Coffee Shops

I love coffee shops. I love coffee shops alone, with a friend, and even with a group. Actually I hate groups in coffee shops, there are bars for that. If a group can coexist with the coffee shop atmosphere without messing up all of the wannabe artistic flow, then they are fine, otherwise I get annoyed, which I guess can only lead to good stories or a frightening pessimism about society in general.

Good coffee isn’t really that hard, at least for my taste. All you have to do is avoid making it watery garbage and it’s good. Americanos are another story. The good Americano seems to be the exception to the rule of bland hot beverages at many places. Again, all that it takes to move into a level of decency is strength, and apparently that is difficult. As much as I hate to say it, that ever popular retail coffee shop does make very good americanos, again only using my taste as a guide. Independent coffee shops are certainly preferable if you’re sticking it to the man, trying out hipster, or bored, but just because they aren’t named Starbucks or Caribbou doesn’t mean they have divine status. Well it shouldn’t, but to many just associating oneself with something so awesomely alternative is enough. Being all that is high and mighty, I cannot accept bland coffee no matter how many glasses and tight jeans a shop has to offer.

A good coffee shop has a certain unexplainable vibe that, just like Romanticism, can actually be explained in so many ways it becomes nauseating. The main players are the coffee, the layout, the furniture, the lighting, the music, the couch/chair/table ratio, the crowd, internet access, location, and the employees. The number of Macs present usually counts against the shop, and the number of beards seems to sometimes have a positive and other times a negative effect. People who don’t know each other sitting next to each other is definitely a plus. Anybody talking about base jumping and skydiving and how he just loves “gear” so much because he loves technology is grounds for immediate Armageddon. Of course it goes without saying that anyone who likes himself more than 80% potentially ruins it for everyone. Regulars are key, but they fall into anything I’ve listed above then there is no hope.

Stay tuned for individual reviews.