Around Town
COMPILED BY TARA HOPFENSPIRGER
JERSEY CITY
INDULGE
DRESS
I N D E S S E RT
IN STYLE
MILK SUGAR LOVE
REDUCE,
REUSE AND RECYCLE
BAG THE HABIT
Co-founders Liz Long and Holly Tienken came
up with the idea for this reusable bag brand
after learning about the negative impacts
caused by the more than 1 trillion paper and
plastic bags our world consumes every year. If
you are a Jersey City resident, you may see Bag
the Habit products around town
more than you realize. Custom
bags with company logos or
graphics are used by various
local businesses. Bag the
Habit also launched a special school program, We
Create the Future, which
teaches second- through
fourth-graders about the
impact of disposable
products and the
importance of choosing
sustainable habits.
1-877-210-4598,
bagthehabit.com
22
FALL 2015 (201) GOLD COAST
SHOP
YANKEE CANDLE
This charming creamery and bakeshop all stemmed
from a small ice cream cart run by chef and owner
Emma Taylor. When she decided to go back to school
to become a pastry chef, the self-proclaimed ice cream
lover knew that her ultimate goal was to open a modern
ice cream shop. Milk Sugar Love uses only grass-fed,
organic milk and cream in its ice cream and all of the best
New Jersey produce. A dog owner and lover, Taylor says that
making ice cream for dogs was a must when she opened her
shop. “We make our puppy fro-yo from peanut butter,
non-fat yogurt and banana, then freeze it in heart
shapes and top it with a puppy biscuit,” she
explains. This October will mark the start of Milk
Sugar Love’s second annual Pint Club, an ice cream
subscription that includes two exclusive pints each
month through December. All ice cream and other sweet
treats are crafted by hand, and Taylor prides herself on working with
farmers and local artisan producers to create delicious, chef-driven
flavors supporting a stronger local economy – one scoop at a time.
19 McWilliams Place, (201) 984-0530, milksugarlove.com
FOR A
C AU S E
Now until the end of
April, Yankee
Candle
is contributing
$1 per candle
sold from the
Homefront Girl
line to Homes
for Our Troops.
HFOT is a
privately funded
501c3 nonprofit
organization
building specially adapted,
mortgage-free
homes nationwide for
the most severely injured veterans
from Iraq and Afghanistan. Newport
Centre, 30-109C Mall Drive W.,
(201) 216-9669, yankeecandle.com
DELICIOUS RECIPES
BAMBINO CHEF
Rene Safarova-Gonzalez, founder and chief chef,
is a mom who loves to spend time in the kitchen
with her family. So she opened Bambino Chef, a
cooking studio where kids (and adults) are exposed
to new, nutritious ingredients while being shown
the magic of the kitchen. “Cooking stimulates
creativity, develops self-confidence and teaches
you about science and math,” Safarova-Gonzalez
explains. Since its inception, Bambino Chef has
become a primary provider of cooking classes,
birthday parties, summer camp and after-school
cooking enrichment programs in Jersey City.
213 Newark Ave., (201) 333-9090,
bambinochef.com
COURTESY OF THE BUSINESSES; YANKEE CANDLE: KIMBERLY WILSON
The store, which opened on July 1,
is a pioneering lifestyle boutique that
draws its name from Jersey City’s
motto, “Let Jersey Prosper.” Peter
Koytroulis and Antwain Freeman,
co-owners and designers, wanted to
bring a store to the Journal Square
neighborhood that was both exclusive and affordable. “The area where
the shop is located is where I spent my youth,” Koytroulis explains. “My
mother has a store there; it’s my hometown. I want Prosper to be a
source of pride for the entire ‘Chilltown’ community.” Prosper has a
trendy apparel label by the same name and offers everything in limited
quantities – from men’s T-shirts, jeans and cut-and-sew knits to sneakers,
caps and assorted unisex accessories. Koytroulis, who has designed and
worked alongside major names like Jay-Z, Eminem, Rachel Roy and
Snoop Dog, also has another men’s clothing line, unyforme. The brand is
currently sold at Urban Outfitters and Karmaloop. 558 Newark Ave.,
(201) 420-5945, letusprosper.com
COOK
LET US PROSPER