root hill meets ivy bakery

About eight years ago, Daniellan opened up Ivy Bakery (www.ivybakery.com) in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.  It was the tiny bake shop off of third avenue that pumped out amazing small batches of organic sweets like nothing Bay Ridge had every seen before.

She also sold some really good coffee.

And the coffee is what brought Michelle, from Root Hill Cafe and Daniellan together.

Root Hill was still about a year away from opening –

   Michelle had a lot more time on her hands.

She was always on the lookout for a good cup of coffee in her neighborhood.  On her daily walks with her dog she would stop for coffee - everywhere.

It was with great pleasure that she finally discovered Ivy Bakery.

A friendship was born.

Once Root Hill opened, Ivy Bakery and Root Hill tried to work together.  The timing was never right.

They kept up on each other's goings on and time passed.

One day Daniellan stopped by Root Hill with big news - she was closing up Bay Ridge and re-opening in a big brand new space on Houston Street - just blocks away from where she grew up! - Ivy Bakery was going home.

Ivy Bakery & Root Hill lost track of each other for a while. Each busy doing what small businesses do -

   growing, stretching, creating, struggling..

Then one spring-like night last March while Michelle was walking her dog on Third Ave, at the exact corner where she had first met Daniallan eight years earlier– she walked right into her.

It had been a long time.

Daniellian had just closed her SOHO shop and was thinking about her future.  Michelle, was doing the same.

Cut to: Five months later when Maria, Michelle and Andrew started planning root hill’s return. 

They wanted to partner up with someone that they knew, someone that had a similar vision. 

Hmmmm. 

  Daniellan?

Michelle hung up and called Daniellan. 

Daniellan said she had spent that entire morning calling realtors about spaces. She was ready to start again.

Funny how things work, huh? 

Think of us now as a hybrid of amazing desserts and kick ass coffee and then some..

Root Hill Cafe is front of the house, come in and enjoy amazing coffee, loose teas, breakfast, sandwiches, smoothies and pastries.  Ivy Bakery is back of the house, baking her famous Butter Gooies, Tres Leches, Pies, and desserts that are rotated into Root Hill Cafe's Daily Menu. 

For Ivy the primary focus will be custom orders, catering, and classes. So drop in to say hello, have  an espresso drink (check out our roaster! http://www.nobletreecoffee.com), try our amazing sweets, place an order for your holiday pies, birthday cakes or take a cooking or baking class!  And by the way - MORE TO COME!

Hope all is well and look forward to seeing you at IVY@RHC.

Gift certificates available!

root hill in transition

It's Summertime
It's been a long Winter

It's a good time to Breathe
And that's what we're doing

We're taking a break from the daily Grind.

Check here, our front window, twitter or facebook for Updates.

Lov.

                                                

About two years ago while sitting with some friends in root hill cafe the topic of our next 'thing' came up.  As all things do at root hill, one thing led to another, the idea was born and these friends became our partners. We found the space to do it in - and it happened to be three doors down.

Many hours of planning and eating and building later - two days before Thanksgiving and a week after NYC's worst storm in any of our memories -  we opened our doors.

We're making handcrafted burgers using the area's finest breads, highest quality meats and freshest vegetables to evoke timeless flavors..all inspired by each of our family histories.

Have a look at our new website and stop on by when you're feeling like having something special...

www.roothillburger.com 

WAVES and OBJECTS in SPACE

With the lazy days of August bringing our summer to the finish line we thought we'd take a pause to stare out at the waves and dream about the places we've been and the ones we'll go to next.

Rebecca Wolf and Lisa Kaiser, the two artists we have chosen to take us on this last summer's journey are long standing Gowanus and Park Slope residents.

Waves. the sound of waves on a shore. The circular motion. The strength of motion from soft water. Motion of light across a surface. Stillness within motion, motion within stillness. Color sliding into color. Art is the choices that are made in each moment, making a whole. Balance. Art is part of  life. Sometimes more sometimes less. Clay or drawing or painting or mixing it all up. Sometimes just looking, absorbing. It ebbs and flows. It is easy, it is hard. 

 
Rebecca Wolf, the artist behind WAVES describes herself as "an artist and a mother living in Gowanus and playing at Tai Chi." Her pieces have been seen in many individual and group shows throughout New York: in Catskill, Windham, Athens and Cooperstown; the Salamagundi Club, Tompkins Square Library, 80 Washington Square East Gallery and the Hudson Guild Gallery; her work has been sold at such places as: the G.K. Framing Group, Objects Of Bright Pride and the Whitney Museum Store Next Door.

