with the closing of la prima espresso on liberty avenue over the summer, downtown workers were sent scattering along sidewalks searching for a decent alternative. the obvious choice was starbucks, but for those of us seeking to support local business the search was not over. luckily for me there’s a coffee connoisseur in my office and he directed me to DonnaLisa’s. Located on the first floor of the union trust building [521 grant street], DL’s is a small shop offering quality products such as fair trade and organic coffees, and all natural snacks. i can’t say i’ve tried the coffee… Read the rest

today i patronized one of downtown’s few independent and reasonably priced lunch vendors. hot dogma serves up fresh and tasty meals with a mission. today i had a veggie el greco- this is a veggie dog covered with artichoke hearts and feta cheese, and boy is it good. i like it so much that i haven’t ventured beyond it on the menu but, for the reasons mentioned above, i will be going back. there are salads and soups and smoothies for me to try too. plus, they give you one of those punch cards, so you can get a free… Read the rest