If you search “cute cafes to visit in Berkeley” in Google, chances are “MY Coffee Roastery” will pop up. And being the ever-tireless fan of cute cafes, I set my heart on visiting MY Coffee Roastery a few weeks ago. Sure enough when I got there, the café was a whimsical cottage sitting at the intersection of Addison St and Martin Luther King Jr. Way:
The café from across the street. It’s super close to Trader Joe’s on University Ave.
But when I got closer…
Closed doors. ☹
MY Coffee Roastery is CLOSED on Mondays and Tuesdays! I made the mistake of visiting on a Tuesday… Make sure you visit on any days EXCEPT Monday/Tuesday, from Wednesday to Sunday. And beware, this cute cottage opens and closes early as you can see from the photo below 👇:
Be aware of their business days & hours!
✨Straight Out of a Fairytale✨
Now being aware of the cafe’s hours, I successfully entered the cottage on a Thursday. It was like entering a whimsical cottage straight from a fairytale! The cafe reminded me of the little cottage in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. With its pretty iron fence, pots of plants and succulents, red flowers, cute bench cushions, parasols, blue and white mosaic tables and stony walls, MY Coffee Roastery was as lovely and unique as it could be. I mean, there were literally butterflies flying about in the outdoor seating area!
The entrance. Love the red bench and flowers! 🌹
The whimsical storefront.
Once I entered, I was immediately at the counter, where baked goods and coffee beans were displayed. I wanted to try their waffle, but as they had ran out of them, I ordered their almond croissant instead with a cup of iced Americano.
I think the cafe is owned and managed by a Chinese lady and her family – I’m not sure. But I have a hunch that she is the one behind the lovely cottage and its design. Even the interior is chic, with black chandeliers and stoned walls with wide windows that are left open.
Looking out from the inside.
The Menu
My drink and food came out quickly, as I wasn’t done marveling at the chic interior when they had finished warming up the croissant. Sitting outside in the patio area, I took a bite of my almond croissant and I must say, I like it better than other almond croissants I’ve had!
The delicious almond croissant & Americano. 🥐☕💕
It had sweet stuff inside – I don’t know what it’s called. Whatever it is, it made the croissant more flavorful and went perfectly with the iced Americano.
I personally wished there were more menu options, like sandwiches to eat for brunch or lunch, but the café is still great as is. I think their focus is on coffee, not so much the food.
Conclusion
In conclusion, MY Coffee Roastery is one of those chill cafes where you can get work done. They offer free wifi that works – they have the wifi password posted on the walls inside the cottage.
The inside seating area had the wifi banner with the password (see above). There was another wifi banner facing the front counter.
And with sufficient outdoor seating, it felt safe to eat and work there amidst the pandemic. Though cars drive by and many people frequent the cafe, it wasn’t distracting at all.
And the parasols create just the right amount of shade! ⛱
With friendly staff, good food and drinks along with aesthetic architecture and natural decor, MY Coffee Roastery is a cafe for students, professionals, and writers alike. It’s for anyone who appreciates uniquely chic spaces with chill vibes!
I can’t wait to go back to try their waffle. (And their latte, too!) 😊
P.S. To learn more about MY Coffee Roastery, visit their official website HERE. Or their IG account HERE.
P.P.S. And here are more aesthetic shots of the café:
P.P.P.S. 8/18/2022 Update: I revisited to try their waffle! But the waffles aren’t made at the cafe; they are premade waffles packed in wrapper that are unwrapped and placed on the display. Though it tasted alright, I wouldn’t deliberately come here to eat it again. Regardless, the whimsical cafe always has GREAT vibes✨ and good coffee.
I know that I bid adieu to the Bridgerton series after watching season 2. But I must write one more book review of the series, as I’ve already finished the third Bridgerton novel by Julia Quinn, An Offer from a Gentleman aka Benedict’s story.
I had read it before season 2 in hopes of being able to identify hints at Benedict’s upcoming love story. I wanted to be ready to recognize Sophie Beckett (Benedict’s future wife) when she showed up on the screen. To my disappointment, Netflix had hinted at neither the third novel nor Sophie. And Benedict will most likely NOT have the spotlight next season as they have switched up the order. Plus, they no longer do a good job focusing on the hero and the heroine (as shown in season 2), so I don’t expect his season to be that great either.
