Tag Archives: gnome

You’ve Gotta Visit This Gnome-Themed Sandwich Shop in Denver!

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As part of our ongoing series about gnome-themed businesses around the world, wanted to share a bit about our recent visit to The Grateful Gnome Sandwich Shoppe & Brewery in Denver, Colorado.

The Grateful Gnome is an authentic Italian-style delicatessen that doubles as a microbrewery, because well, this is Colorado after all. Being only established in March 2018, it’s pretty new on the local restaurant scene but makes an awesome addition to the hip Berkley neighborhood on the northwest side of town.

Dan Appell is the brains and heart behind The Grateful Gnome, inspired by his dad’s Parsippany, New Jersey sandwich shop when he was a kid. Meanwhile, Bess is the expert brewmaster who provides the sandwich shop with well-balanced and tasty beers.

As you might expect, The Grateful Gnome is decked out with gnome figurines, banners, signage, and merchandise for sale. Look behind the bar for a big collection of gnomes, and then stroll around inside to find “hidden gnome gems” that will make you smile. My husband and I sat outside on the restaurant’s patio because it’s dog-friendly out there if you tie your pup to the side of the fence and we had our “Monkey” with us.

The restaurant’s sandwich menu is extensive and pretty overwhelming with at least 54 options to choose from, plus dozens of toppings and add-ons. At the Grateful Gnome, you’ll also find a kids’ menu, soups, salads, fries, and other surprises. And don’t forget about the beer! You’ll find about 12 beers on tap here, as well as a cider and a non-alcoholic root beer. Get a sampler if you can’t make up your mind or want to try a few different gnome-inspired varieties.

I’ll admit that the menu is a bit challenging as a vegetarian because it’s very meat-heavy, but they have a great “vegwich” that tastes great with the Giggity IPA and Hibiscus Saison. The service was good, the t-shirts are cute, and the neighborhood is fun to walk around. Better yet, The Grateful Gnome offers live music sporadically throughout the week and updates its Facebook page with details about who’s playing when. So next time you’re in Denver, stop by The Grateful Gnome and tell the gnomies we say hello!

Gnome-Themed Breweries & Restaurants Worth Visiting in the U.S.

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As we continue to travel around the country we have noticed lots of businesses have begun adopting gnome themes. Obviously, this is awesome! Obviously, we are big craft beer fans, and we’re certainly not one to turn down a delicious meal!

So, here are the gnome-themed breweries and restaurants that we’ve come across so far. After all, there’s really nothing better than dining and drinking with your little red-hatted companions!

Hopping Gnome Brewing is based in the up-and-coming Douglas Design District of Wichita, Kansas. Using a 5 BBL brewing system, 8 fermenter vessels, and 2 Brite beer tanks, this brewery has many styles of beer on tap. It offers brewery tours each month and hosts lots of fun events throughout the week, including art shows, local food vendors, coloring book nights, and yoga classes.

There’s another gnome-themed brewery in the Sharpsburg area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania worth checking out. It’s called the Dancing Gnome, which specializes in hop-heavy styles of beer and often has food trucks onsite. Like Hopping Gnome, this brewery sells fun gnome-themed merchandise, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats.

If you’re traveling through Fort Wayne, Indiana, make sure to stop by The Hoppy Gnome, a restaurant with a diverse menu and that serves locally brewed beer from the GnomeTown Brewing Co. Their fun logo is a gnome hat over a hop bud, and there’s even a kids’ food menu so you can bring your little ones along for a gnomish adventure.

The Happy Gnome in St. Paul, Minnesota describes its experience as a craft beer exploration and culinary adventure. There are 89 beer taps with different breweries featured every month, and the chef creates fresh and delicious fare for lunch, happy hour, dinner, dessert, and Sunday brunch. Another exciting destination for gnome lovers is Denver, Colorado, where The Grateful Gnome Sandwich Shoppe & Brewery is located.

Not into beer? No worries! There are some great gnome-themed restaurants around the country for you to enjoy.

For example, the Gnome Café serves healthy vegan cuisine downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Platypus and Gnome, located in Wilmington, North Carolina, is also vegan/vegetarian-friendly but serves American favorites like burgers too.

Have you discovered a gnome-themed restaurant or bar that didn’t make our list? Share with us in the comment section below so we can stop in next time we’re in town!

Gnome Protests: Standing in Solidarity, Fighting the Good Fight

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Now gnomes don’t often like to get involved in human politics. After all, they have much better things to do with their time – like growing gardens, causing mischief, and drinking grog. In fact, the simplicity and peacefulness of gnomes’ lives is what drew many of us to them in the first place!

Yet it’s impossible to ignore the politics and injustices happening in the world today, and not even gnomes can stay silent all the time. Here are a few examples of how gnomes have been involved in protests all around the world.

Gnomes Against McDonalds

One of the most famous of gnome protests took place in Australia in 2013, when gnomes took a stand against a new McDonalds restaurant coming to the small town of Tecoma. The 24-hour fast food drive-thru threatened to ruin the gnome’s peaceful existence. Since then, the Tecoma gnomes have taken on lighter pursuits, like breaking the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest gathering of people dresses as garden gnomes. Check out the “Gnomeageddon” story here!

