It's toasty-warm in the winter and refreshingly cool in the summer. This place appeals to all of my senses, especially the sense of space. The tall ceilings make me want to inhale and fill my lungs with the pungent aroma of roasting coffee beans. The sound the roaster makes while in operation is comforting, too, like a loud but soothing white noise. The young man operating the roaster has a peaceful, almost meditative aura about him.

It was here that I recently ran into an acquaintance that I hadn't seen for nearly a year. Instead of rushing off our separate ways with our coffee-of-the-days in hand, we sat down at a nearby table and caught up on our personal events, current events, and general gossip. My friend filled in some important information gaps about someone we both knew that I'd been concerned about. This thirty minutes of spontaneous exchange turned out to be the highlight of that particular day.

It's that kind of place, one of the few places where you can spend just $1.50 and not feel like you are taking up too much space for too little money. And that is a key factor for those all-important, unplanned, pleasurable encounters.