Volta. Here begins your coffee obsession.

My friend Peter is officially obsessed with Volta since I introduced him to it last week, so I thought I would share it with the rest of the blog world and allow you to become obsessed as well.

Volta is a locally owned coffee shop specializing in fancy schmancy coffee, teas, and hot chocolates, as well as delicious pastries and desserts and chocolate bars. The owner, Anthony Rue, orders all of his coffee from Intelligentsia, a coffee roaster based in Chicago who works closely with coffee farmers to offer seasonal coffees from more than 15 countries. Once a week, Volta offers a public "cupping", which is very similar to a wine tasting, except with coffee. Local opinion on which coffees should be offered is requested and valued, and seeing your choice make it onto the menu is a pretty cool thing.

As you might expect, Anthony is pretty passionate about coffee. The shop has a Clover coffee brewer, considered to be one of the best in the world, which they use to brew coffee individually by the cup. This is one of only two places in Florida where you can find a Clover, and now that Starbucks has bought out the company, you can bet you won't be seeing them outside of a Starbucks ever again. They also offer a Chemex and a coffee siphon if you care to have your coffee brewed in a new and interesting way.

I'm a big fan of their coffee, of course, but I would also recommend their hot teas. I like the Moroccan mint green tea, but they have quite a wide selection, and the teas are served in their own pots with a timer to make sure you get the perfect steep. Most of them are good for multiple infusions, meaning you can get 4-6 cups of tea out of one pot: a pretty good deal.

Go see Anthony at Volta, thank him for supporting coffee farmers, thank him for bringing in a baker from the now-defunct-but-delicious Second Street Bakery to make some delicious pastries, and thank him for allowing the unwashed masses to have some say over his coffee choices. Or just drink some really good hot beverages.

Where can I find these local resources?

View 25 Local Resources in a larger map

Why eat local?

BBQ!

Folks, I don't even like barbecue. But I recently developed a craving for a beef brisket sandwich, thanks to one very special barbecue joint: Chunky T's Old FLA BBQ. As you can see, Chunky T's is located in the northeast section of Gainesville, and its location does tend to keep it a secret from those who are unfortunate enough not to have friends in the know.


I am lucky enough, however, to have some very smart, local-food-lovin' friends, and they have been raving about Chunky T's all year. I finally made it there on Saturday. They make Carolina-style BBQ: slow cooked, with a vinegar-based sauce, which may be one of the most delicious sauces I've ever tasted. It's tangy and meltingly tender, and you can get it with some dill-pickle-laden potato salad, which is also amazing.

Even better: they offer locally raised pork, which they were unfortunately out of on the day we visited.

They are open Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., and I would recommend getting there early to ensure that you will get the local pork.


Thanks for reading, and please let me know of any local Gainesville places you would like to see reviewed here!P.S. Special thanks to Katie for taking me to Chunky T's and for letting me use your phone to take pictures!

Eating Local at The Yearling in Cross Creek

Second stop: Blue Highway Pizza

What is the first thing you see when you pick up a menu at Blue Highway Pizza in Micanopy? These words (music to my ears): "We are committed to using only the freshest and best quality ingredients, purchasing locally whenever possible." You already know it's going to be good!

And it is. So good. On our recent Memorial Day visit, in honor of my friend Katie's birthday, we ordered a panoply of pizza, and no one went home unsatisfied. (What's a panoply, you say? Check it out here: definition 3a.)

There was meatball pizza:

And buffalo tempeh pizza:

And so many others. Afterward, we took home lots of leftovers, and everyone was as happy as my friend Duncan here.

If you're thinking that Micanopy is too far to go for pizza, you're missing out on a wonderful experience. The original Blue Highway is so worth the drive, and is a mere 15 minute trip outside Gainesville. And while you're there, you can visit my favorite old-fashioned farm store and bakery:The Mosswood Farm Store.

But if you're determined to stay closer to the Gainesville area and save on gas, you can visit Blue Highway's most recent venture at Tioga Town Center. But mostly, keep thinking about ways to eat local.

Don't forget to check out my 10 ways to eat local over there in the sidebar on the right side of my blog. There are lots of resources over there. Please let me know if any of them are useful. I would love some reader comments!

The First Stop: The Jones

I have to admit to being a little bit biased here. I love The Jones. So, it is with great pleasure that I make my most recent visit there the subject of my first local goodness blog entry. A friend of mine and I went there for brunch yesterday (and were happy to find it open, with so many places closed for Memorial Day weekend), and the food was amazing, as usual. I had the tuna melt, and their tuna salad includes things like green apples and a hint of lime, which makes it delicious. It also came with a little side salad, as you can see, which I had with their tahini ginger dressing: yum.
My friend had the special, which was a polenta dish with poached eggs and fresh pesto. She wasn't a fan of the overwhelming fresh basil taste, so she ordered another dish (the Blackhawk burrito, one of their amazing breakfast burritos), and when the bill came, the polenta dish had been taken off. A+ for customer service. (However, she was a huge fan of the pancakes, which she ordered as a side.)You can find The Jones at 401 NE 23rd Avenue, and they are open for breakfast and lunch from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. every day, and also for dinner Friday-Monday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Bring cash, as they do not take credit cards.
Given that they are not only locally owned and operated, but also dedicated to using locally produced and locally grown ingredients, they are the ultimate in Gainesville homegrown goodness. Go there soon - Eat local!
P.S. If you do go for breakfast, please have the biscuits and gravy. They were only a special for a while, and are now an official menu item due to popular demand. Beer cheddar biscuits, lots of delicious gravy...mmm...

What is Gainesville Homegrown?

Gainesville, Florida is a unique city. According to the city website's demographics, our 2008 population was around 125,000. Of those, around 50,000 are students at University of Florida. Almost 17,000 are Santa Fe College students.

As a result, one can assume that our population turns over about every 4 years with graduation. Of course, many students stay longer than 4 years, so that's just a rough estimate. There are many (like me!) who just can't stay away and come back for advanced degrees. But regardless, it's safe to say that our average population is younger than most. Again, according the city website, our average age is 27. Other Florida cities:

• Miami: 38
• Orlando: 33
• Tampa: 35
• Naples: 61 (wow)

Because our population is so transitory, new things are happening all the time: new restaurants, new bars, new bands. Gainesville has developed a reputation for great food and great music, and a big factor in that reputation is the fact that our local population is creating new things all the time right here in Gainesville. Of course, we enjoy some nationally owned chains, but with so many local options to choose from, why would anyone need to look elsewhere?

That's the focus of this blog. I hope to highlight all the ways you can support your local businesses right here in Gainesville. I'm looking for local produce, locally owned restaurants, bars and shops, and local bands. I will highlight the features of these right here for your viewing pleasure. So, feel free to give me suggestions! I hope to highlight one new example of Gainesville Homegrown goodness each week. Thanks for checking it out, and I hope we can discover some of the many reasons why we are so proud to call Gainesville our home.