Nosh

A love letter to the East Bay coffee shops that raised me

Local graphic novelist and art teacher Briana Loewinsohn offers an illustrated tribute to the now-closed cafes where she spent her youth.

by Briana Loewinsohn July 31, 2023, 11:00 a.m.July 31, 2023

Editor’s note: This story was first published on KQED. Follow Briana Loewinsohn on Instagram.

Loewinsohn’s lost cafes

I was born and grew up in the East Bay. We have seen a lot of change in the last 10 years. A lot of great new places have opened, but we have also lost so many beloved establishments.

What I covet most are the big, spacious cafes where you could sit for hours and work or do nothing — or a little of both.

This piece is a love letter to the places that raised me. They haunt me in the best way possible, and I miss them like crazy.

Caffè Mediterraneum, Berkeley

Au Coquelet, Berkeley

Gaylord’s, Oakland