Since David and I both work at home, I've been on the hunt for a perfect coffee shop to be used as a "second office". Starbucks is out. They charge for internet access and it's a revolving door -- too distracting. Although "MY" Starbucks on Main street in Evanston has the coolest baristas -- John and Jake, who are 20-something cuties. They have my drink -- an iced grande no water Americano -- ready before I'm even to the cash register. I have crushes on both of them. When someone knows your "drink" before you even have to order it, you know you've made too many visits to Starbucks. Occassionally I'll order a Pumpkin Spiced Latte in the fall, or some other hot drink. Whenever I do, I think John and Jake get a little nervous. They think they have me all figured out and then ,boom, i order a hot drink and they get rattled. So I love the place. It's not filled with smug yuppie types, like some Starbucks. The people in my Starbucks are cool. But still, I can't get any work done there.
I often go to what David and I call "The Bad Coffee Cafe" in Evanston. He kept telling me that it had bad coffee, and I didn't believe him. But then one day I went there to work. The atmosphere is great for working. A tall bar with comfy stools lines the windows. It's great for laptop use. They have free internet. And there's a little self-employed community there. I see the same people all the time -- one woman is working on her dissertation, I think. Another guy is a computer software salesman. There's a homeless guy who sits drinking coffee in the back and everyone is nice to him. He's just one of the community. I like that. But, the coffee is BAD! The first time I ordered an iced Americano, and added my milk and half and half, and took a sip, it tasted like mud. That's the only way I can describe it. How can you mess up coffee? Is something wrong with their esspresso machine? Is it the brand of coffee? How they grind the beans? David and I speculate...but we haven't yet figured it out. So each time I go there I have to grin and bear the coffee, because I get a lot done.
Today I'm sitting in a cafe in Roger's Park called "Charmers". It is....charming. Cool tables, art deco wall sculpures, and really good coffee. I'm sitting at a corner table in a comfy chair. The only problem is the stereo speaker is right above my head, so I'm having a hard time concentrating. But, hey, good coffee, cool decor, comfy chair. Close. Maybe I'll give it a few more chances and see if this is the real deal. The perfect home for my second office. Heck...anything's better than sitting in a gray cubicle in corporate America. So i'll deal with bad coffee or too-loud music anytime.
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