Gnome for Better Garden Care

A German garden store called Toom released an ad with Ogilvy Action in Düsseldorf a few years ago, featuring gnomes protesting neglected yards and inhospitable conditions. In a dramatic reenactment, gnomes left their homes and marched to the center of the city to share their plight with the world and demand a better backyard environment. Gnomes protested to convince Germans to take better care of their gardens, and they succeeded. You can watch the full video here!

Gnomes for Lower Energy Rates

Gnomes made the news last fall when they marched in Toronto to protest rising electric prices that residents can’t afford. These protesters hailed from the North Hastings chapter of the Gnomes for Justice and Equality, which is a group that supports various advocacy efforts. One member explained these gnomes do not promote any specific political party or social agency, but are community members who want to address issues of rural poverty and hunger. These gnomes are working to create positive change in the community and welcome anyone willing to put on a red hat to join them. Read more about their efforts here!

Are the gnomes in your home activists and revolutionaries? Or are they peaceful types that steer clear of controversy and drama?

Songs about Gnomes & Their Curious Inspiration

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With the recent passing of musical legend, David Bowie, an old song of his popped into my head the other day: “The Laughing Gnome.” To my knowledge, Bowie was never an avid gnome collector so why would he write a song about a gnome?

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In fact, I’ve often wondered why musical artists name their bands and songs after gnomes, especially when they have little to do with our beloved little friends.

Bowie’s song tells the story of walking down the street, hearing footsteps, and turning around to find a “little old man” who chuckles away all day long singing “I’m a laughing gnome and you don’t catch me!” The song was released as a single in 1967 and features a sped-up voice and several puns on the word “gnome.” It’s radically different from much of his other work and has been described as a fun children’s song, a mod anthem, and an embarrassment.

Another gnome song from an unexpected band is “The Gnome” by Pink Floyd. The song appears on their album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, and tells the story of a gnome named Grimble Grumble. This little guy wore a scarlet tunic with a blue-green hood, and he had a big adventure in the great outdoors, followed by a bit of wining and dining. Sounds pretty fun, right? As far as I know, the British psychedelic rock band wasn’t into collecting gnomes either, but the song’s inspiration reportedly came random creativity and J.R.R. Tolkien’s books.

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However, David Bowie and Pink Floyd haven’t been the only musical artists to oddly embrace gnomes…even if only for a short time. For example, the album of one Australian band simply named “Gnome” was described in a review as “other-worldly, blissful, euphoric, natural, and tranquil.”

It seems that many artists identify with what gnomes represent and are drawn to express those qualities through music. It also just goes to show that you don’t have to be a gnome expert to enjoy and celebrate gnomes’ clever, fun-loving, and mischievous nature!

So allow me to introduce you to few gnome-related songs and bands to listen to and decide for yourself. No matter what type of music you’re into, you’re sure to find a gnome song you enjoy, or at least get a chuckle out of.

  • David Bowie’s “The Laughing Gnome,” – Audio – Lyrics
  • Pink Floyd’s “The Gnome” – Audio – Lyrics
  • David the Gnome Theme Song – Video
  • The Alpaca Gnomes (band from Connecticut) – Video
  • Gnome (band from Cleveland, Ohio) – Video
  • The Gnome Addicts (band from Toronto) – Video
  • UnGnomes (band from Chicago) – Audio

Do you know of any other gnome bands or gnome songs? I’d love to check ’em out, so please share with me!

***This article will appear in the next issue of the International Gnome Club newsletter. Find out what else is going on in the world of gnome news, by joining our club!***

How to Turn a Pumpkin into a Gnome: A Halloween Tutorial

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All gnomes know the story of Cinderella and that part when a pumpkin is magically turned into a coach to transport our heroine. Well it’s Halloween season, not fairy tale season, so we’re mixing things up a bit!

Lots of you visiting pumpkin patches with hopes of decorating the most awesome pumpkin in the world this year. But let’s face it…what could be more awesome than a gnome?

Here’s a 10 step tutorial on how to turn a pumpkin into a gnome. We went with the “evil gnome” theme, because well, ’tis the season. But you could paint a nice, pretty gnome (like me( if you prefer.

Step 1: Choose the pumpkin that speaks to your soul

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Step 2: Cut out a “quarter circle” of felt for the hat to match your pumpkin size

Step 3: Sew the side up to make a cone-shape

Step 4: If you’re feeling fancy, turn the bottom over to sew a hem and hide the edges

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Step 5: Grab a nearby gnome to use as a model and sketch out a face!

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Step 6: Now paint that face!

Step 7: Use white needle felting felt, polyester fiberfill, or cotton balls to make a beard and eyebrows

Step 8: Stick the beard and hat on with super glue (carefully!)

IMG_0444Step 9: Go wash all that nasty stuff off your hands with some festive soap

IMG_0448Step 10: Treat yourself and your new gnome friend to some tasty pumpkin bread to celebrate!

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And BAM! Just like that…a pumpkin is magically transformed into a gnome!

What’s your favorite gnome craft for Halloween? Share your ideas with us and we’ll try to send you a leftover piece of this bread.

xoxo,
Craft-master Trixie