Monday, May 12, 2008



Peet's was not, in fact, a hangout for Berzerkeley radicals or students or whatever 1969 fantasy that may occur to you. It was simply a place, known to a few coffee addicts, to get a great cup of coffee. Al Peet was a somewhat taciturn perfectionist who seemed satisfied with nothing more than turning out the best cup of coffee on the West Coast. He hardly ever smiled- never knew his customers- and simply did his thing. And his thing was the stuff of greatness- perfect coffee- just as the cheese shop next door sold a perfect gruyere.

Alice Waters, Ca. 1970, who lived around the corner, loved Peets.

Is Peet's of 1970 still Peet's in 2008? Good coffee, not great- but yet among the best.