I don’t know where to start. I don’t know how to arrange what’s in my mind. On Thursday, September 2, 2016, the 20 year old Stanford student who raped a woman while she was passed-out drunk got out of prison after serving three months for his crime. Three months. During summer break, no less. This young man spent an insulting 90-days behind bars after brutally imposing … Continue reading Unpacking My Bags
She sits maybe thirty feet away from where I’m trying my damnedest to stay awake. Blue and lime streaks in her dark brown hair. Black velvet wedges, a wrist tattoo. Her spine leans into the book in her lap. If she’s on my flight she still has more than three hours to wait. Long enough to kill the rest of that book. Long enough for … Continue reading Getting Home Again
I like VWs. Old ones. Mostly transporter vans from the 1960s and 70s and Vanagons from the 80s. But really, I’m not too picky. Except when it comes to the modern day bug, or that hideous Euro van. Neither compares to the iconic past designs. For the past few years I’ve often heard of Volkswagen’s plans to unveil a modern version of the original transport van, … Continue reading The Classic Modern
I had barely walked into Espressarte and I could tell it was different. No music, no fancy lighting or artwork, no distracting decor. Just a barista behind the bar weighing scoops of coffee to the nearest bean while three mesmerized customers studied her every move. They watched as one might watch a street artist etch a name onto a piece of rice, or a sculptor … Continue reading Espressarte (Roma Norte)
I must have arrived between morning rushes because two employees were scrambling to sweep, mop and bus tables covered in ceramic cups and shiny sppons. But that didn’t stop them from greeting me as I entered. Brooms in hand, both looked up and said hola. Okay, now we’re talking. I was impressed with their use of space. Sort of reminded me of a tiny house. … Continue reading Gradios Deli-Café (Roma Norte)
Yesterday I made an attempt to try Café Passmar’s highly recommended coffee, but contrary to information on their Facebook page, they were closed. Cerrado. I got a sense of the layout though—a compact bar and cozy seating area tucked into Mercado Lázaro Cárdenas in Del Valle. There was even a mysterious upstairs nook that could be accessed by a steep wooden staircase. Maybe they eventually … Continue reading Café Passmar (Del Valle)
Café Comuna is one of the two coffee vendors at Mercado el Cien. Their placement at the end of one of the two rows likely attracts more action than Café Irecrís, but that’s just a lucky accident. I wanted Comuna to knock my socks off, and maybe my expectations raised the bar unrealistically. Café Comuna is a collective of sorts, or that’s what I gather … Continue reading Café Comuna (Roma Sur)
Café Irecrís wasn’t on Arturo Hernandez’s list. But had I not been wandering en route to one of his recommendations, I’d never have found this gem. Funny how things work out. Irecrís doesn’t have a proper storefront. Currently it is a vendor at the Sundays-only Mercado el Cien in Colonia Roma Sur. Mercado el Cien isn’t your typical market. It’s a high end and high … Continue reading Café Irecrís (Roma Sur)
This place is so small I almost missed it. It’s on a side street to a busy market and about the size of a one car garage. Within, however, is a professional espresso setup and happy people. Good start. A narrow bar with room for eight runs right down the middle of the space. The stools are welded artistically, and must have been comfortable since … Continue reading Café Avellaneda (Coyoacán)
A fellow I know back home in Carrboro owns a kick ass coffee shop called Open Eye Cafe. If you live there, or if you’ve hit it up while passing through, you might refer to it as Carrboro’s “living room.” That’s a high compliment for a business that deals in mostly $2 transactions and a lot of internet poached by kids in Carolina blue sweatshirts. But it’s … Continue reading Tour de Espresso
Tom Griffen 
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