The Village Grind
Down Linden and around the corner at 443 E. 1 st Street, the Village Grind 
Coffee Lounge and Art Gallery opened its doors in August of 2004 and has already become a popular neighborhood hangout. Owners Dominic and Sandra Valdez like the eclectic nature of the East Village and were looking for a place in the neighborhood. “We happened to park in front of this place and we decided to go with it. We looked at a lot of places but this was perfect.”
Red and purple walls provide a gallery for the colorful artwork of Martha Wilson on the back two walls. Revolving exhibits featuring the art of local college students and other artists hang in the front of the shop. Dominic acts as curator for the rotating exhibits.
Patrons spread their laptop computers and newspapers on the comfortable red and blue sofas and gold easy chairs as well as the traditional tables and chairs. As with the other local cafes, wireless internet access is free.
Dominic serves up a gelato from the dozen flavors at the Italian Gelato Bar. Sandra pours steaming water over coffee grounds. The Village Grind is known for their “fresh cup” of coffee, each cup brewed to order. They serve e.lix.r brand tonics, fruit and herb mixtures with names like “Mind Over Muddle,” “Depth Recharger” and “Virtual Buddha.” Their blended espresso drinks include a mean Latin Spice Mocha made with espresso, Mexican dark chocolate and Mexican spices.
“We like to say ‘add some color to your coffee!’” says Dominic, referring both to the décor and the variety of flavors to tempt your palate.
The Village Grind is open from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. They stay open until 10:45 p.m. and feature live music and poetry readings the second Saturday of every month during the East Village Art Walk.
La Muse East Village Café
On the fringe of the East Village, outside the normal Art Walk range, are La Muse East Village Café and La Caffia, both on Ocean Blvd. Located across from the Convention Center and down the street from a row of hotels, these two coffee shops draw more of the traveling crowd.
La Muse East Village Café is located in the historic Cooper Arms Building at the corner of Linden and Ocean. Cafés have existed in this location in several incarnations over the years. Known for their garden courtyard Sunday jazz brunches, La Muse is still a good spot to get inside out of the rain to enjoy a café au lait and a warm crepe. In addition to sweet and savory crepes, they offer other French snacks such as a Brie sandwich, Croque-Monsieur (grilled ham and cheese) or a bowl of French onion soup. La Muse will be closed for the first couple weeks of May due to some plumbing issues in the Cooper Arms.
La Caffia
Young Du has owned La Caffia, at 555 E. Ocean Blvd., Suite 101 for over 
seven years, although the name has changed twice in that period. With the latest change she transitioned to an internet café and gift shop. In addition to wireless access, three computer terminals and a printer were added in the back room. A big Wireless Internet sign out front draws in business travelers.
Young also added comfortable chairs in the main room and an array of gift items in front of the counter. “Customers from the convention center were always looking for souvenirs, so I added them about two years ago,” she says.
In January she switched to serving Diedrich’s coffees. “Some people who 
don’t like Starbucks come in because they see the Diedrich’s sign,” says Young. “I am the only Coffee House in LB serving Diedrich’s and many people are familiar with it.” She was also the first in the neighborhood to offer fruit smoothies with nonfat yogurt. “We also have soy smoothies with fresh honey, and the green chai tee is very popular.”
Her most popular beverage? “The light roast Costa Rican. All the police officers drink it.”
La Caffia offers fresh, made-to-order lunch sandwiches with homemade sauces like Creole mayo or cranberry mayo as well as a selection of salads and a separate menu of breakfast sandwiches.
Young enjoys being in the East Village. “I am a people person. Here everyone knows everyone else. I have the best reputation for good service. It makes me happy.” Young will be even more of an East Villager soon. She just bought a condo in the brand new Aqua apartments across the street and will be moving to the neighborhood in June.
La Caffia is open 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily.
Mention RainyDayTraveler.com at these East Village coffee houses and receive these special offers:
Passport Coffee House: Buy one gourmet coffee or espresso drink, get the second one free.
The Village Grind: 15% off your purchase
La Caffia: 20% off of purchase for first time visitors