Coffee, Books, and the Discovery That I’m Potentially an Asshole

I referenced Day Moon Coffee Bar in my Fairview mega-post, but I think it deserves a post all its own.  As I wrote in that post, 

I don’t drink coffee, so I can’t speak to the quality, but Day Moon Coffee Bar has a great frozen chai latte and a solid selection of baked goods. Day Moon also doubles as an independent book shop, and I’d love to know who picks their offerings because they seem to have a direct view of my Amazon wishlist (and, therefore, my wallet).

That’s a good summation, but since no one’s ever described my writing style as “concise,” I’d like to elaborate. Covid closures haven’t allowed me to explore the Asheville coffee shop scene as much as I’d like. Still, with more and more opening, I’ve started dipping my foot into the waters and think even in my somewhat-explored state can safely say Day Moon remains my favorite coffee shop in the greater Asheville areas. Here’s why:

• The frozen chai latte: This warrants its own bullet. Chai lattes have become a coffee shop menu staple. Most shops offer an iced option, but very few have a frozen or blended chai latte, which isn’t just the latte on ice, but akin to a slushie and delicious during the summer. I’ve still yet to find a blended chai that can rival the ones at Northern Lights back in good old Scranton, but Day Moon’s certainly gives it a run for its money. 
• The baked goods: Give me good banana bread, and you’ve got me. Day Moon always has a decent section of baked goods, but their banana bread, in particular, is worth the drive out of Ashville proper. Coffee shop banana bread tends to verge on dense, and sometimes I like that, but Day Moon’s somehow is light, despite the slices they serve being double the size you get at your average bakery. Their muffin selection is also top-notch (specifically, chocolate, chocolate chip), and I had a phenomenal lemon scone there recently. I’ve yet to delve into their cake and cookies but will need my local junk food fix whenever Hill Top Ice Cream Shop shuts down for the season. 
• The book selection: I’ve asked the staff at Day Moon a couple of times who picks out the books because it genuinely feels like they take a look at my Amazon account. I just realized Day Moon sold books in June and have 100% spent over $100.00 on their selections since. And I’m not mad about it! I sometimes feel bookstores can be overwhelming, so I love that Day Moon has essentially two shelves to select from.
• It’s a great place to work: I try and go to Day Moon one morning a week just to get a change of scenery from my apartment, and it’s a great place to work. There are enough tables (inside and out) that you’re never crowded, and compared to a lot of the downtown coffee shops, it’s a very chill scene where you can be productive. Highly recommend. 
• The staff: Starbucks aside, and I’m going to generalize here, I feel many coffee shops tend to attract a sort of self-important barista who goes out of their way to show disdain for you. Not indifference—I’m never going to be one of those people who dock points on a Yelp review because I wasn’t “greeted warmly” or “the server felt rushed”—being a server is a tough job, and god knows restaurants and coffee shops are understaffed right now, but downright disdain. The staff at Day Moon is always chill, friendly, and doesn’t make you feel like an idiot if you happen to have a question about the menu (or who order their books)

Now that we’ve got the coffee and books (and baked goods) out of the way, it’s time to discover why I’m an asshole. It’s pretty cut and dry. 

One of the first times I came to Day Moon last year, I took a picture of this dog statue that sits outside.

 I was going to post it to my Instagram with some “witty,” “caustic” caption about how of course, an Asheville coffee shop would have a yoga dog promoting peace and tranquility outside of it, blah, blah, blah. I’m so clever! So cynical! So quippy!

That night I came home and realized this is what sits atop my hallway bookshelf: 

I’ll see myself out now.