  And certainly kid friendly! 

Yum. Since it's not open yet... what next?

• Save the date for the Lehigh Valley Style Insider Happy Hour October 9, 5:30 p.m.
• "Like" Maxim's 22 on Facebook
• Call (610) 252-2622 to make a reservation
• Apply for a job at the restaurant
• Bookmark the restaurant's website (still currently under construction)

Sincere best wishes to Josh and his team on this new and exciting venture - if anyone knows how to make a restaurant a success in downtown Easton, it's them. (And also hooray for their new baby, expected to arrive just days after the restaurant opens!)

Revealing My Sources, Part I

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The #1 Question I'm asked about this blog is: How do I meet people? The #2 Question is: How do you know about all this cool stuff? 
In this blog post, I will reveal one of the many sources I go to for information about what's happening, new businesses, and ideas for blog postings. Lehigh Valley Marketplace, an ad-magazine that is mailed for free to certain addresses (if you don't get it, you can call and ask, or read the content online for free). It is not available for purchase and is not distributed to retail locations to pick up for free, like other pubs. It's a beautifully-designed piece that includes some editorial content. For instance, the Fall 2012 issue includes a review of The Mint Gastropub and gives readers an overview of Fountain Hill history, retail and restaurants. But some of the good stuff lies in the margins - in the ads. I'd encourage you to check out this publication for inspiration - and look beyond the ads, into the business' web sites, to learn more.
RB Car Collection: "Two Brothers that really love cars… Since 1991 we have been in contact with the most exciting, interesting and rare automobiles in the planet. We buy, restore, sell and trade not only fine automobiles, but also very special pieces of history. Cars are part of our lives and having the opportunity to make new friends through these wonderful machines is a privilege. We have a very important and basic principle: to work with quality cars, providing our clients only with the best! Al and Alex Ruozzi"
Artists at Heart: "Our Mission: Appreciating beauty, inspiring creativity, sharing the joy of fine hand-made crafts! Artists at Heart is a cooperative venture of artists and fine crafts people in the Lehigh Valley area. Each of us has a passion for creating art, whether it be jewelry, ceramics, or other fine crafts. The name Artists at Heart reflects our philosophy that we are all artists and that exploring new outlets for creativity is a great source of joy for all people. In addition to selling our work, Artists at Heart offers beading and pottery making parties and classes for children and adults. Great for birthday parties, church and civic groups, family and friend gatherings, or as an occasion of their own. We offer special programs for Girl Scouts, Day Care Centers and Schools."


Conversational Threads: "Find over 100 premier brands of the finest, all-natural yarns in this quaint, independently-owned shop. Located in the center of the charming borough of Emmaus, PA, Conversational Threads is a shop unlike any other filled with your favorite basics such as Cascade 220 and Brown Sheep as well as an abundant supply of gorgeous fibers from independent dyers such as Madelinetosh, Skein Yarn and Handmaiden, just to name a few.  Join us in our comfortable seating area while you work on your projects and visit with our friendly staff and customers. Free help is available anytime we are open - no matter what the project!  Just be aware that if we are busy, you may have to wait a minute or two for our attention, although most times of the day we have a dedicated helper in the shop for your questions."

Finally, the last page always includes a "corkboard" of upcoming events, some big like the Downtown Bethlehem Harvest Festival, some small like a cardiac health summit at Lehigh Valley Hospital and a Zumba fundraiser.

Stay tuned for more sources - in the meantime, enjoy the beautiful fall weather in the Lehigh Valley!

Lehigh Valley Favorite: The Morning Call's Shopping Scout

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Maybe this feature exists in other newspapers, in other towns, but Shopping Scout is one of my favorite features in The Morning Call. It's so local, so adorable, and so honest, and I try never to miss it in the print edition.

Sure, there's Craigslist, Ebay, and... ahem... Google... but these readers turned to Shopping Scout to find and sell old Penn State Matchbox cars, refrigerator magnet collectors ( :)!!!) and corn cob grinders.

