Simple Cafe

Up until about October, I hung out here some. Beret’s Simple Cafe. They served very good food, upgraded pub grub with an eye towards vegan and health. Because of a health issue, I’ve had to be on the wagon, something that has been going on since October, so I had to take a break from spending time here. Closed up sometime during the Fall seems like. Had a bartender named Kerri, really nice person. She was swell. The owner fancied berets, said he was a vegan, from New Mexico. Neighborhood joint. Friendly, bohemian vibe. No air conditioning, often a downside but sometimes gave the more mild summer nights a sensual, tropical ambiance. I’d go on a weekday. Sometimes it was really dead. The recession. Other times, pleasant and lively, clean well-lighted place. The local artists would hang out there some. Like other bars, it did the gallery thing, showcasing local artist work, once a month, new paintings on the wall. They also only had one television, only one and sometimes it wasn’t even on. It wasn’t behind the bar. You could actually go to a bar and not be forced to look at a television set. TV screens have become so ubiquitous that we no longer are aware of them. Except me I guess. Anyway, it was a nice scene going on there. Sometimes they seemed to be hitting some rough times, a couple of weeks they had no bourbon! I rediscovered Pabst Blue Ribbon in cans, which they sold for a mere two bucks per. But like I said, I had to go on hiatus as a regular so I didn’t keep up with updates. Their myspace page was last updated in October, said they were closing on Monday and Tuesday. Never a good sign. Neighborhood places tend to have a hard time in Jersey City, there is not the same dining out and drinking out culture here that you find in Hoboken or Manhattan or other places. Places here come and go, a lot of turn over. Maybe it’s the clientele, maybe folks in Jersey City when they feel like going out leave town. They go to Hoboken or Manhattan to exploit a better restaurant and bar culture. Thick brown paper taped over the windows of the Simple Cafe. It’s not boarded up. No for rent or for sale sign are visible. The outside furniture is still in place, A peak in the window reveals everything else intact. I get a whiff of sudden departure, but I know nothing about it. A call to its phone number says it has been temporarily disconnected at the customer’s request. That is hopeful. I took this picture on Saturday when the first snow started falling. A cold afternoon rain turning to wet snow. Can’t really see the snow, just cold dampness. Pictures can be deceiving I guess. Rain and snow fell on what used to be here.

Keep Hope Alive: www.myspace.com/beretssimplecafe