Alyssa LaManna Professional Portfolio

(Also in print)

(Also in Print)

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Ol Restaurant Group Celebrates National Taco Day with A Tasty Taco Tour of Mexico
WHAT: The taco might be the most ubiquitous of Mexican dishes, but it is prepared differently in each region of the county depending on its particular environment and the available ingredients. Inspired by a recent trip to Mexico where he explored the culture and cuisines of Mexico, Chef Erwin Ramos of the Ol Restaurant Group is bringing guests on an authentic Mexican Tour de Taco with a special menu in honor of National Taco Day on Thursday, October 4th, 2012. Ramos will offer guests tacos filled with ingredients like shrimp, steak, pork and peppers from Baja California all the way to Yucatan, bringing the meaning of cooking paleo, or local, to a whole new level! Guests are invited to choose four tacos from a selection of seven Mexican regional favorites along with a side of Mexican rice, cilantro rice, beans or plantains for just $18 per person at Ol Mexican Grill, located in Cambridge, MA, and Zcalo Cocina Mexicana, located in Boston, Ma. There is a taco for every devoted eater, and guests will not want to miss this opportunity to choose from a wide array of both traditional and inventive flavors on the tacos glory day. The Tour De Taco menu will be served in conjunction with the regular menu. Reservations are recommended. Please call Ol Mexican Grill at (617)-492-4495 or Zcalo Cocina Mexicana at (617)-456-7849. WHEN: WHERE: Thursday, October 4th, 2012: 5:00PM-9:30PM at Ol Mexican Grill and 5:00PM10:00PM at Zcalo Cocina Mexicana.

Tour de Taco

Ol Mexican Grill, 11 Springfield Street, Cambridge, MA 02139;

Zcalo Cocina Mexicana, 35 Stanhope Street, Boston, MA 02116 www.olerestaurantgroup.com COST: $18 per person plus tax and gratuity for four tacos and a side of side of Mexican rice, cilantro rice, beans or plantains. Served in conjunction with the regular menu. Ol Mexican Grill (617) 492-4495 Zcalo Cocina Mexicana (617) 456-7849 ###

RSVP:

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Salvatores Restaurants Partner With the Ellie Fund to Raise Money for Breast Cancer
WHAT: Think pink! In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Salvatore's Restaurant with (2) downtown Boston, MA locations, and restaurants in Medford, MA and Lawrence, MA is fighting the cause with a perky pair of sweet panna cotta! For the entire month of October, Salvatores is donating a percentage of each busty-dessert sale to the Ellie Fund, an organization that provides breast cancer support services free of charge for hundreds of patients in Massachusetts. Supporters & survivors can come enjoy this playful double dessert throughout the month of October! These double Ds are $8.00 and are available at all Salvatores locations. Begins: Monday, October 1st, 2012 Wednesday, October 31st, 2012.

Double Panna Cotta

COST: WHEN:

WHERE: Salvatore's Restaurant 225 Northern Avenue Boston, MA Salvatore's Restaurant 55 High Street Medford, MA

Salvatore's Restaurant 545 Washington Street Boston, MA Salvatore's Restaurant 354 Merrimack Street Lawrence, MA ###

About Salvatores: The undying passion for quality Italian food at an unbeatable value that rapidly propelled Sals Pizza into unparalleled achievement is the same drive that led to the development of Salvatores. Salvatores concept of providing an unsurpassed full-service dining experience that appeals to those seeking a quick taste of genuine Italian cuisine or a memorable night out with loved ones. Our menu features locally sustainable products and wholeheartedly selected ingredients, such as grass-fed all natural veal, buffalo mozzarella from Campania, artesian cheeses and handcrafted pastas, that represent Salvatores commitment to quality and tradition. Salvatores creates the warm, welcoming atmosphere of a serene dinner in a familiar Italian setting. Regardless of location, our guests will leave our dining room with a satisfied appetite certain to bring them back for more. For more information please visit: salvatoresrestaurants.com

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The Beehive Hosts the Boston Debut of New York Flutist Duo Flutronix
WHAT: On Tuesday, November 13th, 2012, the eclectic sound of flute duo Flutronix hits The Beehives stage for their Boston debut performance. This one-night only show blends classical instruments with a new age sound, creating an effect unlike anything heard at The Beehive before. Rooted in New York City, Nathalie Joachim and Allison Loggins-Hull of Flutronix demonstrate a refreshing sound that has given the flute a bright future. A combination of classical music and electronic effects gives Flutronix an experimental edge for audiences and composers to enjoy. A perfect mix of media and music; this performance is not to be missed! Join The Beehive for this groundbreaking two-set show. For dinner reservations or for more information please call 617.423.0069 or visit www.beehiveboston.com. WHERE: WHEN: The Beehive, 541 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116 | P. 617.423.0069 Tuesday, November 13th, 2012, Show from 9:00PM to 1:00AM, Food & Drink from 5:00PM to 2:00AM. No Cover charge, Cash Bar, Reservations Recommended. ###

The Flute Future

INFO:

