Adventures in the World of Mobile Knowledge Workers

Coffee Names

I was in the car this summer when I heard a National Public Radio interview with Shefali Kulkarni, the writer of a Village Voice blog post about "coffee names." A coffee name is a name you give the barista which is not your own. Often customers give these names because they are easier for people to say and to spell. Kulkarni (coffee moniker: Sheila) developed her coffee name because baristas struggled with Shefali. She noticed that many of the names baristas write on coffee cups are very "American" but don't seem to match the customers waiting for their coffees.

Both the interview and the post made me laugh. Kulkarni suggests that coffee customers have trouble because of the non-Americaness of their names ( e.g., "Chandani" or "Virginie"). It's a question of perspective. I've always had trouble with my name, but never thought that it had anything to do with Americaness. I see myself as the quintessential American: my African ancestors have been here since the 1700s, while the Native American ones have been here even longer.

Today I'm blogging about coffee names because of a recent experience using my own fake name.

Mickey Fine Pharmacy & Grill - Roxbury between Little Santa Monica & Wilshire Blvd.

I seem to be on a retro kick lately. So I decided to check out Mickey Fine's in downtown Beverly Hills. I had to visit once I discovered that it's both a pharmacy and a luncheonette.

The pharmacy is to the left when we walk in, the curved soda fountain counter is ahead of us and the dining area is to the right. I notice candies in glass jars by the door and a certificate of excellence from the Health Department. We are tempted by the stools at the counter, but decide to sit in the dining area.

One of the servers gestures to a table in the corner and says,  "You can have the romantic table -- no extra charge." She has a singsong voice.

We sit at the romantic table. I have a perfect view of the whole place. I'm struck by a feeling of familiarity, although I have never been here before. Perhaps it's because I've read books written in the 40s where the protagonist goes to the drugstore and gets a sandwich at the lunch counter while waiting to call someone. Mickey Fine's also feels like old school downtown Chicago to me. Maybe it's because the furniture looks as though it would have been at home in a John M. Smyth showroom.  The tables and chairs are medium brown wood. The carpet is gray and green. The walls are white, the wainscoting is also a medium brown. Black and white photos on the the wall depict the drugstore (complete with soda fountain) in its heyday. It's  cosy here.

Our waiter comes over quickly and takes our order. He's friendly and helpful. I decide to go for classic diner  food. My husband decides to walk on the wild side and tries the daily special (Thai Cashew Chicken).

I look around the room. They do a brisk business. People line up to pick up takeout orders. Office workers and doctors (identified by their white coats and the stethescopes sticking out of their pockets) alike sit in the dining area. Solo customers read newspapers, magazines or their iPads. It's as though everyone is taking a little break from the workaday world.

The server with the singsong voice hugs a customer at the table next to ours. "I love you, yeah, yeah, yeah," she says, "Please don't go." It's the first time I've ever heard a Beatles - KC and the Sunshine Band medley.

The customer has sleek dark rock star hair and is fashionable. Today is apparently her last day in the neighborhood. "I'll come back to visit," she says.

"Everybody says that. Then the next time you see them is in 5 years." The server smiles ruefully.

"I love her," the customer says to her friend when the server walks away.

I had a good espresso while waiting for our food. I tried the Thai Cashew Chicken when it arrived. It was  tasty and the greeen salad that comes with it is fresh and good. My grilled bacon and cheese (American cheese on white bread naturally) is comfort food. I also have French fries, a pickle and cole slaw on the side. The cole slaw goes into the sandwich, which I've just lately learned is called a Brooklyn. I thought I'd invented this combination, but if I didn't that's okay.  I have another espresso, because I want to stretch out the experience. I suppose that the soup must be good because I notice that a lot of people ordered it.

The Mickey Fine expereience can best be described as VIP treatement for the regular person. The servers remember all the details, like who was on vacation and what people like to order.

Two women walk in and sit down at a table for two. It's clear that they're going to have a working lunch as they begin to pull out papers.

"We've been waiting for you to come back. Welcome back. How are you both?" the server with the singsong voice says.

The customers are a little bemused. Who says that in the big city? "Thank you," the women say.

"Take a bigger table. No one will bother you. Put your work out."

I didn't hear an order placed, but the next thing I know, the server is bringing them soup.

"Is there chicken in there?" one of the customers asks.

"No. No meat. I remember" is the reply.

***

Click here for Mickey Fine Pharmacy & Grill contact details.

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.

Chez Germen - Civic Center Dr. & Foothill

Let's say you have a couple of minutes to kill before your meeting in Beverly Hills. Why not go to Chez Germen, a cafe conveniently located close to City Hall and many offices? It's also a hair salon.

I accidentally stumbled upon this cool slice of Los Angeles -- cool because its quirkiness is real. It almost seems incredible that in LA, which isn't much of a melting pot, you would find a cafe/hair salon whose neighbors are the local Chabad, Slimmons (Richard Simmons's gym -- yes, that Richard Simmons) and an answering service company. Some phones still need to be answered by human beings. I'm fascinated by that business, which always makes me think of the movie "Bells are Ringing." 

I'll give you the tour. You walk in and are directly in the cafe. Almost everything is white.

