Green market, community coffee

It’s officially summer! I can’t believe it’s already almost July and I finally had a free hour to spare last week to peruse the booths and chat with folks at the Thursday Night Market. There was an eclectic mix of booths, including a number of newcomers, which was exciting to see.

The evening was gorgeous, not too hot, with a slight breeze—perfect for a deliciously spiced horchata from La Flor de Michoacán Paletería y Neveria. The flavor was great, and I love that they don’t fill the cup with a ton of ice (or any at all), so you definitely get your four bucks’ worth.

I’d had a huge lunch, so I didn’t partake in any of the wonderful-smelling food offerings, but I was happy to see Café Petra peddling shwarma and other goodies, since the restaurant has been closed for several months now following a fire in the kitchen.

I also noticed my favorite Filipino foodies—Inday’s—were there, as always, and they are offering something new: wooden sporks, to replace the planet-killing plastic kind. In fact, the restaurant/mobile kitchen has made several moves to be more green. In addition to wooden utensils for to-go orders, owners John and Inday Geiger have eliminated plastic straws and styrofoam packaging, in favor of paper products. And at the restaurant (at 1043 W. Eighth St.), they’ve put up 48 solar panels, which John tells me should offset their power needs. Right on!

Tinctures and balms One booth that was new to me was Serenity CBD. I chatted with one of the reps for a few minutes and he informed me that the local business has no storefront at the moment, but is starting out at the Thursday Night Market. They use all organic ingredients, including essential oils, in their tincture, topical balm and topical roller. I’ve found some relief from CBD lotions on sore muscles and other aches, so it’s cool to see more locals getting into this market. If you’re out and about, Serenity CBD also is sold at Chico Natural Foods, Dragon Tobacco, New Earth Market and S&S Natural Foods. Go to serenitycbd.com for more info.

Roasting time While the folks over at Stoble Coffee prepare their cafe/co-working space by Bank of America in downtown Chico, they’ve decided to go ahead and start roasting. I took the opportunity to chat with one of the owners, Matt Johnston, who said he and his wife, Natalie, moved here specifically to open Stoble with their best friends, Matt and Lauren Thiede.

Johnston explained the concept of the co-working space: It’ll be similar to ChicoStart—with shared office and conference spaces, kitchen, equipment, etc.—but with a wider variety of membership options. Also, their focus is on “anybody who appreciates community and wants to work around others and build relationships.”

The space is slated to open next year—and the designs Johnston sent me look rad. In the meantime, check out the “coffee made for community” at stoblecoffee.com.