Love Letter to My Lil Town of Emmaus! Shop and Eat Here...You Will Fall in Love Too!

I live in a small town called Emmaus. It's right outside of Allentown, PA. You might have driven through but did you stop and look around, shop and eat? Today is Small Business Saturday. I supported my Emmaus.. I went to Cottage Emmaus and got my hugs and candles from my friend/owner, Emma; Emmaus Bakery where Gavin got his cupcake, Sweet Memories Emmaus PA for some strawberry lemonade, Baked for a pumpkin cheesecake bar, and lastly Creamery on Main for some dirty chai..kitchen is getting prepared for burgers soon, missed friend/owner Bill by an hour but ran into my beautiful friend Denise and her beautiful daughter Alex getting some ice cream! Beautiful day in my small town of Emmaus! We welcome you to Shop Local Shop Emmaus!!! There are so many wonderful stores and restaurants here that I didn't get to today, but shop and eat at often! You bet I will continue blogging about them and my experiences. For me, it's about community, relationships and friendships built.

Wellness isn't just about eating well and exercise. It's also about having a sense of self, community, and building lasting friendships and relationships. When you get stressed, of course I encourage you to exercise. It helps to reduce stress. But also turn to family and friends to help you through whatever it is you are going through. What does that have to do with Small Business Saturday? Simple, I am also a small business. I can't do it alone. I cultivated and continue to grow my friendships with my friends/fellow business owners. They lift me up when I feel low as I lift and support them too. They all mean something to me and have a piece of my heart. So, I encourage you to go and support your local businesses where ever you are. Small business is the backbone of our communities! If you are in the Lehigh Valley or just driving through, stop in the shops and restaurants in Emmaus and say hello to my friends. You will be greeted with a warm smile and you will leave with a piece of them in your heart too!

Applebees = Crapplebees?

Why do big chain restaurants pour on the salt and smother their food in grease? It's disgusting. I never go to Applebees. I think the last time I was there was maybe 3yrs ago with my daughter. On Friday last week, my son won a free kids meal to Applebees at school. So, on Saturday, October 1st I decided to treat my kids to Applebees after the Step Out Against Domestic Violence 5k walk/run (benefiting Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley) where we volunteered and walked.

After resting at home for a bit, we went to Applebees. We were greeted with a warm welcome. That was nice. Our server was very nice and accomodating too. Then the food came. My son got what most 10yr olds would get, chicken fingers and fries. He couldn't eat much of it. My daughter got garden fresh ravioli. Well, let me tell you, when that was put in front of her I should've had it sent back. Why didn't I? Did you ever see the movie Waiting with Ryan Reynolds? If not, see it. You will never send food back again! The amount of oil that was on that plate was enough to fill a car! Exaggeration..nope! I got fajitas which were very spicy, peppery and hot. I like spicy food but my God! Plus the salt in it alone was enough to bloat me until next week. My daughter pushed alot of the food on her plate aside, scraped the sauce of oil off and just ate the four ravioli on her plate. When the server came to clear everything, I showed her my daughter's plate. She took it away and the manager came over. He was a nice man but tried explaining it was a brown butter sauce and blah, blah, blah...I asked him if he saw the plate? He kept trying to justify the chef's choice of cooking method. I told him I'm a certified nutritionist and cook. I stopped him cold. He comp'd the meal. Will I go back to Applebees or Crapplebees as I have called it for years... probably not. I don't care that they have a low calorie section and a Weight Watchers section. Salty is salty. Unhealthy is unhealthy. It's a shame because I gave them the benefit of the doubt too.

True Blue Mediterranean Cafe, Emmaus PA

For those of you that don't know me, I love food. I love it alot! There pretty much isn't a food I won't eat other than cottage cheese and beets. To me, they are the most vile foods on the planet. Bold statement I know but nonetheless it is what it is. I haven't eaten all of the foods on the planet. So, for now, those stand out.

Now, why am I writing this? Simple really. I live in a small town that has quite a few not so hidden gems. One of them being True Blue Mediterranean Cafe. I went in yesterday looking for a donation for my son's school. Ziad, the owner, was happy to help. He couldn't prepare the gift certificate right away so I told him I (along with my kids) would stop back in later to eat dinner and pick the gift certificate up then. I almost didn't go back since the kids (13yrs and 9yrs soon to be 10yrs) were acting like 2yr olds in the grocery store. As luck would have it, my son's friend invited him to go with he and his mom. So, that left me and my daughter. We went back to True Blue Mediterranean Cafe and I am sooo happy we did. You see, I love Mediterranean food. I cook in the Mediterranean, Spanish and Farmer's Market kind of way. It's very healthy and delicious! We decided to eat there. Again, another good decision. Ziad was fabulous as usual. Very attentive and lovely. I got the steak gyro which was on special and my daughter got the lamb gyro. It comes with homemade pita chips and homemade hummus. It is hard to put that first bite of the gyro into words. It was rather euphoric! My daughter was equally in Heaven. I have to say, I was very sad to see the last bite go:( However, I was very full and very satisfied! We hung out for awhile and talked with Ziad in between him helping the other happy patrons.

I purchased a spinach pie to go so I could have it for lunch today. It comes with homemade tzaziki sauce. Now, you could microwave it but I don't recommend doing that. Heat it up in the toaster oven or regular oven. The first bite was out of this world and again, sad to take the last bite. Yet again, comfortably full and happy. This is a place I will go back to time and again. I shared pictures of my food on Facebook with friends and family so they would go too. My plan is to work my way through the menu! There is also different varieties of coffees, teas and desserts. If you like baklava, it is worth the trip just for that!

So the next time you are looking to try something new and different try new restaurants in your town. If you are in the Lehigh Valley, make a trip to Emmaus and visit.. Tell Ziad I sent you!

TRUE BLUE MEDITERRANEAN CAFE
East Penn Plaza, 1301 Chestnut Street, Emmaus, PA 18049
610-966-8555