A gem on the West Side….

Once you walk into the Fortunate Cup at 120 West Ave, you feel it. The earth tones, the comfy chairs and fireplace, the use of free wi-fi, the delicious aromas of fresh brewed coffees and soups cooking. Owner, operator Doreen Kamen likens it to her own home. Its a place that begs you to sit, sip and relax. You can grab a quick lunch or breakfast through the drive through window or sit outside with an iced tea and watch the world go by. And when chilly weather comes back and we all know it will, you can sit in front of the fire or watch the snow through the large windows. I found this shop quite by accident. I was working down the street and was looking for someplace different for lunch. Since I had an hour I thought I would check it out and have been coming back as often as possible ever since.

The Fortunate Cup doesn’t compare to other coffee shops in the area, downtown in particular. Its very new, only open since September 2008. Its very clean, with wood floors, chrome lighting fixtures and over sized chairs. Even the bathrooms are all automatic and gorgeous. And the food–excellent. Doreen developed the menu with a chef friend of hers. They offer soups, year round along with a host of gourmet paninis, salads and wraps. One of her most popular creations is a breakfast panini–eggs and other ingredients all melted together on a Belgian waffle.

If you are in the mood for something a little more traditional for breakfast, they offer muffins and scones. My favorite combination is a warm melty chocolate chip muffin with a hot, steaming, creamy mocha. Yes I am a chocoholic and proud of it!

The Fortunate Cup brings something much needed on the West side of Saratoga. A coffee shop with free and ample parking, a warm and inviting atmosphere; and a place where businessmen and women, students, or anyone else can come and enjoy a hot beverage, (or if you prefer one of their popular teas) a sweet or a lunch. Stop in often and take a look at their specials, try something new–like an authentic Italian gelato or my absolute favorite, The Woodsmen sandwich–a combination of roast beef, bacon and smoked gouda cheese with garlic mayo. Perfect. You too can discover this hidden gem right on West Ave.

Be sure to tell them you read it here on The Saratoga Traveler.