Bethlehem Winter Restaurant Week celebrates cuisine and community

When asked by his youngest son what he would do if he won a billion dollar lottery, Billy Kounoupis, owner of Billy’s Downtown Diner, said he would open a billion restaurants. 

“Hopefully as our community grows, we’ll be able to grow with it,” Kounoupis said. “And I can only hope that they continually embrace us.”

Diners enjoy an evening meal in the dining room of 1741 On The Terrace on Jan. 29. This dining area, also known as Tap Room, is one of two dining locations withing The Hotel Bethlehem building. (Nora Thomson/ B&W Staff)

Billy’s Downtown Diner was one of 14 restaurants to participate in Historic Downtown Bethlehem Winter Restaurant Week 2022, which ran from Jan. 23 through Jan. 29. The event, now in its 15th year, embraces community spirit and the different cuisines and cultures present in Bethlehem. 

The participating restaurants offered special price fixed menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some restaurants also offered a curbside menu. 

Kelly Smith, manager of the Downtown Bethlehem Association, said the week served as a way to support the local restaurants. 

“Things kind of slow down during January, and the week is a way for restaurants to attract new people,” Smith said. 

This year, Coal Winery and Kitchen, which specializes in Ghanaian cuisine, participated in Restaurant Week for their second time.

Kofi Armah, chef and owner, opened Coal in 2018. For Restaurant Week, Armah said he wanted patrons to experience all aspects of their menu, which included their popular Kelewele spicy fried plantains, yam fries and a dish with fish called Ampesi. 

The Winter Restaurant Week 2022 Menu at Tapas On Main. The restaurant offered a prix fixe menu for both lunch and dinner for the week. (Nora Thomson/ B&W Staff)

“Cooking a cuisine that’s not known to the area or not originally from the area and having the area support it and patronize it, that means a lot,” Armah said. 

In creating a menu, Kounoupis said Billy’s Downtown Diner looked at historical data to determine which dishes were their most popular. 

Even as the restaurant industry has been hit hard during the pandemic, Armah said it also provided Coal with an opportunity to try new things, such as wine making. Armah said this wine making has come to help business. 

Conversely, Kounoupis said one of the most difficult things over the past year has been the negative publicity for the restaurant industry, as well as supply chain issues. Yet, he said he is hopeful for the future. 

“The only thing we as restaurant owners want to do is get product and be able to feed our communities,” Kounoupis said.

The Tavern at the Sun Inn was another participant in Restaurant Week. The Inn, which is located in a building built in 1758, offered a $15 three-course lunch and $30 three-course dinner. 

Brianna Lawrence, event coordinator and server at the Tavern at the Sun Inn, is a Bethlehem native and said it is great to be reminded of working in such a historic building. 

“Keeping the history alive in downtown Bethlehem is really important because there is such a great history here,” Lawrence said. 

During the week, the Downtown Bethlehem Association also hosted a contest where patrons could upload pictures of their meals to social media using the hashtag #PostYourPlate for a chance to win gift cards to each of the participating restaurants. 

Mediterranean Salad is one dish from the dinner menu at Tapas On Main. Their Winter Restaurant Week 2022 menu has several options for the first course. (Nora Thomson/ B&W Staff)

There are multiple upcoming restaurant weeks in the Lehigh Valley, including East Penn Restaurant Week from Feb. 27 through March 5 and the Northampton Area Restaurant Week from March 6 through March 12. 

“If we didn’t have events like this and some of our other events that we hold throughout the year, we wouldn’t have a downtown, as (restaurants) are the heart and soul of our area,” Smith said.