The Heartland Café

Ramona Pekelo

The Heartland Café is “Serving Midwestern comfort food like mom used to make”. This is the motto for the restaurant Jay Wergin and Jeff Loren launched two years ago. Born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Jay has always been a fan of Midwest comfort food—the types of food served at supper clubs, church picnics, and backyard barbeques. With Jay’s Midwest heritage as a motivator, he brought the idea of opening a restaurant to his longtime friend, Jeff Loren. Pairing Jay’s marketing skills and creativity with Jeff’s 20 years of food industry experience, The Heartland Café opened its doors to the public in April 2010.

Prior to opening The Heartland Café, Jay and Jeff had fallen upon hard times. Jay was recently laid off from a publishing job at a Travel and Tourism company. Jeff suffered a broken back and was forced to close his 7-year-old fireplace installation company. Jay shares words of wisdom, “Given the state of the economy when we opened the doors, it’s a testament to the power of reinvention. During hard times it’s best to look inside yourself and find a new passion to move forward with your life.”

While there are no plans to expand their restaurant business, Jay and Jeff plan to diversify. With their business formed under the West Seattle Sausage Company, the two entrepreneurs plan to launch their own line of sausage and beer mustard which will be offered at farmers markets around Seattle.

The Heartland Café, featuring affordable family dining, is located in the Admiral District of West Seattle where the Admiral Benbow Inn operated for 50 years. The Benbow Room remains a part of the Heartland Café because longtime West Seattle resident, Jay Wergin, knew the old Pirate Ship themed bar would be an instant hit. “There is no other bar of this kind in Seattle. The Benbow Room is a landmark institution.” With the goal of becoming a local music scene, the bar will offer live music every weekend. The Heartland Café and Benbow Room are on their way to making a name for itself in West Seattle. Jay and Jeff invite you to come and see for yourself!

4210 SW Admiral Way, Suite A.
Seattle, WA 98116

Hours of Operation:
Monday: 6:30am to 3pm
Tuesday - Thursday: 6:30am to 9pm
Friday - Saturday: 6:30am to 2am
Sunday: 6:30am to 9pm

Visit them at www.heartlandcafeseattle.com

2012 National Women’s History Month Theme:

Source: NWHP

Although women now outnumber men in American colleges nationwide, the reversal of the gender gap is a very recent phenomenon. The fight to learn was a valiant struggle waged by many tenacious women—across years and across cultures—in our country. After the American Revolution, the notion of education as a safeguard for democracy created opportunities for girls to gain a basic education—based largely on the premise that, as mothers, they would nurture not only the bodies but also the minds of (male) citizens and leaders. The concept that educating women meant educating mothers endured in America for many years, at all levels of education. Pioneers of secondary education for young women faced arguments from physicians and other “experts” who claimed either that females were incapable of intellectual development equal to men, or that they would be harmed by striving for it. Women’s supposed intellectual and moral weakness was also used to argue against coeducation, which would surely be an assault on purity and femininity. Emma Willard, in her 1819 Plan for Improving Female Education, noted with derision the focus of women’s “education” on fostering the display of youth and beauty, and asserted that women are “the companions, not the satellites of men”—“primary existences” whose education must prepare them to be full partners in life’s journey. While Harvard, the first college chartered in America, was founded in 1636, it would be almost two centuries before the founding of the first college to admit women—Oberlin, which was chartered in 1833. And even as “coeducation” grew, women’s courses of study were often different from men’s, and women’s role models were few, as most faculty members were male. Harvard itself opened its “Annex” (Radcliffe) for women in 1879 rather than admit women to the men’s college—and single-sex education remained the elite norm in the U.S. until the early 1970s. As coeducation took hold in the Ivy League, the number of women’s colleges decreased steadily; those that remain still answer the need of young women to find their voices, and today’s women’s colleges enroll a far more diverse cross-section of the country than did the original Seven Sisters. The equal opportunity to learn, taken for granted by most young women today, owes much to Title IX of the Education Codes of the Higher Education Act Amendments. This legislation, passed in 1972 and enacted in 1977, prohibited gender discrimination by federally funded institutions. It has become the primary tool for women's fuller participation in all aspects of education from scholarships, to facilities, to classes formerly closed to women. Indeed, it transformed the educational landscape of the United States within the span of a generation.

