A Wing and a Prayer Offers Food for the Soul

By Christina Georgiou

Brandi Watson, right, cuts the ribbon on her new take-out restaurant, Ms. Brandi's A Wing and A Prayer, located at
444 Northampton St.

Brandi Watson began cooking for friends and family more than 20 years ago, but it was only yesterday that her dream of owning her own restaurant came true.

"I've always done it for friend and family, and then it grew," she said at the grand opening of Ms. Brandi's A Wing and a Prayer.

Those at the ribbon cutting were
treated to free samples from the
menu, including several varieties
of wings.

Surrounded by dozens of friends and family members, as well as her pastor and other church members, Watson cut the ribbon at the door of her new establishment at 444 Northampton St. to cheers and applause.

The final funding she needed came through a loan from "Sam Adams Brewing the American Dream" and the Rising Tide Community Loan Fund, which enabled Watson to buy the restaurant's equipment.

"It's wonderful when big corporations that started out as small companies help out other small companies," said Easton mayor Sal Panto at the event, noting that the new eatery, which offers soul food specialties, is the only restaurant on the 400 block of Northampton Street, and that its proximity to the State Theatre is sure to help get it noticed by city visitors.

Zepp Watson ladles out a serving of
beans and greens for a customer at the
grand opening her daughter's new restaurant
Wednesday afternoon.

Watson said she's worked hard to get to the point of opening the establishment and credited her faith for sustaining her through hard times.

"I just encourage single mothers, keep moving--you can do it," she said. I hope you feel something diferent than if you just went to McDonalds. Everything here is done with love."s

"I'll be back, because she makes a mean chicken," Panto said, quipping that the rain outside portended a prosperous future. "It's an old oriental proverb. If it rains when you open, it means more money."

Watson said she developed the menu--which includes soul food specialties including fried chicken, wings, hand-sliced cheese steaks, beans and greens, and a variety of desserts, from items she's been cooking regularly.

"They're things I used to cook all the time," she said. "I just slowly did what people liked."

A Wing and A Prayer cook Keven Hernandez puts an
order of wings into a waiting container, held by Brandi
Watson's daughter, Tyra, 16. She and her brother, Trey, will
be working at the restaurant regularly, Watson said.

She'll be adding daily specials to the menu too.

"I like to cook lots of different things," Watson added.

The new take-out currently employs three people, and her mother and 16-year-old twin children will also work at the eatery, in addition to Watson herself, she said.

While Watson, who lives in Easton's West Ward, intends to keep her day job as a Northampton County Prison warden "for at least a couple of years, until the twins are in college", she'll still be a familiar sight at the restaurant, she said.

And, along with delicious food, customers will be greeted as friends, Watson promised.

"I just want people to be comfortable here. We're doing more than just frying chicken," she said.

Kari Holmes hands out menus to guests at
the grand opening of Ms. Brandi's A Wing and A Prayer
Wednesday afternoon.

Ms. Brandi's A Wing and A Prayer, located at 444 Northampton St., is open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., 11 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. A Wing and a Prayer will be closed on Tuesdays.







In addition to take-out, the restaurant also offers catering. Ms. Brandi's A Wing and A Prayer's offerings will be featured at a Sam Adams speed coaching event in Brenigsville on Sept. 12. For more information about that event, click here.

Reach them by phone at 610-515-9900 or visit the restaurant's Facebook page to see what's new.