A Second Cup - Tea Time at the Coffee Shop

The Mission Coffee Roasting Company is a mile and a half from my home, located down the block from an authentic renovated California mission. I walk to this coffee shop whenever I hanker for a large pot of my favorite organic Darjeeling tea, served with the best buttery-sweet biscotti I have tasted anywhere in these here parts. I also come to seek peace and solace, and to rejuvenate from the day-to-day wear and tear of life. I love walking to this place, especially in the springtime when the weather is a pleasant 70 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind caresses my face as I trudge up hill. The coffee shop looks a bit like a country cottage, with lovely wild flowering plants in pink, orange, red and white underneath a distinctive sign framed with curvy wrought iron. Wood and wrought iron benches nestle just behind the plants on the covered porch.

When a wayfarer enters through the screened wooden door, he or she is welcomed by the aromas of coffee and cinnamon. I love the aroma, as well as the pleasant hustle and bustle of people standing in line and being served their orders. The coffee shop is furnished in an eclectic blend of antiques, assorted tables and chairs, and a modern sofa and loveseat. The shop is quite large with benches and small tables and chairs toward the front, the sofa and loveseat in the middle, and a large dining table and eight chairs in the back. An antique china cabinet is filled with tea pots and other tea/coffee paraphernalia for sale. An antique buffet table holds the cutlery and condiments such as raw honey, cream, and Tabasco sauce. The warm combination of light floors, furniture and colorful pottery provides a wonderful alternative to the metal and plastic of the overly hyped national coffee chain which is two blocks down the road.

My favorite place in the shop is the area just behind the smaller tables and chairs. Wooden shelves line the wall back and are filled with a heavenly array of books, antiques and brightly colored teacups and teapots in beautiful floral patterns that bring in the best of the outside plants. Best of all, one can bring in a book and exchange it for another. I spend a lot of time browsing through the shelves here, flipping through the magazines and books and ogling the teapots. In addition to the biscotti and tea, the shop offers a wonderful assortment of luscious pies, cookies, breads, lunch sandwiches and soups.

The clientele are as varied and interesting as the menu. One finds people form all stages of life. I often see "biker" senior citizens who roll in for the morning pump-me-up, as well as more laid back individuals who just want to read the paper. Students from the nearby junior college come in and spread their work on the large dining table in the very back of the room. Busy executives march in to regroup with a shot of strong coffee before facing the hectic day ahead. Then, there are people like me, wanderers who stroll on into savor a few moments of peace before continuing with life's journey.

-- S. Reshma Yunus