Life’s Patina Brings A Charming Café and Shop To Historic Yellow Springs

by Melissa Jacobs

Life’s Patina’s long-awaited café and shop is breathing new life into Historic Yellow Springs. Open for breakfast, brunch and lunch Wednesdays through Sundays, the gorgeously restored house – formally called Life’s Patina Mercantile & Café – offers delicious food, coffee and tea.

Three things to know before you go. The café does not take reservations; seating is first come, first serve. The house does not currently have signage, so be mindful that its address is 1657 Art School Road. Parking is challenging because Life’s Patina doesn’t have a dedicated parking lot. There’s a grass lot across from the house and it is available for parking if weather permits. And, you can park at the Chester Springs Library and the municipal lot (both are on Art School Road), then walk to Life’s Patina.

Having said all of that … Life’s Patina is definitely worth visiting. The food is delicious. Spinach and cheese quiche topped with thick slabs of bacon has a divine crust. Anything baked is a sure-fire hit, including sourdough bread that is the backbone of ricotta toast with delicious fig jam and zesty avocado toast accented by feta cheese, pickled onions and a darling container of spiced nuts and granola.

Can’t speak to the salads, other than that they looked lovely. But no salad can compete with the pastries seductively displayed in the café’s cases. Scones, cookies, banana bread, savory pastries and more; everything is delicious. There’s also a wide variety of coffee and tea, including specialty drinks of the day. The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful, even during busy weekends.

The shop is filled with treasures big and small at a variety of price points. Note cards, gourmet pantry items, tableware, candles and more occupy the ground floor shopping area. It’s a different vibe from Life’s Patina at Willowbrook Farm in Malvern. There, owner Meg Veno’s modern, rustic barn aesthetic fills every nook and delightful cranny. The Historic Yellow Springs location feels more European, perhaps a Chester County version of French countryside chic.

The house is lucky to have Life’s Patina. She (the house is definitely female) had fallen into disrepair after a series of owners performed some unkind “upgrades” that did not honor her original structure or history. And her history, like that of Historic Yellow Springs, is quite spectacular.

Known as the Jenny Lind House because the famous 19-century opera singer stayed there while touring the US, she neighbors other historic structures that date to the Colonial era. Back then, the springs – yellow because of the iron in their waters – was a health spa resort, except when Gen. George Washington stayed there during the Revolutionary War. Historic Yellow Springs shares all of that information, and much more, in its online archive and during its educational programs. The Yellow Springs Art Show, held every spring, is a great reason to visit the historic village.

Come spring, Life’s Patina is likely to have outdoor seating, according to the staff. The upstairs floors will become a B&B at some point, but Veno and her crew still have work to do on that part of the project. The wood staircase leading upstairs looks to be perfectly restored, an inviting preview of what’s to come.  

During the winter, Life’s Patina is open Wed. – Fri. from 8 am – 4 pm and 9 am – 3 pm on Sat. and Sun. For more information, visit Life’s Patina Mercantile & Café.

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Want to read more about great food and drink in our region? Check out our stories about 9 Prime in West Chester and Chester County Ciders.

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