Being in Loudoun County Virginia, Leesburg nestles in one of the wealthiest parts of the country. But I wouldn’t exactly call it cosmopolitan. Not the boonies, but definitely exurb.
Which makes the notion of building a relationship with a good homey coffeeshop a bit tricky. One’s lucky to find a “cafe” a notch above Starbucks, and then it’s usually placed in a scenic mall setting with a stunning view of a parking lot.
When I first got to Leesburg, there was a franchise of the regional Greenberry’s chain that exactly fit that description. Not Nefeli Caffe, but it did the trick. In fact, the still standing Greenberry’s in Maclean actually has a good cafe feel. Then the Leesburg one changed ownership a couple of times, ditched the Greenberry’s affiliation (name change to Dolce Coffee House), and just developed an overall incompatible vibe with my tastes. Couldn’t put my finger on it, but some different commute patterns over the summer, and general indifference led to a steep dropoff in visits. (Unfortunately this led to a lot of Starbucks visits, but that’s for another post.)
Checked back in to Dolce twice this weekend and things feel a bit different. I think they might have changed ownership again, which may or may not be a good thing for the baked products. But the coffee’s still good. The same youthful staff is there on all of my recent visits. They’ve got a little of that urban flair. They may eventually get around to fixing the floorboards, but at this point it’s sort of a cute affectation.
But best of all, they’ll give you a hot drink in a ceramic mug. If I had to put my finger on the singular difference between Starbucks, along with its clones, and real cafes is that one. Mugs are for folks who are going to sit for a leisurely bit, relax and enjoy the atmosphere, and maybe commiserate with like minded customers. Paper cups are for people who are leaving soon.
Bravo Dolce!