Kaldi's Coffee
July 10, 2008 at 2:16 p.m.
The evil image of the chain restaurant disappears when its product outweighs its typecast. Thus is the case with Kaldi’s Coffee on Ninth and Cherry. Here, all the elements of an average coffee shop — basic sandwiches, a million varieties of coffee, a comfortable atmosphere and annoying but tolerable hipsters (yes, you’re ironic; we get it) — come together to make Columbia’s best café.
Kaldi’s furnishings and ambiance are the restaurant’s biggest appeal. Yeah, the store serves coffee and food, but I mean, seriously, you can get a coffee anywhere, but the atmosphere of a coffee shop is its biggest draw. And Kaldi’s has a great one because its furniture and environment does what they are supposed to do — allow people to sit comfortably while they eat, drink, study or whatever else.
The tables are at the correct height; the chairs fit under the tables to allow for proper scooting; and the art on the wall is probably from Target, but that is OK. Moreover, there seems to be a refreshing shortage of white-belted hipsters and their counterparts, the extension-chord-belted hippies. This adds up to quality “study” time for me.
Kaldi’s coffee is fine. No, not ground fine; it is just all right. It is tolerable I mean. I’m not a café snob, but the chain’s coffee is never bitter; even an iced americano is delicious. And yes, they sell naturally-grown, BGH-free beans, blah blah blah varieties, but whatever. Call me crazy, but I’m concerned with how the things I drink taste, and whatever coffee Kaldi’s Coffee sells tastes good.
Food at Kaldi’s is standard issue for any café — fancy, overpriced and mediocre. Avocado and turkey, strawberry crepes and a variety of sweets litter the menu. I had something called a turkey stack on my last visit. Now, it’s my understanding that “stack” means heap or pile. Perhaps I picked up the kids menu because my stack of turkey was one piece of meat cut in thirds. Maybe they meant bread stack, because I had enough cooked dough to make 300 more turkey stacks.
Best advice for Kaldi’s — skip the food, drink an americano and enjoy the quiet, comfortable atmosphere.
Special and important note: Lakota, please address these issues:
It’s great to have “custom” furniture to add “local zest” to a coffee shop, but it looks like something from a truck stop and it’s damn uncomfortable to sit in, let alone to eat or study in.
The art on your walls is a distracting and predictable mix of planes dropping dollar-sign bombs or dollar signs replacing the stars of the American flag. Get something new.
Lastly, when I go to a coffee shop, chances are that I want to concentrate; turn down the CSNY or Enya album. Also, please dispose of the drum circles, yogic chanting and any other organic, fair trade, patchwork noise being played during my studies.
Oh, but please keep your amazing coffee.
Comments on this post
I agree that the food is a little overpriced, but no more so than Panera, which I think has mediocre food. I've had both really tasty lunches and slightly disappointing lunches at Kaldi's, but I haven't been disappointed yet by their perfectly crusty, flaky and cheesy individual size quiches. They're worth a try, especially the three cheese quiche. And of course, the coffee is amazing. I'm not big on flavored coffees, but the subtle flavor of the Highland Grogg is addictive.
Posted by Lindsey Douthit on Jul 11, 2008 at 9:49 a.m. (Report Comment)