Page 11 - Indulge December 2017

have vegetarians, vegans, gluten free-ers and Opposite page, Frenchtown Bridge; Above, clockwise: Frenchtown Inn; The Book Garden;
meat eaters, and we love to feed each other,” and Early Bird Espresso & Mercantile. Photos by Shannon Sigafoos
says Lovin’ Oven owner Julie Klein. “We are
inspired by the terroir of our area, with so “While we do get advice from people enjoyed their visit whether they
many wonderful farms and food artisans. We
try to source the very best local produce, representatives of different publishing made a purchase or not, and had a few
meats, cheeses and honey, and do as little
as possible to them to let the ingredients houses and all of the top 10 lists, for us it is good laughs!”
shine. We truly believe you are what you eat,
so we always think healthy, without losing often times better to listen to our customers Get to know Frenchtown’s other
the delicious part.”
— to find out what they are interested in, and business owners by stopping into shops like
When you’re through with a delicious
meal at Lovin’ Oven, stop in next door to try to stock those items,” says Rando. “The Modern Love (vintage and modern goods
check out the area’s newest must-visit space,
ArtYard. The two businesses share one large most rewarding part of coming to work every and wares); Dalla Terra (home décor and
industrial building, with ArtYard approaching
the one-year anniversary since it opened in day has been becoming friends with many of accessories); B Mila Shop (clothing, jewelry
December 2016 as a creative incubator and
artistic laboratory embracing a broad range the regulars and learning enough of the trade and accessories primarily from Europe);
of expressive media. ArtYard is an art gallery
but also offers space to hold film, music, to actually be helpful.” Minnette’s Candies; Sunbeam General Store
poetry, dance and collaborative events. The
key idea was to make it a community place Shop owners around town are among the (river supplies, dry goods, snacks, drinks
where art is invented, ideas are exchanged,
and relationships between artists are formed. first to tell you how regulars in their stores and more); and Grouse Studios (pottery
Visitors can check out artyard.org for a
calendar of upcoming events and current become friends over time. Nicki Meyer, who sinks, hand-painted furniture and sterling
exhibitions and projects at this unique space.
owns the clothing store River Gypsy, has silver jewelry). Frenchtown’s retailers, like
Speaking of unique, no trip into
Frenchtown can be complete without been in retail for 29 years and enjoys the the town itself, really have something for
browsing the shops that line Bridge Street —
and this is particularly true if you’re looking interaction with her customers as much as everyone — the area is hip, quirky, quaint,
for a knockout gift for the holiday season.
Whether you’re searching for clothes, books, she does finding American-made and Fair creative and filled with personality.
décor, jewelry, crafts or candy, the town
has it all. Book lovers will be drawn to the Trade brands and products to stock in the “Being a part of the Frenchtown
colorful steps (each painted as a different
classic book spine) leading up to The Book shop. River Gypsy also carries jewelry, bags, community is a dream. Everyone here is very
Garden. The shop provides the coziest of
atmospheres for browsing an eclectic mix of beauty products, signs, gifts and more. supportive, loving and inspiring,” says Klein.
books in a variety of categories, and is also a
great place to find literary-inspired shirts and “Brands and products truly depend on “There are so many community members
collectibles, plus candles, motivational quote
boxes and other unique gifts. The Book the look, the price, the quality and the doing amazing, creative and important things,
Garden has been in Frenchtown for 18 years,
but has been operated by owners Caroline company I’m dealing with. I try to provide and we feel lucky to be amongst them.”
Scutt and Robert Rando since 2012.
the best fabrics — comfort that lasts,” “Frenchtown is for people who do not
“Deciding on what to stock is always
a challenge. We try to carry a mix of new says Meyer. “The greatest reward is seeing want to feel pressure for maybe just a day,”
reads and older favorites, and we are huge
on supporting local crafters, artists and of my customers having fun and enjoying says Meyer. “Stop by, have delicious food,
course authors,” says Scutt. “Most rewarding
for me has been our ability to bring the everything they purchase. At the end of and enjoy a quaint old time town with nature
community together in so many ways.”
the day, what makes me feel good is when all around you.”

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