MILKBOY COFFEE IS FULL OF SWEET TREATS AND SWEET SOUNDS

As I came through the door of MilkBoy Coffee, I was welcomed by the sweet smell of coffee, soothing piano music and a warm greeting from the barista.

Located on the mainline in Bryn Mawr, this small coffee shop is full of personality. The walls are covered with paintings, photographs and other artwork from local artists, some of which is for sale. Small tables and comfortable chairs face a small stage. The lighting is low in the dining area, directing the focus toward performers.

MilkBoy Coffee is an acoustic café, offering a variety of food, drink and live music. Breakfast foods include bagels, wraps, oatmeal and pastries. Sandwiches and soup are available for lunch. I chose to indulge in a pumpkin spice latte, MilkBoy’s featured specialty drink, along with a pumpkin muffin. Both were delicious and, because of MilkBoy’s 10% student discount, also affordable.

The stage, lit by an antique-looking chandelier, sits in the café’s corner, offering acoustic musicians a quaint place to share their talent.

Wednesday is MilkBoy’s weekly open mic night. Those interested in performing should arrive at 6:30 p.m. for setup. Music begins at 7 p.m. Though that is the café’s only weekly performance time, there always seems to be someone performing at MilkBoy Coffee.

Radnor High School’s Euterpe Music Club took the stage on Monday and plan to perform every second Tuesday of the month.

Ellie Perez, student president of this group, is a singer/songwriter who is not only involved with Euterpe, but also creates solo music (www.myspace.com/ElliePerezMusic) and is part of The Black Ties (www.myspace.com/TheBlackTies001).

Perez, along with the rest of the Euterpe Music Club, played guitar and piano, sang and had a all-around great time at MilkBoy Coffee. The advisor of the group, Dr. Donal Mcgay, also took center stage, gracing the crowd with his talents by singing and playing the guitar.

Although the Bryn Mawr MilkBoy Coffee seems like a one-of-the-kind venue, there are now three MilkBoys in or around the Philadelphia area: MilkBoy Coffee, MilkBoy Recording and MilkBoy Philadelphia.

The Bryn Mawr MilkBoy was the second location founded, hosting only acoustic musicians.

The first MilkBoy was opened in 1994 as a music-recording studio. In 2005, MilkBoy expanded the studio by transforming it into a coffee shop. This café is located at the corner of Lancaster Avenue and Cricket Avenue in Ardmore. MilkBoy Recording has 3 recording studios, a lounge and small kitchen.

Recently, on August 15, a third MilkBoy was opened on the corner of 11th and Chestnut in Philadelphia. The new venue offers all the MilkBoy favorites: coffee, food and live music, but has also added a full bar to the mix.

With all of its food made from scratch, a full bar and a full stage, Philadelphia’s new MilkBoy has the potential to be the most popular yet.

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