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Community Corner

Where a Dad Gets His Caffeine Fix

Our stay-at-home dad fills us in on his favorite places to get his daily fix.

It takes a lot of energy to raise a child who will one day be a power-hitting Major League first baseman, an R & B singer, and a Supreme Court Justice — not necessarily in that order. That’s why I usually rely on several cups of coffee each day for an energy boost. I take my coffee with bags of sugar and a little milk.  Both are almost as vital as the coffee itself.  

So, when we recently ran out of milk, I admit, I briefly considered using the breast milk left to feed my son. No one was home except me and John Carlito.  So, who would ever know?  

I had used this same rationale previously when tuning into “The Bachelor” after my wife had gone to work. But I ultimately decided this idea was disgusting. So, I fed Johnny C. his liquid gold, then put him and his extra milk weight in the baby bjorn for a trip to my favorite coffee spot.  

This week’s Frugal Family post focuses on the most controversial topic since Justin Bieber got a haircut. Here are my five favorite local spots to get a cup of coffee in the neighborhood.  

5.   — ($4.25-$5.00/cup) — This place is as much as the end result. You can get coffee made from beans imported from Ethiopia, Guatemala, Peru, or Panama. You can then have your coffee pressed, dripped, siphoned or run through a sock pot. After it has been prepared and rung up on the iPad for payment, the coffee is actually more hip than most people buying it.

4.    — ($1.75 small, $2.25 medium, pastries ½ price after 3pm) — This place is the Tony Robbins of coffee joints. Everyday I walk by and read an inspiring zen-like phrase on the blackboard out front that makes me feel like I almost don’t even need the coffee for a pick-me-up. For example, the message this morning was: “All a man needs is a black coffee and a cigarette.' -Johnny Guitar." This message had a little more of an edge to it than usual. But I found it fitting given my son’s name.

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3.   — ($1.95 small, $2.25 medium, $2.45 large) — It’s like going to Woodstock for coffee. During a recent visit I noticed more men with ponytails than women. There is art on the walls, organic fair trade coffee on the menu, and you will not feel out of place if you decide to wear your beret.

2.  Home Brew (Free) - Because the best part of waking up is a fresh pot of home brewed coffee in my mouth.

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1.   — ($1.25 small, $1.75 medium, $2.00 large) — Bagel World is French for “Get your Starbucks out of my face.” This is my go-to spot for a large coffee enjoyed best when washed down with the “four in one,” a bacon egg and cheese with a hash brown in a roll.

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