The Tea on Fog and Flame

   Fog and Flame serves as the perfect study spot, place to hang with friends, or cafe to get refreshing drinks for a pick me up. Its calming, quiet, and cute ambiance allows me to get so much work done. Walking into Fog and Flame has turned into my favorite part of the week. Walking into the cafe and smelling chocolate chip cookies and the strong aroma of coffee always forces me to smile. No matter when I walk into Fog and Flame, I am always greeted by a cheerful "Hello!" 

       A warm smile belonging to Mehri, a new employee of Fog and Flame, greets me at the door with a cheerful, "Good morning." I immediately went to the counter excited to order my strawberry smoothie. Mehri throws her silky, black hair into a low ponytail, getting ready to take my order and all the orders behind me. Looking around and seeing all the drinks everyone has, prompts me to ask what the most bought is. Mehri fidgets with her black zip up hoodie before noting "Lattes and our chocolate chip cookies are everyones favorites, even mine!" I patiently wait as she makes my smoothie. Only a couple minutes later I am refreshed and ready to study. 

All of the people working motivates me to start. With all the seats scattered around, I pick one right in
the middle of the cafe. All the window seats are taken and I envy the customers who get to watch as the people pass. The barstools may serve as a nice place to sit, but they are filled with people waiting for their coffee while vigorously typing or scrolling on their phone. One brave man is sitting in the back of the cafe, all alone, but probably enjoying it. You will notice that those who know they will be distracted or talkative tend to sit in the front of the cafe, while many with a mission to get all their work done sit in the back, to avoid any distractions. The man is drinking the cafe's famous latte while intently staring at his screen. He has his briefcase propped up on the table against the wall. I don't think the loudest band can make this man look up from his computer. At the front of the cafe, a group of girls sit on the couches, they appear to be talking about a club they run. However, they can't stay on topic for more than three minutes without getting distracted and talking about plans they have later that night. I find myself eavesdropping on the drama they have going on with their lives or friend's boyfriends. Near the window, a couple sits drinking coffee and talking about all the details from the Barbie movie making me feel like I am sitting in the movie theater watching it again. They sip a hot coffee probably in the mood because of the cool air blowing on everyone, but walking outside would have to prompt them to switch to iced coffee.

    While sitting down to do work, many could be easily sidetracked by the cluttered walls. Me being one of them and finding myself wanting to know what every pictures was. The unorganized walls are lined with beautiful pictures of the beach that can be bought for $400. It makes me wonder how often someone purchases them, but Mehri reassures me that she hasn't sold one yet. Along with the art you can find hand-painted pictures of flowers and even pop art of dum-dum lollipops. Even with all the colorful artwork, lots of greenery catches my eye. From hanging plants to potted plants lining shelves, tables, and even sitting on the floor. Every wall you see will have some sort of lights draped across it. Some yellow light, white light, and even pink light to add to the coziness and vibes of the cafe. Across from the wall shown on the image to the right, there is a brick wall. This kind of wall in cafes or restaurants always makes me think of a beautiful town just outside the door and my expectations are met when I walk outside. This wall is just one more detail to add to the vibes and homelike feel of the cafe. It's hard to walk out of Fog and Flame and not feel refreshed and pleased with the service and atmosphere of the beautiful cafe.

   My drink is finished in a little less than an hour. When packing up to leave, it's hard to ignore that all the same people are in the cafe and they are doing the same things they were doing when I entered. The man is still in the back working, the girls are still gossiping, and the couple is probably onto the discussion of another movie.  I encourage everyone to take some time out of their day to relax and grab something off the menu. Whether it's a chocolate chip cookie, a latte, or you go rogue and discover a new treat or drink you like off their menu. https://fogandflamecoffee.wixsite.com/fog-and-flame-craft