I love how many solid cafes are in my hood. I visit 2 of them almost daily.
They share the same problem: the delicious smell of toasted, delicious bread at lunch time.
This is a direct assault on my “eat no bread” lifestyle attempt. It also directly assaults my hunger levels. You simply can’t sit there smelling that without craving food. So then I get hungry and have to retreat home for lunch.
Wooly Pig also maintains a quality I believed existed, but hadn’t actually experienced in several years. It’s got a community of regulars. You nod and smile to each other. It’s also got groups that roll in to hang out.
It’s a neighborhood node. The local grocer of the 20’s. The soda shop of the 50’s. (Those were the nodes, right?) I’m proud to see nodes yet live.
Golden Bear has bigger table surfaces for working, windows, and outdoor seating. You can sit in the sun. I try to sit outside, but temperatures are beyond my comfort threshold. You can only type for so long with stiffening fingers.
One difference I’ve noticed from New York is cafes here are cool with you hanging around. In fact, they encourage you to park it for hours. it. Electrical outlets are abundant. They happily replenish your tea’s hot water. In NYC, most places offer few outlets, maintain small tables, and want you in and out. I have a fondness for each approach.