Coffee Shop

After a three hour long shopping spree, where Nate got himself a new suit yet failed to find the corduroy jacket he'd been specifically searching, we found ourselves hungry and tired and on Union Square.

As often happens in this situation, we went to grab food at The Coffee Shop, my favorite diner-meets-Brazilian restaurant. It's strange how often I end up here, because it begins to feel like an after thought, that place where I eat often yet never set out to make it there. And in reality, I would plan on coming here, but because of it's great location right next to our subway stop, we end up here before I would have made the decision.

The place is great. It's dark, and festive, and tends to have a crowded and lively bar. And though the patrons are usually spilling out of the door, the wait for a table has never been more than a half hour, and usually only about fifteen minutes. It's all about making things seem crazier than they really are, I guess. And it works. The bar bisects the main dining area, creating two separate spaces - the front a mostly standing-room only bar, while the back is the "quieter" dining area. They manage to get the best of both worlds, as Hannah Montana would say. And the music tends to be modern, a little clubby, but not too loud that one can't have a conversation.

I don't care what they say about the uneven service, or whether there is a bias for pretty pretty people. I seem to be pretty enough to always get sat fast, and I've had no real complaints on the efficiency. So I don't know what all those people at Yelp were talking about. Maybe I just have "low" standards, but all I know is that Coffee Shop gives me diner prices with a festive trendy vibe. And ultimately, that means I give it two thumbs up.

I like to get the sausage quesadillas, cheeseburger with herb fries, or mac 'n cheese. I guess I'm more inclined to embrace the "diner" side of the menu, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. If there is one thing my life could never have enough of, is mac 'n cheese.

One of these days, I keep telling myself, I will order one of the delicious sounding Brazilian plates. Maybe I'll order a ropa vieja with a caipirinha the day I finally go the Coffee Shop as my only destination. And when this happens, I'll also be sitting on their patio looking out out to the Union Square crowd.

Can't wait for summer.