Philadelphia

The scenario: New job. The location: Center City. The very first order of business: Spend 6 weeks stumbling into every coffee shop within a 5 block radius to find “it”—my coffeeshop. My particularities with coffee haven’t won me any friends yet, so please forgive me while I tell you something you already know: Lots of coffee shops are good. Lots of coffee shops are hip, even. And because they grow up like weeds in a city, lots of coffee shops have been featured on NFT. You must be bored. So here’s the deal: Wi-Fi? Free. Seating? Small tables. Ambiance? Open air French café. Food? Nostalgic as well as gourmet PB&J (from fluffernutter to pistachio butter cherry jam on grilled multigrain). And the coffee? Kickass. La Colombe, a local roaster in Philadelphia, is proudly poured here. And might I add that Café Loftus’ regular coffee beat the pants off of the weak stuff at La Colombe Torrefaction’s main store near Rittenhouse Square. What can I say? I go an extra stop on the blue line every day for this place even though I don’t have to. And truly, dear internet readers, that is love.

Photo:  Christopher Gabello