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Back Buzz - December 18, 1998

Zoka's Coffee Roaster and Tea, 2200 North 56th Street, Green Lake

Zoka's is situated ironically close (i.e. across the street) from the Honey Bear Bakery. This wouldn't be so unusual in a more urban area like Queen Anne or Capitol Hill or Downtown. But Green Lake seems so suburban, so residential; and on this little cluster of businesses at the intersection of several erratically-aligned residential streets, it just seems funny that there should be two coffeehouses.

Although diehard Green Lake breeders would be shocked to hear this, I think Zoka's is a far superior coffeehouse to the Honey Bear and a much more pleasant place to hang out. At the far end of the room is an actual coffee roaster which was in the process of roasting a batch of beans when I visited, imparting an exquisitely heavenly aroma to the room. Zoka's sells a wide variety of whole-bean coffees as well as fine loose-leaf teas. The room is big, wood-floored with wooden tables and chairs, and feels almost like an old-fashioned (but recently restored) classroom. There were lots of customers there, too, mostly young people studying and reading and balancing checkbooks and sleeping. Perhaps it was that one snoozing woman with her head resting on the table which made me think of school -- college, in particular. Yes, Zoka's could be easily situated directly next to a college campus; but I don't believe there are any in Green Lake.

My double short cappuccino was served in a big green coffee mug with no spoon -- two points off there. But the espresso itself is delicious: quite flavorful, robust, almost spicy in nature. The foam was dry and fluffy in its too-tall tower of a cup. But this would be an excellent place to have a straight shot of espresso; I did notice proper espresso cups at the counter. If only they had a coffee bar one could stand at like they have in Paris...but then I guess it's not particularly Parisian. Nor is it particularly Green Lakelike, because of one factor: children! There are no babies or children here! They must all be at the Honey Bear across the street. Perhaps Zoka's is Green Lake's childfree coffee haven. I don't see any signs posted reflecting such a policy, but perhaps it's simply evolved this way...or perhaps I was simply lucky in my timing.

Continuing the comparison with the Honey Bear Bakery, there really is none in my opinion. Everybody raves about the Honey Bear's pastries; but I had one of Zoka's cinnamon pecan scones which was quite delicious. (I don't normally eat with my daily afternoon cappuccino, but I was shorted on my lunch this particular day.)

So how come one never hears about Zoka's? Those of us from the denser, more urban parts of Seattle have heard plenty -- way plenty -- about the Honey Bear Bakery. ("What? You've never been there? Oh, you have to go to the Honey Bear!" How many times in the past eight years have I endured this urgent, dictatorial decree?)

So all I can say in return is if you live in Green Lake or are passing through in need of a coffee, tea, or snack -- or specifically an espresso or a macchiato -- then try Zoka's instead of the Honey Bear. I think it's much, much better. And then you can run across the street and read the Honey Bear's message board if you like.

I have to admit I got lost getting here; the zigzagging multiple intersections and weird little nongridded streets can be very confusing. I believe this little subsection of Green Lake is called Meridian, and all the street names sound the same: Kensington, Keynote, Keyhole, Keystroke, Ketone...which brings to mind the Pike-Pike confusion here in Seattle. Why do people always confuse Pike Street and Pine Street? Is it that one little letter, or is it the whole concept of the two streets lying one block apart? Is it related to the same reason I always confuse the digits 3 and 7 in multiple-digited numbers? For instance, I might remember the number 583 as being either 583 or 587; my normally impeccable memory for numbers gets somehow cloudy there.

But then things do tend to get mighty confusing this time of year. This close to Chanukah and Xmess and New Year's and Kwaanzaa and the Winter Solstice and my best friend's birthday and my mother-in-law's 80th birthday I can't even remember what my name is or where I live. What's this I'm writing, anyway? Some sort of coffee column or something?

Which reminds me, before I forget about it completely (as well as everything else), of a very confusing e-mail exchange from a year and a half ago with my Chicago friend, where I ended up having to communicate with him solely through my SUBJECT headers:

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• In case you're a little too confused and forgetful this holiday season, here's a useful guide to early Alzheimer's Disease (Alzheimer's Research UK)