Rene and I had lunch in the Max Bloom’s Cafe Noir today based on a recommendation from our friend Peter James Smith about their grilled cheese sandwiches. It’s right in the heart of Downtown Fullerton and I’ve passed it several times but never actually stopped in or even really noticed that there was even a cafe there. Technically it is a coffee shop that serves food, but that is hardly a bad thing. It is something that I like to call a “Hipster Haven,” a place where things are cool for the sake of being cool and the folks who frequent it are the kind of folks that “get it.” Bloom’s totally fits the bill. The 40’s noir theme is wonderfully executed across the board right down to a faux radio cover for the air-conditioning box. As soon as we walked in we noticed two things: 1) it was as quiet as a library and 2) everyone had Apple Power Books (the Hipster accessory of choice). We felt a bit out of place.
I used to wonder if I would ever be a hipster. I like obscure things, there was a time when “I liked things before they were cool” and I pride myself on “getting” things but I can’t grow facial hair (it’s physically impossible), I don’t wear glasses and I never wore vintage clothes. It’s a bit of a toss-up. Being in the cafe today kinda’ confirmed for me that I’m a bit past the point where I could reasonably be a Hipster. Regardless of my personal “hipster-dom” and for how quiet the cafe was, the food was great! We got the grilled cheese with provolone, tomato and pesto with a side of pasta salad and “classic soda.” I got the Faygo Root Beer (a drink that until today I thought was bottled by and for Juggalos) and Rene got a classic ginger ale. Both were delicious! The real draw for me, though, is the decor. between the 40’s music playing in the back ground and “Max Bloom’s Desk” in the corner there is plenty of eye candy to occupy your whole meal. If you need a cup of joe or a bowl of soup and you don’t mind a taste of hipster then I highly recommend Max Bloom’s Noir Cafe.
See you tomorrow!
Yay!
-PJS-