This place has become a habit with me.
It's not because of the coffee, which is thick and strong to the point that it could probably be used to unclog drains. It's not the music either, which as far as I can tell is just the same mix CD day after day, on endless repeat. "Hey Jude" plays at regular intervals; you can almost use it to keep track of time.No, neither of those things is what makes the B&BB&C so appealing. It's a matter of several different subtle factors, ranging from layout, to clientele, to staff and prices.
This café is the perfect place to lounge. It starts when you walk through the door and say hello to the ladies behind the counter: two Korean women, one of whom is the owner. The other is either a relative, an employee, or both. We greet each other, and they give me my usual order: one medium coffee, to stay, for $1.47 (after all taxes). Adding milk and sugar makes it worse, so I take it black.
It's one of those places with a very distinct front/back division. Front seats are either window seats, side counter seats, or there's a little table with some chairs that gets a lot of sunlight from the window. I usually go with the front window seats, because they allow me to keep one eye on Koreatown at all times, which is a cheerful sight in summertime.
When I seriously need to get work done, or make lots of phone calls, I retreat to the back. The great thing about the back is that it's rarely busy in the morning. This is no Aroma, with hordes of regulars and lots of hivelike, caffeine-fueled activity. It's a quiet place, and the lighting is soft.
There's nothing so special about the decor. There are some paintings hanging on the walls. They change from time to time. The chairs have metal backs, but they're comfortable enough.
One area where B&BB&C really excels is affordability. The sandwiches they serve are actually pretty inexpensive, which I can say with some authority is a rarity. Why would you not drop $4 or so on a salami sandwich with some veggies and cheese? Sure it's only a couple slices of salami, and the cheese is processed, but the roll has a nice crispy exterior and an appealing kind of compressibility, and... $4! They bake the rolls on-premises.
Of course, this would all be meaningless if there were no wi-fi. It can be unreliable at times, but there are lots of unprotected hotspots from surrounding stores, and it's possible to get on them in an emergency. Electrical outlets are plentiful.
Verdict: With better coffee and more reliable wi-fi this place could be a true hidden gem. Right now, it's more of a hidden semi-precious stone.
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