Opened in September 2016 by Ossining residents Luis and Kathryn Corena, First Village Coffee is one of the county’s must-visit coffee shops. The husband-and-wife team wanted to open a cool place where locals could get good coffee — Luis was born and raised in El Salvador, surrounded by coffee plantations — in a unique atmosphere. “We wanted to create an inviting community space where everyone is welcome, with an emphasis on quality ingredients, environmental sustainability, and the arts,” says Kathyrn. “Lots of area rivertowns have independent coffee shops, and we wanted to create one for our community here in Ossining.”
In addition to the lattes, espresso, and specialty drinks, First Village gained a reputation for serving vegan baked goods. That’s what brought baker Justine Soto to First Village in September 2017. She and Luis started talking, and a few days later Justine, and her twin sister Brittany, were using the kitchen to create yeasted doughnuts for their Ossining-based vegan baking company, Peaceful Provisions.
Peaceful Provisions does not use animal products, trans fats, preservatives, bleached flour, GMO ingredients, artificial flavors, or artificial coloring in its treats. Their Instagram-worthy doughnuts are made by hand in small batches, and past demand was so high that they would sell out in hours. Currently, Peaceful Provisions only offers their doughnuts — flavors range from coconut Samoa to maple-bacon to almond-lingonberry —at First Village on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Justine and Brittany also bake cupcakes, muffins, and other treats for the shop. “Similar to First Village Coffee we put so much love into everything we make and deeply care about providing our guest with fresh, delicious, and compassionately crafted desserts,” says Justine. “Our products complement one another so well, it’s a perfect pairing.”
Peaceful Provisions and First Village have collaborated on vegan pop-ups, too, serving empanadas, pasta, pizza, charcuterie, and, gluten-free sweets. (Future pop-ups are in the works.)
Peaceful Provisions, isn’t the only local talent the Corenas work with. First Village likes to host artists, performers, musicians, and other events, including yoga, for the local community. The walls serve as a gallery of artwork for sale from local artists. Kathryn says, “We try to offer up our space to the community as much as we can and use it as a way of attracting folks to see what historic downtown Ossining has to offer.”
First Village Coffee
123 Main Street, Ossining
914.236.3765
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