SugarPill: Full Apothecary in Capital Hill

Ashley Metcalf

Proprietor Karyn Schwartz crafts magic for her customers with the use of Apothecary, Culinary and Mercantile ingredients.

To the common eye, SugarPill may appear to be yet another retail shop offering souvenirs to bypassing tourists. But taking a closer look, SugarPill offers a unique and eclectic mercantile rare to Seattle, as well as free consultations.

Owner Karyn Schwartz started her company last February providing herbal supplies, natural remedies, and culinary spices. Her products appeal to a variety of people, and establishing a retail base to offer her services is something Karyn has sought for quite some time. The apothecary section features bulk herbs, the culinary area offers seasoning blends, salts and spices, and the mercantile category includes natural body and skin care products, paper goods and nutritional supplements. "What is very popular are my culinary options such as salts, honeys, preserves, chocolates, teas-all being from local vendors," explains Karyn.

With a varied background in social work, massage therapy and being a chef, Karyn is passionate about helping her community. Opening SugarPill has offered her a nice outlet to serve her family, friends and the public. "This has been such an amazing opportunity to reach a lot of people and be available to my neighborhood, as the best work I do is teaching people."

Karyn is thankful to give to back, since her business start-up was in a large part possible because of community support. Karyn had immense assistance from friends, clients, colleagues and her amazing partner that believed in her success. In 2010, Karyn sent a proposal to her community, in what she calls a CSA Investment- Community Supported Apothecary, based on the older model Community Supported Agriculture. Karyn sent a letter out to her community explaining her business model and services, and asking for support. Within a few weeks Karyn received over 100 responses with offers of capital and confidence. In a matter of weeks Karyn gained half of the capital she needed to open her retail shop, the other half was obtained through a loan by Community Capital Development with the assistance of the Washington Women’s Business Center.

In the future, Karyn wants to make her business more sustainable, and help more people throughout her community. She feels lucky she is in a position to help already, and hopes her business grows and reaches more people throughout the Seattle Area. Stop by SugarPill today to get a knowledgeable consultation, herbal remedies, and goodies along the way.

SugarPill 900 E. Pine St. Seattle, WA 98122 • T 206.322.7455

ReUsies: Little Baggies That Make a Big Difference

Ashley Metcalf

The Seattle based company, ReUsies, has been in operation since 2008, offering customers a nice alternative to the traditional sandwich/snack bags. ReUsies owners Karen Whorton and Becky Harper realized their families went through a multitude of plastic bags every day, and were interested in finding a substitute. After they tested their reusable baggies at their children's school, they knew they had a brilliant idea on their hands, and sales catapulted once they launched their business.

"Reusable water bottles, boxes and Tupperware are too cumbersome for my kids," explains Karen, as she details the beginning of her business venture. She was fascinated with not only conserving the many daily lunch bags used by her family, but also leaving a smaller footprint for future generations. They offers re-usable, 100% cotton bags lined with leak-resistant nylon and secured with Velcro closures in numerous is sizes and designs; appealing to a wide, diverse customer base.

"We are proud that over 12 million plastic baggies have not been used, thanks to our product. This is such a personal accomplishment," Karen details. Remarkably, ReUsies is making a slow and steady impact and, with the help of Groupon, growth intensified even more last year. This online resource was huge exposure to clientele who otherwise would not find their product, and they hope to utilize Groupon’s services later again next year.

ReUsies is still expanding, and Karen enjoys working along her partner for many reasons, the main being their complementary strengths. "We prefer to handle different parts of the business and pride ourselves on our responsiveness to our customers, since we deal directly with them." Their long term goal is to continue expanding and one day have the opportunity to hire additional employees or an intern.

ReUsies is undoubtedly doing their part to spread awareness about environmental issues, and you can follow their developments at reusies.com/blog and their twitter page at #ReUsies. To see their lists of products, or to read more about the company, please visit their website at www.reusies.com.

