I heading back home after nearly a year in the Philadelphia area. One of the things I will miss the most is the Gryphon Cafe in Wayne. Simply put, they have the best lattes in United States. They may also be the perfect Coffee house.

Gryphon Cafe in Wayne is in an old building with 20 foot ceilings. When you walk in, it is almost always very warm. There are two ceiling fans on the lower floor, working in vain. They have the requisite art for sale on the walls. They have 12 tables in the back.  You walk up to the counter, order your coffee, and grab a table. Service is slow, but not for lack of trying. I have watched them and they take great care with constructing their lattes. They almost always have crema art done in the foam.

Gryphon Cafe in Wayne is a neighborhood place with families and regulars. There is an older down-on-his-luck gentleman who is usually there, drinking coffee, and everyone seems to know him. He seems very well read.

Wayne is an interesting place. The literature has it as a cousin to tony places like Greenwich, CT, and Los Altos, CA. I am not sure I agree. I have been reading local author William Lashner’s Philadelphia-lawyer books lately. He has a proletarian view of Wayne as wealthy, upper crust, exceedingly white, and snobby. While it is a very pale place and decidedly upper-middle class, I find it to be quaint and filled with people just trying to live their lives. I do not see the ostentatious displays you might see in Atherton or Menlo Park in the Bay Area.

An aside: If you want to get a feel for what it is like living in modern day Philadelphia, read William Lashner’s book. They are about a morally dubious lawyer, Victor Carl and his actions/adventures. Carl is a compelling figure, a modern everyman, though one that seems to be very lucky with women, in the physical sense.

But back to Gryphon Cafe and why it is a magic place. First, they provide a quiet environment, and they usually have great music playing. Second, you know you are helping a local business. The owner, Rich, is omnipresent with his Fighting Illini hat. His family is frequently there as well. Third, they provide the unexpected, whether in coffee or in their venue.

You could easily miss it, but if you turn left as you go inside the door, and through a darkened doorway, you will find a stairway. They vertiginous stairway leads to the upstairs room.

The room has the same arched windows as the floor below, and has a long table, and several comfortable chairs. The view out the window is stunning, and I can not imagine a better room for a coffee house to have. I have spent hours in the room reading and writing, and has been of great solace to my in my exile.

What surprises me the most about Gryphon Cafe in Wayne is my reaction to it. I have told everyone I know in Philadelphia about it. I have written a review for both Zagat and one for Google Maps. But, I am not usually obsesses about food the way some people do. I have the palate of a beagle. I do not obsessed about the seasons freshest vegetables, or the year’s best strawberries. But, based on their location and their lattes, I can say I come by this obsession honestly.

So, here’s to Gryphon Cafe in Wayne. Long May She Run.