Beginnings- New and Old

Since the decision has been made to import our own beans and work towards roasting our own I have totally immersed myself into the coffee bean world. The balance of culinary arts, connecting with new people groups, and entrepreneurial social work that is a natural to this side of the business has spiked all of my passions and flooded me with dreams of what could be. But there is much foundation to be built. The motto at the moment is to start small and dream big. Start with how much we can do with excellence and add on as we can- purposefully and strategically.

Within this new beginning I am educating myself on the history and generallities of the coffee bean business. It has been awesome as I learn where/how coffee originated and the affects it had on cultures as it was adopted into their daily routines. It is amazing how coffee seems to have naturally done many of the same things we hope to do through Nexus. I wanted to share a few of the quotes from one of the books I am reading:

"The coffee in your cup is an immediate, tangible connection with the rural poor in some of the most destitute parts of the planet. It is a physical link across space and cultures from one end of the human experience to the other". -Gregory Dicum and Nina Luttinger

I love this point because this tangible connection they speak of in the bean is the exact one we hope to build in Nexus- indeed that is even the meaning of Nexus- a point or means of connection. So to think that we are both connecting with Clevelanders, and through our beans are connecting (and working with to better the lives of) some people of the greatest need on the planet makes my soul sing! And to know that through that we get to the be the medium that connects these two points together is even more exciting! And to take it even further- to introduce all these to the Father that made and loves us all is truly spectacular! The picture of a diverse family all working together for the benefit of each other and all of mankind gives me goosebumps! And to read that others believe coffee has been doing this from the beginning, at least in part- spectacular!

"One of the most interesting facts in the history of the coffee drink is that wherever is has been introduced it has spelled revolution. It has been the world's most radical drink in that its function has always been to make people think. And when people begin to think, they become dangerous to tyrants and to foes of liberty of thought and action."- William H Uker

That to me says it all- I need add no more and can only hope that we can facilitate the same.

As I travel down this path of new beginnings (isn't each day that really?) I am humbly reminded of an older beginning. It amazes me how moments in one's life can drastically alter one's direction. It is a simple story, but cool one.

I had been caring for a little church in Middleburg Heights- loving the people, but knowing my time there was growing short as God was moving me towards a new journey. I had already shared the dream of planting a church out of a coffee shop- and was starting to share that vision with friends and really gaining momentum in my life for a new and authentic mode of community, worship, and service.

One Sunday I shared the pulpit with this dude that worked with our association of churches. Afterward we met for lunch and I shared with him my passions and what I saw in the future, but trying to figure out a path to make that happen. The next day another pastor had a meeting with him and one of the questions this dude posed to the pastor was "What's next for your church?" The pastor's response was basically "To open a coffee house, but we don't have anyone in our church that has that skillset". Within a day or so I received an e-mail from that pastor simply stating we needed to talk.

Now I had never met that pastor, I'm not even sure I knew his name, but that night we talked on the phone for about an hour and half to two hours. He told me about his church, his family, and just a bunch of miscellaneous stuff (all with a screaming baby in the background, I felt horrible for him). I remember thinking to myself- "What is the point of this call? What does this dude want? Man can this guy talk!" We had talked for an hour or more with these quesion going through my head- because to this point there was no lead to why he had contacted me. I loved to hear what was happening in the church he led, but I kept waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop.

Finally Alex told me he felt the next step for Gateway was to open a coffeehouse. I remember stating with both relief and excitement (you can only guess at the purposes my imagination had drummed up for that call in the previous hour +) "Oh, that's what this is all about!!!". We met within the week and the rest is history!

It's been a wild journey, and I love that Alex and I have been doing it together. We don't always agree, and we can be drastically different stylistically- but we are bound together by a greater purpose and Person- and truth be told our differences make us each stronger! I am constistantly amazed at how two visionaries can work together when their purpose trumps their agenda.

One of many cool stories- I promise to share more back stories and new developments as they happen!

As one final note- thanks to those who gave this past week in my first attempt to begin raising my salary. It means allot to me that I have friends and family that are prepared to invest into this!

Blessings to all!

Yummy!

So much going on with Nexus right now- especially in the world of the beans as I began to share in an earlier post. In the next few days I will share some of the cool partnerships that are beginning to form and maybe even let you in on when you might be able to meet one of them! Such cool stuff it is absolutely ridiculous!

We are also beginning new partnerships within the city- we're working hard to make it easier for people to find ways to serve the city they love in manners that fit their talents and passions. So keep an eye out for that as well!

