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Over Coffee
There was nothing “just regular” about the people I had coffee with at Sa Va Café this morning, not even the coffee.
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| Penny Fletcher Photo
Max Hill, Billy Taylor and John Thiffault, from Lake St. Clair off Big Bend Road, meet almost every day at the Sa Va Café, 5469 U.S. 41 across from MiraBay in Apollo Beach. When the restaurant isn’t busy, owners Sy and Leah Momenzadeh and their three children, including their daughter Arielle, on Mom’s lap, are often asked to join them. |
My hour there was anything but “common.” From the full-bodied flavor of the café’s house blend to the humor thrown at me by the people around our table, I must say it was one of the more enjoyable experiences of my week.
I’ve been having a really crazy time following a lightning strike that obliterated the air conditioning unit at my home. That one act caused a domino effect of malfunctions as several things essential to my line of work either burned up or stopped working- including (but not limited to) a battery meltdown in a camera and an overheated computer fan. I can’t believe I lived the first 30 years of my life without air conditioning in my house. But then, “back in those days” we didn’t have electronic devices!
Needless to say, I haven’t laughed much this week. But the people I sat with at Sa Va didn’t know any of this. All they knew was that they had me laughing the whole hour I was there.
It’s hard to interview people who have a funny comeback for every question. But the people around the table proved the point they wanted to make by doing just that. They don’t want to be viewed as a “serious” group. They meet almost daily - not to discuss the news or other issues - but to talk about “light” subjects, including sports and the funny things people do.
Sa Va’s owner-operator, Sy Momenzadeh, believes in creating an atmosphere where groups can meet, business people can bring clients to seal a deal, or an individual can just stop by to use the wireless Internet service, have a cold (or hot) drink, and enjoy a quiet moment in the middle of a busy day.
When Sy and his wife Leah and their three children aren’t working, they’re often invited to sit down and talk, and they’ve become friends with many of their regular customers.
From the Bible study bunch that “arrives religiously” (Sy says) every Friday morning, led by the Rev. Jack Palzer of Calvary Lutheran church, to the comedic trio I met this morning, Sa Va attracts an eclectic group.
eighbors in Lake St. Clair, a new development near Covington Park on Big Bend Road. Although Billy admits he isn’t much of a coffee drinker he had enough in common with the other two to accompany them to the café anyway.
“We laugh at everything,” Billy said. “Even when we talk about things like the cable company saying it’ll be $19.99 a month and then after all the taxes are added on it’s three times that.”
”Once we tried to figure how we could fit Billy in a Smart Car if we got one,” Max added. “We talk about things like that a lot.”
The crux of their friendship, John says, is that they like to cut up and keep things on the light side. “Once and awhile, people come in and try and sell us insurance or some other thing,” John said. “I guess we look harmless because a lot of people just sit down (at their table).”
I could easily see why. The three say their conversation is always as jovial as it was while I was there. Unlike most groups I write about, they didn’t want to champion any cause or discuss anything serious, although all three said they take sports events pretty seriously.
Max, an all-around Tampa Bay sports team fan, is a retired government worker from Denver who traveled with his wife Evelyn for five years before retiring here.
Billy and his wife Nyril came from New York City two years ago. A die-hard Mets fan, he has no intentions of switching alliances.
John and his wife Linda moved to this area two years ago from Massachusetts and he keeps his money on the Red Sox.
Sometimes the three fish together too, and while Max admits he doesn’t walk the two miles a day Billy and John do, the trio does other things together throughout the week. “We like to come here,” John said. “It’s become a regular part of our day.”
Others who like to cut up over coffee are always welcome. The group hits the tables at around 9:30 a.m. at Sa Va, 5469 U.S. 41 across from MiraBay.
*Perhaps you have something you’d like to share. Or maybe you’d rather tell the community about your favorite charity or cause: or sound off about something you think needs change. That’s what “over coffee” is about. It really doesn’t matter whether we actually drink any coffee or not (although I probably will). It’s what you have to say that’s important. E-mail me any time and suggest a meeting place. No matter what’s going on, I’m usually available for just one more cup. Or maybe you’d like to tune into the new radio show I’m hosting, “The Uncensored Reporter.” It’s available across the country on both AM and FM radio but so far I haven’t found out the call letters for our area so I just direct everyone to www.themicroeffect.com on their computers Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-to-4 p.m. It’s a call-in show so maybe you’ve got some ideas or comments you’d like to share on the air. Just click on “Listen Live” and give it a whirl.
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