What local businesses do you love?

[hennypenny9]

(If this should be in the Where am I, where are you? section, sorry!)

Share places that you like in your area! We all live in beautiful places, so lets show them off! If it doesn't have a website, describe it! Goodness knows that not all good places are online.

http://www.otionsoap.com/ The Soap Bar. As far as I know, the only soap making supply shop in town! I can buy lye locally, and EOs like mad!

http://www.bellinghamfarmers.org/ Farmer's Market. Only been here once, but oh well, I like it.

http://www.avenuebread.com/about/ Avenue Bread. Although I don't need to buy bread really, I still enjoy their HUGE variety of breads. And they bought a space in a much more convenient location for me, so I don't have to go out of my way.

http://www.gracecafepies.com/ The Grace Cafe. Yes, it's more expensive than I like, and I honestly don't go very often, but they have the BEST garden herb cream cheese! And they aren't stingy about it, either. I have never even ordered anything else there. Just a plain bagel, toasted, with garden herb cream cheese.

http://communityfood.coop/ The Co-op. They sell raw milk, and all sorts of fun stuff.

 

[k0xxx]

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds - Not very local, but close enough the drive over and pick up seeds every year. A very interesting place.

 

[big brown horse]

The Red Bicycle; on Vashon Island, WA

The Ale House; Port Ochard, WA

Manchester Family Inn; Manchester, WA

 

[punkin]

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds - Not very local, but close enough the drive over and pick up seeds every year. A very interesting place.

I am so envious!! They have the most beautiful catalog. I would love to visit them someday.

 

[sylvie]

Breezewood Gardens and Gifts
http://www.breezewoodgardens.com/
Mainly during the Christmas season; it is a very large wonderland of garden themed gifts and decorations simply crammed full. It's a drive for us but we visit each year.

Rabbit Run Theater
http://www.rabbitrunonline.org/history.html
Large barn theater with fabulous plays by local and famous talent. At intermission the doors open to a patio and gardens under the stars. There is a gift shop and refreshments. I've attended every year since 1982.

Harpersfield Winery
http://www.harpersfield.com/
There are many wineries in this rich grape growing area but this one stands out for it's estate grown french styled wines. It also boasts a wood fired brick bread oven turning out baguettes and a massive 6'x8'(opening) fireplace with the most inviting fire I have ever seen. Foods are mainly imported french cheeses and french bistro fare. A bed and breakfast in the room over the winemakers bottling room gives a view of the vineyard with each varietal grape section named after a different saint.

Many outstanding businesses have folded and we were fortunate to have experienced them, like a blink of an eye. It is my hope that these businesses and more weather the economy.

 

[hennypenny9]

Ooh, I've looked at that heirloom place online before!

Sylvie- I worry about some local businesses going under, too. But since this whole sustainable living boom, and especially the Slow Food movement, I think if they have any kind of business savvy they'll survive. Especially in his town, which is very into that kind of thing.

One more from Bellingham!

http://www.boomersdrivein.com/ Boomer's Drive In. This is an old style drive-up burger joint. A bit expensive, but their burgers are GOOD. Not thick, because I don't think the size of the patty is what makes a burger good. Just... A normal-sized yummy burger. And real hard ice cream milk shakes!

 

[OkieAnnie]

Beacon Drive in Theater in Guthrie, OK -
They are a family run/owned place for 3 generations. Family friendly, clean and so cool to take the kids to a Drive In.

Braum's - a local/regional chain. They have burgers and ice cream, milk, butter and other dairy items. They take very good care of their herd of cattle, no hormones, all organic. Very tasty.

Inpirations Tea room . . very expensive, but a nice treat for my daughter and I once every 18 months to 2 years. . . lol.

CrestView Farms. They are down the road from me, have raw dairy products from other local farms, lots of produce, herbs and local honey.

I also us a local food co-op from all over the state.

