Favorite Place to Eat After Exercising
SQUIRREL & THE BEE
Favorite Supermarket KINGS FOOD MARKET
Favorite Place for Kids’ Birthday Parties SPLURGE BAKERY
Favorite Bakery SPLURGEBAKERY
Favorite Place for Women’ s Night Out SPLURGE BAKERY
Squirrel & The Bee Grainless Bake Shop
Food, Drinks and Fun
READERS’
CHOICE
AWARDS
2017
Favorite Place to Eat After Exercising
SQUIRREL & THE BEE
515 MILLBURN AVE., MILLBURN, SQUIRRELANDTHEBEE. COM
RUNNER-UP: WHOLE FOODS, 2245 Springfield Ave, Vauxhall, wholefoodsmarket. com
Favorite Supermarket KINGS FOOD MARKET
778MORRISTURNPIKE, SHORTHILLS KINGSFOODMARKETS. COM.
RUNNERS-UP: TRADER JOE’ S, 187 Millburn Ave., Millburn, traderjoes. com and WHOLE FOODS MILLBURN UNION, 2245 Springfield Ave., Vauxhall, wholefoodsmarket. com
Favorite Place for Kids’ Birthday Parties SPLURGE BAKERY
105 MAIN STREET, MILLBURN, SPLURGEBAKERY. COM
RUNNERS-UP: CORA HARTSHORN ARBORETUM, 324 ForestDrive South, ShortHills, hartshornarboretum. org, and
CHOCOLATEWORKS, 321 Millburn Ave., Millburn, chocolateworks. com
Favorite Bakery SPLURGEBAKERY
RUNNERS-UP: NATALE’ S SUMMIT BAKERY, 185 Broad Street, Summit, natalesbakery. com, and THE ABLE BAKER, 187Maplewood Ave., Maplewood, theablebaker. com
Favorite Place for Women’ s Night Out SPLURGE BAKERY
RUNNERS-UP: BOXCAR BAR & GRILL 25 Chatham Road, ShortHills, boxcarbar. com, and MOONSHINE SUPPER CLUB, 55Main Street, Millburn, moonshinesupperclub. com
Squirrel & The Bee Grainless Bake Shop
No gluten? Nodairy? No refined sugar? No problem. Michelle Retik, owner of SQUIRREL & THE BEE, understandswhatyou’ recraving and what you’ re trying to avoid. Her bright, chic café and bakery serves omelets, gluten-freebread, homemade almondand coconutmilk, asparagusquiche, mango gazpacho, cream-lesscauliflowersoup, jars of bone broth and fermented sauerkraut, granola, smoothies, and pints of dairy free icecream sold underthe name“ Don’ t have acow.” Of course, thereare wedding cakes, pies, cookies, cold brew coffee and tea for sale too. If it’ sveggies you’ re hankering for, try the array of delicious roasted vegetables, which, dependingonthe day, includes two kinds of Brussels sprout salad( one with apples and walnuts, one without), zucchini spaghetti with pesto and tomatoes, spaghetti squash withcapers, sweet potato mash with coconut milk and cinnamon, and two kinds of cauliflower, one roastedwith lemonand the other with avocado mayonnaise. The food is so good and the placeso pleasant that the NewYork Times gave Squirrel & The Bee aravereviewinJune.
Employees arehappy togive MICHELLE samples and are noticeably RETIK, cheerful: Employment
OWNER includes free membership at YB Fitnessand for the holidays, the staff in the front of the store( mainly high school and college students) receivedBullets to make smoothies for themselves, while the kitchen staff( mostly older peoplewith families) received waffle irons.” Iwant the employees to take what they learn here home with them,” says Retik. The staff chats withcustomers and greets them by name, and the store has acozy, tranquil vibe:“ There are days here that are very stressful but Ilove my staff. The customers gettoknow them and it starts to really feel like acommunity space.” Amother of four who livesinShortHills, Retik serves more than 2,500 customers a week, sells her granola through Whole Foods stores in the tri-state area, has athrivingon-line business, and is thinking of opening up a second store inWestfield and franchising herbusiness. SaysRetik:“ I would love to bring thistomoreplacesbut Idon’ t want to sacrifice what we’ re about here soithas to be right.”
26 SPRING 2017 MILLBURN & SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE