Hempstead, NY is not a place on google's earth that I frequent. Reminiscent of dirty highway snow, dented corollas, and heavy weight drinkers, it's not unusual that I feel queasy driving along its turnpike.
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Tonight though, my cousin introduced me to a coffee shop that reminded me of your typical indie cafe in Berkeley or Santa Cruz. And as it goes, this vegan java joint, completely out of place and unexpected here is called Witches' Brew and was opened by two sisters from California. shocker.
After these ladies inherited grandma's house on Long Island, they turned it into a gothic/vintage hang-out with sultry red lighting, distressed garage sale couches, and janky chandeliers. The menu is lengthy, hand-written, and filled with experimental concoctions with names like "nightmare," "white noise," and "wolf blitzer" (just joshin' on the last one). But honestly, I was real happy with the half inch of peanut butter and marshmallow fluff I found at the bottom of my mug. And yet, while I see this place as a reminder of my sweet college years, the local yelpers have reduced it to "the place to go when you're 14 and can't go to bars." Witches' Brew: 311 Hempstead Turnpike
West Hempstead, New York 11552
Anyway, for throwback's sake, here are some pictures of Pergolesi in Santa Cruz, California - A victorian house cafe where I spent most of my hours cramming for tests and exchanging stories with my favorite people and strangers. A chai latte utopia with a porchlight...
