Nadines Coffee House

Nadines sits half a block from Narrative and could not feel more different. Where Narrative is busy and bright, this is the quiet one: hardwood floors, mellow jazz, the kind of room where the couple at the next table is deep in a game of chess and nobody is in a hurry. It is a room for staying in rather than passing through.

The drink to order is the one and one, and it is the reason this entry exists. A shot of espresso, a sparkling water chaser to reset your palate, and a cortado, all brought out together on a little tray. It is a deliberate way to slow down and it is the sort of thing you expect in Seattle and do not expect on a side street in Everett.

Finding it is the catch. Nadines sits back off the street in a parking lot rather than facing out from a storefront, so watch for the sign or you will walk straight past it. That obscurity is also why the room stays calm on a Saturday morning while there is a line down the block at Narrative.

Practical notes. Downtown parking is easy and mostly free, so park once and walk between Nadines, Narrative and the rest. On Sundays from Mother's Day weekend through early October the farmers market sets up right out front of both. And like most downtown Everett coffee it closes in the afternoon, so this is a morning stop.