Barriques

I feel the need to write a post solely about Barriques. They have become my most frequented coffee shop in Madison even though they are not my favorite. Now this is not to say I don't like them, it is quite a wonderful mix of coffee shop, cafe, wine cellar and deli, I'm just saying I have a softer spot for other coffee shops (Ground Zero, Electric Earth for somewhere with WiFi and Lazy Janes for pure awesomeness, but that's another post entirely). Barriques is always there when you need it. They are located all around Madison, on the Square, Monroe St, Old Sauk, Fitchburg, Middleton, really it's wherever you need an amazing coffee shop. Where they are located, is unique. The square and Monroe St not so much, but Old Sauk and Fitchburg are my two favorite locations. The Westside has very few choices for local coffee shops that Barriques has found their perfect niche. They serve Fair Trade coffee, Rishi teas, bake their own bakery, and source as much of their deli items as possible from local sources.

They have quite a few tables and almost always a rustic feel so that you can sit and work on your computer with out feeling like you are in a cubicle. They normally draw people taking their lunch break from work, those that work from home or on the road and need a new location to focus (this being my reasoning) or people having casual meetings. Much more enjoyable than some of the coffee shops downtown which draw countless numbers of students grouped around a table nursing their fancy drinks while they stress over homework.

Besides, where can you go to work after dinner that you can get WiFi and a glass of wine that isn't your own living room?