Scene from A Coffee House

This Austin Java Coffee House takes things seriously. Today is theme day and the theme is 'Scene from a Coffee House.' Thought this reader board on one of the unique little enclaves (this one at is part of a mini-chain and is on Parkway near 12th and Lamar) would be a nice companion to what will undoubably include shots of cups of coffee and people drinking them at little tables and such. See others' interpretations here.

Local coffee tastes better!

Spider House takes a stand! Sip local!

Commerce for Good

A new coffee shop on South Congress is the Tom's. Yes the shoe people. I guess they sell shoes as well as coffee. I wonder if someone in need of a cup gets a cup when you do your java? Haven't been inside but I like this striking mural on the side of the building.

Our Parents Drink Coffee

This fine looking array of dogs waited patiently on a hot day in July while their owners had coffee and snacks at Cafe Medici on West Lynn.

People Watching: Orange

Today is theme day for City Daily Photos around the world. The theme is 'people watching.' I gave this one a lot of thought and decided that I would capture some people in a public place, unawares. My apologies to the guy in the baseball cap: he doesn't know he's being photographed. The barista at Halcyon is mostly hidden and the gal on the far right is obscuring herself and the gal behind her while she examines a newly purchased item of orange clothing. Of course, today is the first University of Texas football game of the season and (burnt) orange is the school color. Hence this coffee shop study in orange...from shelf decor to cap to painting to that gal's purchase. When I people watch, one thing I notice is everyone's fashion. This weekend a lot of it will be orange!

Sit and Sip

The Halcyon Coffee Shop at Fourth and Lavaca has some colorful seats ready for you outside on the warehouse dock.

Instant Coffee Shop

SXSW brings lots of temporary buildings to vacant lots. This is a pop-up coffee shop. Unfortunately they weren't open or maybe I could have gotten some free coffee! I think it was a promotion of HBO for the new Lena Dunham series "Girls."

New on Second Street

What used to be a Teuscher chocolate shop and coffee bar has changed to BLVD espresso and dessert bar. I'm not much of a chocolate person or a dessert person and drink most of my java at my home two blocks away from here (sitting here enjoying the output of my Capresso Jura Empressa E8 right now). But I like the trade dress of this new incarnation. And I like the idea of it: maybe Austin boulevardiers can go there as they stroll about. Well as soon as it quits being so blasted hot.

New Coffee Downtown

There are many ways to get a cuppa downtown. Honestly, we don't buy too much coffee except with meals because we have a fancy machine that grinds, tamps, brews one cup at a time in our condo. But coffee shops are a great place for breaks when you are out walking. New to downtown (with a couple of other Austin locations) is Caffé Medici in the Austonian. They have a big red espresso machine.

Dogs alfresco

Yesterday's beautiful afternoon prompted Linda and me to take a walk down South Congress. While having a sip of coffee, I saw these red-headed ladies enjoying the sun with two fluffy dogs and took their photo with my iPhone.

Coffee and a View

Sunday we were out in our car doing an errand so we decided to go to Mozart's Coffee Roasters on Lake Austin (on the boulevard and on the lake). It was hot out but a lot of people chose to sit outside and enjoy the view of the lake. Mozart's is next door to Abel's.

The Grocer Downstairs

Yesterday, George Scariano and his crew got the latest Austin downtown grocery (Royal Blue) open. Bigger than the one on Third Street, this one also has the advantage of being on the first floor of our building. FFP bought me a six pack of Shiner Bock to celebrate. George already had beer, wine, hard goods and frozen food stocked and, having got his final inspection from the city, he was earnestly ordering perishables. Naturally we wish him good luck and we know everyone in the neighborhood (including the folks at Ballet Austin's Butler Dance Education Center) will be enjoying the convenience.

Cafe Medici

In spite of the name that evokes ancient Florence, Café Medici on The Drag has weirdly Jetson-looking furniture offsetting the old wood and the brick walls. I don't know how many shots of espresso they put in my Americano, but it was strong and good.

Sweets not on the Hill

I've shown you this bakery on West Sixth Street before but not its sign. I took this recently when we walked here from the condo. In that other entry I explained that the Hill part of the name doesn't seem right (although there are some steep streets behind it) and that there's a reason for that. I like this sign. It make you want to eat something sweet.

Downtown Wheels

Across Fourth Street from our condo building there is a bike shop called Mellow Johnny's. These wheels were on display when we walked through the other day. I think they have locker rooms for people who bike downtown. We don't bike but we might go to the friendly little coffee shop inside now and again. It's called Juan Pelota. This is supposed to be amusing if you know that Lance Armstrong is the owner of the complex. My sources say that Sandra Bullock owns the old building that was developed into the huge bike store and little coffee place. Don't expect to see celebrities, though. Young bike salesmen, all kinds of Austinites buying and the cleverly-tattooed running the coffee shop is more like it.

Coffee? Or Something Stronger?

On Fourth Street at the northeast corner of Lavaca there is a Coffee/Bar (and /Lounge it would seem). Meaning they don't just have coffee, but a full bar. And you can lounge. They have free Internet, I think, though I've never used it there. They recently remodeled and shrank the inside dimension to give over space to another bar but I was assured that the panini plates wouldn't change and they are stellar. This stretch of Fourth Street between Lavaca and Colorado is a lively one with several bars (Cedar Street is an outdoor stage) and restaurants. This is definitely 'warehouse district' as the Halcyon and other businesses on that side of the street are ten feet above street level on old loading docks. The name Halcyon gives them lots to live up to, but I think they succeed!

Irie Bean

I mentioned this coffee shop here, but hadn't shown you their sign. This coffee shop is on South Lamar.

Coffee Line

This picture was taken in the summer of 2004. Bikes and people wait for coffee at Jo's on South Congress. But I understand it was VERY HOT today in Austin.

Green World

It's a green world over at Café Mundi on the on the East Side. At least it was in 2004 when I took this picture. This is one of many independent coffee shops and restaurants in Austin. Yeah, we have the Starbucks, too.

Sweetish Hill

We have explored only a few places on West Sixth west of Lamar...Amy's and Wiggy's, I think. When I was there last Sunday, the purpose was coffee and a snack at Sweetish Hill.

The name of this place may seem puzzling when you see that it isn't really located on a hill (although there is one behind it). Actually, and this may surprise some of you Austin experts as well, the bakery started its life east of IH35 in a neighborhood known as Swedish Hill so the name was a bit of a pun on the location and the sweet buns! They moved to W. Sixth Street long ago and kept the name. However, the bakery was located where Portabla is today at first with a similarly named restaurant where Café Josie is today. (The restaurant had the best Beef Wellington I've ever eaten and served Sunday brunch where we pored over our Sunday New York Times we'd bought at Watson's Books next door. This was before you could have them throw a New York Times in your yard in Austin, before it was actually printed here.)

The current incarnation of Sweetish Hill serves a full breakfast sometimes we found out last Sunday. Patricia Bauer-Slate, has recently sold her ownership to her long-time partner we saw in our friend Virginia Woods' food column.