On my whirlwind house hunting trip in May 2019, as I planned a move back to Western PA from Illinois, I not only fell in love with the house I bought in Pittsburgh, but with the idea that there was a cafe nearby. I imagined myself on a Saturday writing, reading, drinking coffee, feeling Pittsburgh/Parisian in a way! LOL
From my first trip, laptop and book in tow, to the 61B on South Braddock, I loved this coffee shop. No funky hipster decor, just the basic coolness of sitting in a Pittsburgh building with an old, interesting, restored ceiling (not sure what type it is) and garage door-like tracks to open the front windows in the summer, friendly employees and great coffee. I felt at home.
Then the pandemic arrived and it was take-out window only. I stopped by often to get their biscotti - lemon is the best - and take it home, or buy some LaPrima coffee which I think is Pittsburgh's best. They would always grind the half/caf coffee I bought for my mother, chat with me about biscotti flavors, and generally continue to exude that neighborhood feeling despite masks and restrictions and all the weirdness of this new not-normal normal.
It feels good to be back inside today. It's a cold, snowy Saturday. I'm on my second non-fat latte, the blueberry muffin was pretty good, and I'm ready to shake off some cabin fever and work on revising my current WIP. I can recommend reading Intuitive Editing by Tiffany Yates Martin while doing a revision. It makes it so much easier to avoid frustration, writers block, and to keep moving the changes forward.