Ooookie Doke

So after a few weeks without coffee, I decided to give it a go again in efforts to keep the blog alive. However, you will not be seeing posts as frequently as you used to (sad I know, but health comes first!).

This weekend was birthday and all I wanted to do was sit on a comfy couch with a cappuccino and read the paper. So that’s exactly what I did. I went to Paul, a patisserie based in France. There is only a handful open in the U.S. but in France, they are as common as Starbucks.

A few months ago one opened in Penn Quarter right down the street from me. I have gone a few times from pastries and breads, but I have never yet tried the espresso. The pastries are delightful and the olive bread is unimaginably amazing, but I am here to talk about coffee. I ordered a cappuccino, my usual when testing out a new place. It was pretty nondescript. The espresso was very weak and it tasted more like flavored milk than a cappuccino  But the Parisian atmosphere of the place is perfect for opening a paper and reading for hours, which is exactly what I did.

I opened to the arts section, per usual, and the main article featured “conceptual art.” The article, which I can be viewed online by clicking here, covers a couple who collects art not specifically for its worth, but because it inspires them. For my loyal readers, you will recall my earlier post on Dada art, one of my favorite movements in the history of art. When looking at Dada art it is clear that I do not like it because the works brings immense aesthetic pleasure, but because the concepts that go into its making are thought provoking and awe inspiring. The article does a wonderful job summarizing the difference between lovers of beauty and lovers of the intangible idea. I encourage all of you to read the article.

Before I let you go, I want to mention my absolute favorite part of the feature, which if you are familiar with Marcel Duchamp you will certainly appreciate this little stunt:

"The Levines are not without their own touch of Duchamp-inspired humor. He signed the infamous urinal with the pseudonym “R. Mutt,” and the Levines have stenciled a replica of the autograph on all of their toilets."

Yes, indeed, my toilette too will be a tribute to R. Mutt soon enough.