Five Favorite Coffee Shops

As a retired teacher who writes poems and runs The Foodbank Players , I hang out at a lot of coffee shops. Up until recently, I didn’t even drink coffee, but tea—chai tea (redundant, I know), sometimes mint, and once in a while English Breakfast. When sitting and sipping I usually read, write, and plan plays for the Players. I’m not alone in this—there are folks whom I see regularly all over town. We smile, nod, and then get down to coffee shop business. Depending on their location, their neighborhood, these folks have favorites too, and can be pretty darn adamant about them. Next to what team you root for, people get pretty passionate about their java. So, at the risk of earning rolled eyes, or turned backs, or outright ridicule, here we go, my Five Favorite Coffee Shops in Alameda. And of course I’m going to exclude the chains, so as not to get the Peet’s and Starbucks people into an ever bigger uproar. And I’m going with simple alphabetical order, no fool here.

Blue Dot Cafe and Coffee Bar

1910 Encinal Ave., bluedotcafeandcoffeebar.com , 510-523-2583

Like the country with our coastal emphasis and so-called flyover states, Alameda is an island of two main streets and a less heralded middle. Park and Webster are our Atlantic and Pacific oceans, which makes the commercial area around The Benton our St. Louis, and The Blue Dot our Chicago. (South Shore becomes New Orleans? Mosley’s Cafe Minneapolis? OK, I’ll stop). Where the Blue Dot resides is kind of a special village in this city, with famed places like Marti’s Place, Golden Needle Tailoring, and St. Joe’s around the corner. As for the cafe? Friendly seating outside, standard and extra comfy chairs inside, charming people making your drink, sandwich, and salad. Just one complaint: Like putting candy in the checkout aisle, the meanies at Blue Dot always have an incredible-looking and even more deliciously tasting item right there where you place your order and pay and tip. Some customers, fully intent on just getting a cup of yummy coffee, end up adding a muffin with massive blueberries that have taken over the top like an alien invasion. Entrapment! Entrapment I say! (Thank you.)

Julie’s Coffee and Tea Garden

1223 Park St., juliestea.com , 510-865-2385

In many ways there are three Julie’s—the front area where the high school kids gather at lunchtime Monday through Friday, the inside of the shop where one can see art on the walls and all the cool merch, and of course, the Garden in the back. I sit in all three locations, but it’s especially fun to see newcomers wander into the back, eyes wide in awe, letting the ambience lift their spirits before the caffeine kicks in. It’s mighty pretty back there, with green things growing, artsy sculpture stuff on the walls, and lately, Baby, the cat who lives next door, perched on the fence, and leaping onto your table looking for a rub or sip or snack. I’ve not yet been to Paris to sit at one of their cafes and be all Parisian, but I like to think it’s a lot like being in the backyard of Julie’s. Beyond the coffee and tea, try the baked eggs (poem-worthy), the avocado or salmon toast, or just the plain sourdough toast that comes with butter and jam or jelly. Bliss no extra charge.

LazyBird Coffee

930 Central Ave., lazybirdcoffee.com , 510-263-8057

I like the color orange. I have a pair of orange Adidas Superstar high tops, I have an orange tattooed to my right forearm (for John McPhee, iykyk), and I like to eat oranges (I consume Smarties three at a time, usually after juggling). So how can I resist the orange chairs and tables outside of LazyBird Coffee? I cannot, and honestly don’t even really try that hard. Small place, simple layout, part of its own tiny town—Westside Joe’s, Frank Logan Barbershop, Beaker’s Records—but there is something especially adorable about this place. Terrific coffee, great staff, but also, oh wow, they serve bread pudding! Bread pudding, like what Shakespeare probably ate while writing Two Gentlemen of Verona. Which means that, if you wanted to, and you should, you could sit in an orange chair having coffee and eating bread pudding while writing about how amazing it is to sit in orange chairs having coffee and eating bread pudding. Mind-bending!

The Local

1333 Park Street, @the_local_alameda on Instagram, 510-347-8388

There’s something extra fun about drinking an iced coffee from a tall tiki glass, the way it looks back at you, the fun bumpy exterior, not to mention the delicious drink therein. You can get this, along with coffee served in mugs, at The Local. You can also get a book to read, or game to play, which is pretty cool. You can look out the large windows and see the action on Park Street—roamers, drivers, bike riders, some who like to lock up outside then slide into a comfy wicker seat and r-e-l-a-x. The Local has had other names, formerly The Blue Danube, and for a while was a cool place for stand-up comedy and poetry readings. Now it’s a cool place to write a joke or poem, or work remotely on your laptop, or meet friends for lunch. They have a wide array of available drinks, sandwiches, and salads too, and wine or beer if you’re feeling frisky. Part of what I really like about The Local is the building it’s in, with its green awnings and brick walls. Next time you’re meeting a friend there (maybe me!), check out the bricks. Bricks are awesome.

Spritzers Cafe

734 Central Ave., facebook.com/SpritzersCafe , 510-995-8644

Is Spritzers an art gallery where you can get coffee, or a coffee shop with the bigger half of its space dedicated to showcasing art? And all sorts of art, from paintings to fascinating things hung on the walls. Like shoes. Five years ago they had an installation of shoes made into art on the walls and posts. Sneakers, boots, sandals, slides, and even a pair of skates. Each of them was decorated wonderfully beyond the normal level of footwear fodder. Honestly, I wanted them all. Size 12, please. While spending time in this really unique setting, munching on wonderful offerings and drinking similarly, it’s also possible to read a poem or two on display. Turns out that years ago Alameda’s pair of poet laureates took turns writing poems and posting them in the libraries and a few coffee shops in town. That lovely tradition continues today, sadly less often, but a certain group of Spritzers fans look forward to and rejoice when a new poem pops up on the clipboard. Thank you, ladies.

I’m going to cheat a bit now and say I also love Coffee and Tea Traders, the Beanery, both Signal Coffee shops, Wescafe (where they serve coffee in a large glass), Jay’s, Coffee Cultures, and Island Savoy Market.

Gene Kahane is the founder of the Foodbank Players , a lifelong teacher, and former Poet Laureate for the City of Alameda. Reach him at gene@alamedapost.com . His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Gene-Kahane .

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