I’m trying to figure out what’s so cool about the places I love to drink espresso.  It turns out that I think I’m just addicted to that brand spanking new feeling in a cafe.  Some of my favorite moments are discovering a cafe early in it’s existence and finding humble baristas partnering with a down to earth owner to make great espresso.  This begs the next question… why can’t this good coffee shop vibe stay over months and years?  What goes wrong?

Well, I’ll get to that question.  But first, my latest and greatest new cafe find: Matching Half.  I about died when I had their homemade pop tarts from Black Jet Bakeries.  They are pulling Sightglass which I’m a big fan of, despite my husband calling them the too trendy “Stumptown” of the Bay.  Pshhh.  No.  I think not.  Blue Bottle fits that mold far too well with all of their money and cafes.  And I’m so freaking in love with them I don’t even hate them for it.  I digress…

Matching Half made me just fall in love with San Francisco.  Being new to the Bay and loving Oakland I always thought SF was just kind of snooty and dirty and packed with people (sorry, SF friends, it’s true sometimes).  But this little pocket of the city is so pretty and quaint, right next to Golden Gate Park and a super cute neighborhood to stroll in by it’s own right.  I love the windows of this cafe and the cheap prices on their espresso.  I could live next door!  Seriously.  I about half considered looking at apartments when I got home.  It’s a bit silly, but one of my life goals is to find a neighborhood with a cafe I can trust every day and be a faithful customer.  I thought I almost found that in Matching Half, although let’s be serious, I would about die if I lived in SF.  I’ve also joked that I might just need to open my own cafe once we buy a home (hmmm, when I’m 60?, those grad school loans are ridiculous) so I don’t have anything to complain about.

The good news is, this journey continues.  I am looking to fall in love and stay in love with a cafe.  I am hoping to be it’s faithful friend and to stop cheating around.  The truth is, baristas change, crowds come and go, the seasons of life and of nature make certain spots more desirable at certain times, and I’m just not sure this girl can be put into a box (especially one called “Blue Bottle” or something that EVERYONE knows and likes, yikes).  So the drama continues and the search goes on…