Seattle Salads: A Fresh and Fast Alternative

Ashley Metcalf

Seattleite Desirae Rabe Shakes Up a Creative Concoction at the Queen Anne Farmer's Market

(Seattle, WA-August 13, 2011)- Desirae Rabe, the creator of Seattle Salads, values a healthy lunch alternative and recently began producing a delicious and savory meal for her neighbors at the Queen Anne Farmer's Market. Seattle Salads serves as a healthy and quick substitute to the monotonous lunch hour in Seattle, where many opt for cheese drenched pizza, burgers, or teriyaki and white rice.

"I am not scared to break the rules on salads," says Desirae, as she describes her unique Bacon Jalapeno Madness Salad; made with organic mixed greens, corn, black beans, green peppers, red onion, Blue Cheese Dressing, and Tim's Cascade Jalapeno Chips instead of croutons.

Seattle Salads has been serving the Seattle area since June 2011, selling pre-packaged salads and homemade, all natural salad dressings. "There are not many options for inexpensive, quick, healthy on-the-go meals in Seattle," says Desirae, explaining the dilemma many people face when they want a salad, but do not want to spend a fortune at specialty stores. Her largest competitors are Whole Foods and PCC, but Desirae sets herself apart by creating unique, all natural dressings, that, as she states, "are almost impossible to beat."

Lime-Peanut, Strawberry Mint, Dried Apricot, Champagne Pear, and her homemade Blue Cheese are a few of her salad dressings - the most popular being the Lime Peanut. I tasted this popular salad and its unique, Thai infused flavors of lime and peanuts complemented the sweet raisins and hearty beans - it was flawless.

Desirae's largest problem was at first figuring out which way to grow first, and explains how the Farmer's Market has taught her how to efficiently run a business on a small scale. Her plans for the future are to tap into the business lunch catering market, and expand outside of Seattle. She also looks to target local gyms and universities. Her customer service background has acted as a catalyst to her business, and she hopes to open her first shop within the next year.

You can visit Seattle Salads every Thursday at the Queen Anne Farmer's Market, from 3-7:30, through October 6th, 2011. For the most updated information including the new salad of the week, check out her Facebook Page and visit her website at www.seattlesalads.com. Mention this article when you meet Desirae at the Market and buy one salad, get one salad half off.

Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant

Ashley Metcalf

At Lucy's, the new Ethiopian Restaurant in Seattle, you will be welcomed by a relaxed ambience and flavorful cuisine. Each dish is rich in taste and nutrition and is accompanied by a variety of traditional drinks. Lucy’s has unique appetizers, such as a zesty tomato salad or pastry rolls filled with whole lentils, and delicious desserts to complete the meal.

Ethiopian cuisine is greatly enjoyed by Americans for reasons beyond its selection of flavors. This cuisine has immense health benefits stemming from its use of simple, natural ingredients. The food consists of breads, stews (known as wat), grains and spices. Typically, a meal has a combination of flatbread (injera) with different wat stews.

The main ingredients in Ethiopian cooking consist of powdered chili pepper, onions, ginger, and garlic. Equally, two essentials are butter and vegetable oil, which are simmered or sautéed in a pot to create the wat stew. The rich redness of the stew, stained by the popular paprika spice, when added in small amounts creates an enormous taste. Meats such as beef, chicken, fish, goat or lamb complete most dishes; and for vegetarians, dishes are made of split peas, lentils, potatoes, carrots and chard.

Ethiopian drinks are an exquisite part of the dining experience. Tej, for example, is an ancient honey-based wine that usually initiates a meal, sometimes in place of an appetizer; Talla is a beer made from local grain that often accompanies snacks and coffee can be enjoyed at the end of a meal, arriving with natural honey as a sweetener.

Lucy's Ethiopian Restaurant is open seven days a week from 11 AM to 2 AM, and features live entertainment after 10 PM, every night. Reservations are not necessary, but recommended.

Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant

10000 Aurora Avenue Seattle, WA 98133 Seattle, WA

(206)402-3058