About The Beehive: The Beehive is an underground Bohemian bistro featuring amazing cuisine, libations, artwork and live music nightly. Nestled below the Boston Center for the Arts historic Cyclorama in Bostons South End, The Beehive serves the eclectic fare of Chef Rebecca Newell, rustic comfort foods infused with American, European, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern influences. Open for dinner and cocktails with live entertainment available nightly until 2:00 AM; The Beehive is the perfect location for after-work cocktails, dinner, live music, events and more. Come to taste the cuisine, come to view the art, come to hear the music or simply come to share in the merriment. The Beehive is at 541 Tremont St., 617-4230069; beehiveboston.com. Hours are as follows: Dinner: Sunday through Wednesday from 5:30PM to 12:00AM, Thursday through Saturday from 5:30PM to 1:00AM. Bar to 2:00AM, entertainment nightly. Brunch Served Saturday and Sunday from 10:00AM until 3:00PM, bar menu 3:00PM to 5:00PM. *Image Unlimited Communications is a Boston Public Relations and Marketing Agency. For more information please visit www.imageunlimited-boston.com

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The Wine ConneXtion Gives Thanks This Holiday Season With A French Wine of A Lifetime
WHAT: Revealing itself just before Thanksgiving each year, Beaujolais Nouveau will make its yearly entrance at The Wine ConneXtion, located in North Andover, MA, on Saturday, November 17th, 2012. Traditionally made to celebrate the end of harvest, the vin de l'anne (wine of the year) is bottled 6-8 weeks off the vines giving the youthful vino a light-bodied tang. Beaujolais, the red wine which subtly mimics the tastes of white wine, is available on shelves for a limited time while supplies last. Pair this sweet immature wine with the perfect Thanksgiving holiday dish for family and friends to enjoy! WHERE: WHEN: COST: The Wine ConneXtion, 117 Main Street in North Andover, MA Sunday, November 17th, 2012 $7.99 per bottle.

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est Arriv.

###

About The Wine ConneXtion: The Wine ConneXtion offers customers a unique and innovative wine-purchasing experience at the First & Main Marketplace in North Andover, Massachusetts. The store offers "eXcellent wines at eXceptional prices" by providing the best wines in their categories with a no-fuss environment. With features like the Tasting Station, encouraging customers to taste and learn about the distinguishing features of wine before buying, the store marries innovative store design and technology with a long tradition of knowledge and experience. The result is our ability to select an assortment of quality wines at great prices and pass those savings onto our mainstream consumers and wine enthusiasts all over Massachusetts and beyond. The Wine ConneXtion is located at 117 Main Street, North Andover, MA 01845 and hours of operation are Monday - Friday: 10am - 7pm, Saturday: 9am - 7pm and Sunday: Noon - 6pm. To reach the Wine ConneXtion directly please call (toll-free) 877-469-5025. *Image Unlimited Communications is a public relations and marketing agency located in Boston and Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.imageunlimitedcommunications.com

UNPUBLISHED ARTICLE FOR COLLEGE MAGAZINE COURSE, MCLA 2010

A tale of toys: Inside the Castle of Persnickety Kansas native Monique Suters creates a life and business in the Berkshires A place that has the ability to make so much noise falls quiet on this gloomy Monday afternoon. Outside appears dreary, but within the palace doors, the forecast is whimsical. Already, I have the urge to touch everything in sight. Books about boogers and pranks, princess tiaras and hairy big foot action figures; my mind is enchanted. I am a child again, and my visual senses are not enough. I want to touch and smell everything, and even taste what is inedible. I want to feel the face paint crack on my skin once it dried and make a city of building blocks come alive with mini figurines. Monique Suters stands behind the glass counter that is piled with wind-up dinosaurs, mood rings, and a pyramid of kaleidoscopes. A lover of toys she does not resemble one of Santas elves, making sure the shade of red is just right for the hand-carved wooden choo-choo train. She is simple and beautiful behind her dark-framed glasses, her hair tucked within a knitted hat. Perhaps the only similarity between her and Santas little helpers is the evidence that lingers of arts and crafts. Oh No! I ruin everything! Why is there pink paint on my pants? I swore I was painting with black! she giggles, and goes on to share that she spent the afternoon working on a new window display. The kingdom through the glass is Persnickety Toys. Located on Eagle Street in downtown North Adams, this little shop is a play land for the imagination. Monique has grown since her Honda Civics cross country drive to the Berkshires in 1991, accompanied with her beau Whitney and their new puppy. She traded a life of waiting tables, to taking a passion and making a career out of it. It is easy now for Monique to twinkle with delight when looking at all she has accomplished, but what is now a store was once just a quilt. Quality Quilts After the birth of her first son, Coulter, now 19-years old, Monique received a beautiful homemade quilt from a church craft sale in Cape Cod. It was at the same church my husband Whitney and I got married in, so it was very special, she beamed. Somewhere in the mix of lifes daily buzz, the blanket was lost. I vowed to myself that I would replace the quilt with my own hand, she said, enthusiasm in her voice. Inheriting the knack of sewing from her grandmother, Monique had never tackled the art of quilting. I went to a quilters guild meeting, she said. A woman invited me into her own home and began teaching me one-on-one. Little to Moniques knowledge, a spark ignited. Her husband, Whitney, was an eye witness to the light show, and urged her to take this talent and run with it. Hes got an entrepreneur spirit, she told me. In 1994, Monique sent Coulter off to Little Red School House in Williamstown. An opportunity then presented itself to sell her keepsakes at the Apple Fest in town. I volunteered at the craft show, but I couldnt make a ton of quilts. I knew I had to make smaller items that appealed

