“emily hugs trees” Bags at the Fine Grind: Repurposed Coffee Sacks
Emily Youngberg of emily hugs trees lives in Little Falls, NJ, and is the pastor of First Reformed Church. Being committed to all things recycled, composted, and/or reclaimed from landfills, Emily began obtaining the 100-lb jute coffee sacks that come to roasters full of green coffee beans from The Fine Grind, which were otherwise dumpster-bound. On her home sewing machine, she shapes and sews those jute bags into totes and cross-body bags, using only second-hand or vintage material for the liner and straps. Even the thread is thrifted! So come down to the Fine Grind Coffee Bar for your pick-me-up cup of coffee—then buy the bag it came in!
Rosa L. Huitzitzilin: A Reflection of the Soul
Rosa is an artist whose strong cultural roots are channeled into her work. She believes in art as a “universal language” that allows communication among all forms of being. Check out her work on display TFG this month. Her brief artistic biography is included below.
Meet Patrick Barile, TFG’s newest staff addition!
Patrick Barile, a Clifton native, has been around the block a few times, but luckily for The Fine Grind Coffee Bar in Little Falls, he ended up in their cozy kitchen. Barile grew up cooking Italian specialties with his mother and grandmother and started working in the food service business at the tender age of 14, learning to make classic sauces at a local pizzeria.
Anonymous asked: Would it be possible to stop charging for soy milk? I have to use soy milk in my beverages, rather than dairy milk, due to an allergy, not by lifestyle choice.
I feel your pain!! I too have a dairy allergy (and gluten) so I understand your -allergy free alternatives can be costly. Unfortunately, costs are high from the suppliers too. Soy Milk costs 30% more than whole milk. The costs of dairy, coffee & cups have all gone up significantly in the past year and I haven’t raised my prices. So I hope you understand why I can’t absorb the cost of the soy milk at this time. BTW - if you like almond milk, ask for it when you come in. It’s not on the menu but we have it almost all of the time. It’s the same cost as soy but I personally prefer it over soy. Feel free to contact me if you have any more questions: rhonda@tfgcoffee.com. Thanks for your inquiry!
Inside TFG Music: Side Street Steve Broz
Age: 65
Music Style/Genre: Campfire / Back porch sing-a-long
How long have you been performing?: Many moons.
Why do you like performing at TFG?: The great staff and the friendly atmosphere!
A little more about yourself?…
I just started performing on my own and playing the mandolin this past year or two. I perform weekly at the Lyons VA Hospital, I played guitar for the group “The Random Band.” Now I play mandolin and guitar for the group “Talking Tattoo’s,” all of whom perform at TFG from time to time.
Anonymous asked: what kind of groups do you have come in for live entertainment? do you hire them for one night? do they have to audition first?
The musicians that perform here on Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons are local performers that perform a variety of music styles. Generally the Saturday afternoon show is a little more mellow, like a jazz or acoustic show. Musicians who are interested in performing can drop off a CD or email us a link to any online music. The other option is to come to our Open Mic on Sunday night to “audition”. Just make sure you ask for me (Rhonda) when you get here. Feel free to contact me if you have any more questions: rhonda@tfgcoffee.com. Thanks for your inquiry!
Inside TFG Music: Peter Vandenber
Age: 56
Hometown: North Caldwell
Music Style/Genre: The cool stuff
Inspiration?: BUDDHA
How long have you been performing?: 50 years
What’s your favorite part of performing at TFG?: The friends
A little more about yourself?: I play drums, guitar, and bass. I write, drive a truck, and perform regularly at TFG open mics!
(attached picture is a self portrait)
Lisa gets down and dirty planting our new Japanese Aucubas. Give them look next time you stop by the store! You can read more about Aucubas here.
Love at Table 34
Alex, from Little Falls, is a fairy large man with multiple tattoos and several piercings, and as we’ve come to find out, a heart of gold. These are the attributes that initially attracted a young lady named Tara, (more on her later) a teacher from Hawthorne. The two first met at a Beefsteak and Comedy night at the Brownstone in Paterson. Alex was invited by his Uncle who was supposed to bring his cousin, but the cousin unfortunately had a sword swallowing event and couldn’t attend (We can’t make this stuff up).
September’s Art: Sketches of the Heart
Samantha Ament is proud to present her collection of drawings entitled “Sketches of the Heart.” It will on display at The Fine Grind for the month of September. Each drawing symbolizes an emotion or time in life that everyone goes through whether it be feeling out of place, having a broken heart, or achieving inner peace. Each piece of work is hand drawn and detailed with pencils, colored pencils, or acrylic paint.
Click below to read more about Samantha and her art. Check out her display in-store and look out for her drawings here on the blog throughout the month of September.
