8 minute read
Drink & Dine
story by Connye Griffin, photos by Al Griffin
Savory Flavors
Advertisement
WHeRe: 18 Maple Street, Eldon oPen 6:30 a.m.10 p.m.
Closed Sundays.
Inspired by a father’s hobby and a daughter’s dream, the Simmons family has opened Serendipity Coffee Roasting Company for Eldon’s residents and the greater Lake community.
Cliff Simmons, his wife Marilyn, and daughter Sariah are the mainstays at Serendipity, each contributing their talent and art to a budding business. Two sons add their labor as well.
Opened on July 1, 2020, in a difficult year, Serendipity continues to exceed the Simmons’ expectations. During a visit and interview in early September, Serendipity was busy with walkin take-out customers while others enjoyed WiFi or quiet conversation. What all have come for is the good, savory flavors of a fine coffee bean, America’s favorite way to kickstart any day.
Somewhere between the first and second crack of a green coffee bean resides its full flavor in a light to medium air roast.
At Serendipity, the Columbian Triple Ferment bean delivers complex notes of citrus fruits and berries. Father and daughter
Cliff and Sariah delight in rendering that flavor and several more for customers. They began to do so online on January 1, six months before they opened the retail coffee shop on Maple
Street in Eldon. That online business supported their dream to provide a welcoming gathering place for people to enjoy baked goods and fine coffees.
One of Cliff and Sariah’s favorite coffees is the Frozen
Cherry. That roast is aptly named because the green coffee beans are flash frozen, sun dried, and flash frozen again in a 400-hour process that becomes a dark bean with cherry undertones. The team also agree that Columbian Triple Ferment and Ethiopian Blueberry are fine roasted beans as well. Both are popular at Serendipity, online or in-store, but both sell out quickly.
Some of these coffees are the base for pour-over and art in a cup. In her role as barista, co-owner Sariah meticulously made a Hot Honey Lavender Macchiato, served in a large, wide ceramic mug. The creamy surface held lavender buds providing the clean scent of herb gardens and open fields. It invites patrons to sip and relax. It had me at first sip.
Another true Serendipity delight is the Vietnamese coffee, a participation beverage — so-called because the customer finishes the preparation. The coffee arrives on a quality wood serving tray featuring Serendipity’s logo. On that tray is a glass of iced espresso and a smaller glass showcasing layers of cream and more espresso. The customer uses a small coffee spoon to stir the two layers into a rich, caramel blend before pouring the blend over the iced coffee and stirring again. The completed drink is both satisfying and delicious.
A featured pour-over at Serendipity begins with Geisha coffee, an Ethiopian bean trending in the 21st century. The Simmons acquire this bean, as they do all their beans, through a supplier sourcing from Columbia, South America. However, the Simmons attend U. S. Coffee championships when travel and business demands allow. They taste and learn. They study
and build on their at-home pan-roasting experiences. They listen and welcome mentoring by the owners and managers at Three Story Coffee in Jefferson City. They are serious about the coffee community — as serious as they are about providing clean, discernible flavors in every roasted bean. For their business, the Simmons’ team chose an Artisan 3 air roaster. This allows customers to select a green bean from tall dispensers on the wall. Their selections can then be roasted on site and bagged or brewed. The process is thus not proprietary at all. Roaster and patron complete the full circle from bean to steaming cup together. Marilyn Simmons, Cliff’s wife and Sariah’s mother, honed her home baking skills to a high art. She adds that art to Serendipity’s success. One of her contributions is light as air cupcakes under sweet frosting crowns. The Lemon Lavender proves Marilyn delivers delicious goods in every bite.
She also provides flaky croissants, creamy cheesecakes, a fine six-inch chocolate chip cookie, and muffins, rich in berries and nuts. On Mondays, those muffins include dairyfree, gluten-free versions.
For non-coffee drinkers and children, Serendipity has Bubble Fraps, otherwise known as creamy deliciousness in a soda-fountain glass. Made with fruits such as mango or strawberry, half-and-half, and Boba bubbles, the frap (frappe) is finished with a mound of whipped cream. It will delight the child in us all, but if fewer calories are what the customer has in mind, Serendipity makes a Lavender Lemonade that is very popular, too.
Serendipity Coffee Roasting Company has brought to life a building dating from 1890. The ceilings and floor are original. Tall windows let light pour in, bathing the space in warmth. Bright yellow chairs and accents, ivory walls, and warm, fine-grain wood tables create a homey, cozy space.
