Can green be local

What do you do when you don't have a Whole Foods or Wegmans in your area? How green can you be? Organic fruits are relatively easy to come by, but in small communities, are there really places you can readily buy natural, organic skincare products that don’t have any of the chemicals of the big box brands? Or clothing made in the U.S.? Dog toys that aren’t toxic? Things people were paid a decent wage for?

Of course, there are a lot of online retailers (i.e. Nimli, greenloop) available to everyone. But these places are not like Zappos, where shipping is free.* If you’re like me, who varies in size depending on the brand, that involves a lot of guesswork. When things don’t fit, you have to pay more money to ship it back. I wind up paying $15 in non-refundable shipping costs, just to return a $50 item. So what does Rhode Island offer? I’m not talking about Providence where there’s probably more available, including a Whole Foods. I’m talking about small cities—Aquidneck Island, Jamestown, Narragansett. I keep asking people and they don’t really know. So here’s a couple of the best I’ve discovered thus far.

Green Grocer
where it is: 934 East Main Rd. Portsmouth, RI. 401.683.0007. what I like about it: location and staff. A great option for people who are at the other end of the island—whether they live in Portsmouth or are just hanging out there for the day. Pick up some organic fruits and cheeses and go picnic at Greenvale Vineyards, where they have a jazz and wine tasting Saturday afternoons, May through October. Green Grocer offers healthy, organic foods while supporting the local economy. Among other things, they sell fruits, vegetables, meat, and milk from local farmers. Additionally, the staff is friendly and helpful. And not in that annoying way that prompts me to say “I want to be left to my own devices.” They’re truly nice—the kind of friendly that puts me in a better mood.

Green Envy
what it is: eco-friendly boutique that sells jewelry, handbags, Soy Candles by Phebes, skincare (Farmaesthetic and Bryce lines), hair care products, home goods, and clothing for women, men, and babies. where it is: 223 Goddard Row Newport, RI. 401.619.1993. what I like about it: better for you in all respects. Green Envy isn’t your typical Newport boutique where, when you enter, the shopkeeper gives you an anemic “Hi,” and then returns her attention to the book she clearly finds more interesting than you. Too many shopkeepers aren’t interested in catering to the customer. They think it’s a privilege to let you shop in their overpriced store. Hopefully the recession will force them to be more conscientious of the customer, but in case that doesn’t happen, go to Green Envy. Rachel Lessne, the owner, is always friendly and willing to help. You’ll get a warm hello when you enter and she has a knack for offering up bits and pieces about the products without pestering you. When I notice a solar-powered purse, she’ll tell me who makes it, how it works—giving me all the information without the pressure to buy it. Everything in the shop is not only eco-friendly, organic, or fair trade, but reasonably priced. If something is expensive, it’s not because she marked it up extraordinarily; it’s because utilizing organic materials or fair trade practices costs that much. A great place for birthday and hostess gifts, plus it’s the best kind of shopping experience you can have: one that supports your health, the environment, the community, and your wallet.

I hope this sparks people’s curiosity to go explore Rhode Island’s green scene on their own and share what they find, good or bad, on Rhode Tripping.

*TOMS offers free shipping in the U.S. though I could not find on their website if that means free returns as well. Greenloop currently offers $5 shipping and free returns, according to their website.

Hendrika's Cafe

Few places can give you that feeling of warmth and sunshine when it’s cold and grey outside. Hendrika’s Café & Coffee, on the corner of Broadway and Farewell is one of those places that can. The café’s giant paned windows let in a lot of light and remind you of a sunroom. The walls are a warm, golden yellow so that even when it’s cloudy outside, it seems sunny inside. Little wooden tables and chairs fill the main room. Adjoining it is another room with more 60s-style tables and chairs. Each has its own vibe, but it’s the main room that I like best. A counter with stools divides the room in half, separating the kitchen—which occupies the back half of the room—from the little tables and chairs that occupy the front half. A long strip of blackboard runs above the counter, just below the ceiling. In sweet, slightly cursive handwriting the drink offerings are listed in different colors of chalk and accompanied by drawings of cups and saucers.

