Kaffee Wien - Melrose Ave. between Norwich & Huntley

On the day that I visited Kaffee Wien, everyone was talking about the weather. Even me. It was overcast and rainy. Rain is the Los Angeles equivalent of "weather," i.e., snow on the East Coast. The server said "We need some rain. I like rainy days." That's what people always say. The veracity of this statement is undeniable. And yet, I'm often a little annoyed when it rains. Los Angeles is known as the Land of Endless Summer. When I moved here, I expected sunny, mild conditions and being able to drive down the coast with all the windows open, the radio playing and the breeze blowing my hair. All year round. The idea of a rainy day must have been in the small print that I somehow missed.

As we'd gotten the weather discussion out of the way, we began to talk about more important things. Like my food choices.

At first I was disappointed with the selection. I saw scones, banana bread, croissants, mini cupcakes. My initial reaction was "So what?"  I had assumed that a traditional Viennese cafe would offer a selection of out-of-the-ordinary pastries. In consultation with the server, I decided to try the cheddar bacon scone. It sounded a little weird, but he assured me that it was good.

I loved the service. The server asked whether I wanted my cappuccino in a ceramic or a plastic cup. He then went even further in my estimation when he poured water for me without being asked. As he prepared my cappuccino we talked about the Discovery Channel.  He put the scone and the glass of water on a doily clad silver tray. The coffee was next. Finally he placed a tiny bowl with three chocolate covered espresso beans on the tray and helped me to a table. All the while we were having a great conversation.

I was able to take in the atmosphere of Kaffee Wien once I was seated. It felt cosy and was the perfect place to be on a rainy day. The walls are a creamy beige. The wainscoting, floors and chairs are dark brown. Black and white photos dot  the walls. The cafe tables have marble tabletops. The few gleaming dark brown leather couches look very comfortable.The Los Angeles Times and the New York Times are available on sticks. Sinatra was playing. I could see Melrose through the lace cafe curtains on the windows. White, red and pink geraniums in pots outside provided a welcome counterpoint to the grayness of the day. The rain was so heavy that it was as though someone was emptying gigantic buckets of water from the heavens. I felt very glad to be inside.

The cheddar and bacon scone was outstanding. It was crispy on the outside and had a very savory taste. That's all I can say -- I can't put my finger on how to describe the taste, except to say that it was very good. There was the softness of the cheese in the center, with the occasional crunch of bacon. It was a taste sensation. I also enjoyed the cappuccino and the chocolate covered beans.

As I was in the midst of reading and enjoying my life,  the UPS delivery man came in. It was still pouring rain. I noticed that he was wearing a jacket and shorts. I had to comment.

"I see you're in short pants," I said with a smile and an inquiring lilt in my voice.

He smiled back. "Yeah, I figured I can always towel my legs off. But if I'm wearing pants, they'll stay wet all day. Usually I wear short pants even when it's cold. You get hot as you move -- it's like a workout and it encourages you to keep moving if you're cold."

"I thought you guys were just trying to show off how tough you are."

"No, there's a method behind it." He had a movie star smile. I smiled back and wished him a good day. Then he put on his hood and went back into the elements.

Even in the rain a number of regulars came in for food and beverages. A woman with a huge rain hat, raincoat and rain boots darted in and said,  "Will you fix my regular? I'll be right back." and zipped back out again.

All baked goods are made on the premises except the croissants. The Apple Dapple (I'm not sure what it is, but the server told me that  people go crazy for it) is only available on Wednesday. Wi-Fi is free. There is metered street parking.

It felt luxurious (music playing, dark wood, good food) to be at Kaffee Wien. And when you're working on a project, that can be a beautiful thing.

 

Kaffee Wien

8629 Melrose Avenue

West Hollywood, CA 

310-855-1136

 

Comments

[Myrna]

Ahhh, I feel like I just took a little vacation. Thanks for the review!

-Myrna

[Darcine Thomas]

Hey, thanks for reading. And keep this place in mind if you want to slip out of regular life for a minute or two. A bacon cheddar scone can be a big help in that regard!