The Orchid, a new upscale Italian steakhouse, is set to open in the former home of Molinari’s at 322 E 3rd St in Bethlehem this spring, representing the culmination of eight months’ work by head Chef Genc Gashi and his girlfriend Samantha Gangewere.
“[Genc] is the former head chef at the best steakhouse in the Lehigh Valley, Three Oak, and I bartended and served about eight years,” Gangewere tells What Now Philadelphia. “And then I gave up the restaurant life and I full-time model right now, so I’ve been saving up money for a restaurant for a long time. And then we met, and we both had the same passion, and wound up opening this restaurant by ourselves.”
Although specifics of the menu are still under wraps, with Gashi telling local media outlet WFMZ earlier this week that it’s “a bit of a secret right now,” it was revealed that the restaurant will offer scratch pastas made in-house and only the highest-quality steaks, as well as salads and appetizers, with Gashi adding, “it’s definitely going to be different than what everyone else is offering in the area.”
Gangewere echoed the sentiment, saying The Orchid – named for Gashi’s sister Orhidea, or Orchid in their native Albanian – will be “something new for the Lehigh Valley,” ultimately bringing a younger vibe and aesthetic to a culinary scene that’s remained largely unchanged over the years.