A display shelf showcases honey from two local beekeepers, The Bee Team and Pure Hardesty. Coffee mugs made by Muddy Otter are also for sale. Serendipity will add gift baskets, pour-over sets, and t-shirts as the holidays approach. For September 11, Serendipity will be home to an evening of music. It has been the gathering place for Bible study groups, community meetings, and a baby shower — exactly what the Simmons hoped for when they opened the shop.
The name of the shop, Serendipity, may best describe the business itself. A father’s hobby became a family’s vocation; a daughter’s dream became a real business now thriving. These are everyday occurrences colliding with good intentions, and those have beneficial results for both the Simmons’ family and Eldon.
NAUGHT CONSTRUCTION, INC.
Family owned business founded in 1978 New Home construction, remodels, room additions, decks, design/build Serving the Lake of the Ozarks Licensed and Insured
573-873-4696
WHAT’S NEW Vineyard in the making
Mathany Family Vineyards on Facebook Planting something in this rocky Lake of the Ozarks soil usually requires a pickaxe and a lot of patience. It’s a good thing we have a bountiful lake as our primary resource.
But entrepreneurs like Jed Mathany and his wife, Jackie, often see the forest and the trees and are still willing to take risks most of us are not.
Mathany of Mathany Family Vineyards is moving through the processes of gaining approval of a multi-component winery in the
City of Lake Ozark. He received the good graces of the Planning and Zoning Commission in early December and the board of aldermen a week later to operate a winery in a
C-2 (General Commercial) district just off Bagnell Dam Blvd. Another agreement involving the transfer of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) rights from property owner LPS One, LLC., was authorized just this week.
Celebrate St. Paddy’s with Corned Beef and Cabbage at the Boot
OF THE LAKE 2020 The O cial Community Choice Awards 20192019
AWARD WINNING BBQ AND SO MUCH MORE...
OPEN DAILY AT 11 AM 4717 OSAGE BEACH PKWY DAILY LUNCH SPECIALS HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS 573.348.2277 ORDER ONLINE AT WOBBLYBOOTSBBQ.COM
Matheny and Jackie, who will handle sales and marketing, closed on the 10 acres Wednesday, Jan. 27.
The winery would be located east of the Tomahawk Motel and Rainbow Academy. What sets the proposed Mathany vineyard apart from others it that could involve three components: agriculture, production and retail -- growing of the grapes, production of the wine and retail sales of the final product.
Aldermen have agreed to amend the Municipal Code to allow for development of a winery including a definition for an industrial winery which would be allowed by Special Use Permit in the C-2 district and M-1 (manufacturing) district.
This would be a first for the City of Lake Ozark.
“We applaud the vision of Jed and his family in expanding their operation into Lake Ozark,” noted Harrison Fry, assistant city administrator and community economic development director. “It’s refreshing to see developments other than the typical retail outlets realizing Lake Ozark has a lot to offer.”
Mathany Family Vineyards currently operate a vineyard on a 160-acre farm on Bear Creek Road near Highway 42 and the Lake of the Ozarks State Park. The family raises grapes on 10 acres of land.
“We hope to develop a production facility here in Lake Ozark,” he told the P&Z. Commission recently.
Bulldozers should be moving dirt in a couple of weeks. The Matheny’s plan to build cellars and a tasting room later this spring with the hope of opening this summer.
According to their Facebook page, the Mathanys use a farmmade biodynamic compost as a base for their grape vines. Biodynamics is a holistic, ecological and ethical approach to farming, gardening, food and nutrition. Mathany spent time in Burgundy, France, in the fall of 2018 and upon his return began the unique composting process.
Mathany is no stranger to the wine industry. He has worked for Stone Hill Winery and then began an around-the-world wine tour including Napa Valley, Calif., New Zealand, Australia and France.
“I’ve worked with some pretty good (wine) producers,” he offered.
local connection
Jackie’s father, Neil Faiferlick, started Missouri Furniture in Camdenton in 1977. After his passing Jed and Jackie started their winery business to “keep their roots deep at the Lake.”
RAGANCABINETS
Tap Your Sense of Style with Ragan Cabinets at Lake of the Ozarks
Your kitchen is the Heart of your home.
A lifetime of memories happen in your space, so the details are all important. Your family gathers, connects, and shares here, so everything needs to be perfect and timeless. That’s where we come in.