So despite my disappointment and lack of enthusiasm for Bridgerton, I present you a review of An Offer from a Gentleman since I already read it. And I’m happy to say that Julia Quinn’s third Bridgertonnovel is better than the second season of Netflix’s Bridgerton.
An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn. Image from Amazon.
Here we go! 👇
Tale as Old as Time
Cinderella’s transformation from Disney’s Cinderella (1950). It’s the most beautifully animated scene ever! 💕 From https://giphy.com/explore/cinderella
An Offer from a Gentleman is a Cinderella retelling. But instead of Cinderella, we have Sophie Beckett, an illegitimate daughter of Richard Gunningworth, the Earl of Penwood. Though all the servants and the earl himself realize that she is his bastard daughter, he takes her in as his ward and remarries a woman named Araminta. When the earl passes away, Sophie is stuck with his new wife and her two daughters, Rosamund and Posy. Just like Cinderella, she is mistreated by her step family (except for Posy) and degraded to work as their servant (with no pay).
But one night, Sophie gets a chance to attend a grand masquerade ball hosted by Lady Bridgerton with the help of the housekeeper of Penwood, Mrs. Gibbons.
Instead of the fairy godmother, we have Mrs. Gibbons in An Offer from a Gentleman. Image: Disney Animation Studios.
There, she and Benedict Bridgerton (instead of the Prince) fall in love at first sight. Alas, Benedict loses Sophie after she escapes from the ball without telling him her name, and Sophie reluctantly returns back to servitude. With one pair of glove (instead of a glass slipper), the only clue he has to her identity, Benedict searches for his love in vain.
Prince Charming and Cinderella from Disney’s 1950 Cinderella. Image: Disney
Years later, Sophie and Benedict meet again when he saves her from getting raped by the son of her employer. But Benedict doesn’t recognize her (as they met wearing masks at his mother’s masquerade), and long story short, he falls in love with her again.
This Bridgerton retelling of Cinderella can’t be bad, as the fairytale has withstood the test of time. And Julia Quinn adds more fun to the classic tale by having Benedict torn between two women who actually are the same person. He can’t forget his “lady in silver” he met at the masquerade while he falls in love with a maid named Sophie Beckett.
Benedict (Luke Thompson) from Netflix’s Bridgerton season 2. Image from Bustle. Credits to Liam Daniel/Netflix
In chapter 11, Benedict kisses Sophie and is about to say that he’s never felt the way he did before, but Sophie doesn’t know how to feel about that since he’s kissed her before at the masquerade:
Dear God, was she jealous of herself?”
Page 171, An Offer from a Gentleman
I’ve never read about a heroine having to deal with self-jealousy. It was interesting! 😆
Quinn also adds more drama to the classic tale by exploring class differences of the Regency era and by having the heroine put in jail by her evil stepmother. But all ends well in the end and Sophie and Benedict have their happily ever-after.
Benedict was as unromantic as he could be when he asked Sophie to be his mistress, but considering the importance of class during the Regency era, it was realistic. (And he eventually redeems himself by choosing to marry Sophie despite what society would think of them.)
Lastly but not least, I liked Quinn’s writing of Posy Reiling, Sophie’s step sister. Unlike how both of Cinderella’s sisters are cruel in the original fairytale, Posy was kind hearted – just too young to help Sophie when they had lived together under Araminta. It was nice to see Posy save the day by helping Sophie AND stand against her abusive mother. I truly enjoyed reading the second epilogue where Posy gets her own happy ending.
Posy reminded me of Cinderella’s step sister Anastasia in the Cinderella sequels where she becomes kind and meets someone she loves. Disney’s Cinderella sequels – Cinderella II: Dreams Come True (2002) and Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007).
Benedict was my favorite Bridgerton brother, so this novel was even more pleasant to read. And it was wonderful to find out that he meets and marries Sophie, a beautiful, kind character based on Cinderella. She, along with Kate Sheffield/Sharma from The Viscount Who Loved Me are some of the most wonderful heroines I’ve read about.
Though I don’t expect much from the Netflix series anymore, I do hope they cast a great Sophie as they had done for Kate.
Who will be Sophie Beckett? (Photo by Felicity Lynn.)
Similar to Other Bridgerton Novels
Photo by Gülfer ERGİN.
Though I enjoyed the 3rd Bridgerton novel immensely, I did realize how similar it was to the other Bridgerton novels. After reading four Bridgerton novels, I noticed how Julia Quinn employs many of the same vocabulary, plot points, and male inner dialogue in her works.
