Be Green in Valley Junction

Green Grounds Cafe in Valley Junction is a really cool place.  Not only do they serve up coffee, breakfasts, pastries and lunch sandwiches, they sell a bunch of locally made accessory items as well, from hats and gloves to scarves and jewelry, art and even baby items.

Grab a latte and check out the store.  I'm not going to lie, the menu items are a bit pricey because they use all local and/or organic ingredients.  But the best deal there is the breakfast special.  For $3.99 you get scrambled eggs, bacon and toast.  Makes a nice little breakfast and you can sit and enjoy the quiet atmosphere to chat with friends or use the free wi-fi and browse the quaint shop items.  They also have a stage area in the back of the shop which would be a perfect venue for a small concert, coffee house style =)

The staff is really friendly, but it can take a while to get your order sometimes, so don't go when you're in a rush.  They also partner with 515 Gluten-free bakery and carry gluten-free bread for all of the sandwiches and cupcakes.  The bread was great.  The cupcakes were slightly on the dry side, but I suspect it is because they are refrigerated at the store and not restocked daily.

They also encourage small business owners to leave business card and they have walls full of them!

Check out Green Grounds for something different.  It isn't the cheapest place around, but it is pretty hip and I love supporting local businesses who support other local businesses.