By Darlene Brace
“A Dining Experience that will Make your Taste Buds Sing….”
This week’s Chamber Spotlight is a restaurant called Music for your Mouth. This restaurant is owned by Karen and Al Simmons and is located at 21 S. Erie Street in Mayville. Karen Simmons is originally from Pennsylvania and is a musician. She plays the violin and gives music lessons. Her husband, Al Simmons, has been in the military, and he likes to cook, and he often cooked for his platoon while stationed in Iraq. Karen often thought about owning a coffee shop and incorporating her music there, as she thought it would be a unique business opportunity. After a coffee shop opportunity fell through, together Karen and Al decided they wanted to open a restaurant.
One day while in Mayville, the area reminded Karen of her hometown. They decided that Mayville would be a great place for their new business adventure. In March of 2022, Karen and Al opened their restaurant and named it Music for your Mouth. At first, the restaurant was a breakfast and lunch place, that included a high-end coffee shop. It was very successful, and soon customers, family, and friends encouraged Al and Karen to expand their business. They decided to become a full-service restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with a full bar.
Karen and Al decided to buy supplies they needed from other local area small businesses. All their food is from farm to table, and it is all homemade from scratch. They decided to hire a professional chef to join Al in preparing the food. Their chef’s name is Erik Alicea. Erik is a certified culinary chef. Previously Erik had worked as a chef for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Karen said, “Together Chef Erik and Al make magic happen in the kitchen.”
This magic comes together in the food they prepare and offer on their menu. They have created a diverse menu of food that is sure to please your palate throughout the day. You can start your morning off with a made to order breakfast or omelet. For lunch they have artisan sandwiches, wraps, signature flatbread pizzas as well as soups and salads. The dinner menu includes a variety of delicious entrees including beef, chicken, seafood, pastas and more. They also have many gluten free and vegan options.
Along with their incredible menu, Music for your Mouth often has a variety of live music that performs at various times throughout the week. Often, solo artists or duos come and play their instruments and sing during the dinner hours. Sometimes Karen’s friends, colleagues, or students come in to play. If you are lucky, Karen may even accompany them.
When Karen was asked to describe their restaurant, she said, “Our restaurant is a comfortable space for the community to gather, to share great food, and to visit. It’s not just the food, it’s a dining experience. You could say our logo is that we offer a dining experience to make your taste buds sing. We pride ourselves in that people come in as customers and leave as friends.”
As a special event this weekend, Music for your Mouth will be hosting a New Year’s Eve Party. There will be a seven-course gourmet dinner, with wine pairing from 6pm-10pm and a dinner reservation is required. Following dinner, there will be an after-dinner party, but reservations are not required. There will be music by Mike Gerholdt starting at 8pm and a champagne toast at midnight. For reservations call 716-224-1035.
month Travel the World dinner series.
Music for your Mouth has been hosting a once a month Travel the World dinner series. At this dinner series, the restaurant features the cuisine of different locations around the world. In the past, they have featured food from Japan, Germany, India, France, Italy, and Scandinavia to name a few. In the future, they’re hoping to continue the Travel the World dinners as well as a Traveling Around the USA series.
Music for your Mouth is currently open for winter hours, Monday – Saturday, 9am-2pm for breakfast and lunch, and 4pm-7:30pm for dinner and closed on Sundays. For their menu and more information go to music4yourmouth.com and their Facebook page. The Simmons invite you to come in and check out their restaurant with its high-quality food and unique atmosphere.