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Whenever you go to Canvas Coffee, you’ll see the same cornucopia of people.  For instance, Aaron Levenson, who runs Range Records, which recently put out the wonderful “Rediscovering Lonnie Johnson” CD, is always sort of shuffling around, waiting for a Guacamole and cheddar Beef Burrito to appear on the table before him.   The employees of DiPinto’s Guitar shop, which is right across the street, come here for their daily midday bread, maybe a Tuna Panini with capers and Sun dried Tomatoes, a vegan Eggplant spread on a Pita, or the Roast Beef Sandwich with provolone, onion relish, and the sharpest wasabi mayo on the planet.   

Riverside Fishtonians who say “wudder” instead of “water” and “Iggles” instead of “Eagles” jostle for spots at the counter with the rail thin, horn-rimmed, inked-up, hungover dudes whose band played to a “packed house” of twenty the night before at JohnnyBrendas (which is right down the street, by the way).  Everybody who comes to Canvas wants their Scones, their Bagels with Cream Cheese (but which flavor?  There are SO MANY!), their vegan granola bars.  

Hipster’s friends are sitting at the corner table.  They are so spazzed out on Canvas’s pitch black, tasty-as-hell twitchy-brew, so sugared-up on one of this fine establishment’s pastry treats (try the red cake!  YES!  It’s RED!), so fixated on their iBook screens and text messages,so pleased to be in Canvas's friendly confines, that they’re quaking and drooling.

At another table, inventor, genius, polymath, and professional wisenheimer Jim Reed eyes them with mild amusement  and / or disdain, drinks his hibiscus iced tea (the best in the city, by the way), and has just figured out how to make the coffee grinder switch activate the air conditioner, just to save the staff some labor. 

It’s all good.  I like these people, and so do you, unless, of course, you *don’t like* Lonnie Johnson, vintage guitars, skinny, shiftless, inked-up layabouts, geniuses, heterogeneity, great coffee, and excellent food.

Don’t let Canvas’s casual atmosphere fool you.  They’re serious about their business, which is providing you with high octane coffee, a variety of teas, and really REALLY good lunch faire.   I’m primarily a salad eater by nature, and I’m pretty fussy when it comes to that kind of stuff.  So when I tell you that all their salads are great, I want you to know that if you disagree, I will karate chop your leg.  Especially tasty is the Moroccan salad.  It will cost you seven bucks.  That’s right, it’s 7 bucks.  But it’s comprised of eggplant salad, herded carrots, a seven grain mix, and various saladstuffs over a bed of greens that are fresh every time; so stop complaining and give them your money, okay?  

The pastries on sale here will kill you with their sweetness, but they taste good going down.

Canvas's wifi signal is strong and true.  No bit-hex password hassles are required for you to get on the web.     

The art on the walls is original, locally produced, and makes me think for a long, delicious time about things I don’t really  understand and probably never will.  That's a plus in my book.  And speaking of books, their book collection is nice to look at, with titles that will make you laugh, while you wait to order. 

Everyone on staff here is clever and has a wicked good sense of humor; the drier, the better.  The owner of Canvas Coffee is there EVERY TIME YOU ARE!  She cares A LOT about your experience in her place.  You can bring your dog to Canvas Coffee, too, by the way.  Just make sure that mutt behaves.

Go to this place and empty your pockets, would you?  I will hate you if you don’t.

PS: they’re opening up a hamburger joint right across the street.  I’ll review it soon.