daily bliss: vegetarian coffeehouse

A frigid January morning. A long winter weekend. Cabin Fever threatens to descend if we stay home all day, and so we head north, in search of a bookstore, Target, and a nifty place to eat lunch and do some work—blogging for G and pre-tenure dossier for me.

I suggest Kavarna, a vegetarian coffeehouse my friends have told me about. We drive, stop at gourmet cheese and wine shops, Target, before hunger leads us to the coffeehouse.

Most people can peruse a restaurant menu and choose from all offerings. Not me. Anytime I go to a new restaurant, my eyes dart to the vegetarian possibilities, often only an entree or two, a few salads, or side dishes. Imagine my glee at a restaurant where everything on the menu is a possibility! How to choose when everything is a choice, almost equally delicious and gloriously meat free?

We claim a table and select our meals: southwest wrap for G, and a falafel wrap for me. The wraps arrive, toasted crispy on the outside, and stuffed with deliciousness within. G eats spoonfuls of strawberry banana wheatgrass smoothie, and I fill my mug—endless refills!—with Alterra coffee.

For the next three hours, we eat and work, soaking up the cool coffeehouse vibe. With a high tin ceiling, hardwood floor, and local handmade art lining the walls, the space welcomes you to settle in and stay. A bookcase filled with board games promises hours of friendly competition.

As I work on my dossier—an intensely detailed (and rather repetitive) document due on Tuesday (and the cause of much stress), I sip coffee and relax to the eclectic music—from Carole King to the Smiths.

I can't wait for my next visit, to sample another selection on the menu!