BY ADAM QUANDT | The Statesman Nestled in the quaint the little business district of the Duluth neighborhood known as Lakeside is Amity Coffee.
Though Amity is slightly out of the way for most college students in the area, the drinks and food offered at the small café are well worth the trip.
Upon entering the tiny café it certainly doesn’t take long to begin feeling the warm and welcoming atmosphere the shop offers to its patrons. The saying “good things come in small packages” truly applies to Amity Coffee.
Amity’s prices on food and drinks are comparable, if not slightly less to those of the larger chain coffee shops. After tasting the products the prices begin to seem even more reasonable and beyond worth it.
I went with my go-to drink of a café mocha with an added shot of vanilla syrup and the barista at Amity Coffee nailed it.
The espresso was plenty strong to cut the sweetness of the chocolate flavors in the mocha. The drink was served at the perfect temperature to be enjoyed as soon as I received it. Lastly (and most important to me), the chocolate flavoring used to make the mocha didn’t leave a chalky residue in my mouth like those from a nameless-international chain (hint: they recently received a lot of flak for their holiday cups).
The “keep-it-local” trend is alive and well inside Amity Coffee in a variety of forms, including the baked goods from the Zenith Bread Project, to the small gifts sold like glass jewelry from Lake Superior Art and Glass among many more local trinkets.
Aside from the items for purchase, Amity Coffee highlights local Northland talent by hosting live music events and featuring local artists on the walls of the café.
Another thing that made Amity Coffee stand out from others was something that I had never seen at any café before: a “buy a friend a drink” board.
Amity Coffee allows patrons to purchase a drink for someone, without that person being there. They simply write the person’s name up on a board and the amount that was paid for them, leaving a nice surprise for someone the next time they come in.
Despite how out of the way Amity Coffee might be for you, the drinks alone are worth the trip. Throw in the great atmosphere for studying, conversation or enjoying local talent and Amity becomes a knockout café to check out.