- a good latte is hard to beat.
tomorrow i’m meeting a friend before work (or school, in her case) at blackdog, one of our favorite local coffeehouses. in kansas city we’re lucky to have a number of good coffeehouses — this one just happens to be close to both of us. they serve very good coffee, however, (fair trade, too, i might add), as well as a variety of baked goods, soups and sandwiches. they also have good ambiance, for the most part, with rotating exhibits of local art on display and a couch and some comfy chairs. i’ve had some good times there with many good friends.
the only problem, as far as i’m concerned, is that they often play screamo-emo music. that might be in large part because there always seems to be a crowd of trendy tortured artist-types hanging out there in the evenings. maybe it’s because downtown and the crossroads arts district is about 20 minutes away, or maybe they’re all underage. either way it’s not a big deal. but when you’re trying to have a serious conversation with a friend while savoring the good inch of frothed milk on top of your cappuccino, it’s a bit distracting to have music that sounds like 15-year-olds singing about sex and death yowling away in the background.
although, to be fair, they were playing the decemberists last time i visited. maybe there’s a designated emo music night and i just didn’t realize it.
aside from that, though, their drinks and food are reasonably priced (not cheap, but comparable to the starbucks down the road, and a heck of a lot better), and their brewed coffee is smooth and not bitter. they also usually have quite a variety available, so get the bottomless cup and try a few different kinds.
rating: 3.5 stars out of 4
