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Officials say the Thorn Alley Kitchen will help the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts fulfill its vision to be a downtown cultural hub in Reading. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\nA new restaurant will be opening in GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, part of what officials described as helping to fulfill the center\u2019s vision to be a downtown cultural hub in Reading.<\/p>\n
Thorn Alley Kitchen on the first floor of the center will open April 10 and offer a dining experience centered on delicious, feel-good meals that comprise a globally inspired menu of sophisticated comfort foods, officials said.<\/p>\n
The restaurant\u2019s concept was shaped through a research and development process led in collaboration with GoggleWorks Board Chair and Sweet Street founder Sandy Solmon.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were incredibly intentional in developing Thorn Alley Kitchen,\u201d Solmon said in an announcement of the opening. \u201cWe wanted to create something undeniable: food made with real ingredients, full of flavor, artistry and surprise. It was important to us that the menu feel indulgent and craveable while also reflecting a better way of eating. This is food with integrity, imagination, and joy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Officials say the Thorn Alley Kitchen will help the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts fulfill its vision to be a downtown cultural hub in Reading. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n
The menu emphasizes real ingredients, local sourcing and farm-fresh foods. It features Korean fried chicken; salads; soups; kimchi arancini; tostones and guacamole; butternut squash hummus; smashburgers; handmade flatbreads; Sweet Street pretzel dog; pork belly and sweet potato tacos; and The Royal Nugget, a single double-fried chicken oyster topped with premium caviar.<\/p>\n
Guests can enjoy a full bar featuring craft beers, curated wines, sangria and prosecco on tap.<\/p>\n
GoggleWorks Executive Director Levi Landis credited the restaurant\u2019s potential to Solmon\u2019s vast expertise in the food industry along with a team of culinary talent, including Philadelphia-based chef John Taus, seasoned front-of-house operators Dave and Natalie Eselgroth, and Chef Harley Eighmey-Uss, who recently relocated to Reading from Nashville.<\/p>\n
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The concept for the Thorn Alley Kitchen was shaped through a research and development process led in collaboration with GoggleWorks Center for the Arts Board Chair and Sweet Street founder Sandy Solmon. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have opened and operated acclaimed restaurants all over the globe,\u201d Landis said. \u201cWe expect Thorn Alley Kitchen to be a gem for area residents and visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to regular lunch and dinner service, the restaurant will include a morning cafe menu serving signature and custom breakfast sandwiches, Sweet Street pastries and craft coffees.<\/p>\n
As part of the GoggleWorks\u2019 artistic mission, Thorn Alley Kitchen will incorporate interactive elements that invite guests to engage with creativity at the table.<\/p>\n
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The new Thorn Alley Kitchen at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts is scheduled to open April 10. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n
Thorn Alley Kitchen is connected to the new Thorn Alley Stage, an outdoor cafe seating area, and it is next to a variety of other experiences on the art center\u2019s ground floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cVisitors can enjoy a private meal or choose to engage with a remarkable burst of cultural activities: renowned concerts and plays on the Thorn Alley Stage, exhibitions in the Irv and Lois E. Cohen galleries, daily films in the Albert and Eunice Boscov Film Theatre, festivals and signature events, and hundreds of classes, workshops, and art experiences that make up an entire city block,\u201d Landis said.<\/p>\n
The restaurant has indoor seating for 75 along with outdoor seating that roughly doubles the capacity.<\/p>\n