Fashion & Passion Make the Salem Scene

 Salem Event, Salem Festivals, SMS News  No Responses »
Apr 072016
 

Talk of the town this past week has been about fashion. Salem, the Witch city, a hot spot for fashion? Yes, it is. An evening of fashion, fun, dancing, and more takes place Friday, April 8 at 7pm in Old Town Hall, as a fundraiser for the upcoming Salem Arts Festival.

The popularity of the SAF Fashion Show Fundraiser is not just in the fashion but in the community input. The fabulous fashions come from local boutiques, including: Avalanche Company Store, The Boutique, Lifebridge’s Second Chance Thrift Shop, Modern Millie Vintage & Consignments, Ocean Chic Boutique & Waterbar, Peabody Essex Museum Shop, RJ Coins and Jewelry, and TBT Post.

Fashion ShowAnd even the make-up is contributed locally by awesome artists from Laura Lanes Skin Care, Rouge Cosmetics, and Radiance Lifestyle Salon.

But the local input doesn’t stop there.

If you’d like, you can actually start the evening earlier at 5 pm with art and a glass of prosecco at the opening of Ellen Hardy’s “French Toast” show at The Ugly Mug Diner.

Next at 6 pm, head over to The House of the Seven Gables for the opening of the Caroline Emmerton exhibit – AND if you bring your Fashion Show Fundraiser ticket with you, you can get a free drink!

Then, just before 7pm, head back back for the SAF Fashion Show Fundraiser at Old Town Hall.

It will be hosted by local comedian and Salem Comedy and Spirits Festival founder Mark Scalia.

You can dance the night away with DJ Noel Snow, with additional performers to be announced. Food, drink, and  raffle will make the evening complete.

In fact,  Bambolina, Ferreira Foods, Opus, and Jodi Bee Bakes will provide bite-size treats to sweeten up the night!

SAF Fashion Show Fundraiser has been generously sponsored by People’s United Bank. Special thanks to Salem Food Tours, Creative Salem, and the City of Salem in coordinating this event.

Old Town Hall is located at 32 Derby Square in Salem. For tickets order on-line, or call 978-744-0004, ask for Kylie Sullivan at Salem Main Streets.

Your support will help to keep the Salem Arts Festival growing and free for all!

 

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Business Spotlight – Melt Ice Cream

 Business Spotlight, New Businesses, Salem Dining  1 Response »
Mar 242016
 

We’re bringing the monthly Business Spotlight back!  Every month, Salem Main Streets will highlight a business in downtown Salem that might be relatively unknown, off-the-beaten path, misunderstood, or just plain cool. This month, we took a trip with our partner Creative Salem to get a sneak peek at an older business with a new vision. Thank you to Creative Salem for the amazing photo-documentation – you can see their glossier version of this article here.

RESIZED Melt Ice Cream collaboration with Salem Main Streets and Creative Salem_0468

What: Melt Ice Cream
Where: 60 Washington Street, Salem, MA
Owner: Christiana Kroondyk

Many locals got understandably anxious this winter when they saw brown paper on the windows of The Salem Screamery, a favorite ice cream parlor, but when we got the scoop (sorry, couldn’t help ourselves), the news ended up to be better than we could have anticipated.  After a year of operating the Salem Screamery, the current owner is finally transitioning the business over to reflect her own brand and vision. The results are simply delicious.

Salem resident Christiana Kroondyk isn’t afraid to do things a little unconventionally, with flavors or with business. Kroondyk first started dreaming about her own ice cream line during a 2009 vacation, when she visited an ice cream parlor with deliciously unconventional flavors and thought, “I want to do that!” She started playing with her own combinations at home a few years later, and came up with the concept of Melt as an artisanal ice cream line. The original plan was to start as a vendor at farmers’ markets and slowly develop the product over time – but when the chance came to buy the Salem Screamery last year, it was too good to pass up.

