Thinking steel, coal, smoke and smog? Think again. Pittsburgh's got some great coffee shops with amazing beans and brew!
Covid put a hold on my original goal, when moving home, to explore the city and blog about all the wonder things I see and experience. But I'm vaccinated (with booster) and out and about. I love writing in coffee shops so what better place to start on a cool fall morning than settling in with a non-fat latte - my personal favorite - and bringing you along with me. I'm descended from Belgians who dunk everything in coffee, put coffee in their bread and cookie recipes, and generally cannot go a day without a cup a joe. Coffee shops feel like home away from home :)
This morning I'm at The Coffee Tree Roasters on Forbes Avenue in Squirrel Hill. Since their website says this is a woman owned business and the first to launch the coffee scene in Pittsburgh (plus it's conveniently not far up the street from me), it's the perfect place to start what I hope is a blog tour of lots of Western PA spots in the coming months.
The #CoffeeTreeRoasters website says they have five locations but I think this, the first and original, will be my top stop when I'm around. Awesome coffee, better seating than the competitor across the street, and the brown sugar scone wasn't too bad!
Kindness and giving back to the least among us is so important. I just watched the barrista give a homeless man a cup of coffee with all the warmth and dignity he provided to me.
I work remotely from home and, as much as I love all the benefits of that, it can be confining. But often coffee shops have gone from a haven for word nerdy people like me to a noisy, chaotic atmosphere. This small shop feels very real.
That's all for today. I have a novel that needs a good edit, the beginning of an essay book I'm starting to write calling my name. Tune in next week....