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 Some parts of these chairs are painted with green, yellow, & red; some parts of these chairs have been replaced by seemingly unrelated objects.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

Little Tart

It can fit in the palm of your hand. It's like a pie only more compact. It's so tasty that you may need more than one. It's an Apple Tart!

It's made with fresh Granny Smith apples with sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon... placed in a Breton crust which is like a sugar cookie.

So, let's review...
-fresh apples that are caramelized
-mixed with sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon
-placed in a sugar cookie!

It's clearly impossible to resist, so you better grab one quick!