In praise of Starbucks*

When you think of Seattle, you think of coffee, am I right? Before I moved to the city and was just vaguely familiar with it from visits, I was impressed with the number of independent restaurants and shops, which give the city so much character. My neighborhood does have some lovely indie coffee shops, but today I found myself at the old standby, Starbucks. My new dentist sent me a gift card for referring Chris and Oscar as patients, and I'm not gonna let it go to waste!

And actually, as much as I like supporting independents, I do enjoy sitting in the comfy armchair at Starbucks, reading the paper and sipping my latte, occasionally glancing out the window to watch the people walk by. The employees are efficient and pleasant. And since Starbucks was founded in Seattle (the original branch is in Pike's Place market!), I feel like it's an integral part of the Seattle experience.

*With apologies to Chris, who detests Starbucks' coffee and all its food products, although he does like the company (it provides good benefits to all its employees), the restaurant interiors, and how well it's managed .