Saturday, June 9, 2007

The Coffee Shop Type




Everyone knows that I am a coffee shop type and whenever I travel the very first thing that I usually scope out is the best coffee shop in the area. I am definitely not one for corporate coffee so only out of sheer desperation will you ever see me enter a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. Besides, I really don't think that either of those have the greatest coffee. Which brings me to my next point.

I admit that I am a coffee snob. I grind my own coffee beans every morning and I like my coffee strong and fresh. If it has sat on the stove top for more than five minutes then it is burned and useless. So what if I am picky about my two favorite things: coffee and chocolate?

My preferred drink is cafe au lait, which I first had in Paris and was immediately hooked on. I use quite strong coffee and heat and froth my own milk every morning, summer and winter. It's part of my morning ritual, like getting up very early to walk or swim and then check the international news videos online. Most people know that the only real time you can actually reach me on the phone is at 6:15 am, as that's when I am sitting down with my second cup of cafe au lait. Otherwise, you'll probably be leaving me a message. (It's also quite efficient for cutting out all the useless chit chat. At the crack of dawn people tend to get right to the point.)

I guess I have three favorite coffee shops that I frequent regularly, all for different reasons. The first is my favorite, my home base when I am away from home and I am there almost every day when in town. That would be Diesel Cafe. One could spend hours here and I certainly have! It serves excellent, strong coffee as well as pastries, sandwiches, soups and all. It's also a great meeting place with lots of tables and booths for reading the papers (also provided) and whiling away the time on your laptop writing your blog. It's big, which is part of the popularity I am sure but it's also cool, with a very eclectic mix. And the pool tables, board games, original art by local artists (changed monthly) and photo booth are all fun, too. It's very popular as a study place for students, who spend hours here with their notebooks and texts. On Sundays you can feel free to relax on the couch, put your feet up and read the papers front to back.

Some people hang out in bars and clubs and some people are just coffee shop types. If you are one then you know what I mean. Diesel Cafe was made for people like us.

Diesel Cafe
257 Elm Street (Davis Square)
Somerville, MA 02144
617.629.8717

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