Rebecca's work is for sale and she can be contacted through her email: Bexwolf@verizon.net

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Lisa Kaiser,  the creator behind OBJECTS IN SPACE ponders "why we make marks on walls and attempt likenesses and pretend to trap time?"  Objects in Space are magical moments. They portray the mystery of the objects/subjects, the layered feelings that the artist feels. Her quest to make them into an image outside herself, to preserve her interpretation of an intangible reality. Trying to figure out pigment enough to portray light brings her closer to understanding the mystery and emotional power of color.

Lisa's work has been shown throughout New York, The Netherlands, France, Italy and Ohio. Lisa's paintings are for sale, please visit her website: http://www.lisakaiser.com/index.html

You can see WAVES and OBJECTS in SPACE in Root Hill through the middle of September.  

PRESENT

Fabian Palencia is an American photographer based in Brooklyn, New York.  His work is a daily recording of life in the city.   He seeks to capture people as they are going about their lives.

"This collection of work is titled 'Present', as it is subjects I was able to photograph by constantly staying present in the moment as I went about my business, always with my finger on the shutter release.  Street photography is the foundation of all my work, it is connecting with people and establishing a relationship through the lens that drives my creativity."

Fabian's work can be seen at root hill through the beginning of July.

You can follow Fabian's work at www.fabianpalencia.tumblr.com and www.bondwerx.tumblr.com

COLD-brewed vs. HOT-to-ice brewed ice'd coffee

http://culture.wnyc.org/articles/features/2012/jun/04/hot-debate-over-cold-brewed-coffee/

ROOT HILL CAFE'S FEATURED ARTIST: KATHERINE GRESSEL REARVIEWS: BROOKLYN

Katherine Gressel's scenes from moving vehicles aim to show the tension between the safe, stable inside of a vehicle and the fluctuating, transient, and sometimes unrecognizable landscapes seen over the course of one ride. The work in Rearviews: Brooklyn investigates issues of development, nostalgia, and branding in her current home of Brooklyn (and in particular the changing neighborhoods of Park Slope/Gowanus and Downtown Brooklyn/DUMBO). Katherine juxtaposes views of contemporary transitional public spaces seen from car windows with images of new buildings in progress and their visual advertising campaigns. She appropriates historic Brooklyn images (including old Brooklyn real estate ads), to show both contrasts and connections between past, present, and future perceptions of Brooklyn. 

Katherine is an artist, writer and curator based in Park Slope, Brooklyn. In addition to painting the Root Hill Cafe mural in 2009, Katherine has exhibited her artwork at such venues as the Brooklyn Arts Council gallery, Brooklyn Public Library, City Without Walls in Newark, and the 2010 FIGMENT season-long sculpture garden on Governors Island. She was a 2008 Abbey Mural Fellow at the National Academy of Fine Arts and a 2009 CEC ArtsLink travel grantee to do public art projects in Russia. She currently serves as Programs Manager at Smack Mellon gallery, and is also currently curating exhibits at Brooklyn’s Old Stone House and FIGMENT 2012 on Governors Island. Katherine also works as a live event painter, capturing scenes of weddings, fundraisers and other private parties. 

Please visit www.katherinegressel.com for more information.

Gowanus Corners

In honor of Root Hill Cafe's upcoming 4year anniversary, the RHC Arts Series is celebrating not only the neighborhood's vibrant local arts community, but also the unique industrial landscape that inspires it.

This month, don't miss "GOWANUS CORNERS," a photo exhibit by local artist  Donna Schneiderman, whose love for Gowanus grew over the past 10 years.

"Along my daily travels between home, school, work and back again, I adopted particular corners and buildings as quiet companions," said Schneiderman. "Most of these structures no longer stand sentry – having been demolished or renovated as part of the ongoing (re)development of the neighborhood."

Her exhibit at Root Hill captures a moment in Gowanus before many changes took hold, with a focus on light, color, shapes and shadows during "a fleeting phase when children were younger and days were defined by crossings of the Gowanus Canal."

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Originally from Ohio and then New Jersey, serendipity brought Donna to Carroll Gardens in 1986. Her photos combine two loves – vintage cameras and neighborhood discoveries, utilizing low-tech cameras, forgotten film formats and large darkroom prints to best capture the treasured pockets in and around Red Hook, Gowanus, and Coney Island. For more on Donna Schneiderman, visit her website.

