LIVE and LOCAL

LIVE and LOCAL is the name of our summer, mini, music series which will feature LIVE music by LOCAL musicians.  The magic will happen each Friday evening from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. throughout June, July, and August.   

Along with the live and local music, we will debut live and local food.  Our shop's motto is to obtain goods as locally as we possibly can.  To follow suit we'll offer light faire, appitizers created with local products.  Yums.  The food'll begin at 6. 

The series will kick off on June 7th with 'Indian Shoes.'   The is a collection of 3 local artists, one of which, is Davey-Roo Roethe, our very own barista.  'Indian Shoes' is self-described as "multi-genre, original".  It's true too.  I can attest to the awesomeness of 3 of their original songs.  Thought provoking lyrics accompanied by accoustic guitar.  Just what the doctor ordered.

LIVE and LOCAL will be good, clean, fun for everyone.  It is a family-friendly event.  We hope to pack the upstairs, loft area.  Please come share time, space, music, and food!



Friday, June 14th:  Larrisa Weier.......Accoustic tunes strummed by Larissa.  Gentle and mellow melodies.

Friday, June 21st:  Rauen Boys.........The sweet sounds of father and son who've been playing together for decades.  As past owners of a guitar shop, these boys will likely knock your socks off with their guitaring. 

Friday, June 28th:  Embedded Reporter........."Low-brow music for smart people".  A folk inspired collection of music embellished with crafty storytelling.

Friday, July 5th:  Epimotive......"Will soothe your soul".  This quintuplet is an amalgam of funk, jazz, reggae, rock and grunge. 


Be well.  Take Good Care.  Drink Good Coffee.

Do you know about PortFish?

PortFish is a non-profit organization in our town that propels many projects including our Winter Farmer's Market, a food data base and an aguaponics facility.  This facility is in Knellsville which is pretty much the most Dr. Suess sounding location I've ever heard.  It makes me wanna visit the quaint green-house which is nestled on the north side of town (near Neislett's).  You too may wish to visit and learn.  Pat Wilborn is the founder of this project and he's wildly open and excited to share what he's doing and what he knows. 

Tasty greens grown at PortFish.

So, here is part of what PortFish does.  Pat and his intern, Michael are growing food using aquaponics.  Aquaponics is a complicated process, but the fundamental idea is to raise plants AND fish in a symbiotic fashion.  Bacteria is another key player in this operation, but this is where it gets complicated.  If you're intersted, please ask Pat or Michael!  This project is SO wonderful, fascinating AND delicious. 

We're excited to see this organization grow in our community.  We're also proud to utilize some of the food they're growing.  If you order a sandwich in our shop, you'll be delighted to know and taste greens that were grown by these folks using aquaponics.  If you like what you taste and know, learn more, get involved, and eat their food.  Please learn more by visiting their website: http://portfish.org/.

Our Hours of Operation are a changin': More is better.

Methinks it's spring.  This means we'll expand our hours of open-ness in hopes of providing you with a place to drink coffee for more hours of the day.  Do you dig?  It's going to happen at the end of this month on Monday, April 29th.

We're gonna try something new and open 1/2 an hour later, which means Monday through Friday, our doors will open at 6:30 A.M.  On Saturday and Sunday we'll start servin' at 7:30.  This little shift is an  experiment, PLEASE give feedback if it disturbs you're flow.  However, it is our response to a lack of business before our new open times.  Again, we're always open to knowing your thoughts.

On the alternative end of the spectrum we'll be closing later.  Monday through Friday we'll keep the doors open 'til 6.  We're also in the beginning phases of some possible Friday night Concerts.  Stay tuned.  On the weekend, we'll be here until 4 p.m.  It's exciting to imagine summer time around the coffee shop.  Hot, muggy days, sipping iced coffee, watching passerbys from a cozy table outside.  I know, I can't wait.  How's about yourself? 

Spring Clothes Swap Scheduled: Tuesday, May 21.

Hey Ladies!  (It is not our intention to exclude the men in our circle, however, it's my feeling that there wouldn't be many of you, gentlemen, interested in participating.  If I'm wrong, lemme know.) It's that time again.  We put a date on our calendar for our 3rd, bi-annual clothes swap.  This gives us a great platform for "recycling" our unwanted wardrobe items.

SO, here's the scoop.  On Tuesday, May 21st, at 6:30 PM those of you interested will come to the coffee shop with any unwanted apparel, accessories, or shoes you may have.  (Please purchase a cup of tea or make a donation to the coffee shop as a "fee" for our venue.)  We'll arrange the stuff by size and swap away.  It's really quite fun to delve into piles of other people's stuff.  Especially, when they're amongst the crowd.  Sometimes there are stories that come along with different pieces of clothing....which makes the stuff interesting-it gives it more character. 

