Heaven is a local, independent coffee shop

(that serves cookies and salmon bagels too)

Nao, owner of 3rd Place

Maybe you are getting sick of Starbucks. Maybe the same old honestly not-so-good coffee and the permanent herd of foreigners almost-defiantly staked outside, working on laptops and talking too loudly, have lost their charm. Maybe you are over the elevator jazz piped in the background, the green aprons that make the already pretty baristas seem even prettier (wait, maybe we're not sick of that), and topping it off, the ridiculously melodramatic "stories" written on the walls (here's my personal favorite: "The woman served us small cups of coffee as the scholar examined the ancient scrolls. 'Fascinating,' he said. 'A combination of hieroglyphics and some long-forgotten language, centuries old.' I watched the woman. Yes, fascinating, I thought."). Maybe, just maybe, you wish there was an alternative. Not Doutor and not Excelsior. Just some other place that wasn't so . . . Starbucks-y. More independent. Like that coffee shop you used to go to back in college, the one right around the corner, where you could sit and study, or meet a friend, the one that nobly hung the work of every local artist living in a twenty-block radius, regardless of their status or, um, talent—you know, the one that made your drink like they cared.

3rd Place Coffee is that place. Possibly (I mean, I hope) it might be your new favorite cafe in Mito, maybe Ibaraki. With absolutely no hesitation, I can say that 3rd Place serves one of the best lattes I have ever had, ever—and I've definitely been drinking espresso with regularity since age fourteen (I'm twenty-three now . . . not fifteen. If I was fifteen, that last statement wouldn't have much authority really). This small cafe, located a hop, skip and a jump from Mito Art Tower, advertises "Seattle-style coffee" and they really aren't kidding. Nao, the owner of 3rd Place (you will see her there everyday), was trained in "the art of the cafe latte" in various coffee shops throughout Seattle and all her beans are imported specially from Seattle's famed Cafe Vivace. To her, espresso really is an art form, composed of three components: 1. the perfect espresso, 2. the perfect steamed milk, and 3. the delicate leaf and heart designs that grace the top of every espresso drink she makes. Every cup of coffee or espresso is special, and you can tell just in the first sip. I personally have fallen in love with the mochas—the chocolate is top-notch, imported from (where else?) Seattle and the whole drink is so decadent you feel it could be a meal in and of itself. Or at least dessert.

Speaking of, the food is pretty special too—every Sunday, you can order eggs benedict (What? Eggs benedict in Japan?). Or if you are like me, you can go in there any time and treat yourself to the salmon bagel. Or a muffin, Dad's Rootbeer, real granola, hot dog or maybe even a chocolate-chip cookie (please note, next to the cookie plate, there is a little sign that says, "I want to be with coffee!"). Basically there are snacks and there are meals, both are exceptional and all want to be with coffee.

There is no smoking indoors here, as smoking compromises the taste of the coffee and the quality of the beans. A latte will set you back about ¥400, a salmon bagel, about ¥550. Here's my suggestion. Go to Mito Art Tower. See whatever amazing show they have on in there right now. Then afterwards walk the minute it takes to get to Third Place. Order the latte and get yourself a ginormous cookie too, and spend a good half hour with their 1995 issue of Vanity Fair featuring Brad Pitt dressed as Fabio (I hope unintentionally?). This, at least to me, is the recipe for a seriously good afternoon. Enjoy!

Where to find "3rd Place Coffee"

It is located at 2-3-41 Izumi-chō, Mito. If you are walking up from the station, take the main road (number 50) up until the 1 Izumi-chō intersection and turn right (on the far side of the old Keisei Department Store). It's the same road as the west facing side of the Mito Art Tower if you are coming from there. The shop is located halfway between the Tower and the main road.

The name "3rd Place" refers to "a locale that's neither school nor home, but offers a comforting sense of familiarity." Home is your 1st place, school/work is your 2nd place, and your favorite coffee shop is your 3rd place. I hope you can find your 3rd place here at this coffee shop. -ed