This definitely turned Kroondyk’s timetable around a bit – instead of establishing the product until she was ready for a storefront, she suddenly had a storefront before she had established her own product!  She made the decision to keep operating as the Salem Screamery for the first year, continuing to source from Bliss Bros. Dairy while learning the ropes of running a storefront business and slowly introducing her own, unique homemade flavors.  If you noticed new options popping up last year like pumpkin, sweet potato fluff, or anise with candied fennel seeds (!), you have an idea of where this is going.

RESIZED Melt Ice Cream collaboration with Salem Main Streets and Creative Salem_0501 RESIZED Melt Ice Cream collaboration with Salem Main Streets and Creative Salem_0539RESIZED Melt Ice Cream collaboration with Salem Main Streets and Creative Salem_0597

 

 

 

 

 

 

So what makes Melt different? Kroondyk’s vision for Melt has always included a strong focus on community and locally-sourced ingredients. Current flavors feature a number of ingredients from local, regional businesses, including coffee beans from Atomic Coffee Roasters (Salem), sea-salt brownie bits from Jodi Bee Bakes (Salem), chocolate from Taza Chocolate (Somerville), tea from MEM Tea (Watertown), nuts from That Nutty Redhead (Rockport), and candies from Sweet Lydia’s (Lowell).  The interior is open and inviting, including work by local artist Scott Froeschl (keep your eyes peeled for a mural coming soon). Last but not least, all ice cream is now made on-site in Melt’s beautiful, brand-new ice cream mixer! Kroondyk has also started making additional ingredients in-house, including homemade waffle cones.

Melt Ice Cream opens its doors on Thursday, March 24th, and will be open SEVEN DAYS A WEEK: for now, 1pm – 8pm on Sunday – Thursday, 1pm – 9pm, and Friday – Saturday.  Stop in to treat yourself and support a great new local business!

RESIZED Melt Ice Cream collaboration with Salem Main Streets and Creative Salem_0458

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Triple Header Comedy Night Good for Your Health

 Salem Event, Salem Festivals  No Responses »
Mar 222016
 

Comedy at CSLife as we know it can be happy, sad, spirited or depressing. Comedians offer unique, inspired and hilarious perspectives that can also be healthy. That’s what a laugh therapist believes. And so we would like to prescribe the Comedy Night at Cinema Salem, featuring three of the region’s top comics, Thursday, March 24th at 8:30pm at Cinema Salem.

No joke, we said a Laugh Therapist.

Commenting within an article on WebMD.com, Steve Wilson, MA, CSP, a psychologist and laugh therapist said “I believe that if people can get more laughter in their lives, they are a lot better off. They might be healthier too.”

With that in mind, how can you not take a spoonful of laughter, especially when Comedy Night at Cinema Salem is also a fundraiser to support the great work of the Salem Chamber of Commerce.

So, who will be attending to your health?

paul-nardizziRespected as one of the top stand up comedians in Boston and the New England area, Paul Nardizzi is known nationally for his rapid-fire comedy style. He began his comedy career in 1990, quickly becoming a Boston area favorite and a national headliner within just four years.

Along the way he has made numerous appearances on Conan O’Brien and Comedy Central, has won the Boston Comedy Festival Competition and is one of the most requested acts on XM Satellite Radio.

ChristineHurleyEver get irritated at the stick figure family decals staring at you from the back of a car you are following when stuck in traffic? Christine Hurley has some choice words (none of which we can use here). In fact, to be clear, although much of Hurley’s language is not suitable for publication, and many of her jokes push the envelope — about parents and their over-involvement in youth sports or moms who get fixed up to bring their children to the bus stop — she has a way of delivering this hilarious and on-target material in a good-natured manner without being offensive.

Don’t take our word for it. Comedy legend Lenny Clarke offers “I’ve been doing this for 37 years, and I can honestly say that I haven’t seen someone as good as her since Roseanne [Barr], when she started doing stand-up.”

Opening for The Beach Boys and Nick DiPaolo, headlining some of the best clubs and theaters in New England and creating the themed standup comedy show “How Men Think (Or Do They?)” are just a few of the credits for Dave Rattigan, one of the busiest comics in Boston (in fact he’s a regular at the Boston Comedy Festival).

