Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cafe

Catching el clasico soccer game in DC?

uk_giffo — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:50:59 -0800

Where in Washington DC will I be able to watch el clasico (Barcelona v Real Madrid) this Sunday afternoon at 1pm? I don't have cable so I want to get out to a good bar or cafe to watch the soccer game. Can any locals recommend somewhere? Anywhere metro-accessible I suppose, but the more central or NW the better. The Washington Redskins and a ton of other American football teams are playing at exactly the same time so I don't think I'll have much luck seeing it at the traditional sports bars.

As a cheeky bonus question (sorry!), are there any useful DC-centric general forums? I'm looking for an online space where I'll be able to ask these kinds of local questions and others. The forums I've found seem to lean quite heavily towards discussing politics on the hill (understably so).

Quinoa help me out with this dish?

oflinkey — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:45:45 -0800

Quinoa salad at Mitsitam Cafe in DC--where can I find the recipe? I was in DC last week and hit up the Mitsitam Cafe for a glorious lunch. I had the quinoa salad and fell in love. I am not sure if it changes, but the version I had was fruity and vinegary and had blue sweet potatoes in it (I am pretty sure). I asked about recipes, and I was referred to a book, but I wonder if anyone has any knowledge of if the quinoa salads change... and if anyone knows this recipe (or if it is in this book). I have found the wild rice with watercress recipe online (wee!), but the quinoa eludes me.

Bookstores: Is it ok to read merchandise you're not going to buy in the bookstore's cafe?

capitalist.pig — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:16:35 -0800

Bookstores: Is it ok to read merchandise you're not going to buy in the bookstore's cafe? As an avid reader, I visit my local Borders and Barnes and Noble a lot. I often notice people reading books and magazines in the store's cafe (usually a Starbuck's). Is this ok to do if you have no intention of buying what you're reading? Is it frowned upon? Are you only supposed to do this with merchandise you've already bought? Do you do it?

I'm curious what the etiquette is on this.

Where can I go to use skype in London from 11pm GMT tomorrow onwards?

Not Supplied — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:46:38 -0800

I can't get skype working on my Ubuntu machine. Where can I go to use skype in London from 11pm GMT tomorrow onwards? Is there a suitably equipped internet cafe open then? I know I could probably get it working on 'buntu with a bit of time, but I'm too busy 'tween now and then.

So any good public computers or creative solutions?

They will obviously need to reliably have an ok headset and skype installed.

Quiet places to study in Edinburgh?

tyris33 — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 09:29:54 -0800

Quiet pubs and cafes for a student to study in Edinburgh I'm currently on a year long exchange in Edinburgh, and I'm looking to find quiet places to study--they don't have to be dead silent just no loud music playing and loud conversations at the table next to me. I know noisy cafes are great for hanging out with friends, but I'd like a place where I can focus on what I'm reading. If you know of any pubs, cafes, parks, libraries, etc., that would be great. Bonus points for old places with lots of atmosphere (fireplaces, comfy chairs, etc).

Good baked goods?

disillusioned — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:56:56 -0800

What great baked goods would make a coffee shop/cafe AMAZING for you? I've got a friend who has an opportunity to bake for a coffee shop that has an emphasis on local, organic, and sustainable stuff (as all good coffee shops should). They're wanting her to come up with some cool and off-the-beaten path baked goods that will work well in display cases and taste great. (And old standards as well!)

Thoughts and recipes and experiences with fun baked-goods selections at coffee places would be great. It'll be relatively limited space and smaller batches, so not a HUGE production, but in general, throw it at us!

Welcome to "_____," would you like a bagel with that?

firei — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:00:00 -0800

If you were opening a cafe that primarily served bagels (and their variations), pastries, coffee (and coffee related drinks), and tea, what would you call it? The wittier the better! (Non-witty are also welcome to apply.) I previously asked a question about opening a bagel store, primarily asking for tips, advice, and ideas. I received a few name recs.

However, I've since decided that I'd like the business to be part coffee shop, part-bagel store - so all of my names that directly pertained to bagels (and I had pages and pages of name riffing on pop culture, where the word bagel was inserted into popular quotes and movie titles) have become moot.

I know the hive mind is clever, and I want my coffee-shop/bagel-shop/thing to be clever, too!

(If it helps: we'll be located in Carmel, NY, in a plaza off of route 6. I don't know why it would. But then, I'm not very witty.)

I'm totally convinced they're satanists.

eschatfische — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:28:09 -0800

Is the Quality Coffee Shop in LA -- where this scene in Ghost World takes place -- still open? I checked Yelp but there weren't any reviews, I tried to call but nobody answered, and Google street view doesn't seem to work right for that address, showing what appears to be further down the street. I assume it's gone, but I just wanted to check.

