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