Time for a history lesson folx

Bonus points if y'all catch the theme of the section headings.

Rumours: Who is Nina?

Nina's cafe coffeeshop is named after the founder Nina Clifford– whose real name is Hannah Steinbrecher. Born in Canada, Nina arrived in St. Paul in 1885, and her options of making a living wage were limited as a widow. But folx, that did not hold her back. She established a cafe and bought two other buildings– which no longer stand today– in the red light district of St. Paul. Nina's cafe was rumoured to be a brothel back in the day, but it was actually at those other locations where she ran that business. Of course, gossip doesn't stop there. Some of you may have even heard of those tunnels that supposedly run under Nina's cafe. Well, sadly these tunnels do not actually exist (or so they say). Finally, the last thing I'll clear up is that yes, it is indeed pronounced NINE-uhs and not KNEE-nahs. RIP to all of you that corrected me over the past few years.

Mystery to me: Where the heck is the bathroom?

Nina's cafe is in a beautiful building that is only more breathtaking on the inside. The high ceilings and abundant natural light always puts me in a good mood. There is also plenty of seating and it's quite diverse: from couches to nooks and tables. That being said, it is a popular place and it does tend to be crowded. Regarding the bathrooms, there is only one, but it has been out of order the past few times. But no need to fear my fellow sensitive tummy folx as there are two backup bathrooms in Blair's Arcade– the building connected to Nina's. The only issue is... finding them can be a bit of a hassle, but Juliet and I have done it and are here to do the work so that you don't have to!

Directions to Narnia: alright, you're going to want to step outside the side door into the main hallway and take a right (if you take a left, you will be exiting the building, so uh don't do that). Walk down that mirror hallway past the hair salon and the fountains. Once you step foot on the carpet, you're going to want to go just a bit further until you see the first hallway to the left. Turn left into it and then left again at the end. There, you will see two doors with the lockpads and all that's left to do is punch it in and lock the door behind you!

Mirage: Are you actually working?

Although Nina's Cafe is a really nice spot to be in and fulfill your desire for a coffeshop work aesthetic, it may not be the best place if you really need to focus. If you're like me and are easily distracted, you are better off bringing some noise cancellation headphones and doing work that does not require all of your attention. It is usually pretty full, so there is always quite a bit going on. I would not take a meeting here nor would I come here if I had a lot of reading to get done. Nina's cafe is still a great place to have a fun drink and catch up with a friend. They also have a free parking lot nearby!

The Dance: To eat or not to eat

The coffee at Nina's is pretty decent (so Juliet tells me) and they have a few fun, and really good, teas. They have a few seasonal drinks that are always fun and I would definitely recommend. They also have a few dairy-free milks and we love having options. Here is some coffee data:

While the food at Nina's isn't terrible, it was not my favorite. I've only tried three different pastries and was not in love with any of them nor would I have them again. They also have a breakfast burrito and quiche that I may be trying sometime in the near future, because I will definitely be coming back to Nina's.

Pro tip: some drinks made with caramel have quite a bit of dairy in them. Even with a dairy-free milk, I would caution my lactose-unfriendly peeps to stay clear of them no matter how good they are :(