Los Angeles Area Cyber Cafes for WoW?

felix — Fri, 29 May 2009 12:44:03 -0800

What's a good, clean, safe cybercafe/lan party place with decent computers in Los Angeles? Objective: 5 hours of World of Warcraft. A catastrophic billing error has put me without internet access at home for the next two weeks. But, I run a world of warcraft raid guild, so that's clearly not acceptable. All my neighbors are rightfully paranoid and have protected wireless networks.

What's the best way for me to get back up and raiding, given that I have to get out of the house to do so? Have raid-capable laptop with 802.11g/n, blizzard authenticator, car, and UNENDING TWITCHING FROM NOT BEING ABLE TO DO MY DAILIES FOR MORE THAN 2 DAYS NOW

High caffeine, low rent

Acheman — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 11:08:33 -0800

Where in London can I buy a filter coffee and read undisturbed for hours? Should be quiet, needn't be 'nice', Bow or London Bridge locations a bonus but all considered. When I lived in Cambridge, I used to go to the food court at The Grafton Centre, a slightly grotty shopping mall, to buy a cheap and nasty filter coffee from a takeaway pizza place which had used to be a Sbarro. The owners had painted over the Sbarro signage but retained many of the trimmings, presumably because it seemed like a waste of money to buy new ones. It wasn't heavily used - they had many, many more chairs than patrons - or heavily serviced, so I didn't feel bad about stretching my drink out while I read books on Lacan and Critical Theory, pencil in hand, headphones in. Sometimes when I got hungry I'd have a slice of pizza for about £1.50. I went there about three times a week after work, and always had the same thing, but they never acknowledged me as a regular or guessed my order before I gave it to them. It was heaven. I only stopped going when their coffee jug broke and they made it clear they had no immediate plans to replace it.

Now I'm living in London and haven't found anywhere comparable. I'd like to go somewhere where I can buy a cheap filter coffee - none of this latte bullshit - and make it last for hours without being made to feel bad. Somewhere with a lot of space and no atmosphere, where I can be invisible. Preferably somewhere within easy reach of home - Bow - or work - London Bridge - but I'd travel further afield if necessary. I travel to and from work via Canary Wharf, but all the coffee establishments there seem pricey, only serve latte bullshit, and have the kind of table service where they glare at you after half an hour. I'd prefer somewhere where you could die in your seat at 10 AM, have teenagers use you for chip target practice all day, and only be discovered late in the evening by a lady with a mop and a tragic backstory. That serves cheap filter coffee. Do I make myself plain?

Help fix a cafe's wireless setup!

geos — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 14:21:12 -0800

Any advice on setting up a wireless access point for a cafe for a budget of under $200? I am trying to set up a wireless access point for a cafe. There is likely to be a maximum of 30 users. Here are four options for a set-up given a budget of under $200:

a) consumer wireless router, say the Linksys WRT600N running dd-wrt,

b) 'pro-sumer'/office wireless router like say DLINK 724GU

c) 'pro-sumer' wap like say NETGEAR WAG102 paired with a consumer router to do NAT and minimal firewall

d) 'pro-sumer' wired router ala CISCO SMB RVS4000 paired with a cheap consumer wireless router used as an access point.

The WAN would be a DSL line. This is a free service so nothing is going to be 100%. Right now the cafe is using a consumer dsl-modem/wireless router and it is, not surprisingly, not dealing very well with the load. In particularly it seems like it doesn't like routing that many users, but signal strength is basically fine.

I guess the basic question is whether managing the wireless connections or the routing is the weak point for a cheap setup.

J'ai ce travail à faire, Montréal

asuprenant — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 10:48:23 -0800

What are good spots (cafes, libraries, etc.) for laptopping in Montreal? I'm working remotely in Montreal for a week. Where should I go to spend some time working on my laptop while also seeing a bit of the city?

Basics
Wireless network, electrical outlets, can comfortably stay for a few hours, accessible via public transit

Gravy
Atmosphere, nice music, good food, great coffee

Self-Derailing Bonus Round!
Any must-see stops (hilarious roadside attractions, etc.) on the drive between Montreal and NYC? I'd love to hear about them!

Good spot for a blind date in SF near BART?

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:40:36 -0800

Good spot for a blind date in SF near BART? I have a semi-blind date on Saturday in SF. The idea is to meet for an afternoon cup of coffee. Here's what I'm hoping to find:
1. near BART.
2. not too hipster, a little hipster is okay, but a little on the quiet side.
3. decent coffee, food isn't so important.
4. not too crowded.
5. am I missing anything?

