I'll never forget the first time I stumbled into the Hard Times Cafe, half awake, unsure exactly what I'd walked into. The mix of people reminded me of the first time I walked down Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley -- as a closed-minded 17-year-old. I grew up like many of you in small town. Only my small town was located 2.5 hours south of San Francisco in Pacific Grove nestled between Monterey, Pebble Beach and Carmel. Pacific Grove is still today referred to as the "Last Hometown." I had no idea what to make of Telegraph. I'd yet to learn anything about the famous protests of the 1960s on "Telegraph Hill" leading up to and through the UC Berkeley Campus. The mix of malnourished gutter-punks with their malnourished dogs to match, college students and tourists caused for a collision of many world, my small world being the least of it.
I'd never witnessed anything like it before. Half afraid, half shocked and completely closed off. I never gave it a chance. There was no way I could have ever imagined I'd make Telegraph Ave. my home three years later. My mind and heart were not yet open to what I was seeing. Later it became one of my favorite places to buy records, pick up a slice of pizza at Fat Slice and shop for quirky Christmas presents. Berkley became a home away from the "Last Hometown", more comfortable within my East Bay surroundings than I ever was in Pacific Grove.
Hard Times Cafe reminded me of that feeling: Comfort amongst the freaks, everyone minding his or her business, and certainty that no one was judging you. Whether it was late at night after a few drinks, on a long break between classes or for a quick chai and muffin before heading out on the night, Hard Times was always open to anyone and everyone who was open minded enough to experience it. The 6 AM to 4 AM - 22 hours per day - afforded even the worst insomniacs amongst us a spot to be at peace. The restrooms were never been the cleanest. The random graffiti was never the most artistic. The patrons were always the most eclectic. And the menu is the most health conscious (mostly vegan and vegetarian) junk food available in the Twin Cities.
Hard Times has been closed since the beginning of August as they fought with the city over health codes violations and permitting. What all of the regulars are doing to fill his or her fix is anyone's guess. But I learned today that Hard Times is reopening this Saturday at midnight. I'm unsure whether that means the doors open at Friday night/Saturday morning at 12:00 midnight or if that means that the doors open at 12:00 midnight Saturday night/Sunday morning. Regardless of the details, which you can stay posted to on their MySpace page, I know that I'll be making a stop by sometime this Sunday for a quesadilla, and I look forward to re-introducing Hard Times back into my normal stomping grounds, just as I did with Telegraph Ave. many years ago.
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