Some people long for the Austin of old. Those were bohemian days. The days of no-money. The days of cooking vegetarian meals, going to Barton Springs and swimming in the cold water with friends and keeping your body chilled for the duration of a long summer day. Austin was full of wood-frame shingle homes, many of them not much more than shacks. Then Austin became famous and everything changed-- of did it? The city still has charm and visitors from around the world can sense the Austin magic, the friendliness, the creativity, the love and the warmth. So, I found a coffee shop in my neighborhood that captures a bit of the old Austin, a coffee shop in North Central Austin, the area I call North Loop Zone and the coffee shop is called Epoch.
An epoch ... 1. a particular period of time marked by distinctive features, events, etc.: an epoch of peace and goodwill.
Hey, I didn't make that up. That's straight out of my dogeared copy of Random House Dictionary of the English Language (1984). Okay, it's dated, like me. But an epoch of peace and goodwill...How perfect is that for capturing the Austin spirit! But on to the coffee house review.
Went to Epoch Coffee at 221 W. North Loop with Ramon Aguilar, my friend and longtime Austinite. I asked Ramon a few questions about the experience to capture the essence of the place.
John-- What do you think of the Austin coffee-house scene?
Ramon-- Not an original thought.. it's a way for people who don't have much money to experience luxury, luxury and style. These places are stylish.
John-- Style. What's the style here?
Ramon-- Funky. Upholstery. Funky furry. I like that in a coffee shop. Feels better than a clinical Starbucks look. I like the colored glass. (Ramon points to the colored glass at the front window.)
The barista called us "boys." He said "what can I get you boys?"
John-- That was a brilliant way to get a tip from a couple of Medicare-eligible guys.
Ramon-- The barista made "vibing a priority."
Ramon explained the meaning of vibing-- which means reaching a level of grooviness. Ramon told me a story about a trip he took to return some celery to a Target store because the celery had an obnoxious chemical taste to it.
Ramon-- Just the other day I returned some celery to Target, receipt in hand. I said, "The celery doesn't taste good."
"No celery tastes good," said the Target employee, handing me the refund.
Ramon got a special charge out of that exchange. He said the shared moment with the Target employee was "high end vibing"-- and that's what Austin and Epoch Coffee are all about.
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