Mud and Chocolate

While I will admit that I have not looked too very hard for a new coffee place, the loss of Middle Way Café from my life when I left Alaska is mentionable.  From the smooth coffee without a hint of bitterness to the chic décor to the friendly baristas who knew me by name and how I took my mochas, hot chocolates and lattes.  Occasionally, I have tried a new coffee place here and there in St. Louis, but have rejected more coffee than I have enjoyed.

                Yesterday, I finally found an analogous coffee place to Middle Way.  Surprisingly, my Mom called it.  Let’s step back for a moment.

                Yesterday, Mom and I decided to go check out Cherokee Row, which is a revitalized neighborhood in the Benton Park area which is known for its antique shops.  I had been down the street once severalmonths ago, but not for shopping.  All I really knew was that it had a book store that looked interesting. 

                We started our afternoon with a stop at The Mud House, a place that I only vaguely knew by reputation.  At eleven o’clock on a Saturday Morning, the place was already busy.  The crowd was relatively young and hip, but refreshingly, they weren’t parked at tables with laptops glaring up in their faces.  Most people were there for a morning with friends and conversation. 

                Mom and I both ordered hot chocolate, and she snuck in a piece of gooey butter cake while I wasn’t watching.  While Mom waited for our drinks, I found us a table near the window so we could watch the street.  Frankly, the eccentric collection of antique games and other memorabilia on the walls was more interesting than the bundled up shoppers scurrying down the chilly streets.

                When Mom came over with the hot chocolate, I knew we were in for a treat.  The heavy ceramic mugs were brimming with the fine foam that only a skilled barista can make.  No whipped cream – who needs that when your hot cocoa is already a creation of perfection?  The conversation between Mom and I went something like this:

                Mom:  “I watched the gal make these.”

                Me:  “She steamed the milk, didn’t she?”

                Mom:  “Yes, and put in lots of chocolate.”

                The hot chocolate was everything you could hope for:  Warm, foamy, and wonderfully chocolately.  When Mom got to the bottom of her mug she kept trying to get the last of the foam out.  Finally I told her to use her fork.  She gave me an incredulous look, kind of laughed, and picked up the fork.  Needless to say, there was no foam left in either cup by the time we finished. 

                The Mud House is worth the trip to Cherokee Street all by itself.  While I didn’t try out the coffee, I can tell you (because we actually went twice) that the gooey butter cake, brownies, smoothies, and sandwiches are all delicious.  Additionally, they have vegetarian options and locally source their coffee beans.  I’ll definitely be going back.

Resources:

Cherokee Antique Row:  http://antiquerow.org/

The Mud House: http://www.themudhousestl.com/

Middle Way Café (Alaska): http://www.middlewaycafe.com/

For the Book Lovers in the audience, Hammonds Books: http://www.hammondsbooks.net/