Voting closed, temporarily, a longtime friend at the Trident has successfully demonstrated how anyone could, relatively easily, cheat the Polldaddy.com poll by clearing cache, removing cookies. We’re searching for new poll system that’s not easily hackable.

We’ll have new poll up, still have time for an honest vote, if this one was indeed dishonest, by Feb 14 (Valentine’s and Eastern New Year). With apologies and thanks to all cafes, and their voting publics, that were playing fair. ~ ed.

We here at elephant often work in cafes, have for years. Known as a “third place” (after home, and work), cafes serve as the center of community. Even more than bars and restaurants, perhaps, cafes help society mingle with folks they wouldn’t otherwise socialize with (including children). I know at the Trident, I often sit a table away from a rabid, well-read, passionate group of Republicans. I love hearing their debates about health care, Obama, Bush, etc.—it pops the bubble that is my happy green cocoon and reminds me that there’s many ways of looking at this thing called life.

We here at elephant prefer cafes that are independently owned, and not chains. That said, we’ve warmed to Starbucks over the years (though I still never patronize it, ever, even in airports).

We here at elephant prefer cafes that are green-minded, like the mostly—green-built Folsom Street Coffee, or Pekoe (which offers bags of rich compost to customers, free). We love cafes like The Cup and Trident, which encourage cell phone users to keep their conversations private, quiet, or outside. We love cafes that provide forums for community, like Laughing Goat, which hosts music and poetry just about every night of the week (and, the Goat has been a longtime supporter of elephant).

~

But, what you love is, of course, up to you. Let the comments and voting begin, readers—we’ll announce the…

elephantjournal.com Reader’s Favorite Boulder Cafe

…on February 14th (Eastern New Year), and make like (the independent) Boulder Weekly, sending you a nice award plaque you can hang on your wall.

Note: cafes that have multiple locations, like Amante or Pekoe, are only listed once. Cafes that are primarily restaurants, like the Tea House or The Kitchen, we haven’t listed at all. Feel free to give them shout-outs in the comments, however! If I’ve forgotten a cafe, for shame, please say so in comments and I’ll immediately add them in the voting options.