It's no small secret that this author holds a special affinity for Buffalo, New York. Besides my adoration of the run-down skyscrapers and dystopian structures of an Ayn Rand-influenced dream, my hometown recently moved from the second to third-poorest city in the United States, go Buffalo (now one step better than Cleveland)!
It's easy to overlook many of the bad aspects of Buffalo when one actually visits this unique city. Community advocacy has rejuvenated some of the older, more run-down neighborhoods. Chippewa is no longer the unsavory street of the 1980s (if you're under 21 it's now the unsavory street of the 2010s), the waterfront is no longer a dockyard of rusting memories, and Grant street is quickly being revitalized with new, unique establishments.
Actually, the Grant-Elmwood neighborhood isn't the only place being infused with cash and development... the signs are obvious throughout the city. You see new lofts, studio apartments, and office buildings as frequently as you come across twenty-somethings wearing thick-framed glasses, skin-tight pants, giant headphones, and a look of smug self-satisfaction.
Portrait of the blogger as a young man, sorry.
Anyway, I quite enjoy the Buffalo renaissance- my semester breaks always provide new places to sample food and coffee in the nickel city, and my last return gave me the opportunity to sample the coffee, and culture, of a uniquely "Buffalonian" cafe on Grant street.
Sweetness 7 was opened by Prish Moran in a former pharmacy. The building itself was constructed at the turn of the century and still bears the pressed tin ceiling, masonry, and expectations of its original proprietors. Hipsters take the 1990s and add contemporary culture, Buffalo takes the 1890s and does the same- this cafe is a prime example of the city's foundations and its future.
Onto the brew!
The coffee was served in a City Honors mug; since most people who read my articles at this point are probably familiar with the author's background, it's hopefully assumed that I found this most inviting. Actually, it was quite a change of pace to see that the mugs provided to customers weren't from Sweetness 7, but from various establishments around the city. It's as though there was a subliminal drive to promote the community of Buffalo.
The coffee was delicious, and washed the bitter taste of Au Bon Pain from my mouth (recurring theme!). I was pleased to see that Sweetness 7 didn't promote its potential for pretentiousness by labeling its coffee with the titles that elicit memories of Italian villas swarming with devoted fans of Passion Pit and Animal Collective (I'm sure every hipster feels a certain comradery with the poor Columbian farmer who has never left his hometown, let alone dreamt that his/her life's work would become fodder for delusions of Euro-American cultural unity... but I digress).
Another point: Sweetness 7 carries only fair trade coffee, while promoting local entrepeneurs. All coffee served in this cafe comes from a local vendor, and by simply requesting economically responsible coffee from this distributor Prish Moran has secured the patronage of socially-considerate customers.
With a jovial atmosphere, great coffee, and a developing locale, Sweetness 7 is certainly a place to try if (God knows why) you find yourself in the Buffalo area. It seems as though the citizens of Buffalo certainly support this establishment, as there are rumors of plans to open another branch on th' other side o' town. For my part, I look forward to joining a few of my fixed-gear friends the morning after midnight bike rides for a cup of some of the most conscience-pleasing coffee in Buffalo.
It tastes great too.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
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