As NOPA (North Of the PAnhandle) evolved during the late DotCom era and again rebounded around 2004-5, several of the corner storefronts have gone upscale in recent years. despite the Banking Collapse at the end of the Bush era, and the subsequent Great Recession, this little pocket of the City seems to have survived intact. The paychecks yielded by the 20 and 30 somethings that have graduated from the university to the corporate cubicle that seem to inhabit this neighborhood in all of their paycheck chic to be cool and hip, with enough cash to maintain the lifestyle that every hard working college student waited for once they graduated with a professional degree.
Thus, Matching Half Cafe has gone through several iterations over the years as well. I came here about three years ago, and their layout was different. They probably sold the store to a new owner before a total makeover - wood floors, a diner counter that runs parallel to the service wall, with a kitchen area behind this wall next to the bathroom. The real allure of the layout are the large west facing windows, and the outside table area that runs parallel to the western side of the corner. During most of the year, these window seats are exceptional places to sit in the filtered sun as a cold beach wind blows down the street pushing the cloud cover in the late afternoon. When it is. Sunny as it is today, the outside seating is magnificent, despite the slight incline of the hill. Overall, the music and the corner location across from the Hayes line bus stop are enough to bring in the morning rush as this cafe opens at 7 am. Likewise, the afternoons are equally busy, but not as rushed.
The service staff has always been the hip rocker or grunge college grad that probably finished college at one of the many universities in the City. I have always had great service here, but patience is in order. Since the cafe caters mostly to the neighborhood cubicle workers set, who seem to be a little less keen on people just hanging out with a cup of coffee, their busy schedules can push the staff to accommodate these customers, since this feels like their cafe. It has a great vibe, and the neighborhood clientele has really carved this space out as theirs, but perhaps with a little too much angst.
So, patience pays off here, and keeping your cool at the service counter will usher in the best results. The reason I bring this up is that I have had friends who have come here on more than one occasion and received bad service matched by the aggressiveness of some of the customers. Knowing what you want before you step up to the counter may help, or order something that is easily predictable - I suggest a cappuccino or a macchiato. They make amazing espresso, using Sight Glass beans. Once you have enjoyed your sunny seat and your espresso drink for a couple of visits, then I suggest you try one of their sandwiches, which are quite tasty. This cafe runs into the problem of being excellent with such a loyal neighborhood following, however, that it at times feels uncomfortable for an outsider not in the appropriate class or age of the target clientele. But once you have trained the staff to your presence, you become one of them and are accepted like any other customer.
I am sitting in the sun on a windy, yet sunny day. It is invigorating, having been in 85 degree weather about 8 days ago on the last leg of my summer vacation. My coffee is finished, and my wife is ready to go as well, the light rock music of the 2000s a bit bright for our tastes in what otherwise is a casual cafe drenched in sunlight today.
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