I recently popped into the Equal Exchange Café (226 Causeway Street, Boston, 617.372.8777) — brainchild of a West Bridgewater-based coop — for what turned out to be a rich, smooth cup of Joe. Sure, they’ve got free parking, organic coffees and teas from around the globe, and a space that would make even the hardest-core greenie want to move right in (think all reclaimed wood, recycled building materials, and compostable cutlery).
But the best part? Their fair-trade, locally roasted Nicaraguan blend — the first coffee the group ever served when they started working with farmers in 1986. Plus, Equal Exchange offers light lunch and snacks from local farmers and businesses like Cambridge’s the Biscuit Bakery, Somerville-based Petsi Pies, and Glutenus Minimus, a company offering gluten-free goodies. Add to that organic fruit from Boston Organic, bread from Iggy’s, and fabulously exotic chocolates from Peru and the Dominican Republic (fair trade, of course), and you’ve got a spot that’s not only free of the dreaded Birkenstock-sock combo, but that serves up some delish green-bean coffee with a side of taste-good, feel-good food.
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