(No website found at time of publishing) – Downtown Seattle, Washington

How I heard of this place: When we moved to Belltown, a neighbor and good friend invited me out for a summer walk. We traversed downtown, Pioneer Square, and belltown; along the way, she pointed out her favorite coffee shop in Seattle. Four months later, it was high time I made my way to Ancient Grounds.

Type of cuisine: Coffee roasted by Lighthouse Roasters in Phinney and Macrina pastries, prepared and served by owner, proprietor and educator, Roland W. Crawford.

Ambiance: This Gallery and Coffeehouse is one of the rare gems of Seattle coffeehouses.

Located just across the street from the Seattle Art Museum, the ancient and history-laden artwork from across the globe entices museum buffs and collectors.

Step inside the small windowed 1st Avenue-facing entrance and one is delightfully surprised by the autumn-toned velour couch and armchairs and the aroma of freshly ground coffee permeating the art-filled space.

While we peruse the menu and the artwork surrounding us, my sister engages Roland in conversation;

throughout our comfortable stay, he returned to share with us his recipe secrets, stories of his art contacts and his love of coffee.

What I ordered: My sister started with a large Americano ($2.10) topped with steamed whole milk,

creating an orchid in her mug.

My husband chose large the Mocha Breve ($3.25)

and I enjoyed the tall Mocha ($2.50) with only 1.5 shots of smooth, caramely espresso.

On a return visit, Thursday, 2 June 2016: Following our sabbatical after our move from Belltown, we returned to enjoy an afternoon lunch break with Roland and the masks at Ancient Grounds. Both of us enjoyed a tall mocha,

and simply could not turn down the Macrina cookies in the pastry case.

So here we were, with one each of the Chocolate Chip Cookie, the Ginger Molasses and the Chocolate Chip Turkish Apricot, at Roland’s suggestion, to accompany our hot beverages.

What I loved: The sweet mocha powder decorating the top of my mocha!

Why I loved it: A beautiful atmosphere of art, history, and cozy cafe all rolled into one.

Cost: Low to average ($1.60 – $3.25 per espresso beverage)

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