Many might recognize the name Mozart. Some even might recall works that he created or scenes from the movie, Amadeus. Mozart was (and still is) a well known composer of symphonies, operas, and many other works of the Classical genre.
While Mozart’s works are still revered to this day, he spent much of his life as a common man, writing for noble patrons. While Italian composers were considered the leaders of the operatic world, Austrian Mozart wrote German operas filled with folk music…because he was Mozart. He was a favorite among the common people and nobility alike, because he combined high-class skill with accessible themes.
Among Coronado’s pristine beaches and classic Hotel lies a cute little coffee shop called Café 1134. This café is the Mozart, a store of humble standing among the gigantic, Salieri-like Hotel del Coronado and ritzy Brigantine Restaurant.
While these higher end restaurants offer fancy seafood and gourmet dishes, Café 1134 offers delicious breakfast sandwiches, tasty quiches, a colorful assortment of teas, and delicious frappes…what I like to call “folk food.”
Like Mozart, Cafe 1134’s accessibility to the people has kept it standing for 15 years now. With upstairs, downstairs, and outside seating, customers can come in, order a meal, and camp out for the next few hours on a laptop or with a book.
I have seen people on job interviews, students studying, and men working for hours on end, and everyone knows one another. The friendly baristas make it a point to remember their customers and make sure they take care of them. As a newcomer to this town, I felt so welcome when I stepped into this café by both the customers and the workers, and I now go there at least once a week for a frappe.
Café 1134’s ability to give the people a “home away from home” without compromising quality of service will hopefully grant it recognition in its lifetime, something Mozart never truly had. Mozart had the ability to relate to the people while pleasing the picky patrons of his day, much like this café does for the surrounding Coronado community.
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