A Place of Refuge... Can Sometimes be a Coffee House

    Standing in the entrance, I was momentarily paralyzed with the sensation that I had just walked into someone's home. It had once been someone's home, but had long sense been converted into a coffee house and bistro. But unlike most homes converted into businesses, this one had not lost the feeling of warmth. In fact, most homes these days have lost that.

    Off to my left was a small room set up with two bistros and two cushioned chairs. The walls were painted a light green that both gave it a sense of ease and kept it from feeling closed in. Pictures, roll up curtains, light strands, and one plant accented it perfectly. In front of me was the open kitchen with both counters seemingly overloaded with decor, pastries, and other goodies. Yet it seemed so appropriate and more like organized chaos rather than a mess. The counters and walls were painted yellow and edged with light strands. Inside the kitchen was the perfect shade of blue, and I can hear the low-key jazzy music often found in coffee houses.

    As I closed the door behind me, a young man looked up and greeted me with a warm smile. I had the instant impression that he liked his job. He didn't have the usual persona of someone who obviously would prefer to be anywhere else. I greeted him back and admitted it was my first visit. He readily showed me where the menu was on the counter. I decided to go with my favorite coffee drink, Mocha. I ordered the medium and went to sit at the bistro table in the corner I had zeroed in on. (It was right next to a plug outlet.) As I set up my laptop I took a in a closer inventory of the interior around me. 

   

  They kept the original hardwood floors. The main room consisted of a large leather corner couch, a dining table with chairs that had fringes on the cushions, and three bistro tables. The walls were both a mixture of yellow and brown. All the white window and door frames contrasting against the colorful walls and light strands. A large brick fireplace sits waiting to be used. The many different kinds of decor, pictures, paintings, light strands, wall color, and furniture all fit well together with a very Bohemian feel. Next to my table is a side exit to a small, outdoor deck built around a large oak tree, with bistro tables and a single Nome to keep guests company.

    It wasn't long before my coffee was brought to my table. It is about the same size as a Starbucks Grande, and roughly the same price, but it tastes so much better! More customers arrive as I'm sipping my Mocha, and the Server greets each of them with familiarity and warmth. I can tell they're regulars, and they feel as much at home here as I do. Some are college students, and some are adults and families. Everyone is completely at ease in this place. The atmosphere obviously takes over everyone when they walk in the door, and I know I have found my new WiFi hotspot. I also liked their FB page and got a dollar off my coffee. ;) My only regret is that I had not come here sooner. Callaway's Coffee and Bistro is my new home away from home. 

 I really needed this place.