Front row seat. By Jean Bredin, Blogfinger© 12/29/18 ©

Excitement outside at Odyssey’s opening day. Jean Bredin, Blogfinger staff ©  12/29/18

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.

We are delighted to report that the Odyssey Coffeehouse has opened as of 7 am on Saturday, December 29, 2018.  We heard from “founder and owner” Joey Lipp, Ph.D. in an email sent last night.  We’ll refer to him as Joey since his new shop is to be a “refuge,” and we all should be on a first name basis in a refuge.

Why did he start this business?  Joey says, “I started Odyssey because I want to give Ocean Grove the gift of a vigorous coffeehouse–not just a café, but a coffeehouse.”  

“Thank you Jesus!,” says Blogfinger.

Joey Lipp says that his shop will “provide his customers with a laid back yet efficient vibe.”  He also says that his coffeehouse will be an “intimate place emphasizing mindful presence and personal connection.”

That’s a lot of personal connecting, and we hope that he succeeds with those lofty humanitarian goals, because we do need  such role models in our society today.

Joey described quite a few details in that email to Blogfinger regarding his business, but you all can go there and see it for yourselves.  A few items did stick out:

a.  Vintage pine boards recovered from the Grove were used to create the barista station and “hand crafted tables.”

b. The baristas are “professionally trained.”

c. There will be seating for 20, with many more alfresco in season.

Odyssey opening day. 12/29/18. Jean Bredin photo© Blogfinger.net

d. Joey will be serving the “highest quality” coffee drinks in addition to  tea  (“stand-alone pots–no tea bags.)  The notion that a new business in the Grove will strive for the highest goals of excellence gives us goosebumps at Blogfinger, and add to that the art on the walls and the talk of Homer, and WOW!

e. Pastries will be delivered daily by “select,local bakers.”  “Odyssey Coffee will not serve food such as sandwiches. salads, or soups. ”  And, there will be no wi-fi  because he is serious about those personal connections that will be  encouraged at the Odyssey.

f. BF reporter Jean Bredin was there: “The ambience was electric! Coffee and pastries awesome! Service superb! A definite place to come.”

Joey and his family have been summering in the Grove for the past 14 years, and they now live here year-round.  Joey teaches the classics at Monmouth University.

I hope to catch up with the Odyssey when I return to town, but meanwhile citizen reporters and actual BF reporters can send us email reports about your adventures at this new and exciting shop. And if you see a Siren in town, to be distinguished from a Mermaid, please send us a photo.

We wish Joey Lipp and his crew success in achieving their goals in the Grove. 

For more information, hours, etc, go to Odyssey Coffee House web site

ETTA JAMES:  “At Last.”

Editor’s note:  Last January, we  wrote the following on Blogfinger:

“Some of you might wonder about the persistent search for a coffee shop near OG, since there are several places in the Grove where you can buy coffee.  The reason is, for some of us, we seek more than just coffee.  In our culture, and in Europe, the coffee shop is a comfortable gathering place where one can appreciate the best coffees from around the world.

“Such shops are not general practitioners, they are specialists, and they know how to create a first rate cappuccino or latte.  Coffee is of primary interest in such places, not an afterthought.  The Barbaric Bean was beginning to be like that, but the Grove’s only true coffee shop has vanished.

“A real coffee shop is a welcoming place which  has seating and where you can savor the barista’s drinks  while reading the paper, having a fascinating conversation, people watching,  or enjoying a special snack. It tends to be where the local characters go.

“Wi-Fi is often available for those who are working on the next great American novel.  After all, J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter while sipping some brew in a local coffee shop.”

—Paul   (note: We do not routinely review new businesses in town unless there is something compelling about such a newcomer. )