Lewisburg is stepping it up this year in the realm of downtown eateries. If you’re a foodie, you are going to want to check out these new spots.

Lanie’s Bare Bowls

The smoothie bowl trend has swept coastal areas and is now making its way to central Pennsylvania. Founded by the owner of All Star Bagels, Lanie’s Bare Bowls is a smoothie and juice bar located at 302 Market Street. Open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., the shop serves the versatile smoothie bowl for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Lanie’s Bare Bowls offers several different bases from which customers can choose: acai, pitaya, coconut, or kale. Although the smoothie base is the main part of the bowl, the toppings make the bowl. They include granola, chia and hemp seeds, bananas, berries, Nutella, peanut butter, honey, kiwi, pineapple, and coconut. Laine’s Bare Bowls even created a Bison Bowl made with an acai base and topped with granola, bananas, blueberries, chia seeds, and Nutella. Customers also have the option of creating their own bowls by choosing a base, fruit toppings, a protein, and a sauce, such as almond butter or honey.

Lanie’s Bare Bowls aims to provide healthy and fresh food free of artificial sweeteners and students are gravitating towards it. Lily Nobunaga ’21, a first time customer at Lanie’s Bare Bowls, ordered the Coco Bowl. “It was filling and really aesthetic. I loved the colors and all of the fruits in it. It’s really nice to have a place like Lanie’s in Lewisburg,” Nobunaga said.

Gram’s Eatery

Gram’s, one of Lewisburg’s newest restaurants, offers University students home-style comfort food with a twist. The concept for Gram’s, created by head chef Jesse Reeves, is inspired by his grandmother. Reeves’ grandmother was an amazing chef, and would always cook for him when he was younger. However, this was not your classic American comfort food. His grandmother cooked food from all around the world, like Chicken Tikka Masala, jambalaya, and kimchi.

After gaining an appreciation for food from his grandmother, Reeves was determined to become a chef. He studied at the prestigious culinary institute Le Cordon Bleu, and apprenticed under Peter Timmins and Richard Rosendale. Beginning in 2003, he worked in the corporate cooking industry for 10 years. He was the executive chef at Aramark for Bloomsburg University and traveled all over the country, but his ultimate dream was to open his own restaurant. He finally decided to open a breakfast and lunch eatery in Lewisburg because his grandmother’s breakfast was his favorite meal; her dishes were always prepared with a creative flair. This is shown on Grams’ menu, where there are classic and unique dishes. One of Reeves’ more creative vegetarian options is the nomelet—an omelet with grilled tofu and avocado, roasted peppers, onions, mushrooms, and wilted spinach, topped with salsa. For lunch, Reeves takes inspiration from cultures all around the world. He serves some tried-and-true classics, like the “Plain Jane” (a double cheeseburger) and the chicken caesar wrap, as well as more adventurous options, like the Buzz Korean tacos. If you’re tired of the food in the Bison or Bostwick Marketplace and are craving either classic comfort food or something to mix it up, Gram’s provides great options for both breakfast and lunch.

Gram’s is open seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

Abrana Marie’s

Abrana Marie’s is the “New Mexican cuisine” that recently popped up in Lewisburg this past February. When people see “New Mexican cuisine,” they think of a brand-new Mexican restaurant; however, owner Doreen Hedricks clarifies that her restaurant serves food from New Mexico, which is different from traditional Mexican cuisine. She said, “food from New Mexico has the same core as Mexican cuisine, but a different flavor profile.”

Hedricks’ favorite dish on the menu is the traditional New Mexican cheese and onion enchiladas, served with non-spicy red and green sauces, known as a “Christmas” in New Mexico. The two most popular dishes on the menu, Hedricks says, are the chicken enchiladas and chicken chimichangas.

Hedricks named the restaurant after her grandmother. Originally from Spain, her grandmother moved to the United States in the early 1900s where she settled in New Mexico. Hedricks’ family influenced her immensely because she “grew up around her grandmother, mother and, aunt’s cooking.” She then expanded upon the traditional style of New Mexican cooking, while still holding true to the flavor profile of New Mexico.

After being in the restaurant business for over 30 years, Hedricks opened up her first restaurant in Sunbury, Pa. in 1982. “We didn’t have any New Mexican food anywhere,” she said. “Not even in the grocery store.” Hedricks’ mother would send the ingredients from New Mexico to Pennsylvania. In 1991, she relocated to Queens Street in Northumberland, Pa. where she stayed until the restaurant was destroyed by a fire in 2004. Williamsport, Pa. was the restaurant’s new home from 2005 to 2014. Hedrick also opened Abrana Marie’s Taco Queen in Sunbury, Pa. in 2012, which she describes as more of a take-out eatery with some dine-in. This branch continues to be open to customers, along with the new branch in Lewisburg.

Abrana Marie’s is open five days a week: Tuesday, 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations are recommended on the weekends, but walk-ins are welcomed, as well. The restaurant’s phone number is (570)-988-0440.