Cohen's Bakery Internet Cafe (Monticello, NY)

There are still internet cafes?

The Monticello Miracle Part 3

Back when the interwebs were just getting spun, there were these places where folks went to drink lattes, eat biscotti, and surf the burgeoning mega-thu-way of information. This bourgeois phenomenon and business plan has all but disappeared from the landscape. McDonald's, Jiffy Lube, taxis, porta-toilets, and even my great aunt's tea room offers wi-fi these days.

I will admit to scoffing a bit at the sight of an internet cafe on Main Street in a run-down upstate town. So often while traveling to small towns upstate, it seems entrepreneurs still employ this outdated idea of an arty coffee house with cushy chairs, twenty-somethings munching on scones, talking about indie-whatever, yet failing to provide a good cup of coffee or adequate food, and still charging some exorbitant fee for the internets.

That was all forgotten once I sat down to eat. The place is stocked by a Jewish Bakery (Cohen's) run by a couple that may be Arabic (please correct me if I am wrong!) and staffed in the kitchen by a confirmed Peruvian. Together it all works! The chef prepares a few fresh soups each day, which was appreciated in cold cold November when we first started eating here. The Jewish Bakery items are of fine quality, the bagels are top-notch, and the coffee, though a national brand (Seattle's Best), is brewed perfectly and kept fresh. Best coffee in town, indeed. The long list of Panini-style sandwiches includes the excellent Cuban, the California (chicken, avocado) and a Chicken Pesto. The sandwiches are huge, cost around 7 bucks, and include a side of slaw or mac salad. Service goes above and beyond for such a simple walk-up counter. After a few days of us eating breakfast and lunch there, the server took a liking to us and provided bagel chips for our soup and a big plate of cookies for dessert! I think she actually gives most people cookies with their meal, which is really endearing. We really love this place now, and whenever we're within 15 miles of downtown, I find a way to get in.




Where are the people, the frappuchinos, the future?