Michelle Olson loves all things French, and for the third year running, she’ll be sharing that love with shoppers at the April in Paris spring shopping event at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts on Sunday at 427 N. New St. in Bethlehem.
Olson sources the goods herself on trips to Paris, where she scouts out unique vintage items in Parisian markets. She just got back three weeks ago from her recent trip and is ecstatic about the stuff she brought back. “Honestly, it’s going to be really hard for me to let these [things] go,” she said wistfully. “I’d put these in my own home.”
That’s not entirely a crazy sentiment for Olson, who owns Marché Maison , an interior decorating service. She finds herself drawn to classic French design and has made her life, both personally and professionally, one full of Parisian touches. “It’s very textural and neutral, lots of whites and creams,” Olson describes her aesthetic.
She’s also conscious of curating her stock and making sure what she sells at her now annual spring event isn’t easily available on Amazon. “I look for things that are unique and different,” she said. “They have to be produced in France and they have to be original in some way.”
That means shoppers can expect to find a variety of home goods with a Parisian tilt: French linen, barware, old French advertisements, china, mini espresso spoons, and decorative objects like vintage French ribbons and cookie tins. “I’ve also designed my own candle line where you can have a beautiful vessel after your candle is done burning,” she said.
Olson gets really into the je ne sais quoi element of the event by offering an immersive environment. She’ll have rosé around for sampling; her dad will be playing the accordion for that French cafe feel; Allentown’s Phoebe Floral Greenhouse will be on hand with a “fresh flower stem bar,” and there will even be a pop-up exhibition of vintage Chanel fashions.
If that last feature strikes a chord, you’re in luck: Sunday is also the last day to see the Unspun: Stories of Silk exhibition at the Kemerer Museum.
Olson is thrilled this year’s shopping experience is underway, but she’s already thinking about next year. “I’m missing crepes,” she mused. “Maybe next year!”
Another business that’s taking its vibes seriously is The Peppermint Stick Candy Store and Ice Cream Parlor at 26 E. Philadelphia Ave. in Boyertown. If you’re familiar with the shop, you might only know it as The Peppermint Stick Candy Store. But owner Rachael Kehler said she’s tacking on Ice Cream Parlor after acquiring of her next door neighbor’s space, a former dentist.
The irony of her candy shop being right next door to a dentist isn’t lost on Kehler. But when the space became available and Kehler’s landlord offered it to her, it became hard to resist. “We have a lot of outdoor seating and not much inside,” she said. With the new space, she and her husband, Gene, who co-owns the store, will have 30 indoor seats — making the spot an year-round attraction.
The couple plan to up the nostalgia factor by creating a vintage soda fountain bar with stools. “My husband [Gene] does historic construction so everything will be made with antique wood,” Kehler said. “It really looks like you’re stepping back in time.” Customers will be able to follow vintage soda recipes or make their own concoctions. They’ll also be able to have ice cream or check out the full sundae menu.
Creating an authentic, realistic experience to a vintage soda fountain is crucial to the Kehlers, who are both history buffs on the Boyertown Historical Society. Kehler has gotten old-fashioned pumps and picked up a soda fountain cooler, and planning to install original, handpainted signs from the 1930s and 1940s. She’s still in the market for knickknacks from that era — “I’d love to hear about it if you have anything from then!” she said.
The Peppermint Stick Candy Store is already open; the Ice Cream Parlor is set to open in early September.
Also rethinking their space and offerings is VegOut , the popular vegan eatery at 1 E. Church St. in Bethlehem. Owner Mary Lopresti announced she would be reopening her storefront on May 7.
It’s a triumphant return for Lopresti, who was forced to temporarily shut down VegOut in November after receiving a cancer diagnosis. Lopresti told me that she’s feeling better now and ready to return. “It’s a work in progress, but I’m on the right track and going in the right direction,” she said.
Count on fan favorites like the breakfast sandwich, tofu reuben, and mac and cheese staying on the menu. But Lopresti said she’s going to be reconsidering her offerings and making some changes, in addition to changing her hours (VegOut will now be open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with “grab and go” available 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.)
Lopresti said she’s excited to come back and continue her restaurant’s characteristic, veganized take on comfort food.
“I want to show that vegan food is not just lettuce and French fries and tofu, even though those taste really good,” she said. “I want to showcase vegan food and show that when you cook it well, it can taste great.”
Briefly:
It seems that there’s a new tenant at the former Dinky’s Ice Cream Parlor & Grill . Sizzling Bites Halal Grill has put up posters at 312 E. Third St. in Bethlehem announcing it will be opening soon. Its website is not working yet but one poster shows hints at the food that will be available at the spot, including platters, hot chicken, and chicken over fries.
Aloha Jay’s Malasadas will be opening May 4 at 1120 Main St. Unit A in Hellertown. Back in February, owner Jay Losagio described malasadas as a “Portuguese doughnut that was brought over to Hawaii… [with] two big differences: They don’t have a hole in them and there are more butter and eggs” — which makes a pastry that crispy on the outside and plush on the inside, perfect for cream and fruit stuffings.
Retail Watch is a weekly column covering retail and restaurant news in the Lehigh Valley. Have a question, tip, or want to see something in the area? Contact retail reporter Tanya Basu at retailwatch@mcall.com .
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