About two weeks ago I met my friend Asra Nizami on Grand Avenue, right outside Avalon, with a coffee cup in hand.

Like a true coffeeholic, my eyes were drawn to the hot steam rising from her cup. She must have noticed me staring lustfully at the coffee and offered, “I just grabbed a mocha from Shish before heading to the library. They have the best mocha.”

Now if any of you know Asra, you know that she is person of great taste, from her love of Jane Austen novels to her excellent choice in TV shows. If she says something is good, it’s good. Still, I was sceptical.

If I ever needed a ridiculously large, rich and satisfying piece of German chocolate cake or some hummus and pita, Shish was the first place that came to mind. However, despite their pretty impressive menu of caffeinated beverages, it had never dawned on me to try their coffee. For my java fix I would always hit up Dunn Bros for a French Roast, or Caribou for a mocha. But here was my friend, opening a new coffee vista to me, in the form of the Shish mocha.

After bidding Asra farewell, I naturally made my way straight to Shish and ordered a large mocha. This began the beautiful caffeinated spiral of the last few weeks where delicious bittersweet and full-bodied Shish mochas have been keeping me awake and happy since they were brought to my attention.

If you need a pick-me-up during these final weeks of school (and a hand-warmer as the weather gets chillier), then skip on over to Shish and get yourself a mocha. Nate, a guy with glasses and a friendly smile, makes the best ones in my humble opinion. And if you see Asra around campus, give her a nod. She’s cool people.

Read next week for some ramblings about The Loft Literary Center’s cafe in Minneapolis.

Shish
1668 Grand Avenue
Open daily, 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.