Ask And Ye Shall...
Mere days after wishing for, in essence, a coffeehouse with beer, TBL unwittingly wandered into just such a place!
Common Roots Cafe, on the northwest corner of 26th & Lyndale, has soups, salads, sandwiches, bagels, pastries, other breakfasty things, coffee drinks and...beer and wine! Oh, but it gets better, dear readers.
They use local ingredients, compost their food waste (there's a special bin for customers to tip their own uneaten portions into), and serve Peace Coffee, which is a line of fair trade organic coffees from a company based right here in Minneapolis. The tap beers were all local brews when I was there--two from the new Surly Brewery in Brooklyn Center, an organic ale from Flat Earth in St. Paul, and do-gooder beer Finnegan's from St. Paul mega-brewer Summit. All the wines listed on their online menu are regional and/or fair trade. The lighting is good and the furnishings simple. Alas, no couches. And last but not least, the menu is vegetarian-friendly.
Helpful reader Douglas suggests, in the comments to the original post, Arcadia Cafe on Franklin and Nicollet as another place where one can get a drink or two without having to navigate the bar scene. TBL has not been there yet.
5 rejoinders:
That sounds like a wonderful place. Do they, perchance, have a small boutique attached that sells shoes and clothes made in the USA for fair wages and under good working conditions? (I hope that didn't sound flippant. I didn't mean for it to.)
I forgot about Common Roots...that fits the bill pretty well, also.
Let us know how Arcadia works out if you go.
Another option is the Riverview Cafe & Wine Bar (38th St & 42nd Ave). The wine bar is more like a casual bar, but the cafe has the coffee shop vibe. Easy to buy a glass, bottle or pint at the bar and bring it across to the cafe.
Local musicians on the weekends. And couches!
Tricia,
No, they do not, but perhaps you should send them an email? I think there's a link on their website. If they do well, perhaps they will want to expand!
The Wedge Co-op, just up the street, does have some Fair Trade clothing and jewelry.
RP2008,
Thanks for the tip!
arcadia is a great place.
and I shall check out common roots.
What else is there to do when baseball isnt on? Go drink and eat veggie foods. Mmmm.
Go On, Spit It Out