He is a comedic triple threat. His CD has been played on XM-Sirius, Slacker Radio.com, Matty’s Comedy 1200, and AOLRadio.com. His video clips have run on Nickmom.com. He has written humorous columns for the Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor and others.

As Comedy Night at Cinema Salem will be an adult performance venue, audience members will have the opportunity to purchase beer and wine in the Cinema Salem lobby.

And since it is a Chamber event, not to let an opportunity pass by, networking from 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm!

Comedy Night at Cinema Salem is presented by the Salem Chamber, Cinema Salem and Creative Salem.

Cinema Salem is located at Museum Place Mall, 1 E India Square Mall, Salem.

For ticket prices or other questions about Comedy Night at Cinema Salem, contact the Salem Chamber of Commerce at 978-744-0004 or Cinema Salem at 978-744-1400.

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Prix-Fixe 2 or 3 Course Awaits You In Salem Ma

 Salem Dining, Salem Event, Salem Festivals  No Responses »
Mar 202016
 

rest weekLest we forget with all the March Madness of the Final Four in basketball and the Final Two (or Four?) in politics, that Restaurant Week continues in Salem Ma. You have another chance to sample the best of the best in local dining for the next five days, March 20-24.

Served up as a promotion by the Salem Chamber of Commerce, participating Salem restaurants will offer either a specially priced two-course prix-fixe dinner menu, or a three-course prix-fixe dinner menu, or both (price will not include drinks, taxes or gratuities).

Here is a list & descriptions (subject to change) provided by the Chamber of Commerce website.

A MANO Italian Kitchen & Pizzeria – View Menu Here
62 Wharf Street, Salem, MA – (978) 744-0062

A MANO is a brand new modern Italian trattoria and pizza kitchen serving contemporary versions of regional Italian classics in downtown Salem. Chef Antonio Bettencourt and his team are dedicated to using the best locally-sourced, all natural ingredients in season and at the peak of flavor. The cooking at A MANO shows true soul and a commitment to the true “craft” of cooking. Their cocktails and wines are chosen especially to match their distinctive cuisine.

Adriatic Restaurant and Bar – View Menu Here
155 Washington Street, Salem, MA – (978) 594-1832

Adriatic is a casual dining restaurant featuring the cuisine of the regions surrounding the Adriatic sea. Fresh fish and seasonal vegetables, together with a wood burning pizza oven, create the main menu. In addition, Adriatic has a nice cocktail list, a great wine program, and a professional staff, that help guests to enjoy a delicious lunch or dinner with their family and friends.

Bella Verona – View Menu Here
107 Essex Street, Salem, MA – (978) 825-9911

Chef-owner Giorgio Manzana hails from Lake Garda Italy in the Provence of Verona and has a hotel-restaurant background that goes back over 35 years. Bella Verona enjoys catering to their clients, creating new dishes and continuing the simple good and authentic home-style cooking of Manzana’s region as well as other parts of Italy. As an Italian restaurant in the heart of Salem, they will bring you back to Verona, the home of Romeo and Juliet, to lose yourselves in the atmosphere and excellent food. In keeping to their traditional roots they offer creative options with homemade pastas, and great daily specials.

Cilantro – View Menu Here
282 Derby Street, Salem, MA – (978) 745-9436

Cilantro features authentic, hearty, and diverse Mexican specialties in an upscale but easygoing brick-walled setting. Fresh specialties such as crispy flautas rolled around chicken, pico de gallo, guacamole, and queso fresco are breaths of fresh air. Pair your dinner with a delightful margarita or choose another delicious cocktail from their menu.

Finz Seafood & Grill – View Menu Here
76 Wharf Street, Salem, MA – (978) 744-0000

Finz Seafood & Grill has a great reputation in Salem and around New England for fresh, innovative seafood and grill fare, not to mention delicious specialty drinks. With indoor and outdoor waterfront dining, Finz is a great place to relax and enjoy outstanding food and drinks. Zagat’s rated Finz Seafood & Grill one of the Top 10 Waterfront restaurants in New England.