But for the moment I want to wet your appetite. When we first came up with Nexus one of the first things I worked through was a potential menu. I thought I would share that as well as some other ideas that popped up since. This is by no means a finished product as so many other factors will go into the menu- most notably the availability of local produce, meats, dairy, etc. (we have some killer cheese farmers- look out Melt!). And then there is seasonality as we seek to offer ingredients that fir the season we're in (who doesn't love pumpkin and cider in the fall!)

Let us know what you think!! And if you have tried some of these over the past few years tell us your favorite and be sure it makes the final menu cut!

Soup

Smoked Chicken and Wild Rice Chowder

Vegan Lentil

Salads

Crabcake Salad- fennel, granny smith apple, cherry tomatoes, celery seed dressing

House Poached Tuna Salad- grilled asparagus, capers, red bliss potato, Rosemary-Sherry vinaigrette

Beef Tenderloin Salad- potato croutons, roasted corn, poblano peppers, smoked cheddar cheese, border ranch dressing

Dried Fruit Salad- pecans, goat cheese, blackberry-hazelnut vinaigrette

Wild Mushroom Salad- grilled leeks, roasted red peppers, black walnuts, Rosemary-Sherry vinaigrette

Smoked Chicken Cobb Salad- bleu cheese, bacon, tomato, cucumber

Wheat berry Salad- Arugula, sharp provolone, cucumber, tomato, hazelnut vinaigrette

House Salad- Tomato, Red Onion, Cucumber, Roasted Garlic, Arugula, Basil, Sharp Provolone, Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar

Wraps

Espresso Encrusted Pork Tenderloin- Roasted Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, Mixed Greens, Hazelnut vinaigrette

Chicken Salad- sharp provolone cheese

House Smoked Turkey- avocado, roasted peppers

Veggie- roasted tomato, fennel, grilled leek, wild mushroom, roasted red peppers, Rosemary-Sherry vinaigrette

Sandwiches- bread choice: cracked whole grain, Sourdough, Herbed Focaccia

Turkey Pesto Pannini- twin pestos, roasted red peppers, sharp provolone cheese

Crabcake- fennel salad, creole mayo

House Smoked Salmon Club- bacon, lettuce tomato, goat cheese, lemon-caper mayo

Tuna Salad- traditional house poached tuna salad with choice of cheese

Black Forest Ham Pannini- Havarti Cheese, Guinness mayo, Pumpernickel Bread

House Smoked Brisket Pannini- smoked cheddar cheese, Apple-butter BBQ, coleslaw

Grilled Flatbread Pizzas

Creamed Spinach- wild mushroom, asiago cheese, sun dried tomatoes

BBQ Chicken- house smoked chicken, apple-butter BBQ sauce, red onion, cheddar/ sharp provolone cheese, sour cream

Shrimp Pesto- basil pesto, goat cheese, roasted red peppers, pine nuts

Roasted Garlic Cannelloni Bean- Grilled Veggies, Balsamic Gastrique

Spicy Beef Tenderloin- Charred Tomato Sauce, Bleu Cheese

Sides

Sweet Potato Salad

Coleslaw

Fresh Vegetables- with rosemary yogurt dip

Pickled Vegetables

Parmesan Pomme Frittes

Pop Chips

AND SOME WINTER THOUGHTS:

Soup: White Vegetable Chili
Panini: Roasted Turkey with Cranberry Chutney and Cream Cheese
Panini: Duck Confit with Chipotle Sauce and Jack Cheese on a Smoked Cheddar Jalapeno Corn Roll
Panini: Chorizo Macaroni and Cheese (that's right, mac and cheese between bread!)
Wrap: Maple Cured Chicken with Roasted Apples, Caramelized Onions, and Jarlsberg Cheese
Grilled Flat Bread Pizza: Cured Italian Meat and Olive with Feta Cheese and Greek Dressing
Grilled Flat Bread Pizza: VA Cured Ham, Caramelized Root Vegetable Puree, Swiss Cheese, and Balsamic Gastrique.
Salad: Caramelized Squash Trio (Pumpkin, Acorn, Butternut), Pistachios, Maple Vinaigrette
Side: Sweet Potato Pomme Frittes with Spicy Cinnamon Sugar
Dessert: Pumpkin Rum Cheesecake (we'll have a ton of different cheesecakes, roasted rum banana may be my favorite)
Dessert: Marsala Poached Pear Bread Pudding with Creme Anglaise
Dessert: Creme Brulee Trio- Pumpkin (Pumpkin Seed Brittle with it), Cranberry, Orange Pistachio
Dessert Pizza: Cinnamon Sugar Dusted Grilled Pizza with Sweet Potato, Homemade Marshmallows, and Pecans