This is the wallpaper in the bathroom. This collage must've taken hours. Look at little Larkin with his uncharacteristic smile! And Du Bois with his curly 'stache! And who knew Ralph Ellison was such a hunk? (I did. Striped shirt.) And hello there, Sylvia Plath. Rich Smith
I went to the opening party for Little Oddfellows, the Linda-owned enterprise that's replacing Elliott Bay Cafe, because the press invitation mentioned "bubbles." I don't particularly like the word "bubbles," but I wanted some after work. Plus, despite its spotty wi-fi, uncomfortable table situations, and drippy cups, I patronized Elliott Bay Cafe four out of every seven days in grad school, so I was interested to see whether or not they fucked up the aspects of the shop that I loved.
I loved EBC because (1) there was an outlet beneath every other table, (2) the ceilings were tall, (3) that toffee cookie was great, and you could get a serviceable lunch there if your morning work date turned into an all-day thing, (4) you could walk around on the bookstore's creaky floorboards if you needed a break, (5) bathrooms were onesies and had strong locks, and (6) friendly baristas.
Despite these qualities, reportedly, the cafe was losing money. So Linda (of Linda's, Tallulah's, Bait Shop, Oddfellows) stuffed EBC into a hat and pulled out Little Oddfellows, a space that keeps everything that was great about the old place and improves on a few flaws from the old model.
Little Oddfellows opened to the public a few minutes ago, at 10 a.m. With my cell phone, I snapped pics of some of the changes:
This new wallpaper now covers the back wall. The shelves and books look 3-D. Rich Smith
The "all white everything" color scheme makes the place seem big and clean. As does this new mirror on the wall opposite the counter. Rich Smith
These Derek Erdmans provide one of the few splashes of color. Hiiiiii, Virginia Woolf. I will like looking at you as I wait in line for the restroom. I will also like to privately try on Marquez's smile. Rich Smith
These new cups also add some color, and life will seem beautiful when your friend's nail polish accidentally matches them. Rich Smith
Last color splash: The bathroom key is also a bathroom read. Rich Smith
Oh yeah, and then there's all this food that they sell. Lots of this stuff comes from Oddfellows, including those awesome jam biscuits. You can also get something called a "baguette sandwich" for $7, which sounds like a baguette placed between two pieces of bread. Whatever it is, it's $3 cheaper than the Raymond Carver (haha, get it, Carver, puns) sandwich I used to buy in moments of weakness at the old cafe. They're also selling a cold brew + coconut water drink, which will help cure my "bubbles" hangover. Rich Smith
