Tuesday Filler: The Brew Abides, My New Remote Office

 I've told you a thousand times, I don't roast on Shabbos!

So, as a freelancer who works from a home office, and who is soon to be now also a stay-at-home dad, I spend a lot of time cooped up in the house. Yes, yes, I know, writing is a lonely business, the most solitary art, etc, etc. There are times though, when it gets to be too much. So, when I've been in the house too many days in a row, my focus starts to slip and I'm ready to turn into Jack Torrance (all work, no play, fire axes, etc.), I throw all my stuff in the car or on the bike, and head to one of my remote offices. I know I've talked about them before. There's the awesome little Eurotrash Polish place in Hamtramck full of comfy chairs and a mix of Hipsters, Hamtown homeless and loud and glittery Polish ladies from the bank up the street. There was the sadly gone and lamented place downtown, with their anemic, eight dollar paninis and their Miami Vice backlot interior and where the clientele was so hip they couldn't see over their collective pelvis. Now, though, I've found a new place. A great new place close to my house with delicious, home roasted coffee, a friendly staff and a great atmosphere. A new place that is, without a doubt gentle readers, Jewish as f@#$ing Tevya...

So, my new remote office is called Chazzano Coffee Roasters, which I admit at first blush doesn't instill a lot of confidence as a fun and eclectic place to do some writing and networking. Their slogan is, I swear to G-d, "Carefully chosen coffee for carefully chosen people." Right, so, obviously what we have here is the coffee version of the Schmaltz Brewery dudes, which means right of the bat that I'm totally down. It's right on the border of Ferndale and my town Hazel Park, in a converted medical supply house, and is a great addition to what is otherwise a pretty desolate, light industrial stretch of Nine Mile Road. It's run by a guy named Frank, who is crazy about his coffee, and staffed by a collection of knowledgeable, friendly, and exceedingly handsome young women who make a mean cup of coffee.

Chazzano, a portmanteau of Chazan and Frank's last name Tamarazzo, is a small and stylish little place.  Its satin black walls, fashionable steel furniture recall upscale coffee houses in Manhattan or Chicago, and the huge, street-facing windows make it feel larger than it really is. It has precious few tables, all of which are in the tall bistro style, and about six stools at the corrugated aluminum faced bar. Frank roasts all his own coffee there, a hobby that he's turned into a pretty successful business, and there's a constantly rotating array of six or seven different varieties to choose from. He has the requisite espresso maker, and has all of your standard lattes and other concoctions, but the way they make a regular cup of coffee is pretty unique. Every cup ordered is made fresh in either a French Press or, if you're feeling adventurous,  a vacuum siphon brewer which is as much theater as it is coffee making. They also have gourmet teas there, but I can't speak to them since I'm not much of a tea guy.

The crowd, attracted by the good coffee, free wi-fi and, well, fine scenery, is an eclectic mix of businessmen, gearheads, guerrilla journalists, wise old rabbis and packs of young, severely dressed Hasidim. They've got decent hours and lingering, drinking coffee and working are encouraged. I've been known to spend three or four hours there, sometimes even getting work done! Be aware though, Frank is Shomer F@#$ing Shabbos, and he's closed from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, whereupon he reopens for a late Saturday night coffee and boardgame night. All in all it's a great place with fantastic coffee, and if you're in the metro area, I highly recommend it. And hey, if you do come in and I'm there, buy me a cup, I'll probably need it.