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Crisan's Coffee shop welcomes students
by Jeni Gort
A&E Associate Editor
FILE PHOTO
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While most of us are pinching pennies trying to make our way through Calvin, it does feel good to splurge every once and a while. Crisan’s Coffee House in East Grand Rapids is just the place to relax, and imagine what life would be like if you weren’t earning minimum wage at Calvin. A nice quiet place, with fresh baked goods, food other than Johnny’s and strong coffee, Crisan’s is a classy place for a break away from our financially-deprived lives.
Now most of us stereotype East Grand Rapids as rich and, on the whole, disapproving towards broke college students, but Crisan’s is trying to change that image. While being used to their normal clientele of East Grand Rapidians, knowing their drink of choice, how they want it prepared and the option of a lid or not just by their car pulling in the parking lot. “Mostly our regulars are people on their way to work, school or they just dropped of their kids at school,” said Katy Moore, a Crisan’s employee.
However, Crisan’s also welcomes the college coffee house crowd. In fact, next semester they are joining the Calvin Student and Faculty discount card program. Just the way to get to a Calvin student’s heart, a constant discount written on the card and a different special on the Calvin Web site that will change frequently.
There is no definite discount that has been decided upon, but Crisan’s still advertises a Monday Mocha special and an early bird coffee and any baked good for $2.50 from 7 – 8:30 a.m. for those of us whose wallet dictates their conscience.
But not everyone needs a discount for motivation. When Crisan’s was mentioned, several people already were familiar with the coffee shop for an afternoon study break, dorm date, and the general caffeine fix. Personally, I think that these students are right. Crisan’s is not only a coffee house but also offers catering and reception services. It seems to be the perfect place to hold a meeting, party, or even a date when the object is to impress. I primarily suggest this in the cases of in-laws or that upper-middle-class significant someone.
It’s quiet, dark, comfortable, spotless, and definitely a quality place. From the palm trees with Christmas lights framing the doorway and a room-size carpet with the Crisan’s logo to the dark-wood high backed chairs and professional photography on the walls, Crisan’s mixes the aspects of quality with eclecticism.
I also must suggest Crisan’s as a solution to the dilemma of dating at odd hours, say afternoon or morning. We are all busy people at this point in the semester and the conventional dating times are no longer suitable. So time with the boy/girlfriend competes with time spent studying or working and normally loses five to one. But meeting before class isn’t too difficult, and a change in location is quite welcome when you’re disgusted with the thought of being on campus one more second.
But if this isn’t enough to persuade you to visit Crisan’s, the food should be enough to win to win you over. With salads, sandwiches, scones, coffee, specialty chocolates and a mile-high chocolate cake that has five layers. Perfect for that mid-week pick-me-up or keep-me-up. Especially recommended are their scones, wonder bars, regular coffee and blended chai. Each one was a delight to the taste buds of a fend-for-yourself and long-time microwave user such as myself. A few highlights: the wonder bars were similar to eating a Butterfinger and a Mounds candy bar simultaneously and the chai was compared to good pumpkin pie in liquid form, but without the pumpkin.
But most amusing of all was the conversation sparked by the coffee. All of us can attest to suffering through a cup of bad coffee for the sheer sake of the caffeine therein. One of my roommates in particular said, “I’ve had some nasty coffee. I mean, never get anything with a chocolate flavor; you expect something sweet like mocha, but it ends up tasting like you’re licking the bottom of your shoe. Now, on the other hand, this" (raising her cup) "is good coffee.” However, she did not want to be named due to the fact she would be associated with knowing what the bottom of a shoe actually tastes like.
So if you need a place with which to impress, relax or talk about inconsequential things, such as shoe licking, spend the extra money, enjoy the luxury and try Crisan’s at 661 Croswell. They’re open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
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