Lou and Mary Visco, former owners of El Video, have opened The 4th Street Cafe and Shoppes at 4th and Main Indoor/Outdoor Market right on Route 23 in the heart of Morgantown.
They held a robustly attended “soft opening” on Sept. 26, with Gourmand Food Truck in the parking lot and live music from local folk rockers Tin Bird Choir in the cafe. Since then they have been open every weekend, and their BYOB Friday nights are hopping as people enjoy good food while listening to local musicians and browsing the indoor farm stand from Elverson-based Broad Wing Farm.
Friday, Nov. 7 is their Grand Opening Celebration and will feature live music by Philadelphia indie-soul singer Allison Polans, nationally-acclaimed food truck The Cow and the Curd selling fresh battered fried cheese curd. They were featured on the Food Network’s The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Black Walnut Winery will be offering wine tastings and selling wine by the glass and bottle, Morgantown vegetable whisperers Broad Wing Farm will be selling their chemical-free vegetables, and the market will be packed with local artisans and vendors selling their wares.
When the Viscos decided to close El Video 7 years ago they did so with heavy hearts. Faced with the incoming tide of big box stores and the inevitable switch to online video streaming, they had little choice but to close up shop. Ever since then they’ve dreamed of bringing a business back to Morgantown that would reconnect the community they so missed being part of.
Last Thanksgiving, as the Visco family was eating dinner, much of it sourced local from surrounding farms, an idea was born. Why not start a cafe that showcases the amazing foods that are grown, raised, and made right here in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and at the same time bring a farmer’s market back to town? After a year of bouncing ideas around and fine-tuning their approach, The 4th Street Cafe and Shoppes at 4th and Main were born right in the building that used to house El Video.
The Cafe features fresh local produce grown right up the road on Broad Wing Farm in Elverson, Pa., and irresistible sandwiches served on South Philly breads. Plus, they’re serving what some have called “the best lattes they’ve ever tasted,” made from Twin Valley Coffee espresso beans and milk from Longacres Modern Dairy in Barto, PA. They’ve been hard at work finding more local gems to add to the menu, smartly using these weeks of “soft opening” to fine-tune their menu and pastry selection.
The Shoppes at 4th and Main Indoor/Outdoor Market hosts local farms and artisans selling their wares on Friday nights and Saturday mornings. Among the featured vendors are Broad Wing Farm, selling local produce; Black Walnut Winery, offering tastes and selling their local wines; Botanical Bubbles, with lovingly-made natural soaps, lotions, lip balms, and more; and Gourmand Food Truck, offering artisan street food. The vendor list is growing every day and is updated weekly on the website: shoppesat4thandmain.com
Friday nights at the cafe are BYOB and feature a full line-up of some of the region’s hottest musical acts, as well as Food Truck Fridays, and our Friday Night Market. There’s an Artist-of-the-Month showcasing original paintings on the walls and plans are in the works to turn part of the space into a modern music venue.
For more information, visit shoppesat4thandmain.com; Find them on Facebook: facebook.com/theshoppesat4thandmain or call 610-286-0339.