Firenze Trattoria – View Menu Here
2 Lynde Street, Salem, MA – (978) 219-1188

Firenze Trattoria is chef Zamir Kociaj’s way of sharing his passion for the authentic tastes of Firenze with the historic town of Salem. Merging years of experience with a neighborhood vibe, Firenze Trattoria is the perfect place to celebrate the simple moments with loved ones and friends while dining on delectable Italian fare.

In a Pig’s Eye – View Menu Here
148 Derby Street, Salem, MA – (843) 870-1105

‘In a Pig’s Eye’… your food will be gone before you know it! Now under new ownership of Jim Gaddis, In a Pig’s Eye is one of Salem’s long standing restaurants and has been voted one of Salem’s best pubs. The food focuses on authentic southern cooking including real southern BBQ, and the atmosphere is complete, with live music weekly.

Nat’s at the Hawthorne Hotel – View Menu Here
18 Washington Street, Salem, MA – (978) 825-4300

For an unforgettable fine dining experience in Salem, enjoy the ambiance, warmth and hospitality of award-winning seasonal cuisine from Nathaniel’s restaurant. The menu features contemporary dining in a historic setting, while offering a carefully crafted wine menu and scrumptious desserts that will complete any night out or special occasion.

Opus – View Menu Here
87 Washington Street, Salem, MA – (978) 744-9600

With what can only be described as a maverick kitchen, Opus’ cuisine boasts unexpected flavor combinations that simply taste amazing. The restaurant’s dynamic sushi team draws on both east and western influences to create sushi rolls that are truly unique. The upstairs dining room is centered around an oversized, glowing glass bar where guests can meet for a drink or enjoy a three-course meal. Downstairs, in Opus Underground, guests can enjoy nightly entertainment in a Moroccan-inspired space filled with cozy seating and thought-out details. Opus is a go-to destination for live music, dinner, and cocktails seven days a week.

Regatta Pub at the Waterfront Hotel – View Menu Here
225 Derby Street, Salem, MA –  (978) 740-8788

The Regatta offers casual dining with flair. Try their signature “Regatta Blue” martini with your favorite burger or fresh seafood with a glass of chilled wine. The Regatta Pub offers an eclectic choice of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and entrees in a relaxed and nautical inspired atmosphere, or chose to dine outside on their patio, weather permitting.

Rockafellas – View Menu Here
231 Essex Street, Salem, MA – (978) 745-2411

Rockafellas established a new tradition in dining in the center of historic Salem in 2003. As the most delicious occupant of the renowned Daniel Low Building, Rockafellas restaurant follows several other institutions of reputation including a department store, a bank (the vault now stores wines) and one of the first churches in America. Their menu features fresh seafood and Black Angus steaks and offers everything from burgers and salads and tapas to gourmet presentations. The wait staff assures a relaxed atmosphere where everyone feels at home.

Sea Level Oyster Bar – View Menu Here
94 Wharf Street, Salem, MA – (978) 741-0555

Located on Pickering Wharf, Sea Level Oyster Bar boasts two floors of fun while offering comfortable dining and great waterfront views. Sea Level also features a sit down raw bar packed with the freshest shellfish around. With an extensive beer list and creative cocktails that will quench your thirst while the kitchen cooks up fabulous seafood, gourmet pizzas and more, you are guaranteed to leave satisfied! Don’t forget to try their scrumptious desserts stamped in approval.

Thai Place – View Menu Here
Museum Place Mall, Salem, MA – (978) 741-8008

Thai Place Restaurant has been open since 1990. Being the first Thai Restaurant in the North Shore area of Massachusetts, they are proud to be one of the first establishments to present the unique taste, culture and sincerity of Thailand. Thai Place’s dedication to prepare the finest Thai food comes with experience, care for their customers and careful selection of the freshest ingredients.

