Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with coffeeshop

Help me get my PhD!

number9dream — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:38:40 -0800

Need to find a decent, quietish coffeeshop in San Francisco, near BART. I am meeting up with an academic collaborator from out of town tomorrow. We are supposed to meet in San Francisco for a couple of hours to discuss our project, and I'm in charge of finding the location. I'm familiar with SF, but not the coffeeshops so much. Requirements:

1. Close to BART.

2. Relatively quiet. Not the death-silence of a library, but I don't want to have to yell over loud music.

3. Reasonable likelihood of getting a table on a Saturday late morning/early afternoon.

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Sick of the library

SpringAquifer — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:37:54 -0800

Atlanta-filter: Any good late-night places to get some work done in the Emory and Druid Hills area, or possibly beyond? I moved to Atlanta for school this fall. I'm getting a little sick of the library, though, and I'm having trouble finding a good place conducive to studying, late at night, off campus. Free wireless is a huge bonus, though not absolutely necessary.

I know there's a Caribou Coffee a few blocks off the Emory campus that's open until 2 a.m. or so, but that's the only option I know of so far. All the Starbuckses and Paneras and so on close up shop pretty early, it seems.

Thanks!

Where can I go to type for a day in DC?

l33tpolicywonk — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:36:54 -0800

Diner, coffee shop or other not-too-crowded space I can go to write for a day in Washington, DC? I'm at the tail end of work on a thesis, and I want to be able to put in 6 hours or so of solid work on it on Saturday. I think a change of scenery will help me stay focused. I need somewhere that's open throughout the day, where I can get food / beverages when needed, where no one will bother me if I stay for that length of time (as long as I keep buying drinks every hour or so), that's not too crowded (a place like Tryst is definitely out - way too many people tripping over you all day), decent power outlet and table access for laptops, and is metro-accessible in Washington, DC. Any good ideas?

Places to study in DC?

Neekee — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:47:57 -0800

Law student seeking nice place to study in Washington, DC - not Starbucks or a library. Any recommendations? Preferably somewhere near a metro and with free wi-fi. I'm look for a coffee shop that's not crowded or loud. There was an earlier post about this but some of those places are closed and others are in Virginia, which is pretty far for me.
Thanks!

WiFi coffee shop in manhattan

greta simone — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:55:42 -0800

Good Manhattan (free, unlimited) WiFi locations? Just moved to the area and I need to get out of my apartment for a change of scenery while doing my job search.

Ideal location:
-Coffee shop (no libraries, I want to be able to drink/snack/take a phone call)
-Unlimited free Wifi
-Small, quiet, not a busy place, somewhere I'm likely to get a seat.
-Good coffee, ideally some snacks, affordable
-NOT a Starbucks

My favorite coffee shop at the moment is 9th Street Espresso in Alphabet City, but I'm trekking into the city from Port Authority at 41st, so maybe something on a quiet side street in Chelsea would be ideal? I'd like to be downtown at the very least.

Thanks for your help!

Are shops allowed to add a fee for paying by credit card instead of cash?

wastelands — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:39:19 -0800

Does it go against Visa / MasterCard / etc. policy for a retail store, such as a restaurant or coffee shop, to add a charge to your order if you use credit rather than paying by cash? While it's incredibly common, I have heard that it goes against policy, and the store could actually risk punitive action from the credit card company if they were found out. True?

How to get that coffee-shop coffee taste at home?

rsanheim — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:04:07 -0800

My home brewed coffee doesn't cut it anymore, and I want it to taste more like coffee shop coffee. What should I do? Suggestions for new coffee maker/grinder? My coffee is decent, but still doesn't have the taste of a good cup from a coffee shop.

I buy fresh beans from local roasters and grind them right before brewing, and use filtered water from a brita. So I have the freshness/water quality angle covered. I use plenty of coffee per pot, so I don't think its just a strength issue.

I think the problem lies in my coffee maker (an average Braun drip machine) and blade grinder (crappy). I can replace both from Amazon, as I have some gift cards to use, I'm just not sure what to get. I've heard suggestions to go with a burr grinder, and to look for a coffee maker that can brew very hot. My budget is $200 - $300. Timers and what not are nice but not critical.

Please don't suggest french press - I have two or three presses and use them occasionally, but they are just too much mess and hassle right now.

Anything suggestions that I'm missing to get to coffee nirvana are appreciated.

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!

You haven't got mail

special-k — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:29:02 -0800

How do I find a working smtp server when I am at a coffee shop? I use Thunderbird for all my work email and need the useable smtp server to send mail. Every time I visit a new coffee shop, I have to first look up the IP on whatsmyip.com, then figure out who the ISP is and guess the smtp server. I usually try a couple (mail.whatever.com or smtp.whatever.com) and if I am lucky it will just work.

But more often than not, I am asked for a username/password. This is very frustrating because I don't subscribe to that ISP. I have tried using gmail as my smtp server (using my google username/pass) and it works for a little while before google throws up error messages (smtp server did not respond or denied access). Same with my work smtp server (even when I check the username box, it still throws up an error after 2-3 emails).

I understand that these are safeguards against spammers but it's very annoying (especially since I will be working remotely from coffee shops for the next two months). Does anyone have a workaround?

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...)

how may i serve them?

loiseau — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 09:40:03 -0800

I've mostly worked in offices in the past 10 years, but I want to get a serving job. I know I'm capable and I have a tiny bit of experience, but the question is how to frame this on my CV. I worked retail for about 4 years during and after high school, waitressed casually at a diner for a summer, and have bartended casually for friends' events. But in the last 10 years I've mostly worked in offices doing... well, office stuff.

I'd really like to work in a resto, bar or coffee shop, but I don't know how to take a CV that is easily tailored to administrative positions and make it relevant to service work. It doesn't seem quite right to feature my retail and serving experience front-and-centre since it's so minimal and from so long ago. I do think some aspects of my office jobs have involved relevant skills (such as reception work) but if that's the first thing they see it probably won't translate to someone who's ready to go on the floor and serve people. Most jobs also say they require experience but I'm not totally confident claiming to be experienced. I do have a good presence when meeting prospective employers, so at least I have that going for me, and I'm sure that goes a long way. It just doesn't go all the way!

Can anyone tell me the best manner of creating a CV for serving out of the raw materials I've got?

Where can I find this video again?!?

anotherpanacea — Wed, 17 May 2006 00:20:02 -0800

[CollectiveMemoryFilter] Please help me find an FPP from a while back with a single link to a short video skit about a guy serenading a girl in a coffee shop early in the morning, with the help of the other patrons. It was in Spanish or Italian, I think, and the guy is holding all the patrons of the coffee shop hostage in order to get them to sing and dance with him. He makes this grand gesture to get the girl's attention, and then kills himself at the end of the video. The name of the film was very long, or at least the link title was.

I've been wracking my brain and my search engines for several days now. It's haunting me. Please help!