Guest Post: Mortgage Advice for Lehigh Valley Transplants

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By Eve Robinson: 
For a nearly a quarter of a century, the Lehigh Valley has been the location in which large numbers of families from New York and New Jersey have decided to up-sticks and relocate. Despite a potentially longer commute to work, many families who move from NY and NJ are attracted to Lehigh Valley due to the attractive quality of life and lower cost of living.
Often given the nickname ‘transplants’ by the locals, relocating to a new area is usually an exciting time but it goes without saying that there is plenty to think about. Because of this things don’t always run smoothly for the Valleys newest residents, especially when you take into consideration the stresses and strains associated with moving house and relocating to a new area.
Relocating is far from plain sailingThe truth is finding your dream home is relatively straightforward when compared to the decisions you’ll have to make when it comes to choosing the right home loan for your new property. To make things even more complicated, people looking to purchase a new property will find that there are literally thousands of home loan deals available, with each one seeming to be ever so slightly different to the last. 
It’s fair to say that the property market isn’t what it was once was. In recent years, there have been more than enough stories in the media regarding mortgages - how expensive they are, the various types that may or may not be available, the change in criteria that means many people don’t qualify for a mortgage. With so much to take in successfully navigating your way through what could potentially be a mortgage minefield is vital.
So where do you even begin to start in deciding which one will be most suitable?
Seek the right advice to understand the mortgage marketA good place to start when it comes to looking for a suitable mortgage is to contact your local mortgage broker and have them take care of everything for you. Or at least it was! In all honesty, it’s not the best time to be a mortgage broker. The once good name of many a mortgage broker/advisor (call them what you will) has been dragged through the mud and back again, with large groups of industry experts laying the blame of property market collapse solely at the brokers door. This is taken one step further by the some leading banks saying that they will stop using mortgage brokers altogether. All this is happening when more borrowers are seeking guidance on mortgages than ever before.
If financial institutions won’t work with mortgage brokers, then why should borrowers? It’s a good point and one simple answer is that not all mortgage brokers are unscrupulous sharks who only have their own interests at heart. Far from it, there are still plenty out there who will offer you the best advice, rates and financial planning possible.
That said it will certainly make sense for you to research when it comes to choosing someone who is going to give you advice on your mortgage.
Here are some good rules of thumb as you take those all important steps into home financing:
Compare mortgage brokersYou shouldn’t limit yourself to choosing one mortgage broker, why put all your eggs in one basket? Cast your net far and wide. As ever, if you can find a personal recommendation from a satisfied customer then that will almost certainly be invaluable. If a recommendation isn’t forthcoming then you might want to search online for a reputable advisor or look what is available to you locally. A good place to start is by finding an advisor in your area who is registered with either the MBAA or NAMB; this means that they are authorized to give you advice.  A good place to start for brokers in Lehigh Valley is the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce or the Lehigh Valley Association of Realtors (LVAR).
Be prepared!When you eventually come to meeting with your broker, it’s really important that you are as prepared as possible, in order to get the most out of your meeting. Go in with a list of questions; make a note of your current circumstances and what it is that you need from your mortgage. Make sure you know (exactly) your current salary and how much you are looking to borrow. During the meeting, if you are at all unclear with any of the information the broker has told you then ask him or her to explain exactly what it is they are advocating.
ResearchFinally, even if you are quite satisfied with your broker, it won’t do you any harm to do some of your own research online. The internet is awash with mortgage comparison sites. These sites will help you to find the best rates and will give you a good base in which you can compare anything offered to you by your broker. 

Revealing My Sources, Part II

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The #1 Question I'm asked about this blog is: How do I meet people? The #2 Question is: How do you know about all this cool stuff? 
In this blog post, I will reveal another one of the many sources I go to for information about what's happening, new businesses, and ideas for blog postings. The Morning Call's Go Guide, a weekly insert in the Thursday print edition of the regional newspaper, is a "to do list" for your weekend. Beyond merely listing what's happening (though the section does this in great detail, featuring events and activities in many categories), it highlights the good stuff, and once again, look to the section's ads for more detail. 
Here's part of today's cover. It's a tabloid size. 

The first two pages always include Go Picks, which are often big, new and special. This week's edition highlighted the Lehigh Valley's wine trail and holiday performances at SteelStacks.