Artists previously featured as part of the RHC Arts Series include Caleb Crawford, Frank Ishman, Lourdes Sánchez and Percy Aguayo

Rose-Emma is a contender!

Photo by Stefano Giovannini

Rose-Emma uses a sword to make latte art

Love is in the Air

Love is in the air in Gowanus, Root Hill Cafe continues its ongoing series celebrating local art with a new exhibit by Brooklyn-based artist and architect Caleb Crawford. His collection of hand-drawn Valentine’s Day cards, saved over the past 10 years, began as a tribute to “the two women in his life,” his wife Annie, and 14-year-old daughter, Madeline. 

“The cards are a parallel to a series of drawings I variously call Form Poems, Autodidactic Drawings, and Useless Drawings,” Crawford said of his work. “These Valentines are confections. Their sole intent is delight.”  

Because they were gifts, the original drawings displayed are not for sale, but framed copies, as well as postcard sets of 10, are available for purchase at Root Hill through the end of February. Custom drawings can be commissioned for Valentine’s Day, birthdays and anniversaries.  

Caleb Crawford is a practicing artist and architect living and working in Brooklyn. He is a graduate of Pratt Institute and SCI-Arc in LA. To learn more about Caleb Crawford, or to commission his work, visit his  blog and website.  

Crawford’s wife of 18 years, renowned artist and designer Annie Coggan, recently displayed her own work as part of the RHC Arts Series in a 3D exhibit, "The Chair Show." Other local artists previously featured in the space include  Frank Ishman, Lourdes Sánchez and  Percy Aguayo.

Winter Time

Holiday Hours

The Best Gift Idea Ever!

Ok, so we have the perfect gift for your coffee crazed friend or family member! 

This is our Gift Certificate: 

This glorious form of currency can be any amount you desire. It can be used to purchase anyone of our coffee or expresso drinks made by our fabulous baristas.... or be used to grab a bag of the new Root Hill Blend! It can also be used to purchase a sweet pastry in the morning or something savory in the afternoon. It is the ultimate gift. 

Here it is again in a different light. 

Just look at it! It's so pretty! 

Don't just think of it as a slender piece of paper with a really cool looking design on it, but view it as an opportunity for its recipient to get a sip or bite of pure goodness.

People will totally be envious of this gift, so it's best to go ahead a get a few so none of your friends or family get jealous.

Happy Holidays!

Take us with you

Next week many of you will be heading off to see your family and friends in other parts of the world. You should know that we will miss you very much. We will miss seeing your sleepy-eyed faces in the morning and your awake selves in the evening; we will miss the brief conversations we have that give us an insight into your exciting day; we will miss the simple nod or tip of the hat from some of you; and we will really miss that smile you give after your first sip of coffee. All of this means so much and that smile in particular means that all our hard work has been worth it. But we understand you have to go away, so why not take something with you... something that will make us both smile.
How about your very own Root Hill Coffee...

What's inside is a blend that's a little bit artist, a little bit city, and made with a whole lot of love. Grab the very first bag of the Root Hill Blend today!

Art Up: Annie Coggan

If you stop by this week you will immediately notice something different about the our space. Hung along the north wall is a row of wooden chairs all painted with light blue. Some parts of these chairs are painted with green, yellow, & red; some parts of these chairs have been replaced by seemingly unrelated objects.

So what's the deal? Is Root Hill becoming a furniture store? No, these beautiful pieces are created by artist and designer Annie Coggan, who's work we'll be featuring this month. Annie Coggan work uses furniture as a means of story telling. Her work personifies everyday objects, in order to give them a whole new meaning. Her work has been shown nationwide and she has been noted by Interior Design Magazine, Design Sponge, Bloesem, and Yatzer, to name a few.

Come by and see this very unique neo-folk art.

You've earned it

You've had a busy post-holiday week and you deserve something special. There is a mountain of muffins available or something else rewarding for all your hard work this week. Come by and enjoy!

If you're not in too much of a rush or even in a tired haze you might want to considered justing down and enjoying your treat. This is what you do: grab a treat, grab a coffee, and just stare out our large window. Do a little people watching... and then, if you really have to, go rush off to your day. 