 

[lupinfarm]

Well, really none of the local shops have websites so I'll have to list, the only two that do aren't LOCAL LOCAL but are privately owned and great stores.

http://www.wiltontack.com - Wilton Tack [ great tack shop, they have EVERYTHING and if they don't have it they'll order it ]

Greenhawk Stirling [ it's part of a chain, but is owned privately by some really cool people, it is actually on a small horse farm outside Stirling and you have to walk past their pastures and barn to get to it and it's really nice being there. They also hand make round pens, gates, feeders, etc. ]

The Farm Meat Shop [ this is by Belleville, it's on a beef farm and also home to Merryville Belgians, their beef is great, they sell eggs and pork as well and they're very nice people, it's all organic too ]

http://bridlepathtack.com - Bridle Path Tack [ family owned, they have two stores now and they're really great, plus their gates are cheaper than TSC ]

http://doublehorseshoe.com - Double Horseshoe Tackshop [ family owned, located near Belleville and what they don't have they will order. very nice people as well! and they will almost always give you a deal on what they order in ]

http://ivanhoecheese.com - Ivanhoe Cheese [local cheese factory, tastiest cheese I have ever had, I *think* that is the website, but I could be wrong lol]

and last but not least, The Mennonite's, because they sell and make amazing bread, candy, and A-MAZING horse run-in sheds, and our local Madoc Co-op and Campbellford Farm Supply.

 

[Iceblink]

Henny- Oh, that makes me homesick. I love Boomers. Their waffle fries are the best. The owners also own the Plush Pooch kennel, I'm not actually recommending it though, it's not a great kennel.

I also know the owner of Otion, she is a nut. Nice, but a nut. She also owns Brambleberry, is that still in business?

Don't forget Mallards Ice Cream, they buy a lot of their ingredients locally and in season. http://www.mallardicecream.com/

The Bagelry is also really good, ( www.thebagelry.biz/) as is Casa Que Pasa, but it isn't as good as when the previous owner was there. Still, you can't beat their potatoe burrito.

Out here in the armpit of America, (can you tell I'm not a happy transplant?) I love the people I get my milk from; Chisholm family farm. www.chisholmfamilyfarm.com/ They have 7 Jersey cows out on pasture. They also sell eggs from their free ranging chickens. I actually just hatched chicks from their eggs.

Bluestem Books www.bluestembooks.com is a wonderful used book store. They specialize in SS, local history, out of print books.

Personal Threads http://www.personalthreads.com/newsite/ is my favorite yarn store. They are kinda spendy, but their yarn isn't the run of the mill acrylic yarn either. In January they have a great sale, so I stock up then.

 

[keljonma]

Breezewood Gardens and Gifts
http://www.breezewoodgardens.com/
Mainly during the Christmas season; it is a very large wonderland of garden themed gifts and decorations simply crammed full. It's a drive for us but we visit each year.

Rabbit Run Theater
http://www.rabbitrunonline.org/history.html
Large barn theater with fabulous plays by local and famous talent. At intermission the doors open to a patio and gardens under the stars. There is a gift shop and refreshments. I've attended every year since 1982.

Harpersfield Winery
http://www.harpersfield.com/
There are many wineries in this rich grape growing area but this one stands out for it's estate grown french styled wines. It also boasts a wood fired brick bread oven turning out baguettes and a massive 6'x8'(opening) fireplace with the most inviting fire I have ever seen. Foods are mainly imported french cheeses and french bistro fare. A bed and breakfast in the room over the winemakers bottling room gives a view of the vineyard with each varietal grape section named after a different saint.

Many outstanding businesses have folded and we were fortunate to have experienced them, like a blink of an eye. It is my hope that these businesses and more weather the economy.

I'm not familiar with Breezewood Gardens and Gifts, sylvie. But I agree with your choices of Rabbit Run and Hapersfield Winery.

While not really close to us (about 2 hrs) I love Kathleen Gips' Village Herb Shop in Chagrin Falls and shop there and online.
http://www.villageherbshop.com/default.aspx

My favorite "local" businesses that are in serious trouble right now are the Ohio Public Library systems. The Governor wants to cut the budget for public libraries by 50%. About 70% of public libraries in Ohio are funded solely by this fund, so cutting the already shrinking budget means library closures, layoffs and cutbacks in hours and materials.