The Coffee Buzz

Post written by Bridget Strub.

Coffee shops have been a love affair of mine for awhile. Something inside of me craves the tranquil utopia that is a really good coffee shop. I can’t get enough of the intoxicating aromas, intriguing sights, and assortments of sounds. They draw me in and captivate me for hours. The funny thing is I don’t even really like coffee. I fall in love with a place because its artwork speaks to me, or the colors in the room blend together in such a way that creates a visual sigh of relief. Often, I am wooed by dessert cases that display decadent cakes or gooey cookies. Extensive drink menus genuinely excite me to the tips of my soul. Comfy couches, cleverly named panini’s, I could go on forever. There’s just something about the busyness of a coffee shop that stirs me up to the point where I feel like anything is possible.

With the cool air creeping in, my need for a coffee shop fix has been nagging at me. Pete and I decided to explore the Towpath Café in the Village of Fairport to expand our coffee shop horizons. We had stumbled upon it a few weeks ago in our search for wood-fired pizza and our first impression was pretty positive, so we added it to our places to eventually try.

The Towpath Café hits all the standard qualifications of a good coffee shop. It sits along the Erie Canal, overlooking the village lift bridge. Its décor is cozy and charming. They offer plenty of cushy couches that allow for good date night conversation. Their menu is fairly diverse and some of the drinks they offer are unique. I saw some seasonal options like a pumpkin latte and chaider (mixture of chai and cider I was too scared to try). They even serve wine (specifically Red Cat which happens to be a favorite of mine!) and beer, always menu items that increase a coffee shop’s coolness factor.

The food was very flavorful, and the service was extremely friendly and prompt. I had the Lockmaster; a chicken, artichoke heart, spinach panini with pesto mayo and a side tomato/cucumber salad. Pete had the Barge; a Cajun marinated grilled chicken breast smothered with sweet barbeque sauce and provolone cheese with a side of the owners own special recipe chili beefed up with hotdogs. Strange sounding, but actually very tasty! Overall, our dinner only cost us $15.10.

Pete and I sat, sunken into the couch for awhile after our meal, contemplating getting one of the homemade pies or frosted brownies that teased us from the dessert case. We thought about playing one of the games offered on a nearby bookshelf. But the longer we sat, the more the underlying feeling of awkward unearthed itself. We both seemed to realize it at the same time. The Towpath, though it had all of the stock elements of a good coffee shop, seemed to lack the key ingredient that pulls them all together: the buzz.

There’s nothing better than the symphony of noise found in a coffee shop. The low roar of conversation and laughter play the melody, while the muted background music, clinking of dishes, and loud spurts of steam from the espresso machine offer dynamic harmonies. It’s beautiful, and it’s exactly what the Towpath was lacking. It wasn’t very busy, so the ability to blend in to the couches and be a faceless patron was not an option. The owner, who also served as our barista and chef chatted with us about our food and the struggles of owning a new business. I felt sorry for him. You could tell he just wanted his business to succeed, and he was genuinely frustrated that he was facing so many obstacles with promoting his business. Maybe he was just having a bad day. Maybe he needed someone to talk with. Bad day or not, the rather awkward conversation left us with an overall uninspired vibe, and that was a real downer.

It may sound a bit hokey, but I feel like there’s something in the buzz of coffee shops that has an intangible power to be a catalyst in changing people’s lives. In the eight years I’ve lived in Rochester, I’ve grown a lot. I started off as a naive eighteen year old trying to find her place in the world, and am now moving towards adulthood (Man, that’s weird to say, but I guess as a soon to be twenty-seven year old I should start embracing that word right?) as a passionate and fairly confident woman. Yes, I know I sound like I’m going Oprah on you. Hang tight, I’ll bring it back around. In those eight years, many of my defining moments of growth were inspired by a visit to a coffee shop. I’ve sat alone, people watching, reflecting on where I’m at in life. I’ve sipped lattes with friends having both humorous and difficult conversations that deepened our relationships or closed chapters in our lives. I’ve munched thoughtfully on desserts, trying to weigh out important decisions that determined who I would become. So, when I find a coffee shop that is conducive to fostering great, inspiring moments I am a devoted patron. When I get the awkward vibe, I don’t tend to go back.

While Pete and I didn’t share any awe inspiring moments while at the Towpath Café, we did end our night a pretty good note. I got a hot Carmel Apple Cider on our way out the door, and the autumn drink felt like warm cheer in a cup. It definitely set a positive tone for the rest of date night. I think we’ll have to give the Towpath a second chance. I can certainly see it being a worthwhile staple of summertime canal strolls.

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