How many coffee shops can the village of Liverpool sustain?
We already sip java at Cafe at 407, Freedom of Espresso, the Regional Donut Authority and JT’s Creamery and Café, and sometime soon Dunkin’ Donuts will open for business with its controversial drive-thru at 105 Second St.
Now another looks to join the fray.
Hope Café Coffee and Tea House celebrated a grand opening on Aug. 18, at No. 5 Village Mall, 305 Vine St., across the street from The Retreat.
Like Café at 407 which supports the good work of Ophelia’s Place, the Hope Café financially supports a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, The People Project, which legally operates under the name Shekinah Gloria Ministries, Inc. The People Project, which partners with the Assembly of God church, runs a community center at 101 Lionel Ave. in Syracuse, and also reportedly aids needy people in faraway nations such as Kenya and Pakistan; peopleprojectinc.com.
Peruvian influence
Hope Café boasts a fusion of Peruvian, Italian and American food and drinks and other international favorites. For instance, emolientes are homemade teas, which are used as holistic medicine in South America. A staple of street food in Perú, and all over South America, the homemade barley-based tea can be mixed with the essence of various different herbs, sweeteners. The café also offers whole-leaf Japanese-style teas.
A specialty of the new coffeehouse is “esencia de cafe,” a smoother, more caffeinated version of an espresso shot.
Hungry patrons can order Belgian liege waffles made with caramelized imported pearl sugar, several types of sandwiches and guacamole with chips. Peruvian empanadas are made with your choice of ground beef, Buffalo wings, or barbecued pulled pork.
Lynn Oatman, who lives in Liverpool, enjoyed Hope’s “great food, with a Hispanic flair.” She described the shop as family-friendly and artistically ambitious. “They have music on Friday nights,” she reported.
For info, visit hopecafeandtea.com, or call (315) 400-7717.
House at 807 update
Eight of the nine apartments for seniors at the House at 807 are for single tenants. But beginning Sept. 1, the senior-living facility at 807 Oswego St. will offer an apartment designed for a couple.
“We’ve been in business for 20 years now, and this is the first time we’ve been able to accommodate a couple,” said Jon Zappola, the former Liverpool mayor who’s now the chairman of the village housing authority.
While the House at 807 is not an “assisted living” facility, it does provide room and board, cable television and air conditioning, and it’s affordable. There’s no lease, and no deposit.
For prices and a tour of the house, contact house manager Sandy Clakeley at (315) 457-1334, or give Jon a jingle at (315) 382-7442.
Guitar god at Gathering
Former lead guitarist for the Jamaican reggae band Black Uhuru, Frank Stepanek, performed at the Gathering Lounge open mic on Tuesday, July 18. Stepanek picks a spectacular-looking and sounding instrument, a glossy black Concorde-style Jackson Rhoads Flying V electric guitar. The Gathering Lounge is located at 7871 Oswego Road (Route 57); (315) 652-3595.
Tiny trees
The Japanese and Chinese tradition of cultivating bonsai trees goes back more than 1,000 years. Rather than growing genetically dwarfed trees, bonsai enthusiasts grow tiny trees from regular stock and seeds. Bonsai uses cultivation techniques such as pruning, root reduction, potting, defoliation and grafting to produce small trees that mimic the shape and style of mature, full-size trees.
The Liverpool Public Library Bonsai Show is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 9, and Sunday, Sept. 10, beginning at noon each day in the Carman Community Room. Bonsai Club of CNY will display a variety of bonsai trees in different shapes and styles. There will also be a raffle and a sale of bonsai and bonsai-related items such as accent plants, pots and stands.
Club members will be available for questions and the public is welcome to bring in their own tree for advice. For info, call the Bonsai Club at (315) 652-5842.
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