If it is Tuesday, September 4 (or after), then I am back to the work-a-day world after my European length August vacation.

And, if it is a workday it begins with with a cup of Cafe Americano at my favorite coffee establishment, Cafe Plaid on the very southwest corner of Campus Corner in Norman. Located at 333 Boyd Street, Cafe Plaid sits across from the University of Oklahoma’s original campus, known today at the North Oval, with a view of the beautiful university landscaping visible through Plaid’s windows.

Let’s face it ... coffee is the mainstay of modern American existence. We love our coffee and we have become a nation of coffee drinkers, in all of its variations... cappuccino, lattes, breves, americanos, or just plain brew or drip ( or maybe a press pot ... but I begin to digress...).

I am a fan of Cafe Americano, basically a shot or two of espresso in a cup of hot water. Done right, it has the flavor and body of espresso without the intensity, and brevity, of drinking a single shot. And, by done right, for me that must include the crema, a creamy head, floating on top.

You drink the Americano through the crema.

Heaven.

And, at least for me, Cafe Plaid does it right.

They also do an incredible morning business in lattes of all variety. My usual spot is right by the coffee bar, clarifying the issues of the world with my coffee mates, and, from what I hear, every other to-go order is a latte.

In addition to espresso coffees, Cafe Plaid offers three brewed coffees ever morning, available in endless supply from pump pots on the bar. The stalwart French Roast is the anchor of the offerings, both fully caffeinated and decaf, along with a flavor coffee of the day, hazelnut, pecan, etc. to round out the three pump pots. Of the flavor offerings, which are frankly not-my-cup-of tea, I would recommend the Monday brew, Blackwatch. Blackwatch is a combination of French Roast and Hazelnut and, unlike many flavored coffees, it has a very strong body with just a hint of hazelnut. (And, just so you know, it is named for the original Highland Regiment of the British Army, the Blackwatch. Remember, this place is called Plaid, after all.)

There are two secrets to Cafe Plaid’s coffee success. The first is its proprietary training for its baristas. Because it is proprietary I can not tell you the details, but each barista is taught the Cafe Plaid way of “pulling” espresso. I believe this technique is what distinguishes Cafe Plaid from other coffee houses in that it extracts the highest degree of flavor, without bitterness, from the coffee.

The other “secret” is, frankly, the coffee. Cafe Plaid buys its coffee (fair trade, by-the-way) from a micro roaster, which is quickly evolving past “micro”, called Prima Cafe in Oklahoma City. Prima Cafe’s roasting is the secret to the rich flavor of all Cafe Plaid’s coffees. It is strong and flavorful but not burnt tasting like certain national chains. I have visited other coffee houses ( the Red Cup in Oklahoma City among them) which offer Prima roasts and have been equally impressed with the taste.

Unfortunately, Plaid does not offer breakfast but they do offer some nice bakery items, including a huge cinnamon roll which I highly recommend and muffins of several fruit flavors which are always favorites. (For the Cafe Plaid full breakfast experience, come on Sunday when they offer a great brunch.)

But the thing I like best about Cafe Plaid has nothing to do with the coffee or food, it is the atmosphere of the place. As I cited earlier, my weekdays begin here with a cup and conversation with my coffee mates, a collection of friends from many walks of life who converge on our table by the door. We discuss it all, art, business, nonprofit organizations, movies, travel, football (not my fav but hey, we live in Oklahoma), politics, more politics and then more politics. We share a common passion for the good of our community (Norman, OK) and are not shy about expressing our concerns on local, state and federal government as well as the University, which is an all but a constitutionally divined city- state in its own right.

And we are not alone. Several other tables of folks gather, most only once a week, at Plaid to have a cup of coffee and share their thoughts with one another.

This is perhaps what I love the most about mornings at Cafe Plaid, this wonderfully informal sense of connection and community played out before my eyes. In the old days Plaid, along with many other coffee and breakfast establishments, would have been called a salon, a place to meet and discuss the issues of the day.

Today, we just call it “ going to coffee “.

Most people only know Cafe Plaid for its excellent lunch offerings (which is another blog entry), where the place is packed and the pace just below frantic.

They would not recognize the Cafe Plaid I know, a place of quiet awakening to the aroma of excellent coffee and great conversation.

You can obtain more information on Cafe Plaid at cafeplaid.com

Take a few moments some morning and drop by Cafe Plaid. I think you will enjoy it.

Labels: Americano, Breves, Cafe Plaid, Campus Corner, Coffee, Espresso, Lattes, Norman, OK