Coffee At Ray's

Ray's Cafe & Tea House sits on 9th Street at the edge of Chinatown, has been in operation since the 1980's, and is the only cafe in the city that uses the siphon method for brewing each cup of coffee. Ray is the owners' family surname, and they bring their coffee tradition from Taiwan rather than from Europe or the Middle East or Latin America, as one would expect here. This is a very small Chinese Restairant with excellent but not expensive food, and I've never tried the tea but people seem to like it. The coffee, however, is on the order of a special dessert, rather than just a cup of Joe. A cup will cost between $4 and $9 and will come on a tray with a fancy cup, creamer, and cookie. These coffees live up to their proud reputation, which is known only to locals.

I had not thought of Ray's in a long time, but over the years I've come here with visiting friends and family, as a way of marking special occasions. I believe the place has gotten Ceridwen's seal of approval.