“Cats are so loveable. They are so chill. They are perfect little angels,” says Amanda Souza-Viera, owner of Bajah’s Cat Cafe, who visited her first cat cafe in Utah. “I was so smitten. I knew I had to do something like it.” It took a few years, but when the property she was eyeing went on the market last October, she jumped at the chance to turn it into a refuge for cats and the humans that obey them.
The cafe features coffee from New Harvest roasters, local faves like malasadas from Tony’s in Fall River, and donuts from Tiverton’s own The Donut Shack, but the whoopie pies are from Maine: “My friend’s mom owns Wicked Whoopies, and they are the best whoopie pies, hands down,” Souza Viera explains.
Bajah’s Villas is a separate room where the cats reside. It holds up to 10 friendly felines, which come from shelters like Forever Paws, the Potter League, and 10 Lives Animal Rescue. So far, 30 cats found their furr-ever homes. Proceeds from the cafe help keep the mousers in Fancy Feast. Tiverton
Great British Bake Off fans don’t need to jump across the pond for UK treats. Owner June Lawton is Rhode Island’s own Mary Berry and she and her son Nishan bake up authentic scones, shortbread cookies, lemon tarts, sticky toffee pudding, and more delights sure to satisfy any Anglophile.
Operating out of a tiny storefront in Middletown, June Love’s baked goods stretch across the state at various farmers markets. As the chilly weather approaches, they are heading to Stoneacre Garden’s indoor market in Newport beginning this month. And they’re adding gingerbread and mince tarts to the menu for the festive season.
“Everyone assumes mince tarts are meat,” Nishan laughs. Far from it. Dried raisins and apricots, along with fresh apples, are soaked in whiskey, then baked in a flakey crust. The gingerbread is “not quite a cookie, not quite a quick bread,” he notes, with an orange glaze that brightens the snap of the ginger. Enjoy these Ron Weasley-approved sweet treats with a coffee or a hot cuppa. Newport
A day of hitting up your favorite stores at the Barrington Shopping Center can now be rounded off with a falafel wrap from the recently opened Pita Pocket, a fast-casual Mediterranean joint dishing up only the freshest ingredients. The family-owned business, headed by Nedim Toprak, emphasises roasted gyro meat that’s never frozen, plenty of vegetarian or vegan hummus wraps and sides, and scratch-made traditional entrees you won’t find with typical fast food. Think shawarma sandwiches with shaved chicken or beef, stuffed grape leaves, and house-made tabbouleh and baklava.
Says Toprak, “The Barrington Shopping Center is a busy location and we are excited to serve the community with a healthy, homemade alternative.” A vibrant interior (and smiling pita wrap mascot on the wall) welcomes folks to take a load off and bring the kids to enjoy Family Trays that serve 4-6 or 8-10 eaters, or you can get your Mediterranean Mezze Plate to go. Barrington
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