to everyone, she said. Monique prepared mini quilts with a square of muslin that was delicately placed in the center. The space was just big enough for a childs handprint, she said. It was this hands on activity that gave Monique the extra push she needed. Hovered over her little shoulder, I watched Monique flip through the protected Kodak snapshots of her quilting collection. Quilted hats, table runners, and bedside book buddies all her own. Let me show you what truly inspired me, she voiced, before unclipping what seemed as any other wall display: an infants bib. Splattered with psychedelic frog prints and the name Michael sewn across the breast, the bib had a clear homespun touch. Safety pinned to the little ones napkin was the logo of Persnickety. The name accompanied a cat, its feline nose in the air. This is the one product that everybody loved, she said. The name stuck and so did the bibs. Whitney at the time owned a business, Hairpin Tune Music, and granted Monique a corner to sell and display her crafted gifts. A sliver of her husbands shop grew and grew. By November of 2002, the melody of guitars and drums were replaced by rattles and wind-ups. Not for the big box stores. From the book Buy me! Buy me! The Bank Street Guide to Choosing Toys for Children, author Joanne Oppenheim states, The world of toy land has changed radically over the past decade, affecting the way toys are bought, sold, and designed. These changes, in turn, are dominating childrens play lives by shaping the option for toy choices. As Coulter and her second son Makenzie, now 16-years old, outgrew their onesie pajamas, Monique had Persnickety flourish from a baby boutique to what she would consider a specialty toy store. When I ask Monique about her shop in comparison to the big bad franchisees she bluntly told me, There is no competition. The difference between the two is Persnickety Toys does not hold items on their shelves that Wal-Mart or Toys-R-Us would. She added there is a big difference between stores she would call the big box stores and little downtown shops. Here you can get something unique, she said. But, Monique doesnt fill her shelves with cookie cutter products that have been sucked into the mass market. Oppenheim added, Good toys have always combined fun and discovery and lots of possibilities for imaginative play. Monique grabbed the Magnetic Gyro Wheel and tore it right out of its box when I asked what her favorite toy was as a kid. I always had to keep my hands busy. I think thats why I loved this thing, she said with a grin and continued to simultaneously talk with me as she kept the wheel gliding on its axis. It was evident that the grown woman, who stood in front of me, was a child at heart. Theres No Place Like Home. Raised in Oakley, Kansas, Monique recalled that shes always loved toys. The original Mickey Mouse Phone, she exclaimed. My grandfather had one when we were growing up. He was always into classic and contemporary toys. Monique laughed when she told me that this was not something you could just buy in the Sears or JcPenney catalogue. At Persnickety Toys, Monique built an empire around the concept of try before you buy. Although the little shop has their shelves stuffed, inside toddlers, tweens and grown-ups can

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test out the products. They can put on the finger monsters, test the tambourines, and peel open the glossy books. Toys for Two Cities Booming louder than the rock driller on Persnicketys shelf was the success of its business. With the desire to open another store in the Berkshires, Monique received a long distance call from Kansas on Christmas day. Michael Moore, Moniques brother, proposed an opportunity for the toy shops expansion. According to Persnicketys Facebook page, there was buzz about opening up a shop in Pittsfield and Michael wanted the in. Whose gonna be running the show there? he remembered asking Monique. Like a ring leader prepared to tame a ferocious lion, Id like to put my hat in the ring for it, he recalled. Soon he decided to follow in his sisters footsteps. Michael packed up his things and started a new life in the Berkshires In June 2010, Persnickety Toys has opened its sibling store on North Street in Pittsfield and the family duo embraced their pickiness in the toy world and love for the community. Kansas City may have pockets of interesting things, but we were amazed by the beauty and history, Michael said referring to the Berkshires. Child at heart Her four children, Coulter, Makenzie, Marlee and Ella were Moniques constant inspiration behind Persnickety Toys. The tone of her voice seems bittersweet when she discusses how grown up they are and how fast it went by. She is considered lucky. Although Moniques children are creeping closer to adulthood, her job allows her to never outgrow the feeling a child gets when playing with a new toy. This is not the end of Moniques journey through toy land. She aspires to accomplish much more here and dreams of expanding her business to sell childrens furniture and open up more space for kids to play. She also is considering bringing back an old time favorite. I would really like to bring the bibs back, she said. There is no need to clap her heels and wish to be back in Kansas, this is her home. Nearly 20 years since her arrival in Berkshire County, Monique has built a business and a life here. She has not forgotten the flat lands which she was raised, but inhabited the mountains she is surrounded by. Think of me as a hometown girl, I raised my kids here, she said. Im not a transplant anymore, Im rooted here.

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