Caffiend: Open Book Cafe's House Blend

The new Open Book Cafe at the Burton-Barr Central Library has a great atmosphere. Located just inside the library's west entrance, Open Book Cafe provides a decorative cove for readers to pore over their latest selections. The walls are a mix of metal panels and bright yellow, and furniture ranges...

By Niki D'Andrea

April 12, 2010

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The new Open Book Cafe at the Burton-Barr Central Library has a great atmosphere. Located just inside the library's west entrance, Open Book Cafe provides a decorative cove for readers to pore over their latest selections. The walls are a mix of metal panels and bright yellow, and furniture ranges from neon yellow egg-shaped chairs to tree stump tables to long, cushioned couches.

But while the ambiance is cool, the cafe's house blend is rather unimpressive. After receiving no information about it from the barisita, who said he doesn't drink coffee, we figured we'd give it a try anyway. What we got tasted like a really weak cup of Folger's. The house blend tasted watered-down, as if somebody had dissolved a few coffee nips in hot water and called it java. And not surprisingly for a coffee that tasted like water dressed in brown, there was no big caffeine rush, either.

Maybe we just got a cup from a weak pot, but our first experience with Open Book Cafe's House Blend had us running for the energy drinks. How else were we supposed to get through The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe in an hour?

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Niki D'Andrea has covered subjects including drug culture, women's basketball, pirate radio stations, Scottsdale staycations, and fine wine. She has worked at both New Times and Phoenix Magazine, and is now a freelancer.

Contact: Niki D'Andrea