The menu is not extensive but it feels complete, covering all the bases for lunch and breakfast. Everything is made in-house that day—a big thing for me since I once worked at a place in town, where nothing was made on-site, but ordered days in advance from some deli or catering company. At Hendrika’s, the owner gets in around six every morning to start work on that day’s soup offerings.

So many times I want something fresh, homemade and moderately priced for lunch, but it’s hard to satisfy all of those requirements. Inevitably, quality and tastiness become secondary to cost. At Hendrika’s, I don’t have to make a choice between the two; the menu is reasonably-priced. I love when I can get a pot of tea for a $1.65. Breakfast is served all day long and for $3.50, you can get two eggs, any style, with toast and fruit. Sandwiches are $6-7 and they come with pasta salad and a pickle. The Parisian is good. A layer of caramelized apples is spread on French bread; warm ham and brie are served on top with spicy mustard.

In addition to serving breakfast and lunch, they have a wide array of drink selections. Just about anything can be taken to-go. The place is so inviting though, you may just want to stay. I once sat contently at a corner table for an hour and a half with a notebook, a bowl of split pea soup, and a small pot of English Breakfast. I stayed there, writing, until my tea was completely gone—and no one seemed to mind. That’s the kind of place it is. Previously, I’ve blogged about my quest to find “a spot.” Hendrika’s is the closest thing I can find to that in Newport.

A spot

Where can I get a cup of coffee in Newport? I’m not talking literally about a cup of coffee. In fact, I don’t even drink coffee. I’m talking about a spot. A space that is good both for hanging out and getting work done. When I need a change of environment and my living room has ceased to be a place of productivity. Now, some Starbucks I don’t mind, but the one on Thames Street is particularly generic and loud. It’s fine for getting a frappuccino to-go during summer. But when you want to pick out a table, open up your computer or a good book, and drink your coffee in a mug instead of a paper cup—well, Starbucks falls short there. The cappuccino machine sounds miked and the tables have that wiped-down-with-water look, complete with the leftover greasy residue of former coffee rings. When you spread your stuff out on the table, you discover the sticky remnants of the previous grande vanilla with no foam latte.

I don’t want to pick on Starbucks. Any company that requires employees work a minimum of twenty hours to receive health benefits sounds commendable to me. And they have the perkiest employees, which only bolsters my impression that they’re treating their people right. Plus, they’re not the only ones guilty of the sticky-table-syndrome.

While I don’t have the same gripes with Empire Tea & Coffee that I do with Starbucks, my trip there left me wanting more. The white banner strung up outside, advertising free wireless, gives the impression that the place just opened up. You walk in to a dark space, made no better by the eggplant-colored walls. I came here looking to get some work done, but this place looks like a bedroom whose shades have been drawn in the middle of the afternoon. Suddenly, I feel like taking a nap.

The only good thing I can say about the menu is there are a lot of drink offerings. Good luck finding them. The menu is set up more like newspaper advertisements than a menu, with everything columned and boxed off. Black, green, and herbal teas are separated out nicely, but then the three “empire original blends” are highlighted in a big box on another page, the bubble teas are mentioned but not listed (you have to ask for another menu for those), and I think I saw chai tea somewhere but I can’t remember where now. If you’re hungry, forget it. Wraps are mentioned on the big board above the counter—as in, “we do wraps.” Aside from that there’s no evidence of a food menu. The cookies, muffins, and bagels you see in the glass jars on the counter are the only indicators of what’s available. After poring over the menu with furrowed brow, I order a cup of English Breakfast and a chocolate chip cookie for here. My tea arrives a minute later in a paper cup, complete with plastic lid.

For seating, you have your choice of Ikea-like tables and chairs or corduroy and madras couches. The table-and-chair sets are great in terms of look and feel, though some are guilty of the sticky-table-syndrome. I set up camp at a table with minimal residue. The tea is good, though not the best English Breakfast I’ve ever had, and their chocolate chip cookies are decent.

Take away the backdrop of dark walls and a confusing menu and Empire Tea & Coffee isn’t bad; however, it’s not the spot I’m searching for.