Coffee Talk: La Citadelle

La Citadelle at 16th and Pine is such a friendly place, with the help of Said ("sah-eed"), the cafe's gregarious owner from Algeria.  In the blink of an eye, he learned how much fun people have making fun of me (that's how little time it takes for me to do something foolish or silly or nonsensical).  He also peppered the exchange of money for coffee with things like, "merci, merci mademoiselle!" and teased me about the price of the (AMAZING) almond shortbread cookies.  As I was leaving, he called after me, "Nice meeting you!"  La Citadelle feels like the Cheers of corner cafes.  Also, if you need some quiet time, the hidden gem of the place is the back room.  I can't wait to go again for another yummy almond shortbread cookie and random conversation with Said.