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| - Popped in for a coffee and snack while Heather was getting a mani/pedi down the street.
While I got a good vibe from The Beet and will likely return, a few things kept it from jumping into the 4 star range. Foremost, it was hot in there... uncomfortably so, to the point even staff members commented (twice) on how hot it was. It wouldn't have been a big issue -- I don't need AC to be happy -- if there were more airflow, but the layout doesn't really allow that. So it felt kind of stagnant and stifling, not ideal when you want to relax.
Still, the coffee was very good, some of the best I've had in the city, and the vegan banana-choco muffin was fantastic. In fact, hell, now that I think about it, it was the best muffin I've had in the city! Not that I eat many muffins... but, man, it was tasty. Highly recommended!
Outside of the coffee and muffin, some things of note:
* Limited beer list (Mill Street staples), of which I never saw a price and wasn't inclined to ask.
* Long list of smoothies, priced at $6 12oz and $8 16oz, as I recall. They all sounded delicious, but it was a bit more than I was looking to spend on a tide-me-over, especially considering I had a smoothie for breakfast (and I make hellagood smoothies myself!).
* Almost everything on the menu is organic. This alone helps justify the slightly higher than avg pricing. Not sure what the "not organic" would be, but I will suspect staples like pepper, butter, etc... could be wrong.
* It has a patio, though not covered (only reason I stayed inside... I'm pasty and burn way too easily). All other customers were out there, so I was suffering alone with the staff! It bears mentioning that I saw plenty of delighted faces when these more fortunate patrons were biting into their various tasties courtesy of The Beet. Makes me want to try items off their menu.
So, in closing, a 3 star... for now. It's definitely on the list of places to visit when I'm next in the Junction, and I suspect it could easily push into the 4 star range. Certainly all signs point to "yes" on that note so, even as I type, I look forward to a return!
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