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Thursday, October 23, 2008

Ever been to Curiosity Island?

Okay, I had to go, didn’t I? With a whimsical name like Curiosity Island, I just had to. So what is it? An organic coffee and tea shop on Polk street. I’m inside now, as I write this, enjoying an iced soy latte because it’s HOT in SF today…72 degrees hot. Hmm..that doesn’t sound all that hot, does it? Well, the ocean breeze is nowhere to be found, so it’s much warmer than it usually is when the thermometer creeps into the 70s. Most people would tell you it’s ideal.

I should be at work, but I’m not. Desperately needed a mental health day, so I’m taking it. If you’re reading this and you know/are the boss, shh…

So what does Curiosity Island look like. Well, not much, really. Actually, kind of strange, decorated as it is with Asian art. I’m sitting by the door and there’s this big, floral painted urn near my chair. The top is open like a flower pot and it’s full of water and a water pump, so it’s, err, bubbling, I guess. It’s not a “real” fountain, but as I said, a big ole urn with a pump in it, the thick black plastic cord draped over the lip of the thing.2008-10-23-50011

Tables are an assortment; the kind of thing you find in ethnic restaurants. Free wifi (heh), and pay-per-minute service using a couple laptops on a desk along the wall opposite me. There’s a Snapple cooler with assorted cold drinks and a long row of display cases near the back of the cafe with objects d’ art in and on them. I think they’re for sale.

Despite the fact that they’re serving organic coffee, the experience is lessened by the automatic machine that dispenses your latte at the push of a button. Hmm. Yeah, it’s a notch above the airport vending machine, but still detracts from the places cafe cachet. Probably not the place you wanna run to when you’re jonseing a nice French Press.

In keeping with the cafe couture, they have a few delicious looking cookies, chocolate dipped macaroons, sandwiches, etc. But lest you begin to salivate over decadent delights you can’t/won’t make at home, there’s the case with the Nestles candy bars, Nature Valley Granola Bars, and lunch packs of Oreos. No pretension here! Cafe cachet minus 2.

Curious indeed!

6 comments:

syzygy13 said...

Mental health days! Woo-hoo! Hoo! Woo! Woo. Oy. Yeah, they're good things.

So, do they have humans behind the counter, as well as the automatic coffee machines?

I tried to watch the video (4:50pm, 10.23.8) but it wouldn't play for me. It wouldn't roll over, it wouldn't sit - nothin'. ;)

Clifford said...

Yeah, mental health is cool! I think state employees get a couple a year. Everyone should. I've always taken my own, though.

Humans? Yep! Living, even.

Hmm...video works for me. I'll look into it. Thanks for the heads up!

syzygy13 said...

Vid working now. la!

Clifford said...

Lol! Are you sure it wasn't working all the time? My cinema verite skills are without equal, doncha know?

Sidney said...

I'm taking a mental healthweek, tho not really a week off.

Clifford said...

@Sid,

A week! You're a mental health pig! Heh. Enjoy it!

About Me

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This is me and one of my two cats. His name is Cougar, and he’s an F1 Chausie. A chausie is a new breed of cat under development. Chausies are the result of a cross between a domestic cat (in Cougar’s case, a Bengal) and a jungle cat (Felis Chaus). Cougar’s mom is 8 pounds and his father is a 30-pound jungle cat. He’s about 16 pounds, super intelligent, spirited, and toilet trained. A writer without a cat (or two) is not to be trusted.