A Local's Guide to Bellingham Treasures
Everyone knows the Northwest as a coffee lover's paradise. Gray morning
drizzle and misty bays just seem to enhance each cup's flavor. Maybe we try
to counteract the lethargy of cloudy days with daily (some hourly) doses of
sweet caffeine conveniently packaged and available at each corner with handy
drive-thru service. Whatever each java-junkie's reason for clutching a warm
cup on an autumn morning, Bellingham offers several unique spots to catch a
cup and a conversation.
Like the larger cities along the Northwest I-5 corridor, Bellingham is home
to several handfuls of drive-thru sheds occupied by one or two hustling
barristas meeting the demand of each morning's line up of cars. We also have
several chain stores, but thankfully our town has not been overrun like
Seattle, where identical Starbucks compete on each corner. Instead,
Bellingham fosters a community around its local coffee houses, each with its
own flavor and style.
The newest and smallest of my favorite cafes is the Kissaten on Grand Ave.
Styled around minimalist Japanese themes, this tucked away coffee temple
offers the usual list of flavors and extra shots. Their menu also includes
fresh fruit juice and organic baked goods, which fit right into the Zen
atmosphere. Though seating is limited to several couches and a few high
tables, this intimate setting engages the audience when the Kissaten hosts
local bands with folk and funk flavors .
One of my longtime favorites is an old town standby. Tony's Coffee in
Fairhaven is a staple hangout for conversationalists and quiet writers
looking for inspiration. Dark wood and a feel of the early twentieth century
make Tony's a great place to curl your hands around a warm cup and engage in
the kind of conversation that solves all the world's problems. Along with
their famous coffee, Tony's offers baked goods, board games and great view
of the bustle along Harris Avenue in the heart of Old Fairhaven.
Probably the most popular and diverse of cafes in Bellingham is Stuart's
Coffee House on Bay Street. Mixing intellectuals with the fringe music
scene, Stuart's has become a beacon hang-out for downtown Bellingham. Plush,
eccentric decorations and local art work, including an amazing photo gallery
upstairs, make this THE coffee house of coffee houses. From smoothies to
organic chai tea, Stuart's provides a full menu along with a varied music
scene that draws standing room-room-only crowds. To drink coffee at Stuart's
in to be a B'hammer.
So get out early one morning when the mists of last night's rain clouds
linger in the pine trees an along the still bay waters. This is the perfect
time to sip hot black coffee or sweet mocha cappuccinos and get ready for
your day. Remember that Bellingham offers more that replicated corporate
coffee barns, so enjoy a locally flavored cup of joe.
Wtitten By: Jason Small
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