The Triangle

Issue date: 1/23/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Melissa Cell

Judging by the number of loyal regulars that file into Intermezzo Café every day, the place is not just another coffee house with humble beginnings - it's a culture. It shares a view of Franklin Field, the ice-skating rink and a sliver of train track. Intermezzo literally translates to, "in between," or, "an intermission between the acts of a play or opera." This café is just that for many of the busy University City patrons who make the trek past Intermezzo's 31st and Walnut Streets location. The free Wi-Fi doesn't hurt, either.

On any given day, while you sip a euro-style espresso or a frothed latte, you are likely to hear a number of languages, from Russian to French, German to Hungarian. You will see graduate students paging through dissertations; a bike resting against a coffee grinder; a design student taking photos of a young model in a self-made dress; bar-sitters discussing the Oxford Dictionary and the nature of pronouns. This is a place where life happens - quietly.

Intermezzo's eclectic atmosphere and earthy menu attract a wide variety of people. Not to mention the open-mic night on Wednesdays, the bizarre paintings strung on the walls, take-out beer with a full bar, the free Dutch Umbrellas available to anyone caught in the rain, or the bands from World Café Live that routinely make the walk.

Just a month ago, I spoke with MAD Dragon recording artist Hoots and Hellmouth as they held a manager meeting at Intermezzo. They discussed logos, merchandising strategies, and their future tour spots inside the old Austro-Hungarian Empire. When has that happened in your corner-ly Starbucks?

Mark Monaghan, the owner of Intermezzo since June of 2007, is happy to serve such a diverse crowd. "We have a small kitchen, but we make the best of it," Monaghan said. "Good food. Good drink. That's my mission when I come in everyday."

And when Monaghan says he comes in every day, he really comes in every day. Despite having a family with two children, a second job, and playing local gigs as a musician, Monaghan shops daily, bringing fruits, vegetables, and bread from South Philadelphia's famed bakery, Carangi - delivering it himself.

"We don't have a big kitchen and don't have the storage space other places do, but shopping daily means freshness," Monaghan explained. Intermezzo Café offers fair-trade coffee, a World Café Live discount if you present a ticket stub, accepts Dragon Dollars, and even has a Drexel night.

Continued...

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