Maybe I should start a coffeehouses-with-mezzanines wiki, because I found another one. On Saturday, when the temperature was in the kajillions, I attempted to spend the whole day in air-conditioned comfort. First I went to the Starbucks on Phinney, then when I needed a change of scenery, I headed to Peet’s in Fremont. I didn’t realize that Peet’s has a little mezzanine level with a great view of both the main floor and the main drag of Fremont, along with a slice of Lake Union. They also sell a Scharffen-Berger mocha, which I didn’t try, because I had a dinner appointment at Brouwer’s; more about this in a moment. Peet’s doesn’t have wi-fi, even paid. I probably would have paid. Are you listening, Peet?

Then, yesterday, when it was still pretty hot, I was going to go to the Starbucks on 15th. When I got there, there were a bunch of people sitting outside but nobody inside. I stepped in, and their AC was broken. I told Laurie about this and she reminded me that it was exactly like when your NYC subway train rolls in and every car is crowded except one, and that’s the one with no AC and a foul stench.

If you’re of the opinion that food critics shouldn’t talk about places where they have a personal connection, shield your eyes, because the chef at Brouwer’s is my brother Ben’s girlfriend, Daysha Fritz. Brouwer’s is an absurd and unlikely place: it looks like a nicely appointed dungeon, and you can get Cantillon Kriek *on tap*. Along with at least sixty other beers, about half of them Belgian. There’s also food, and I had a nice lamb sausage sandwich with chipotle mayo. The fries, which were troublesome when Brouwer’s first opened, have come along way under Daysha’s influence.

I had a good time at Brouwer’s, but it could have been a lot better. This was entirely my fault, because I drove there, so I was limited to one beer while Ben sat there ordering beer after interesting beer. I seriously thought about abandoning my mother’s car in Fremont and taking the bus home.