Coven

Dessert shop, neighborhood market, sandwiches, prepared foods, and more. Coven opened earlier this year, part of downtown’s recent exciting influx of new shops and restaurants. They are located on Essex St, across from the YMCA (or the Y, as it is now branded) and is owned and operated by former Brooklynites (is that a word?) Rob and Jen. The idea behind a dessert shop started in New York, when Jen realized that the level of anticipation and excitement did not match the quality of the dessert being delivered. A better job could and should be done. There was the move to Salem, the finding of just the right location, a few Facebook posts, and you have Coven. What will you find, when you walk through that door?

The Dessert bar

We should start with the cupcakes, quite possibly the centerpiece of their offerings. These aren’t the kind mom makes, we are talking about cupcakes with names like s'mores, tie-dyed, cherry malt, and the Spongebob Squarepants.

Jen’s favorite: if we aren’t talking about cupcakes, we will be talking about the salted caramel brownie.

Beyond the cupcakes, and brownies, I have seen snickerdoodles, oreo squares, and the infamous cereal bar, where you can try your old favorites, as well as the monster cereals. Use the special bowl designed specifically for the maximum enjoyment of said cereals, I won’t give away the surprise if you have not been.

The Market

If you don’t feel like getting into your car and driving to the supermarket, you can pick up many of the essentials here. They have milk, cheeses, pastas, fruits, vegetables, drinks, cereals, sauces, you know, the things that you’d find in a market, and these are the things you would feel good about feeding to your family.

The Sandwich Shop / Prepared Foods

Coven also has sandwiches for the lunch crowd, and prepared foods with a menu far too long for me to write here. They have meat from Ioka Valley Farm, which is here in Massachusetts, and the eggs are cage free. The cheeses are local whenever possible, some coming from New Bedford while others travel a wee bit further.

One thing to keep an eye out for is a vegan-friendly rice burger, which will be offered in the upcoming months.

Wine amp; Beer

Along with the food, desserts, produce and cheeses, Coven has a selection of wine and beer (in bottles) for your drinking enjoyment. Nothing washes down a freshly made meatloaf better than a [insert your preference here]!

Between Five and Seven Questions with Jen

Hard-hitting, Barbra Walters style, to get the scoop on what you want to know, before you knew you wanted to know it.

Best part of opening a small business?

Being able to put your own spin on things, personalizing your business to how you think things should be done.

One of the Biggest challenges?

The unexpected costs, like manhole covers exploding upwards, which ends up cutting off the power.

Talk to any one of your goals for Coven.

Providing unique ideas to foods that people know.

Jen: Salem could very easily become a foodie destination for the North Shore.

What kind of schooling or training have you had?

A degree in Culinary Arts, with a Minor in Baking [I was told this was the easiest way to describe it.]

Will you have any kind of entertainment?

Yes. Currently, every Monday, there is The Electric Campfire, bring your kids down for story time from 2:00-4:00PM.

There are other events and ideas that we will talk about when they are ready, one for example, will be wine and cupcake pairings. [I noticed on their Facebook page, that they have started a Painting A Month Club, where a group of 15 artists create a new piece each month for display.]

What is the history behind the woman that was on the window?

We wanted a retro feel to the shop, and the woman is a tribute to Rob's grandmother, who he was very close to. One of his tatooes is of her, and this was another way to remember her.

Billy Idol or Debbie Harry?

(After a short pause) Debbie Harry.

Location: Salem, MA

Website: covensalem.com

Facebook: CovenSalem