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Convenience, Choice, Coffee . . . Still Craving Cafe Ponte
Convenience can be a killer--slip into a habit, go somewhere once too often, you don't know what other opportunities you might be missing.
This is a tale of warning; we're sharing the very start of what's already an addiction...
A few weeks ago, we attended an annual event in our neighborhood -- a sidewalk sale where several blocks of an entire street (Elizabeth St.) participated. People hawking this, getting rid of that . . . much fun. And, at least to our experience, one of those "only in San Francisco" things. We found a set of bowls and a serving platter that matched one we already had . . . lucky us, now we have service for eight in Williams-Sonoma style, circa 2001 (heck, lucky for you, Joe and Jane Public--twice as much of a chance you'll be asked over to the Trimethyldioxypurist residence for dinner).
But we digress.
We also spotted a swell television -- 27 inches, manufactured within the past five years -- and the dude only wanted $30 for it. Sweet! Our previous television was at least 14 years old and only 20 inches and--most disturbingly--had taken to going all snowy at the most inopportune times ("Deal . . . or NO dea--PZZSttttzzzz!").
But deal-hunting is a hungry exercise, and we didn't have the strength to lug this find back home. Mrs Trimeth was also pretty beat from carrying the Prince around in the so-called "Bjorn device." And Cafe Ponte was a mere two blocks away . . .
Yeah, we should get to the point. We recently discovered Cafe Ponte, which knocked us the heck out . . . and we keep going back. Again and again. The day of the Elizabeth Street Sidewalk Sale Event was our fourth or fifth visit.
Part of it, undeniably, is the convenience. At the corner of Diamond and 24th Streets (in fact, it used to be "Diamond Corner Cafe"), Cafe Ponte is pretty convenient for residents of Noe Valley and surrounding areas (Castro, Diamond Heights . . though the walk back up the hill might kill you).
Cafe Ponte has a lot of charming aspects, though. It's small. The staff is super-friendly. Most of what you eat (baked goods, breads, etc) is prepared on the premises. Of the manufactured items they carry, we're amazed and happy that Lake Champlain Chocolates are among the offerings, most especially the unbeatable 5-Star Bar. We no longer have to deal with the insufferable Bi-Rite to get our 5-Star fix.
It's just too easy having Cafe Ponte around. It could almost make mundane the rarity of having a small, neighborhood spot with amazing BLTs, paninis, smoothies, prepared salads, and more.
So, um, okay coffee guy . . . aren't you supposed to be the coffee enthusiast? I mean, we all love a good sammich, but . . .
Oh, right -- sorry, internal voice of reason. On to the coffee.
Cafe Ponte serves coffee from Emeryville's McLaughlin Coffee Co.. While our most trusted espresso judge isn't wholly impressed with the shots they pull, we chanced it with a cappuccino (pictured below). We found it just fine, if perhaps a touch too milky. (Oh, Cafe Organica, why hast thou, and thine "true cappuccino" left us?)
Despite an only "pretty good" cap, you know by now we tend to roll with the drip-brewed offerings. Not only is the drip excellent, there's a bevy of choice: it's self-serve from several receptacles. When we've been there, the offerings have included French, Brazilian, House Blend, some organic, always a few decaf offerings. Start off with something in cup #1, pick something else for cup #2 . . . we love choice. While we worry a bit that having five or six coffees "on tap" might mean less than pleasant things about how long each vat has been sitting out there, we've managed to try all of the non-decaf ones, and they've all been on point. Just one good brew is more than most places can muster--the five or six choices add up to fun. Like a kid in a candy store, we were.
So, on the day of the sidewalk sale, we had a choice. Heavy with bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and amazing wheat bread (and a perfectly dressed green salad), we were faced with a crucial choice: drink another cup of Joe or hurry back to the Elizabeth Street Sidewalk Sale event to secure our $30 television?
We all know how this ends, right? Another great cup of coffee, a television gone, and a few more weeks before we had another opportunity to replace it.
Luckily, this time we were nowhere near 24th and Diamond.
(And, yes, Mr. Jonathan H. -- there's free wireless. Dammit! Why do we always forget to mention that?)