WhatcomTalk has taken a tour of the recently remodeled third-story mezzanine at Village Books and Paper Dreams in Bellingham, Wash.
Evolve Chocolate + Cafe, which opened on the mezzanine back in August, a major new addition, serves coffee, tea, salads, sandwiches and sweets, along with beer, wine and an assortment of cocktails. Evolve is particularly known for its chocolate truffles, and three nights per week the cafe offers full table service and a three-course prix fixe menu. It also features a "living wall" of growing herbs that are used in its recipes.
Adjacent to the cafe is the Writers' Corner at Village Books, which has also been refreshed. The Writers' Corner features tables and a wood bar for writers to sit and work, and the space is host to not only a variety of writing groups and classes but also more than 10 different book groups.
And while the renovations to the mezzanine took a bit longer than expected, co-owner Sarah Hutton told WhatcomTalk that it really gave her and co-owners Kelly Evert and Paul Hanson "the opportunity to rethink the space."