The Sandspur

Issue date: 11/14/03 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Katie Packell FRESH BREW: Park Avenue´s Palmano´s is a delightful place to relax and chill with a freshly brewed coffee speciality.

If you are looking for an escape beyond the cliché Starbucks, look no further than a block down Park Avenue, at Palmano's. Down a little corridor just behind the shops that form the façade of Park Avenue, Palmano's is a secret that cannot be kept.

Recently expanded by owners Richard and Teresa Palmano, the coffee roastery and espresso bar not only has great coffee and food, but it is also a pleasant atmosphere as well. Palmano's regularly pulsates with people coming to enjoy what it has to offer.

The coffee is of superior quality due to the fact that it is all roasted in house. Every day, coffees are roasted from around the world and featured in the "coffee of the day."

Palmano's is versatile in its selection, as they not only sell coffee, but they also sell food.

Delectable breakfast items are available every morning. They include muffins, pastries, quiches, and other various daily specials, which all can complement their fabulous coffee.

The panini sandwiches are mouth-watering, as are the salads. As always, a multitude of specialty coffee drinks such as cappuccinos and café lattes are avalible for your enjoyment. I am an iced drink aficionado.

Friday night brings a large crowd to Palmano's with live music and a wide array of appetizers. Italian wines and beers are also on hand to get you in the mood for a fun time.

The interior of the shop is very decorative with lots of oak accents and a long bar where pleasant conversations can take place. When the coffee is roasting, it is a scene that can be enjoyed by onlookers.

Personally, I go to Palmano's to sit on their beautiful patio and do some homework, read the Wall Street Journal, or contemplate a decision. Their scenic patio full of foliage is conducive to sipping on coffee and pondering the meaning of life. Starbucks cannot rival the amount of seating that Palmano's offers outdoors.

Most importantly, when you go to Palmano's, you support local business, not some transnational corporation that has little local loyalty and sucks the profits right out of our city. Palmano's is among a rare breed of mom and pop coffee shops that everyday are more endangered by mega-conglomerate invasions.

Overall, no one makes my iced latte like Palmano's. I think you'll agree.

Stroll down Park Avenue; Palmano's is to your left right past the GAP. Go down the hallway right past the toy store on the corner.

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