Our Daily Nada

Everyone needs a place to escape from their chemistry tests, babysitting jobs and parents asking about college applications. Our Daily Nada is my new place.

Our Daily Nada is a “boozy bookstore” with a full bar featuring wine, beer and artisan eats. Of course, for a 17-year-old like me it’s just a “bookstore” with artisan eats. Located on 304 Delaware, Our Daily Nada is tucked into a historical brick building with a white and grey striped awning covering patio sets for two.

The bookstore features a checkered tile bar at the front with tall black barstools, but if you don’t vibe with the bar scene, there are other seating options. Upon entering, you can choose from the plentiful amounts of cozy nooks and crannies, and take. them. over. There’s a green velvet couch at the front, two leather chairs immersed in the rows of bookshelves, or even a conference table for 6 to 10 people hidden in the back.

I chose one of the two person tables at the front and sat my backpack down on the wicker chair. I would’ve preferred the velvet couch or light pink armchair, but the bookstore had quite the Sunday afternoon crowd of hipsters and couples, so both were occupied.

I approached the bar and ordered the ham and gruyere toast with the blackberry compote on the side (I wasn’t sure about blackberries on ham) and an iced vanilla latte. These two items cost me $13.43, $8 for the toast and $4.25 for the vanilla latte (50 cents extra for the vanilla, which is a priceless addition to any coffee).

The latte was served in a clear glass mug (not as Instagram worthy as I hoped), but had the perfect amount of ice cubes and vanilla syrup. Each sip had more flavor than the one before, with a pleasant surprise of cinnamon spices towards the bottom of the mug.

The latte cost me 53 cents less than it does at Starbucks, and it wasn’t a plastic cup overflowing with ice. Out the window, the streetcar swooped by every few minutes and pedestrians riding Bird Scooters passed by, making me feel as if I was Serena van der Woodsen enjoying a brunch in the Upper East Side.

When the toast was first sat in front of me, I had trouble actually finding it. The sourdough bread was piled so high with forest ham, gruyere cheese and arugula that I was starting to believe that they skipped the bread all together. The waitress warned me that ordering the blackberry compote on the side would make the toast bland, but it was nowhere near it. To my surprise, the toppings made it a challenge to eat it politely. But manners aside – it was the Beyoncé of the toast world.

Once my plate and mug were empty, I ventured into the rows of filled bookshelves. Unlike your ordinary elementary school Dewey Decimal System, these bookshelves were separated by genre. Naturally, I found my way to the young adult shelf. Despite the fact that the bookstore is a fraction the size of Barnes and Noble, it still manages to offer just as much variety.

I look forward to more afternoons spent at Our Daily Nada studying for exams and enjoying their coffee shop playlist filled with Vance Joy and the Lumineers.