Demolished, Petersburg style

It had been far, far too long since Pablo and I had taken time for just the two of us. Almost three years, to be exact (and that trip had been the first since we got married back in January of 2010!). And in that time we've dealt with the loss of a child, the birth of another, a long-distance and short-distance move, and a military deployment (our first -- and so glad that it's over with!). It was high time for us to get away. My parents and sister came to the rescue and happily undertook the task of keeping our rambunctious children alive for a few days! 

With no particular destination in mind (but not wanting to venture too far away), we settled on Petersburg, VA. Mostly because we found an amazing eclectic loft on AirBnB. Old town Petersburg is... being revitalized, to put it nicely. But the parts that have been revitalized are great! My favorite? Hands down, Demolition Coffee. I'm not sure how it earned its name, but I can assure you that it demolished any modicum of self-restraint I had in the hot-sugary-beverages department.

Seriously, the best coffee/breakfast/lunch place I have ever tried. And it's not just the super hip interiors swaying my judgment. Okay, maybe just a little. But really, take a look at this:

This is the "Short Fuse." Yes, all of their food choices have cute names like that. Sandwich, chips, and pickle right? Just "homemade" chips, and a sandwich oozing with crispy bacon, caramelized onions, tomato mayo, and fresh lettuce. See the toasty marks on the bread? I'm salivating just remembering it! 

The outside is just as amazing as the inside:

When I ordered a chai tea latte "to stay," this is what came out -- the cup was huge, too, which I was very grateful for as soon as I tasted it! I would have preferred bottomless, but huge was sufficient.

No way was I hip enough for this place -- pretty sure I could not attain this kind of hip-ness even if I had a beard (which I don't, in case you're wondering). I had to try their pumpkin spice latte, because why not, and was astounded to find that it (A) tasted like real pumpkin and (B) was not sickeningly sweet. I love me some Starbucks, but this was the real deal. We ate there four times in three days, if that's any indicator...

And here's a little peek at the loft, too -- the entire place was an eclectic mix of exposed conduit, painted brick, distressed wood, and dental office fixtures (it was a dentist's office in a past life).

I'll share some of our other adventures in the next few days, but please -- do yourself a favor and find an excuse to go to Petersburg so you can go to Demolition Coffee. You can thank me later, 'kay?