The other day I got a tip from someone, who shall remain anonymous, about a place in Riverside with outstanding coffee, crepes, and other am type food. And after hitting my usual go-to spots for breakfast and brunch so many times over the last few months that the hosts and hostesses are practically my new bff's (I'm not kidding - "They" all greet me with open arms these days. It's getting embarrassing.), I decided to make the big trip over the bridge, where nobody knows my name. Now, don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about here - Among most RI'ers, it's considered a huge deal to go to EP, Riverside, Barrington, and beyond if you currently live or work in Cranston, Warwick, EG, etc. In reality, yesterday afternoon it took us no more than a 15-18 minutes tops. 

We got there about 40 minutes before they were set to close for the day, so luckily we missed both the breakfast and lunch rushes. We also realized that the Sage Cafe is situated in such a way that if you're not specifically looking for it, or don't have a smart phone with GPS, you might miss it. Do yourself a favor and don't miss it. From the extensive menu, with everything from the healthy (smoothies, juices, and teas) to the decadent (pastries, sweet crepes) and the American classic (egg breakfast sandwiches, toasted bagels, and more), to the local art on the walls (That's a THING nowadays btw. More and more restaurants, coffee bars and even salons are showcasing the work of local photographers and painters, which I gotta say Julian's PVD pioneered when they first opened on Broadway in the early 1990's.) and their signature owls throughout (Yes, you can buy a Sage Cafe mug or tee with an owl on it. Because sage = owls...I came this close to picking up a mug or two, but I'm currently completely out of storage space in my kitchen cabinets.), it's a place where you can go to kick back and relax, without feeling for a second like you're not quite cool enough to be there (something that happened to me the other day when I decided to turn around and not grab coffee at a certain establishment which shall remain nameless because it was jammed with so many millennial coffeehouse and WiFi loving hipsters that I suddenly felt like a nerd-y fossil).

Overview: 

Our food and beverages were served quickly (We ordered a smoothie, a latte, and a butter and sugar crepe.) and everything was fan-tastic. #IAmAFan  

People gush about the coffee and I hear them (I do!~), but "they" are also rolling out another one of my seasonal favs - hot apple cider - as I sit here blogging this. 

Celebrity Factor: 

After his hit NBC sitcom Wings went off the air, back in the late 90's, Tim Daly, who played pilot Joe Hacket and now co-stars in the CBS drama Madam Secretary with his new gf Tea Leoni (ex-wife of the still dreamy in my book David Duchovny), called Riverside home. I even saw him in PVD, walking and talking on his cell (phone) a few times. 

*You'll also find the world famous Carousel from the long defunct Crescent (Amusement) Park and Phase 4 (the final one) of the East Bay bike path in Riverside. 

Ciao For Now,

Patty J

Photo Credits: Stock bagel photo courtesy of Ashley Farney. All other photos courtesy of my I-Phone.