Turner’s Seafood at Lyceum Hall – View Menu Here
43 Church Street, Salem, MA – (978) 745-7665

Turner’s Seafood at Lyceum Hall is an authentic New England seafood house in an iconic 1843 building with noted cultural history, complementing their family’s seafood heritage spanning four generations. This is where they prepare the catch-of-the-day becoming classic appetizers, entrees and creative daily specials. Turner’s shucks and serves the finest local and regional oysters & clams in their classic raw bar. And, their seafood market, Salem’s only, offers fresh, raw and prepared seafood to enjoy at home. It’s important to get to the docks early as good fish go fast but, the best go to Turner’s… then to you….dock to table … same day!

Victoria Station & Vic’s Boathouse – View Menu Here
86 Wharf Street, Salem, MA – (978) 745-3400

Overlooking Salem harbor, Victorian Station has established itself as a destination for friends and family for decades and is committed to providing lasting memories for generations to come. Offering a wide variety of fine American cuisine from succulent steaks to the freshest seafood and one of the last remaining “All you can eat” salad bars, there is something for every member of the culinary community.

Village Tavern – View Menu Here
168 Essex Street, Salem, MA – (978) 744-2858

“The Village”, Salem’s American Tavern, was opened way back in ‘12 by the Ingemi Clan – two brothers, Alex & Andrew, their dad, Arthur “Old Pop” Ingemi and his loving wife, “Mama Rosa”. With the love of satisfying olde time traditional foods, music, and beer (Courvoisier for Old Pop), they devised a place that would bring together people from all over to meet, drink, eat and enjoy themselves in a relaxed and fun establishment. Whether you’re here for some great BBQ ribs, scratch-made country cookin’, our famous burgers, live music, craft beer, partying in our private function room, or just strolling the streets of Olde Salem and need a rest – you are always welcome here at the Village. Cheers friend!

Please call each restaurant for specific information, prices and reservations. Then enjoy!

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Creating a Good Time at PEM with Artopia

 Salem Event, Salem Festivals  No Responses »
Mar 162016
 

While the every 3rd Thursday of the month PEM/PM late night party is a festive & educational stroll through the Peabody Essex Museum, this week’s may well prove to be the most creative. The theme in fact is “creation.”

Artopia asks “what’s your creative story” and from 6-9pm on March 17th, the community as individuals, groups and organizations respond.

For example…

Observe or take part in the creation of a pinwheel. But not just any pinwheel. Participants will connect to distant cultures by taking time to draw out cultural patterns from across the world, directly onto a sailcloth. This will in turn be included in Move With Me, which is a collaborative public art project scheduled to be featured during June’s Salem Arts Festival.

artopia1Or consider decorating vintage-style postcards using collage elements, along with members of the Salem Arts Association. Let those creative juices flow as you build a story with words and pictures from vintage books, papers, glue and scissors. And best of all, you can share the creativity by email with a friend.

Looking for something a bit more “techie?” How about a session where you can create your own GIF! It will be presented courtesy of Figsburry Creative Group and Retonica.

Plus, you can’t talk about creativity in Salem without referencing the Salem Film Fest; enjoy a compilation of short documentary tangos around the town, from the perspective of local and visiting filmmakers featured in this year’s Salem Film Fest.

What about liquid creations? You will find creative samples from Far From the Tree Cider, Notch Brewing Co., Rumson’s Rumb and Deacon Giles Distillery in a Taste of Salem in the Atrium.

Listen to beats built by participants in a workshop led by Salem-based producer Qwill. Get a look at how they built their own drum racks, breaks and percussion samples. I

And much more. For a full line-up check out this info page at Creative Salem .

There will be a cash bar and small plates menu available from the Hawthorne Hotel. The Peabody Essex Museum is located at 161 Essex Street, Salem MA.

Create: to cause to come into being, as something unique that would not naturally evolve or that is not made by ordinary processes.

You will not only see creativity, you will get the chance to express it yourself!

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