Ah coffee — some might say it’s the perfect date. It’s cheap and will keep you awake in case anything else happens.
When choosing a place to go get coffee, there are a few obvious choices. Starbucks is always there; so is Espresso Roma. Allann Bros. never disappoints. However, for a date, Cafe Paradiso provides the best atmosphere.
Paradiso has couches, a very important component in a successful coffee spot. Anyone who has been there has grown to love the worn couches that sink to the verge of collapse when you sit on them. Sure, Starbucks has couches, but the fact that they lack the personality of use doesn’t say “coffee house.”
Let’s face it, the ambiance of a good date spot is very important. You need a place that can be intimate enough to have a good conversation, but at the same time public enough so the intimacy doesn’t pass that uncomfortable level. Of course, this only applies to the early courting stages.
Another reason Paradiso wins out over Starbucks is that it is a smaller operation. You just don’t sound as original when you ask someone out to Starbucks. You could be losing some major brownie points.
The biggest reason that Paradiso takes the coffee cake is that it is the coffee house with the most consistent entertainment. So, for the menial price of two coffees, you and your date can take in a show.
The performances revolve around a loose weekly formula, from open mic on Tuesdays to varying scheduled performers Thursday through Saturday.
The cheapest you can get away with on the coffee-house date is a small coffee for $1.30. The biggest dent in the cash flow is the grande mocha for $3.50 — still a modest price. But if you really want to date on a tight budget, pick up a stamp card by the cash register. For every 10 drinks you buy, you get one free. So five dates later, you get one date for half price.
Paradiso is located on 115 W. Broadway. It is open Monday though Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to midnight and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.