CoffeeBeer >> Double Shot Buzz >> 2 Berkeley Cafes
Back in May, at the end of my 5-week visit to California, my last days were spent in the Bay Area, specifically the East Bay. My accommodation was the sofa at my friend Mistah Rick's Oakland apartment.
On our first morning there, we started our day over in Berkeley at Souvenir Coffee. This coffee roaster and cafe offers small-batch quality coffee served by staff who are recruited locally and paid fair wages. The company also sponsors local musicians and donates their coffee to food banks. So this all sounded good to us.
When we arrived, as this was early 2022, we were required to show our Covid passes for entry to the cafe. The night before, when I brought up my NHS pass on my phone in order to enter a restaurant, unfortunately the restaurant's WiFi wasn't working; and as I have the signal on my UK phone turned off when I'm in the US, we ended up sitting outside. So this morning, after taking a screenshot of my pass, I was prepared.
Nevertheless the inside tables and spaces were all taken, so we had to sit out in the back garden anyway. And the only available space was a somewhat awkwardly shaped and situated table. I squeezed myself into the seat against the wall and was instantly bombarded by some sort of irritating bugs that kept divebombing my face and body. As I madly brushed them away, I realised that my black summer jacket was so carpeted with cat hair that even for an animal lover like myself, it was actually a bit embarrassing. Rick apologised, explaining that his cat Artemis, who is very furry, had been shedding a lot, and as he had been away for a couple of weeks, he hadn't had the chance to vacuum. This was completely understandable, and I tried to laugh it off. But with my constant jerking away from the bugs, who were extremely insistent and undoubtedly loving all the cat hair, I already felt a bit scruffy and was aware that I probably appeared to be a crazy person.
Regardless of these distractions, my Cortado was pretty good, served with a nice fuzzy rosette on top. And Rick's cappuccino was enjoyable as well.
Besides their selection of fresh roasted coffees, Souvenir also offers small bites. Along with this Berkeley location, they also have cafes in Oakland, Albany, and San Francisco.
That afternoon we decided that before taking a walk in the Berkeley Hills, followed by a final night of California pint-exploring before my flights back to England, we should strengthen our resolve with a second coffee. So we made a quick stop at Peet's Coffee, which is always a safe bet. Here we sat inside and both had macchiatos, which were excellent.
I mean, what more can I say about Peet's? Having been started back in 1966 by Alfred Peet, who learned his trade in his native Netherlands as well as in Indonesia, this coffee company inspired the originators of the now-massive Starbucks empire. As of this point in time, there are over 300 Peet's Coffees around the United States, 245 of those in California. I know that doesn't come close to comparing with Starbucks' 32,000 shops in 80 different countries, but hey, we're looking for decent homespun coffee, not global takeover. I mean, I don't need a Peet's to suddenly sprout up in Sheffield. It's just something else I can look forward to when I visit California, along with decent Mexican food, decent Jewish delis, and the Pacific Ocean.
Speaking of appreciating things while you have them reminds me of a brief email conversation with my famous Unkletom:
If you interbred an Auk and a Dodo, what would it be called? Aukadodo, Doauk, Daukadodo, or just Bill? Well, dead, I would think. Perhaps The Late William would be a more appropriate name. Have you been reading The Auk, The Dodo, and the Oryx by Robert Silverberg? Could an oryx mate with an auk? Perhaps a dodo would make a better mate, as they're bigger and more hardy-looking than auks. So would that be a Doryx? Or an Oryxodo? Or if they had a threesome, an Aukadodoryx or a Daukoryxodo?Related Links