Tastecraft, Lewisburg and Milton
With two locations, Tastecraft prides itself on single origin coffee that is roasted fresh and to perfection in-house, including a creamy Ethiopian espresso roast. Both coffee shops offer a casual and friendly vibe, offering hot and cold coffee staples, as well as seasonal sips (think lavender-honey lattes, pumpkin spice lattes and peppermint lattes), ice cream concoctions, unique pastries like wonuts, and French macarons.
At the Milton location, you can grab a bagel sandwich in-person, or order it online and they’ll have it ready
for you.
They also offer seasonal specials – right now they have a Valentine’s menu that includes six seasonal lattes with cute names like Cupid’s Arrow and Love Bug.
Located across from Hufnagle Park, this is the perfect breakfast spot to catch up with friends or check email (free WiFi!) before embarking on a productive day.
CycleUp, Lewisburg
If you’re a biking enthusiast, you’re probably familiar with CycleUp Bike Shop Cafe and their mission, “Helping our community enjoy life on two wheels is what we live for!” They offer exceptional bikes for sale, as well as professional bike repair and fitting services.
But did you know they have a café in the back of the shop?
Get the jolt you need before or after a bike ride at 
their in-house coffee bar. Their menu is straightforward and no-frills, perfect for an on-the-go bite before hitting the Rail Trail.
They specialize in high quality coffee beans that are locally sourced from Denim Coffee Co. in central PA and delicious breakfast and lunch sandwiches and new to the menu – Gluten Free Steak Chimichurri Tacos! – all in a welcoming and inclusive community setting.
The Grindstone, Northumberland
This gem in downtown Norry is definitely worth a visit: they offer beautifully crafted coffee drinks and delicious breakfast sandwiches from On-A-Roll. Keep an eye out for seasonal drink and food specials, listed on their chalkboard (and Facebook page).
Fun fact: the food menu has two types of breakfast sandwiches: those named after streets in the borough and those named after historic figures in Northumberland County. There’s the Prince (bacon, egg, and cheese), the Queen (avocado, egg, cheddar, tomato and mayo), the Duke (Canadian bacon, egg, and
cheese) and the King (sausage, egg, and cheese.
The Joseph Pretzley, named after Joseph Priestley, is on a pretzel roll with Canadian bacon, bacon, sausage, egg and cheese.
Priestley, a former Northumberland resident, is known as one of the founding fathers of chemistry and the man who “discovered oxygen” in the 1700s.
The Thomas Eggison, named after Thomas Edison, is on a bagel with double egg, cheddar and ham. The Hotel Edison was the first building in the world to be lighted using incandescent electric lights installed by Thomas Alva Edison in 1883.
Backhouse Café, Williamsport
Located in a gorgeous Victorian home in Williamsport’s historic district, Backhouse Café offers a unique place where customers can socialize with each other in a comfortable and relaxing environment while enjoying the best brewed Italian style espresso-based drinks, coffee, tea, and pastries in town.
According to their website, “The Victorian Queen Anne home was designed in 1890 by Amos Wagner and
built for Henry Johnson, a state legislator. In 2008, the Taber Museum (located across the street) acquired it and fully restored the 1st floor, and opened a Women of the 1800’s Museum. Later, the Taber Museum made the decision to close and sell the property. In 2016, Ron and June purchased the property from the owners who had been running it as a B&B.”
Thanks to the generous size of the house, there are a number of spaces available for rent for small meetings, family gatherings, and special occasions: The Tea Room for 10-12 people, the parlor for up to 20, or the entire café for up to 40.
Bookstores:
In a world that is uber-focused on online (and impersonal) shopping, there’s something to be said for walking into a physical bookstore, running your hands across the spines of books on a bookshelf, and choosing a very special read to take home. (And the smell of used books! It should be bottled! So nostalgic and heartwarming!)
The SRV has two amazing local book stores worth their weight in gold – take some time this winter to peruse the stacks of both bookstores to keep their dream of small business ownership alive!
Mondragon Books, Lewisburg
Mondragon is truly a gem in downtown Lewisburg. In its former location, it was a bit of a “hidden gem” located at the veeeeery end of Market Street, but they are now located across from the stately Lewisburg Post Office building and immediately next to All Star Bagels in a prime downtown location. With their engaging indoor and often outdoor book displays, they are hard to miss!
At its core, Mondragon is community-supported and community-minded, offering new and used books to
their friends and neighbors. Expect to find treasures around every corner with a collection that, “focuses largely on literary fiction and poetry, social studies of all sorts, the arts, children's books, health and wellness, the home economy, the political economy, DIY skills, nature connection, and other books that foster knowledge and power to the people.”
Aside from books, they also sell high-quality used LPs, a selection of postcards, buttons, stickers, Japanese incense, earth flags, and small goods from a few local artists.
They even have a small piano in the store if you feel inspired to create some musical magic. They have a nice collection of kids’ books, too!
Otto Bookstore, Williamsport
Located in downtown Williamsport, Otto Bookstore is one of America’s oldest independently owned bookstores. Read about their fascinating history, which dates all the way back to 1841.
Their physical location features a massive collection of books, of course, but also rotating art from local artists nestled among the stacks. To encourage interaction and engagement, the bookstore offers
a diverse range of events every month for kids and adults, including open mic poetry nights, local authors doing book readings and signings, book release parties, and themed storytimes for kids with crafts and costumed characters.
Not sure what book to dive into? Their website offers a treasure trove of suggestions, featuring a wonderful list of bestsellers that changes each week based on what is popular, including fiction, nonfiction, paperbacks, mass market books, and children’s interest books.
Bakery:
Gable House Bakery, Mifflinburg
Located in downtown Mifflinburg, with a weekly satellite location at the Lewisburg Farmer’s Market, Gable House is all about honest-to-goodness baking. Pastries, cakes, donuts and desserts are lovingly-made from scratch every day, using family recipes from second-generation baker/owner Nikki Keister-Hornig. Check out the bakery’s backstory in this article.
The business’s name is an acrostic for “Goodness Actively Brightens Lives Everyday,” and Keister-Hornig tells customers that it is a daily reminder of her mission.
Gable House’s “delivery” method is really unique. While they have a storefront bakery where they bake items, they recently changed their model to a self-serve storefront. Items are packaged and priced accordingly, then customers scan their items and pay with cash or card. Easy peasy! And efficient.
The self-serve storefront is open daily 7 am - 8pm and the inside storefront is open on Saturdays from 8am - 3 pm Customers will find sticky buns, pecan sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, cake donuts, cookies and cupcakes, cake donuts, and bread. Plus, there are often special surprises like specialty cakes or unique flavor combinations, making each visit unique!
Sometimes they have decadent cream puffs, my personal favorite – they taste so close to my grandmother’s recipe I can close my eyes and be transported to another time and place. No lie.
They also craft artistically-created cakes and cupcakes for special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings.
Are you hungry yet?
Time to get out there and savor the sweet treats and cozy sips of the Susquehanna River Valley. Tell them we sent you.