There's always a restaurant review. Be sure to keep an eye out for a review if you are planning to go to a new restaurant. The writer gives a candid (but always positive) review of the restaurant, and recommends dishes. It's also useful for an unexpected reason: if a restaurant is highlighted in Thursday's Go Guide, you can bet it will be busier than usual the following Friday and Saturday nights. So make a reservation, or you'll be stuck in line at Olive Garden instead.
Finally, here are two ads for Baum School of Art classes for Children & Teens (now that fall sports are over and your kids are making you crazy inside the house), and a fall chocolate festival at The Brew Works. I included a column of the Go Guide's events below to give you an idea of some of the categories of programs they catalog each week: Christmas, Dance, Film, Kids, Music... and lots more. 
If you are not a Morning Call subscriber, maybe you turn to mcall.com's Entertainment Guide. It is thorough, too. But if you subscribe to the paper on Saturday and Sunday as I do, you will likely be offered Thursday and Friday home delivery for free. And then you'll know what's going on, every week, before it's Friday night and do the same old thing. 

Mezzacappa Claims Otter Promised to "Thow" RTK Appeal

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Tricia Mezzacappa, the very same person who's accused me of kicking and poisoning her pet pig, is now making even more bizarre claims. In a pleading in Northampton County Court, she complains that the state Office of Open Records failed to "throw" an appeal in her favor. Of course, the Otter is involved.

Last time I checked, case-fixing is a crime. But Mezzacappa, in court pleadings, is fine with it so long as it's in her favor.

Here's how it went down, according to Mezzacappa. Larry Otter called her on the morning of April 4 to tell her that the Office of Open Records (OOR) would "very likely throw" a pending case in her favor. This is because he had a little chat (wink, wink) with a powerful state House member whose office just happens to oversee the OOR's budget. So that very afternoon, when an attorney with the state agency asked her for an extension to respond to her appeal, she magnanimously agreed.

But it didn't turn out that way. When the OOR came down with its decision, it denied her appeal.

I've asked this powerful House member, who I decline to identify, whether there is any truth to Mezzacappa's accusation. He didn't know what the Hell I am talking about, and has never even heard of Mezzacappa.

I've asked the state Office of Open Records whether they have any knowledge of this case-fixing scheme. I have not heard back from them and doubt I will. I'll bet they'd make me fill out a RTK request. They're funny that way.

Finally, I asked Larry Otter to fill me in on the case-fixing, and received a reply as bizarre as the allegations:

"Dear Mr. O'Hare

"I think you will find that the allegations are unfounded. Any conversation I may or may not have had with the [redacted] dealt with more interesting matters which are beyond your comprehension and are none of your business. I would also appreciate you keeping away from my Harrisburg clients.

"SINCE YOU ARE DISBARRED, I guess you are not an attorney of record in this RTK matter. As usual, you seem to take a perverse interest in all affairs Mezzacappa after she dumped you. I need not go into those sordid details here

"I also suppose you are still smarting from the Gracedale referendum and Mr. Angle's defeat at the polls last year. YOU ARE AT YOUR USUAL TROUBLE MAKING BEST WITH THIS UNFOUNDED CHARGE.

"By the way, are you afraid you might be on the receving [sic] end of a subpoena in a new matter? Questioning you under oath will be an adventure with the paper and blog trail of lies you leave behind.

"In the meantime, please go directly to HELL where you belong you creepy loser."

LAWRENCE M. OTTER
ATTORNEY AT LAW

I have one word for Larry Otter - valium. I have two words for Tricia Mezzacappa - Fifth Amendment. She's either outright lying or implicating herself, along with Otter, in an aborted case-fixing scheme that apparently back-fired.

Source: West Easton v. Mezzacappa, 2012-C-7973, Answer of Tricia Mezzacappa, Paragraph 21, filed 9/17/12.

Black Friday Strike at Walmart?

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A group calling itself Lehigh Valley Strike is organizing a strike at Walmart on Black Friday. The site urges local Walmart employees,

"Walk out or call in sick on Black Friday -- you won't be alone!

"Send a message: every customer not rung up, every shelf left unstocked, every inconvenience to upper management is a direct hit at the Waltons' pocketbook. That'll teach them to not pay poverty wages!"