Interview with photographer Frank Ishman

Over the past month we have had the honor of showing 'Visibility' from international photographer Frank Ishman. Frank has worked for a wide variety of clients such as: Paramount Motion Pictures, Flux Magazine, International Rescue Committee, American Cancer Society, Bank of America and JDC. Frank's style has a very unique quality that somehow transcends the flatness of a 2D medium. He illustrates the emotional state of his subjects and then compels the viewer to identify with it. We had the pleasure of talking to Frank about 'Visibility', his travels, and how he captures his art.

Can you tell us about 'Visibility' now up at Root Hill Cafe?

[It's] Redondo Beach, California. I was out there showing my book and going to meetings, [while] staying with a friend. One thing I had to do [for my friend] was walk his dog. I got up in the morning and tried to figure out where I was taking the dog. The first few times I went out it was later in the day, so it didn't really look like those images [from 'Visibility']. One morning I got up really early…went down to a pier and there was this magical sort of thing happening. So, I ran the dog back to the house and grabbed my camera…. And then started shooting. For four days after that I took pictures every morning. It's this, sort of, reveal from every single day; as the fog opened up, I'd see something different…. It was really organic, and it just happened.

How did you arrive at the title for the series?

Initially it was walking into perfect lighting conditions; not necessarily with perfect backgrounds…. [T]he atmosphere and mother nature kind of showed me what it wanted me to see. I really wasn't seeking anything out. I shot images where it was completely clouded over…and you couldn't see anything through the fog…. But then, I shot some where it was just perfect. I'd look one way, but it wouldn't work, and then turn and it would be like "that's it!"  Everyday certain things were visible and certain things weren't. That's where the title came from…'Visibility'. It's kind of turned into something I want to do in Detroit, Boston, [and] Atlanta. …[I'll] go out in the morning or at night just when it's dark… and capture what can kind of be seen.

How do you get your shots? 

I usually see the shot before I put the camera up to my eye…. I want to take the picture fast enough so I can get what I am seeing, even if it's a guesstimate of what I think is going to happen. I feel a rush playing 'beat the clock'. I can kind of see a scene unfold and it's like (hand gestures taking a photo) I need to be there for it….  It was magical in a sense that the first two images [in 'Visibility'] were kind of unexpected. It's the world of digital, you know…you don't have to go to a lab to process. I immediately saw the image on the screen, and I started working backwards…. 

I see shots left and right. I don't really stop and think about exposure. I just pick [the camera] up and know this feels 'more silhouetted' or 'this feels more open' or 'this could be a good exposure…and it just happens.

What do you shoot with? 

For ['Visibility'] I shot with LEICA digital M8. I also shoot with Hasselblad with digital back; I shoot with a 4 x 5 with a digital back...I shoot with everything really. The newest one I shoot with is a Fuji X100. 

You seem to travel a lot. Where do you like shooting the most? 

India and Ireland. I lived in India for a year. Lived in London for three years, but went to Ireland a bit…. When I look now at ['Visibility'], it kind of looks like Ring of Kerry or around that area…. Although the pallette of the places that I love has little to do with what I shoot…. I would say the influences are more personal.  It's that initial feeling I get from a shot or it's something I've read or seen…. It's a feeling [that] I try to capture.

Frank's work will only be up for another week so stop by and check it out. 

You can see more of Frank's photography and film work at: FrankIshman.com

Thanksgivin'

We will be closed for Thanksgiving, but re-open at 8:30a on Friday to get you going before you go shopping, sleeping, or whatever!

Get Ready with a Sloppy Joe

Okay, so you know you're going to eat a lot on Thursdays. Which is fine because it's Thanksgiving! the holiday / sporting event where you eat... and eat... and eat. Like all sporting events you really should prepare yourself physically.
But how does one prepare for the throes of a turkey (fo-turkey) and pie eating marathon?
Well, you eat something substantial a day or two before the event!
And boy do we have something substantial for you to sink your teeth into.

This is our Sloppy Joe!

This dish is no joke, it has all the sloppiness that comes with a normal sloppy joe...

...along with mashed potatoes and a pickle on the side!

Root Hill is here to get you ready for your food marathon! Come by and be prepared for the holiday!

No Impact Friday

It's No Impact Friday!!! Those participating will receive a free small coffee or tea with a food purchase because your fantastic. Keep walking and keep ridding!

To find out more about the event or to enter to win a signed copy of the book No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet, and the Discoveries He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process check out www.GoGreenStrees.org