May Day Cafe

You'd think a two and a half week vacation would afford ample time for visiting more cafes. But alas, I've managed to keep myself somewhat occupied and my free time slowly slipped away from me as it always seems to do! Late mornings, travels and family time (all of which are important!) kept me away from my task of cafe critiquing.

Here is an entry from back in July, when I stopped for a coffee and a bite at the May Day Cafe in the Powderhorn Neighborhood.

We'll see if we can't get another cafe post up in a week or two.

July 17th, 2010

So begins another chapter in my cafe quest. May Day Cafe on 34th and Bloomington is where I've landed this morning, arriving by bicycle. "This place has to be good" I thought to myself as I locked up my bike to the nearest sign post. "The line is nearly out the door!" It feels so great to travel on two wheels around Minneapolis, especially to morning coffee! It's all part of the city experience.

This is a neighborhood cafe if there ever was one. The light green walls are dotted with photos from the immediate area. Through Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall these pictures show the many faces, characters, stores, ideals and values of the people who live here. Lots of pictures of bikes and bike accessories, pets, people and May Day Parade puppets.

As for the cafe, itself, the seating arrangements are composed of humble, time tested tables and a smattering of uniquely styled wooden chairs. It seems the owners acquired what they could through thrift shopping and garages sales, offering a homey feel to customers. Then there's the folksy-artsy fiddle music drifting about the tables. My table is especially unique in that it looks to be an old desk, sans drawer, with half of its paint stripped. So it's half red, half black. Sitting proudly atop resides a lamp with a base of what seems to be a Greek goddess shedding light onto my thoughts and my book. So eclectic! But awesome.

I ordered my cafe au lait and chocolate croissant and have nestled into my corner. Wow. It's been awhile since my last chocolate croissant, but this one is nearly authentic to those I tasted in France! And the best part? They are made in house! Too perfect.

The people who frequent this place are friendly and seem to spend much of their morning shooting the breeze with other locals while they watch the ebb and flow of customer traffic pass through the doors. In fact, I shared my table with an older gentleman as I nibbled away on my morning croissant.

I've been meaning to visit this place for sometime and I'm so glad I made it here today. Doing some research on the internet has helped me locate some great places near me to hang out and just people watch, journal, read and altogether enjoy life.

We shall see where I end up next! Hopefully it will be within biking distance!