I've scored some of my most favorite clothing items at last year's clothes swap. Karen Krainz passed on a pair of rocking, Kramer-esque, Dansko shoes.  My buddy Debra Jo bestowed a green, linen skirt that I wear often in spring.  Anyway, this is a fun and easy way to rid your closet of unused stuff AND replace it with something new, AND spend the evening with some friendly folks.  Hope to see a good turn out. 

P.S.  I'm looking for a volunteer (preferrably one with a van) who could hall away those unwanted items from the swap and donate to St. Vincent or the like.  Anyone, anyone?  Please!

Community, Connections, Forward Motion.

You know the moment just before the sun bursts over the horizion at sunrise? Or the time when a flower is on the brink of blooming and showing all it has to offer? These are great metaphors for the place that our community is quickly approaching.  There's a buzz in our town and it's not just because of the tasty coffee we serve.  It's a mounting sort of energy that can be felt in the downtown district on most days.  It's a hum.....a frequency that's changing.  As a local business, we are sensitive to these changes and beyond excited for growth!

We're all a part of this movement.  It's the culmination of many efforts....past and present.  It's our village working together to foster a healthy, historical downtown district.  You know the African Proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child."  Well, it takes many individuals working together to create a community.  This folks is what's happening.  It's manifesting pretty quickly and dang, it's awesome to be a part of. 

Here comes the gratitude.....we, as a cafe, are proud to be a part of this community.  We feel lucky to serve Port Washington and it's visitors.  In an effort to keep doing this, we know it's important to support our neighbors.  So friends, lets keep moving forward, making connetions and building our community.  Cheers to forward motions. Many thanks to each and everyone of you, for what you do.  Lets keep solving this puzzle together. 

Be Well.  Take Good Care.  Drink Good Coffee.
      

Hand-made Baked Goods, by US!

Did you know that we prepare ALL of the bakery items that you find in our shop? We thought you probably knew, but we weren't toally sure and wanted to ensure that you did!  Loren, Kelly, Caravaughn and myself take turns in the kitchen mixing up all the sweet treats.  This also explains why we keep the bell on the counter; if we're not busy making you a tasty drink, we're likely in the kitchen creating a tasty dessert.  So PLEASE, just 'ring our bell' if we're not behind the counter! 



Sweetie Pies on the Left:  Our signature

 

sweet potato and streusel muffin!

WE take pride in making our own baked goods because this way we get to know exactly what's in them.  There are NEVER any preservatives or ingredients that your grandmother wouldn't recognize.  If you're interested in knowing what's in a particular goody, ask!  I strongly encourage folks to know what they're putting into their system. 

And another thing.....I love feedback.  It really helps me understand what is, or in some cases, what isn't working.  If you love something let us know.  If you dislike something, we gotta know this too.  And on either account, if there's something you think we could do differently to improve, this is highly valuable information!  Please, speak your mind!

Lastly....we have slowly been creeping our way into the world of gluten-free baking.  I experiment with different recipes in my own kitchen and then actualize them at the cafe.  Gluten-free baking is a tricky trade as these alternative flours have vastly different consistancy and density than that of all purpose or whole wheat flour.  So, we continue to learn!

A summery July tart.  Lets dream and
drool for fresh berries that will soon
be here!

VERY IMPORTANT piece of info:  though our gluten-free products are created using gluten-free ingredients, our kitchen is NOT CERTIFIED gluten-free.  This means that we prepare ALL baked goods in the same kitchen.  Our gluten-free product is great for those with gluten-issues/sensitivities and/or folks on a diet, but IT IS NOT destined for those with extreme intolerance.  Again, please ask if you have any questions about any of our goodies.  We'll be happy to answer OR find the answer.

Be Well.  Take Good Care.  Drink Good Coffee.  AND, eat our delicious bakery.  :)

Caravaughn Frizzell: Snappy Dresser, Sweet Soul with a REALLY cool name!

Caravaughn Frizzell is the newest member of our Java Dock Fam.  She's a seriously great addition to the cafe and we're beyond glad to have her around.  You may be familiar with her already.  She is the brightly clad explorer of Port Washington's nooks and crannies;sometimes spotted with a camera around her neck and usually sporting an avante garde outfit.

Some other things you should know about Caravaughn......she is an avid writer and photographer.  Her idols include, but are not limited to Philip Jones Griffith, Dorothea Lang, Trumbo, Albe, and Poe.  Caravaughn is always anticipating her next shot and painstakingly bringing to life her novel of greif, "The Art of Being Haunted" or, perhaps, "Looking Forward to Joining You, Finally"-a Poll Might Be Needed.  

Most importantly this hearty eccentric is always happy to make you your chosen brew.  So come on in and say "Lo!" and she will be glad to teach you her name.