Shallow Creek Bookstore Cafe

Grab a bite to eat, enjoy a cup of coffee and indulge in a great read at Shallow Creek Bookstore Cafe

 

Published: 7/16/09

Enjoy Good Food, a Good Book and a Great Cup of Coffee at Shallow Creek Bookstore Cafe

- Article & photo by Allison H. McAlister -

Are you craving a steaming cup of delicious coffee and maybe a tasty pastry to go with it? Or maybe youre wondering where to take your friend to grab a tasty sandwich and soup for lunch. Wondering where to take the kids for ice cream cones? Or maybe you just need somewhere to get away and enjoy some solitude while reading the latest novel or catching up on your e-mail on your trusty laptop. You can do all of this and more at Shallow Creek Bookstore Cafe in Edgemere. Family owned and operated, daughters Laura Dernoga and Lynette Christiansen and their mom Gail Hoffman opened Shallow Creek in October 2008. Their families have been part of the Edgemere/Fort Howard/Dundalk areas for several generations. Explains Laura, We wanted to provide a nice family-oriented place for our customers to enjoy without having to travel to White Marsh and beyond. The cafe features sandwiches, wraps, paninis, soup, salad, breakfast sandwiches, coffee and espresso drinks, hand-dipped ice cream, sundaes, milkshakes, soda floats, malts, bagels and pastries. Shallow Creek is locally famous for their chicken salad, which is made on the premises. (It is incredibly delicious and highly addicting. I also highly recommend the chicken bacon ranch wrap, the crab bisque and you must indulge in a sinfully delicious blackbottom or the espresso brownie. Yum!) We try to provide fresh, locally made products served in a family-friendly environment, says Laura, adding that the shop serves 16 flavors of ice cream they get directly from Kilby Cream, a Maryland dairy farm whose motto is 48 hours from cow to cone. In addition to the usual flavors, customers can find more interesting concoctions such as Mint Mookie, Milky Way, Udderly Chocolate and Mudslide. (If you like chocolate, the Udderly Chocolate is a must-try. Though rich, its chocolate ice cream with brownie pieces, chocolate chips and a fudge swirl. Heaven!) Shallow Creek also uses a Maryland-based company for its coffee, Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company, one of a handful of roasters in the world who co-generates its own energy by recycling the chaff and burning it off as fuel. Food specials are offered daily and are posted on their road sign. Shallow Creek will also fax daily specials and soup of the day to businesses who contact them with their fax number. And while all items are made to order while you wait, the shop does accept call-in orders as well. They can also provide trays for business lunches, meetings, etc. Contact the store for details. The bookstore sells new and used books, as well as photographs and art from local artists. They have recently begun offering used books, which are all priced at $3 and below. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these books is donated to the Marine Mail program run by the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows North Point Lodge #4 to help pay for shipping care packages to soldiers in all branches currently serving overseas. The owners and their families are involved in local school, community and recreation organizations and do what they can to give back as much as possible. They offer fundraiser events for schools, sports teams, youth groups, church and service organizations where they donate a percentage of the proceeds of the sales during the events. Shallow Creek also offers weekly discount days, featuring 10 percent off food and drinks. Monday is Senior Day, Tuesday is for teachers and Wednesday is Public Servant Day. Shallow Creek also is hosting an Open Mic night once a month, where musicians can sign up to come in and play guitar or other instrument and sing. The next scheduled Open Mic Night is Saturday, July 25. Also on that date, they are sponsoring a fundraiser for their local 24 Hours of Booty team, a cycling event for the Lance Armstrong Foundation which raises money for cancer research and support. For good food at reasonable prices, good books, a great cup of coffee and free WiFi, visit Shallow Creek Bookstore Cafe located at 7216 North Point Rd. in Edgemere. Hours are Monday - Friday, 6 a.m. - 8 p.m., Saturday, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Sundays, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. For more information, call 410-477-BOOK (2665) or visit them online at www.shallowcreekcafe.com.