soul bowls

“Let us put men and women together See which one is smarter Some say men, but i say no The women got the men like the puppet show… Believe me , it the people that say That the men are leading women astray. But i say that the women today are smarter than the men in every way”

This week found me traveling to Mass and Jiminy Peak to go skiing for the day. As is my custom, I spend Tuesday evening with my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter Beatrix. Bea’s radius has just grown exponentially as she has started walking, so more work for mom and dad to keep up. I woke early on Wednesday. Cold and sunny outside. Perfect ski day!! I had to drive 45 minutes to the mountain. It is a beautiful drive up Route 22 in New York state. I have mentioned this road, in “Early bird get the worm”, for its incredible beauty and rural character. There are so many places to discover, both historical and recreational. I was hungry when I left Great Barrington and had no plans for breakfast. There are very few places to get coffee and food on Route 22. I could have stopped at Love’s truck stop at Route 90 and Route 22. I am sure their coffee was good enough, but kept going hoping to find a more local spot. Sure enough, there was the Canaan General Store at the intersection of Route 295 and 22 ( Canaan, New York) . The Adirondack chairs caught my eye. Frankly it looked a little underwhelming but that was because they were expanding and the construction was not quite done. As soon as I opened the door there was so much to see. Think Amish Home Depot with food. A young women, dressed demurely with white cap on her head, took my order. Ordered scrambled egg and cheese and had a look around. Hardware and baked goods. Paint products and spices. Plumbing fixtures and fresh baked cookies. It was a place for a long hang. Small talk and friendly faces come in all day. This is the reason to love small towns. Community is a treasured value, which we struggle to achieve in our populous suburbs. What I find even more striking, as I visit bakeries and other food purveyors, is the emergence of women as owners and drivers of their own destiny.

The 21st century is the women’s century. The past century was just the warmup. Suffragettes and feminists were the first wave. There are so many countries that are still struggling with their unconscious history and are resisting the tsunami wave of women’s right to power and freedom. It is inevitable. Here at home, at the ground level, we see the evidence of this in our daily life. The general store in New Canaan, run by women of faith, is an example of this. In our communities we have wonderful small groceries run by women. Fanwood Larder on Martine ave in Fanwood and Prince’s Farm on West Broad St in Mountainside are owned and run by women. My physical therapist and trainer are women running their own shops. Today I want to spotlight two wonderful food stores founded and run by entrepreneurial women.

The first one has enjoyed some local media exposure. Angela Logan's Mortgage Apple Cake bakery in Teaneck, NJ. is all about someone who took a chance and believed in her product. With hard work and some luck the bakery has now been in Teaneck for more than ten years and one woman’s recipe has been her path to success and independence. Her small store is filled with her delightful cakes. Order one of these for any guest table or holiday table and everyone will rave. Apparently, Ms. Logan has some secret ingredients that makes that apple cake very special. I am not a big fan of apple pie or apple cake but her cake is scrumptious. Teaneck has three bakeries within one block of each other. Each is different from the other and each one is outstanding. So when you go to get your apple cake, get some challah at Butterflake or some pastries at Patis across the street. All three are outstanding.

The second store is called Soul Bowls on Mountain Ave in Scotch Plains. I love this store. There are no pastries at Soul Bowls. This is the breakfast or lunch or meal you should have every day. In 2017 two women, mid twenties sister and sister from Scotch Plains, scraped together enough money to buy a 1999 school bus. This became the Soul Bowls original food truck. For two years Soul Bowls school bus worked all the farmers markets and street fairs in the area. Michelene, founder and chef, was devoted to serving healthy great tasting meals that are totally vegan and taste like the best dessert. By 2019 Soul Bowls was ready to settle down and opened its first store in Scotch Plains. Today, Soul Bowl is opening their second store in Metuchen, NJ. in late spring.

Soul Bowls opened in 2019. I have been a regular customer since opening day. When you have an outstanding product like the acai (brazilain dessert fruit) at Soul Bowls, you are halfway to success. The other half is the really hard part. Going from food truck to storefront with employees and real hours is the challenge. And they did it with style and grace. I have been to the competitors all over the state. Not even worth mentioning their names. No one has Acai like this store. I will not eat Acai anywhere else!! They have wonderful banana, coconut, or pitaya whips too. Their “soulnola”, which comes with every bowl, is great. You can get shakes and other specialty products too. In the spring and summer they direct connect local farmers to consumers by offering fresh boxes of vegetables and fruits. I asked Alicia, sister to Michelene, what is their secret ingredient. Of course we shared knowing smiles. Some things will always remain secret. Alicia came to Soul Bowls in 2020, during Covid, after spending a decade in corporate. Her.strengths have added value to the company. Michelene and Alicia believe that the food you eat and the community you envision are connected. Kindness and compassion is rooted in all their interactions. Soul Bowls wants to educate and lift the community’s consciousness about food choices. We all understand that good food choices lead to healthier lives and healthier communities. This is a family business rooted in a memory of personal experience. One father’s dream of having his own food truck became his daughters’ reality. That is how the American dream works.

Three different tales. Mennonite women in Canaan, New York. African American woman in Teaneck. Suburban caucasian women in Scotch Plains. All have found a voice in the community. They are agents of real change at the ground level. Their excellent service is provided with kindness and compassion every day! They are seizing control of their own destiny despite the risks that come with being innovators. It takes great energy to be successful and generous on a daily basis. This energy is spreading throughout the world. This is the energy that gives me hope! Women, when given the chance and choice, are making the world better each day. That’s right, the women are smarter……