Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant to Unveil New Health-Conscious Vegan Desserts

Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant of Montclair, NJ is proud to announce two new additions to its line of premium, all-natural desserts - Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, and Cherry Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies, made with a vegan batter with bittersweet chocolate chips added.

The cookies are prepared by local Montclair, NJ resident, Nicky Mesiah, creator of Miss Nicky’s Gourmet Toffee, who introduced Mesob to her health-conscious vegan and gluten-free product line. Mesiah’s products have been reviewed on The Today Show, and have received honorable mention in the New York Times.

Photographs of the new dessert cookies were taken by Mesob Internet Marketing Manager, Vickie Smith-Siculiano in her studio, surrounding the new desserts with ingredients that they contain. Cherries, chocolate and oats appear next to the new Cherry Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies, while raisins, oats and flax appear alongside the Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

“We at Mesob feel it’s very important to listen to what our social media audience has to say, and knew they would comment if they could easily see what were inside the treats. Within seconds of posting on Facebook, our customers posted positive responses, including one that said she would be there upon its debut. Because our social media audience on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr appear highly engaged with photos and video, we felt our customers would give us feedback if the cookies would visually connect with our audience.”
The new dessert cookies are made with a base of oats and flax seed. Like other Mesob dessert menu items, these new cookies are baked from scratch recipes with all-natural ingredients. Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant never uses trans fats, artificial flavors or chemical shelf extenders.

Berekti Mengistu, owner of Mesob, met Nicky Mesiah, the cookie’s creator, at a local farmer’s market. Says Mengistu, “I was excited to learn of the new cookies from Nicky, because they will fit on our menu of fresh, all-natural, no-preservatives added foods. Furthermore, because the Mesob family practices religious holidays throughout the year which eliminate meat and meat products from our diets, we are very sensitive to the Vegan dietary needs of many of our customers. These new desserts fit right in with our current all-natural desserts. We listen to our customers and want to create the best experience for them.”

Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant is located at 515 Bloomfield Avenue, in Montclair, NJ. For reservations or more information, call 973-655-9000 or visit Mesob online at http://www.mesobrestaurant.com.

ONE NIGHT ONLY Ethiopian Music at Mesob Restaurant October 1st!

Zena Bel Band is a three piece group, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The group is the result of the continuing collaborations of two Ethiopian azmari musicians, and one violin player from Boston's Debo Band, a ten-member collective influenced by 1970s-era Ethiopian funk. Zena Bel Band's members first came together when Debo Band collaborated with some traditional musicians while on tour in Ethiopia in May 2009.

The traditional drum "kebero" is played by Asrat Ayalew, while Kaethe Hostetter's five-string acoustic violin evokes the Ethiopian "masinqo," a one-string bowed instrument. Selamnesh Zemene, the vocalist, sings in a variety of traditional Ethiopian styles. Her mother and grandmother both having been azmari singers, she is steeped in this tradition, which often incorporates humor and improvising during its performance. The azmari are traditionally wandering musicians from the countryside, who sing, play, and dance for money. With witty lyrics rich in innuendo and double entendre, Azmari musical traditions have been documented in a few volumes of Ethiopiques, the renowned CD series out of France.

Zena Bel Band plays familiar folk songs that most Ethiopians vehemently cherish. The trio's repertoire includes the beloved "Tizita" and "Ambassel," songs by Bezunesh Bekele, Birtukan Dubale, and Maritu Legesse, and some regionally specific songs that display the rich variety of Ethiopian traditions. They also play some original songs by Selamnesh and her husband, who is also an azmari

The music is by turns dreamily mesmerizing, circular, heavy, exhilarating, compelling and whimsical. Selamnesh's sure and powerful voice reaches across political borders and musical backgrounds. Kaethe's masinqo-like 5-string violin playing presents an innovative, modern ambiance. Asrat's kebero provides the project's strong backbone, as he highlights the contour of the songs while offering propulsive verve.

Joining Zena Bel Band on some numbers are Melaku Belay, Ethiopia's top dancer, and his dance partner, Zinash Tsgegaye, both members of Fendika who, along with Zena Bel's members, are on tour with Debo Band in September of 2010. The physical home and performance venue of the Fendika group is "Fendika Azmari Bet," artist-owned and operated by Melaku. In Ethiopian culture, an "azmari bet," literally meaning the "House of the Azmari," is a place where people come to listen and enjoy traditional Ethiopian music. Under Melaku's direction, Fendika completely revolutionizes the artistic world of Addis Ababa by creating a home for music that presents a symbiosis between tradition and modernity. In special projects and collaborations, Fendika's traditional azmari music has continually shifted and reinvented, while being enriched by Ethiopian-influenced jazz and rock bands from abroad, including Imperial Tiger Orchestra (Switzerland), The Ex (the Netherlands), le Tigre des Platanes (France), Debo Band and Ukandanz (France), among others.

Zena Bel Band is exemplary of the vibrancy of the Fendika scene in Addis Ababa, where cross cultural exchange has encouraged the development of new groups and projects. This is Zena Bel's first North American tour and they are thrilled to bring their music to new friends, and introduce a new take on the tradition of which they are so proud.

"Enjoy Yourself!"

Consumers Demand Engagement - eMarketer

via emarketer.com

This study's findings mean alot to marketers. Especially in proving that the move to integrating social media into marketing plans cannot be ignored.

Social media adds value to the existing marketing mix for ANY brand, I don't care if it's brick and mortar or totally e-commerce, if you're conducting business you ARE a brand.

And brands cannot ignore the groundswell's desire to communicate what they want, how they want it WHENEVER they want it.

Social media will continue to be increasingly important for marketing success.

Posted via web from vickie_smith's posterous