Espresso Profeta - Glendon Ave. between Lindbrook & Westwood

I love Espresso Profeta because it has a point of view that trickles down to all aspects of the experience of the place. Espresso is in their name and that's what they do. You can have an espresso or any of the variations thereof (Americano, cappuccino, Italiano, etc.). They also have teas. Comestibles include savory breads (like olive), sweet breads (like white chocolate), cookies and sometimes brownies. That's mostly it. There's the occasional cupcake.

It's the kind of establishment where you often hear people asking for recommendations. Happily, you also hear servers taking the questions seriously and replying thoughtfully. It matters to them. And so it was that I settled on the white chocolate bread one of the times that I visited, and the cashew banana bread another time.

When I ordered a decaf cappuccino the first time I said that I wanted it dry, foam only. I've gotten into the habit of saying that because I hate cappuccinos that are really milky and watery. "We only do our milk one way," the server said, "But I'll do a short." He didn't like the first one he prepared, so he poured it out. "Just a second -- I have to recalibrate for decaf." They're very specific, but it works. The cappuccino was delicious. Espresso, which I ordered on other occasions, is served with sparkling water on the side. 

This picture captures my second go-round, which included cappuccino. I'd already had an espresso and half of the white chocolate bread. It was moist and sweet and good. The banana cashew bread that I had on another visit had a wonderfully voluptuous quality.

By the way, I noticed that a toast and nutella combo is available for $3.75. You get either 7 grain or brioche toasted and served with nutella and berries.

Now let's talk about the setting.

Bloom Cafe - between Curson & Sierra Bonita

Bloom is a tranquil environment. It's actually two storefronts side to side. I've only sat on the right side (don't ask me why) so that's the space that I'm going to describe. Pale primary colored chairs (pistachio green, Dijon mustard yellow, pale orange) live in harmony with light wood tabletops. Brightly colored balls, like marbles, of hot orange, cream with an amber swirl and lime green dangle from the ceiling. Sleek track lighting adds to the modern, spare look. I love the "From La Brea to Fairfax on Pico" photo series on the wall. In one photo, a guy stands in front of a wall of skateboards. He's wearing large black sunglasses and is clad entirely in black, down to the black Chucks on his feet. In another a woman, who looks as though she could be a model, is caught mid-pose in front of the High Fashion $5.99 Clothing Store.

Plaisir - p.s.

In case you're ever stuck for a hostess gift, I now have two words for you: cream puffs. Plaisir has them in boxes of 8 or 16. I've tried the pomegranate, vanilla and cheesecake flavors. Cute to look at and yummy.

Click here for Plaisir details.

Plaisir - Santa Monica Blvd between Westmount & Westbourne

Plaisir is the Mobile Knowledge Worker's wet dream: the food is great, the vibe is good and the experience is customizable.

Owner Philippe, Mr. Plaisir, is behind the counter. I know his name because it's lettered in white (I think) on his black chef's top. He's very personable. Perhaps he spotted my fantastic laptop backpack (more about that in another post). But in any event, he volunteered that Plaisir has free Wi-Fi.

The menu is classic French cafe fare: Croque Monsieurs, quiches, etc. I'm in the mood for a sandwich, however. I notice the turkey and brie option. "Is it good?" "Yes, very good." Philippe replies. And as for the salad that comes with it, "Do you want Caesar or spinach with strawberries?" Always a forthright Midwesterner, I ask, "That sounds a little odd -- is it good?" "Yes, it's very nice. There's a raspberry dressing and some feta." I decide to trust him and select the spinach salad.  I finish up by ordering a Napoleon pastry and coffee.

I take my place at one of the glossy copper-colored bar tables around the perimeter of the room.

Lazy Ox Canteen- San Pedro between 2nd & 3rd

I visited the Lazy Ox twice. The first time, I went with a friend and had time for a leisurely lunch. The service was knowledgeable and attentive. My pork belly sandwich was extremely rich and good. I didn't even know what it was going to be, exactly, but it had a wonderful combination of softness (from the fat) chewiness (from the lean) and crunch (Were there radishes on the sandwich?). My friend had the Lazy Ox burger. He said that it was the best burger he ever had. He didn't know why, but it was wonderful.

On the second visit, I inadvertently gave the Lazy Ox a test: I arrived at 12:50 pm and had to leave by 1:30 pm. I know that it's not a fast food place, but on that day, I only had fast food lunch kind of time.

Istanbul Grill - 14th Street in NYC

Because the Mobile Knowledge Worker is by definition mobile, I wanted to tell you about a place in New York on 14th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues. Istanbul Grill is an excellent choice for a great quick lunch place.

The kofte kebab sandwich was delicious. The ground lamb was nicely spiced, the tomatoes and lettuce were fresh and the garlicky yogurt sauce that I added was a nice addition. The whole thing comes in a pita. Service is friendly and helpful. 

As I can rarely miss trying coffee and desserts, I had the baklava. It was wonderful: sweet, but not too sweet. Surprisingly soft in texture, honey and some of the nut paste oozed out onto the plate as I wielded my dessert fork. I got the Turkish coffee medium sweet (per the server's recommendation), which was exactly right.

You should also know that it's open 24 hours a day. Mobility means that you never know when you may need/want shish kebab or falafel at any hour of the day or night... 

Click here for Istanbul Grill details.