24 hour cafe in burnaby

PowerCat — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:36:02 -0800

I'm currently staying at a friend's place in burnaby. It's at corner Boundary and Hastings. I'm trying to find a 24h cafe place nearby (or mcdonald's or something similar) with internet access to waste time in. Hopefully it'll be free cause I have my laptop! Thanks!

Looking for on ear headphones for home office/cafe work that are clear sounding, don't get sweaty, and are comfortable for long wear.

healthyliving — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:38:59 -0800

I'm in search of headphones to use on my laptop while working at my home office and sometimes at a cafe. I've been using earbuds, but find I get "earbud ear" (ala "hat head") after having them in there all day, and my ears ring from the less then quality sound. I want to find some on ear headphones, preferably $125 and less, that have quality sound, are comfortable on my large size head, don't get sweaty after extended wearing, and have minimal sound bleed in or out. Some is fine. I know about open/closed headphones, and it seems most closed ones are butt ugly, with sweaty pleather and compromise sound. Are there others? The Sennheiser 555s have been a contender on my list. The Grado S60 is no longer, because I've frequently read of it's excessive leaking sound out. Do you have some favorite headphones that meet this criteria, or know of some you'd recommend? If it helps, I listen to mostly electronic, downtempo while working. So well detailed, tight sound all around would be preferable. Don't need a bass heavy headphone. thanks in advance for your suggestions

Breakfast and Lunch in Vancouver

queseyo — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:20:36 -0800

Recommendations for breakfast and lunch in/ around downtown Vancouver, BC, please. I think I've got dinner covered - I've made reservations at Jules Bistro and the Umberto restaurant (and will probably be going to Chambar, too, given the recommendations I've found in other threads. Anyone been to Le Marrakesh, by the way?) I'm planning on dinner being the main meal of the day, and making an affair out of it. So, I'm looking for more simple, inexpensive places for breakfast/ lunch. A cafe with fresh pastries would be fine for breakfast, and lunch, just about anything. I do have some allergies - to fish and seafood (sigh). I've been looking at dinehere.ca, but there are just so many listings I don't know where to start. We both really like any Asian cuisine.
Oh, and we're staying on Granville Island, and are planning on walking/ biking/ busing.
Thanks!

Best Coffee in the Square Mile?

vacapinta — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:06:40 -0800

Best Flat White in the City of London? Coffee-lovers, please advise! I'm a big fan of Monmouth and in fact I often get my morning coffee at their Covent Garden store before heading to work.

But I work in the City, not too far from Moorgate station and all there is here is the Starbucks/Costa chains! Are there any cafes around here worth checking out? Perhaps ones using Monmouth beans?

At the moment, I'm going to try out the Coffee guys on Whitecross but even if that works out, any other options?

Do any cafes in LA serve booze?

PostIronyIsNotaMyth — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:36:33 -0800

Any cafes in LA that also serve booze? When I was in Madison, WI there was this awesome coffee shop that sold booze at night. So I would write there during the day and come back later at night and be able to enjoy a beer while I wrote.

Are there any places in LA, especially on the Westside, where I can go enjoy a beer and still have a laid back cafe atmosphere suitable for writing?

Oatmeal me!

prefpara — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:57:32 -0800

Where can I buy a nice cup of oatmeal near Washington Square Park on weekday mornings? For the past two years, I have been working in an office that is right by a Europa Cafe. Every morning, I get a small cup of oatmeal there. They make it nice and thick (but not too thick) and they make it with whole milk. I love my morning oatmeal, and I want to continue to eat it for breakfast every day. However, this fall, my life will be based around Washington Square Park, and there are no Europa Cafes in walking distance of the park.

(Yes, I have made my own oatmeal before. No, I don't want to make my own oatmeal every morning. Not having to make my own is worth so much more to me than the $2.66 it costs to buy oatmeal someone else has made (and not ruined).)

Metafilter, thanks in advance, and I will report back in the fall if one of them works out.

What's a good laptop-friendly Santa Cruz cafe?

itinerant — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:46:40 -0800

CoffeeFilter: Where to park my laptop in Santa Cruz? I have a free afternoon in Santa Cruz, and like any self-respecting workaholic, I'd like to spend it in a coffee shop working on my laptop. What's a good laptop-friendly coffee shop? Main parameters are decent Wifi, acceptable coffee, and won't mind if I'm working there for a couple hours. Location isn't much of a concern.

city dog, country human

splendid animal — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:47:11 -0800

Can I go inside to order at a coffee shop when I have a dog with me? I recently began walking a dog 3 days/week in order to earn some spare cash while satisfying my need for a canine companion (I'm not able to have a dog of my own right now). He's a standard poodle (i.e., around 55lbs, fluffy, and absolutely adorable), and easily the most well-behaved dog I've ever known. I would like to be able to sit with him OUTSIDE at a coffee shop for an hour or so to do some light reading/work in his company.

