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 yet [i have it on good authority that it’s well worth it], but the chai definitely hits the spot. as an added bonus, i’m paying $0.27 less there than at starbucks. plus, they offer a 15% discount to wqed members and anyone can get a punch card- 14 drinks and you get one free. a tasty deal!

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 dog one day. if all of that isn’t enough, it’s also a nice place to hang out. they’re on oliver avenue in the basement of a church. go check it out!