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A nonfat mocha with a side of naked bicyclists? Greco's your place!
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This is exactly why we choose to live in San Francisco, is it not?
As I sit at my boyfriend's desk in London, listening to two men argue outside my window and sipping on mis-proportioned instant coffee, it's hard to remember why I left the city of my heart. It's also a little too easy to reminisce about my life back in San Francisco, and more relevant, the glorious coffee opportunities I've left behind.*
Most recently, my emotional homesickness and my physical desire for good coffee have been mingling to create a demon of a craving for Caffe Greco. Just a few blocks from my parents' house, Greco is owned and staffed by really nice people who make really good (Illy) coffee, and most importantly it's situated right on Columbus Ave and open late, which makes for amazing people watching. Since high school it's been my go-to spot for a chat with friends, and even after I turned 21 I continued to prefer it to the million and a half bars in the area, and the following is the perfect example of why:
Last time I was at Greco, I was enjoying my perfect, not-too-sweet nonfat mocha** and having a bit of a chin-wag with my good friend Tessa, and all of a sudden a biker went by. No biggie, in a city like ours, except that her breasts were out. I thought maybe it was a fluke. I was wrong. In the next 5 minutes (during which time my boyfriend unfortunately had his camera inside, taking pictures of the cafe space), at least 20 naked people, men and women, went by on bicycles. It was... interesting, to say the least. And luckily my phone has a camera in it, so I could document this strange, but not unheard of in SF, occurrence.
See, at a more interior cafe, I would have missed the show. But Greco not only serves up fab coffee and desserts with a smile; the sidewalk out front is covered with tables and chairs, and if there's no room outside you can still catch the action through the huge plate-glass windows that make up the front wall. Who could ask for more in such an interesting part of the city?
But now, enough reminiscing. It's back to London, to the gray skies and mediocre coffee and... fabulous pub life! For those of you who just can't get enough of my writing (Ha), you just might be able to learn about London's pub culture from an ex-pat American point of view. I'll keep you posted.
For now, though, stop by Caffe Greco and give them my love, and try the tiramisu if you're feeling peckish!
* Don't worry, I'm just being dramatic. The tea here is lovely... sob.
** Yes, I usually prefer a latte, but at Greco I frequently treat myself.
For more info: Caffe Greco, 423 Columbus Ave, +1 415-397-6261 (Note: It's cash only! But there are plenty of ATM's around)
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