She definitely likes to join couples together in the beginning with marriages of convenience (Daphne & Simon, Kate & Anthony, Eloise & Philip). All four heroines of the novels I’ve read are inexperienced with men (Penelope, Eloise, Kate, Sophie) and the couples always face problems in their relationships after 3/4 into the novels. And the male leads all sound the same when they’re angry. Their inner dialogues are, in my opinion, indistinguishable.
Portrait of the three Bridgerton sisters, Eloise, Daphne & Francesca. From Netflix’s Bridgerton Instagram Page
Here’s a short comparison of the conflicts that arise three quarters into the novels:
🧡The Viscount Who Loved Me – Anthony and Kate didn’t really fight. But there was this big conflict when Anthony withdrew himself from his wife when he realized that he was falling in love with her. (Because he felt that he would die young like his father, he didn’t want to fall in love.)
💙An Offer from a Gentleman – Benedict and Sophie fought big time when Sophie refused to become his mistress & when Benedict discovered that Sophie was in fact, his “lady in silver.” These two conflicts arose at about the same time, around three quarters into the novel.
🤍Romancing Mister Bridgerton – It’s been a while since I read it, but I believe Colin and Penelope fought when Colin discovered that Penelope was Lady Whistledown and when he was jealous of her achievements (Goodness, Colin). Again, the fights happened after the halfway point.
💜To Sir Philip, With Love – I distinctly remember because I hated the novel so much: Eloise and Philip fought when Philip refused to discuss an important issue Eloise had brought up. (And he made a big fuss about it.)
And Anthony, Benedict, and Colin all have these bro-talks (not really talks but meet ups) with one another after which they realize how much they love their wives. After which the conflicts are resolved and the novels come to ends.
Portrait of the three older Bridgerton brothers. (Left to Right: Colin, Benedict & Anthony) From Netflix’s Bridgerton Instagram Page
In terms of repeated vocabulary, there’s the very modern interjection “Damn,” and the word “humbling.” And many more, but I can’t remember which pages they were on. Neither do I have the books with me anymore.
Here’s an enlightening, funny video created by a talented YouTuber named Julia Cudney, who’s read all 8 Bridgerton novels. She reviews and compares the novels excellently, with even spreadsheets!
Conclusion
I enjoyed reading An Offer from a Gentleman because…
1, It’s Benedict Bridgerton’s story.
2. It’s a Cinderella retelling – how could I not?
3. Hard-working, resilient & principled, Sophie Beckett is a lovely heroine!
4. Julia Quinn added fun changes to the classic fairytale.
Plus, there’s a masquerade ball! Photo by Julio Rionaldo.
Of the four Bridgerton books I’ve read, I’d say my favorites were 🤍 Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Book #4) and 💙 An Offer from a Gentleman (Book #3). The 2nd novel in the series, 🧡 The Viscount Who Loved Me was good and I enjoyed the enemies to lovers trope, but I really didn’t like the perverse persistence Anthony displayed in the novel. (Click HERE to read my review.) And of course, my least favorite was the 5th novel, 💜 To Sir Philip, With Love.
At this point, I’m ready to move on from Bridgerton. I’ve heard many praises about Francesca Bridgerton’s story, When He Was Wicked, from a number of Bridgerton fans, yet I’m not interested in Francesca enough to read her love story. (She barely has any lines in the Netflix show. Plus I read that she falls in love with her late husband’s cousin. It sounds awfully similar to To Sir Philip, With Love where Eloise falls in love with her late cousin’s husband, and knowing how much I disliked that novel…I’m not too excited for Francesca’s story. But maybe I’ll give it a go in the future.) Neither am I curious about the futures of the youngest Bridgertons, Hyacinth and Gregory. So…
So long, farewell Bridgerton! 👋
P.S. To read my review of the second season of Netflix’s Bridgerton, click HERE.
P.P.S. Check out these An Offer from a Gentleman covers from around the world! They’re beautiful😍 Visit Julia Quinn’s website HERE to see them all.
The Time Traveler is an upcoming author who holds great appreciation for both classic literature and history. The author aspires to publish historical fictions and other written works in the near future, in hopes of creating works that entertain, inform, and inspire.
The author also appreciates all things aesthetic and enjoys traveling around the world to learn and observe.
