Dezarae Sabecky poses for a photo in front of her latest restaurant venture, The Burnt Norton, which opened in downtown Wilkes-Barre this past summer.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
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In addition to a full menu of pizzas, pastas and more, The Burnt Norton offers specialty coffee drinks and a variety of desserts.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
Sabecky wanted the style of The Burnt Norton to reflect her own and she pulled decor from in her own home to decorate the space.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
When The Looking Glass Cafe closed its doors this past February after two years of business, owner Dezarae Sabecky said it was time to expand her horizons.
Still, she wasn’t sure what her plan would be moving forward. At first, she couldn’t decide between moving locations and keeping the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ theme or changing the aesthetic entirely.
It wasn’t until she laid eyes on a vacant restaurant space at the corner of Northampton and Washington streets in downtown Wilkes-Barre that Sabecky realized what she wanted to do.
“As much as I loved my cafe, I decided that I was going to let it go and do something completely new,” she said.
The Burnt Norton opened its doors just five months later.
Featuring a menu of carefully crafted, gourmet dishes, the restaurant and cafe sells everything from breakfast, pizza, salads, soups, and sandwiches to coffee and dessert.
“At my previous location, I didn’t have access to a full kitchen. But here, there’s a lot more space and more equipment. There’s a pizza oven. So, I was trying to make a menu with stuff I’ve always wanted to make, but wasn’t able to,” she explained.
Sabecky changes the menu options seasonally, to showcase the freshest available ingredients.
Currently, the menu features a variety of Fall flavors and spices, from apple pie french toast to roasted pumpkin pizza with caramelized onions, roasted pumpkin, candied walnuts, spinach feta and fresh mozzarella.
Specialty drinks include a cranberry lime frizz and a pecan pie matcha with spiced pecan and brown sugar.
“I pick things that I would want to eat,” Sabecky said.
The owner also completely revamped the look of the space, which had laid dormant, collecting dust, for roughly five years.
The new look is cozy and full of life, with deep purple curtains and various plants scattered throughout. Art from local artists, available for purchase, adorns the walls.
When compared to the style of The Looking Glass Cafe, Sabecky said The Burnt Norton’s better matches her personality.
“I just feel like it’s more of a dive into my brain. I love it when people come in here and say how beautifully it’s decorated,” she said.
Since becoming part of the downtown scene, Sabecky has felt welcomed and supported by both customers and the city itself.
“[Mayor George Brown] usually comes in every week,” she said. “He came in right when we first opened and was like, ‘We’re so happy you’re here.”
Sabecky hopes that The Burnt Norton and other neighboring businesses will have a positive impact on the area.
“I like that we’re all, pretty much on this block, changing the downtown and bringing it back to life,” she said.
The Burnt Norton is open Mon. to Thurs. 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Fri. to Sat. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sun. 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.