Oregon Trail Roasting Blog

Ragged Blade, the popular opening act at Metro East Pride 2010, returns to Belleville at Oregon Trail Roasting Co on Friday, August 20th starting at 7pm.  Ragged Blade features vocalist Blue Jones, of the LGBT Center of St. Louis.  Also performing are Lee Borrine, leader of Fruit Jam, sax; Tiffany Borrine, bass, Scott Splater, clarinet, Jerry Rabushka, keys (& composer of many of the songs), Isaac Cherry, drums.

Blue Jones Sings

We’re excited to host Ragged Blade’s return to Belleville with a variety of original tunes, blues, country, jazz, ragtime, folk, rock, & even a few medieval hits from wayyy back in the day!

For more information click here.

Dianne has been taught and encouraged by artists such as Ed Karasek, Jerry Thomas, Dale Threlkeld, Nancy Fredricks and June Kelly.

She likes to work in watercolor, pastels, oil and graphite depending on the subject.  Her work has been chosen at different times to be shown at the St Louis Artis Guild, Gateway East Artist Guild, Starving Art Studio, Oregon Trail Roasting Company and Framations Gallery.

All In Motion

Her style is between realism and  impressionism with emphasis on color. She enjoys drawing many different subject matters and even portraits.  Learn more about Dianne’s art here.

The Undertones are a 16-member co-ed a cappella group at Northwestern University and they will be at Oregon Trail Roasting Co on Friday, September 10th at 7pm.

The Undertones pride themselves on maintaining a very high level of musicianship while also keeping the fun, silliness and love alive. They perform three mainstage shows at Northwestern every year as well as tons of smaller gigs. Last year they performed at veterans hospitals, at a super-fancy corporate conference, and at a wedding (just to name a few)!

The Undertones are known nationally and internationally. Last year they toured the East Coast in September and went to Edinburgh, Scotland over winter break on a charity tour of hospitals there! But most importantly, they are a group of people who love to sing together, love to laugh together, and love the work that we do.

The Undertones have released two studio albums: “Seriously Now,” and “enter soUnd”– and are currently in post-production of their third studio album, being released in September 2010! Their recording of “Get Set,” available on “enter soUnd,” was selected for inclusion on the album “Voices Only 2009: The Best of Collegiate A Cappella!”

CARA nominated and ICCA award-winning, the Undertones consistently demonstrate excellence in competition. In 2007, they won the ICCA Quarterfinal and Best Choreography. In the 2010 Quarterfinal and Semifinal, they won Best Arrangement, placing among the top a cappella groups in the Midwest.

Find them on iTunes!

WEBSITE:
www.NUUndertones.com
www.facebook.com/nuundertones
http://www.youtube.com/user/NUUndertones

STL TOUR INFORMATION:
The Undertones are touring Belleville and St. Louis September 6-11, 2010. In addition to performing at Oregon Trail, they will be holding a concert in the auditorium of Lindenwood Univeristy’s Belleville campus (date and time TBA). They are also singing at the Jefferson Barracks Veterans Hospital and coordinating an a cappella workshop with Belleville West HS chorus classes.

More to come.  Plan now to attend!

Five Cups is better–for preventing Alzheimer’s.

NPR reported today on new studies showing that mice who get the equivalent caffeine found in five cups of coffee per day were protected against Alzheimer’s.  Apparently, those mice getting just two cups a day did not see any benefit.  It requires a bit more.  Of course, as with any animal studies, we’re not sure yet what this means for humans, but we always welcome news like this.  For the full story, or to hear the broadcast, click here.

We sell Poco Dolce gourmet dark chocolates.  Not only are these the most elegant chocolates we have ever tasted, the are good for you.  See this article for more information.  Have a piece with your next cup of just-roasted, single-origin coffee!

Poco Dolce Chocolates

Here is a great article about coffee and coffee houses.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/7507026/The-origin-of-coffee.html

Come visit us, bring a friend, drink some coffee, debate something and do it again the next day.

I tasted these incredible confections at a conference in Albuquerque just last month. I knew I had to share them with our customers. I contacted Robin Béquet personally and made arrangements to begin selling these award-winning, absolutely incredible caramels right here in Belleville. You have got to try one–no kidding–it is the best caramel I have ever had. If you don’t agree, the coffee’s on me.

Béquet Caramels

David

DJ G and friends bring New Life Music JAZZ & NEO-SOUL to the Oregon Roasting Co starting every third Tuesday afternoon starting at 4pm and continuing until 8pm. Come by after work for some great music and good times–not to mention the great food and drink.

The fourth-Friday every month will be an open mic night for performers whose instrument is the spoken word. If you do short stories, poetry or other verbal performing, come by and join an appreciative crowd in a perfect setting for a great start to a long, exciting weekend. Starts at 7:00 pm.

Those of you who don’t venture downtown on the weekends have been missing out. Missing out on the best damn pancakes on the planet. Andrea grinds the flour for these beauties in the back of the store. That makes all the difference. And now, she’s decided to make them Wednesday mornings as well because so many of you have asked her to. Starting May 5th, you can get our famous flapjacks, plain or blueberry, on Sunday morning or Wednesdays until 10am. You have got to try these . . . with a friend.