There are a number of coffee shops along our walk routes, but I don't know if there's an etiquette (or if it's even legal!) for bringing him inside while I order, after which I would enjoy my drink with him at a table outside. I have a lot of dog experience, but am from a rural area and this whole dog-in-the-city thing is new to me. So I don't know if this is something I could do when it's just him and me. I don't want to just tie him outside because I'm afraid somebody would dognap him or otherwise make trouble - and again, I'm the dogsitter, not the dog-parent (his parents don't care where we walk or hang out as long as he's getting some exercise and company). My number one priority is to make sure he's safe and that we're not causing any mischief (or worse) when we're out and about.

I apologize if this is a silly or obvious question, but I am truly oblivious about this city-dog stuff. We're in West LA (near UCLA), if that helps. (I know the most obvious answer is probably "go to the coffee shop after you've walked him," but I just want to know if it's possible for me to take him along. I keep daydreaming about me, this wonderful dog, a cup of tea, and some productive journal-reading on a sunny afternoon in LA...)

Cafe name game

thehmmhmm — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 11:52:59 -0800

What should I name my cafe? I will starting a movie theater and cafe in the very near future (think the Angelika on a much, much smaller scale). What should I name the cafe? The theater has already been named (it's a small chain) but the cafe name is stumping me. I do not plan for the two to share names and would like the cafe to eventually be a stand alone enterprise. We plan on showing only independent and art house-type films and the cafe's atmosphere will reflect that.

I need my cafe con leche. Help me make it.

notjustfoxybrown — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:46:26 -0800

Help me replicate my beloved cafe con leche. The only thing I miss about my eight years in Miami are the beach, my roommate's dog and the ungodly amounts of Cuban-style cafe con leche I consumed. I want to make it at my new home here in Phoenix but my efforts haven't turned out at all like the stuff I got at the cafes in Miami. What am I doing wrong? Should I be looking for a certain brand of coffee?

What music do you like to listen to in a bar?

kolophon — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 05:13:57 -0800

What music do you like to listen to in a bar? I've recently opened a bar, and though I get mostly positive feedback some were complaining about my choice of music.
It happens that my favourite music styles are hardcore, metal, experimental and generally more noisy stuff. I can see that people would object to this so I usually play slow acoustic music, anti-folk and the likes. But now some said that it is all too sad and depressing.

So my question is: If you are in a bar, what music do you enjoy hearing? Can you name some bands that are not too boring and un-original, or a new or old genre that I should explore?
The clientele of the bar is rather young, mixed gay/straight (queer) and a bit "alternative"...

I come for the coffee but I stay for the scenery

Sock Muppet Acct! — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 21:11:16 -0800

I heart my barista. I live in extremes and don't know how to subtly tell a cute boy that I like that I...um, like him, without sounding like I'm in 8th grade (which is how I feel, although I'm very much in my 20s.) I know this is insanely silly. I go to a cafe to study and have had a crush on one of the guys there for more than half a year now. I unconsciously stare at him so much that the rest of the staff must surely know I like him but in my defense I don't think it comes off as creepy and I catch him looking at me too, sometimes. But I feel like I'm 14 years old.

I've got "game" when it comes to jerks and asshats, but someone seemingly sweet that I *really really* like, I devolve into a puddle of blathering awkwardness around. I haven't actually had this very sweet kind of liking for someone in a very long time. It feels very fragile but refreshing and uplifting at the same time (as in - yay! my heart hasn't turned to ice just yet!)

I finally introduced myself a while ago, and we've had an awkward convo since. I just...don't know what to do now? All my friends are in their 20's and think I'm being weird and childish but I really can't help it - I reiterate that I feel like I'm 14 around this boy! I haven't even gotten to know the other cafe staff (who now must think I'm an asocial weirdo) because I get scared (this is wholly unlike me, before the social phobia diagnoses pop up)

So. I don't want to be too direct because if the interest isn't reciprocated, I don't want to lose my study spot. But I can't keep spending so much money there everyday just to see this kid! So...suggestions as to how to approach crushes when mired in these weird customer/staff relationships? About how to become brave again? And about what the next step should be?