In the ToGo cup…

Has coffee ever “run right thru you…?” well, apparently, its not a new thing. And if your stomach starts feeling “funny” after watching this…. oops, sorry ’bout that. It must be subliminal.

enjoy.

11:18am, CARYTOWN BISTRO & COFFEE HOUSE, 3200 West Cary Street, FACEBOOK

If you’ve lived in Richmond long enough, you know eateries come and go with the seasons. There’s been many in which places I’ve enjoyed a meal or two that no longer exist and most of the time the place is turned into another restaurant that may not suite my taste or it becomes something entirely different.

Betsy’s @ Bin 22 is long gone, but the location still remains as a nice place to stop in while shopping in Carytown for anytime of the year (right now its perfect for Christmas shopping). Warm and well lit, now that the benches that were along the window side of the wall have been moved to the center of the shop. It allows sitting on the sofas to become more pleasurable giving you a wider view of the street and the  pedestrian traffic on the sidewalks.

To put it plainly, Carytown Bistro & Coffee House is Betsy’s Bin22 with a well needed update.

and with that said, onto the specs.

the place – what’s around?
Carytown Bistro & Coffee House is located in the exact center of Carytown near the intersection of Auburn & Cary Street. The shop is across from Babe’s and close to the Cary Court Shopping Center that is host to specialty shops such as clothing, Richmond Camera, restaurants and more. Make a day of it by parking the car and walking around to see all that’s here to offer. They open at 7am and close at a relatively early 6pm.

parking – parking lot or “fan” like?
There’s parking up and down Cary limited to two hours on weekdays and the availability of deck parking on either end of Carytown is always available, plus the parking at Cary Court is available as well, so wear the walking shoes and enjoy the warm weather when it arrives.

coffee – good, bad or mugly?
The choice of the day is a house mug of WILLIAMSBURG SUMATRA, which is their dark roast, but I always find this particular brand to be a little on the weak and watery side no matter where it’s served. (Seriously…that bean needs some kick.) Their sizes run from 12oz small to 20oz large with a $1.50 refill, which is kind of pricey saying most shops in the River City give you at least one free refill with your joe. But, the up shot is, there are no parking meters on the streets so you just might have the extra cash to get your second fill.

menu- bunch or linner?
They have a well suited lunch menu for what you may be looking for. With breakfast, soups and sandwiches served all day and a nice wine selection, you can surely find the right meal to fuel your shopping excursion.They also have an assortment of baked good on the counter to accompany the coffee in your to go cup.

art – rotating or fixture?
Rotating – it looks like they have a small show of local art. Although I haven’t figured out if its work for sale or if its their own collection.

music- overbearing or background?
Background – some modern (ultra cool)  music from a mp3 player on the radio played at a level low enough to her other conversations across the room. It adds to the environment nicely.

baristas- friend or foe?
Friendly- friendly and accommodating.

noticeable regulars – “cheers” or who are these people?
Regulars – a few have come in and were greeted by name, Carytown Bistro seems to be the kind of place that has regulars from the neighborhood coming in to grab a drink of something and sitting down outside and watching the time and the shoppers pass by.

wi-fi – wi-not or wi-bother?
wi-fi- yes, come in and jump on. No password needed, but don’t be a mooch….buy something.

seating & meeting – ample or not enough
Ample seating – there’s bar seating with four stools, but I don’t see how that can work with the counter occupied by plates of baked goods and coffee pumps. As far as the rest of the room there’s plenty of seating room. With the rearrangement from the previous shop you now have two 4-top booths in the center of the room a large table flanked by two comfy-looking sofas by the huge window facing Cary Street. Six 2-top tables near the entrance. And don’t forget the patio, hosting about 11 metal tables with chairs to match for those days when it get nice enough to enjoy the outdoors.

workspace – second office or read the paper?
Workspace — Much, much better than the previous set-up, the new owners kept in consideration that people may want to work on their laptops while being here. They supplied long power strips along the front walls so while sitting at the smaller tables customers can get work done, update their Facebook status or post on their blog. Ha!

clean or not so much -
clean – clean as it can be in an older building the tables and everything that’s used daily are well maintained, with the new colors the interior is a nice environment to relax in.

what else?
Carytown Bistro is perfectly located to make a shopping trip to Carytown relaxed. You have the option of having your fill of food or drink on the sofa inside or on the patio outside while life streams by on the corner where Cary Street and Auburn meet.

Thanx for viewing.

k!