Black Dog Cafe

They have good brewed fresh coffee AND all of the blends (ie, med & dark roast), something that is hard too find in any coffee shop today (even "Starbucks") with the excuse of "we're conserving waste"---bs, they're lazy. The atmosphere is 'quaint' (antique like) and large enough too be off by yourself with a good book. "Rude staff"? (MaggieShriver): are you a transplant and not used to "Minnesota Nice?" People in St Paul are NOT interactive or "in your face." If that's what you want go to Minneapolis for a 'bit' more flair and progressiveness. The 2 cities are VERY different: coming from a native born.

When you visit the Artists Lofts in Lowertown, make sure you stop by the Black Dog for a quick java fix. This spot is where you'll find a good number of artists, whether it be painters or sculptors, actors or musicians. Makes a great stopover during the Fall & Spring art crawls. There is often live music on weekend evenings. Try the white mocha. It's exceptional!