Aaron Henkin, WYPR, senior producer, & Jessica Myles Henkin, co-founder of the Stoop Storytelling Series (shown with their children Charlie and Abby)
The Dizz, 300 W. 30th St. in Remington
“First off, the exterior of the place has enough neon and holiday lights to melt all the snow on the corner of 30th Street and Remington Avenue. Step inside, and the longtime host, Elaine, will give you a smile that warms you from the inside out. Sit down at a table next to the stone fireplace, order a burger, sip a local beer, and you have achieved the definition of coziness.”
— Aaron Henkin
“It’s where I go to get delicious food, comfort, matter-of-fact kindness from the staff, coupled with quirkiness without pretention. In essence, it’s all of the good stuff about this city I love dearly rolled into a restaurant.”— Jessica Myles Henkin
Hasdai Westbrook, founder of ChangingMedia creative agency
Village Square Café, 66 Village Square in the Village of Cross Keys
“Village Square Café reminds me a little bit of a Viennese coffee shop — and I’m half-Viennese. The gruff regulars discussing philosophy at one table, the power brokers from government at another, the families swirling around the counter with kids running off to raid the basket of toys by the bookcase. I like that it’s open but cozy, and how the staff are always smiling even when they’re rushed. And they’ll tell you I can’t resist their chicken salad sandwich.”
Jessica Anya Blau, author of “The Trouble With Lexie” and other books
Atwater’s at Belvedere Square Market,, 529 E. Belvedere Ave. in Govans
“I like working at Atwater’s because it’s always filled with people and I don’t feel so alone. When I stop to think, I look around and everything I see is interesting: the patrons, the employees … lots of nice faces with great tattoos or fascinating piercings. When I sit back at the bar, the warm, golden light filters in from the front window. It makes the place feel cozy.”
Arthur J. Magida, author of “The Nazi Séance” and other books
At home in Mount Washington
“What’s a boy to do when his two favorite restaurants close within weeks of each other? First, Desert Café, a staple of Mount Washington, dimmed its lights in late October. In summer, I dined barefoot on the porch to the owner’s delight because, as she said, it meant I felt like I was at home. And indeed, I was. Three weeks later, Chocolatea shuttered its doors. Near [Johns Hopkins University] in Tuscany-Canterbury, Chocolatea had the largest, least expensive, most noodle-y bowls of Asian soup this side of Tokyo. I never understood the name of the place, but I understood their hospitality. And I understood what it meant when I could walk in there every two weeks or so and be greeted by name. So now, with no place where I can cozy up during the brutal storms of winter, I’ve decided to stay home, dipping hazelnut biscottis into homemade hot chocolates, and praying that by the time the spring thaw comes, a new place will open where everybody knows my name.”
Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin, spiritual leader and environmentalist
One World Café, 100 W. University Parkway in
Tuscany-Canterbury
“One World Cafe has what most great places offer — it is located in one of my ‘neighborhoods’ so it’s convenient to get to on the way to or from meetings, libraries and work. It’s a place where I might bump into acquaintances I am happy to see. It has quirky seating — a sofa, tables with old-fashioned school chairs, bench seating with pillows, and a great menu of vegan and vegetarian dishes. And you can order anything from a drink to a full-course meal, and they are happy either way.”
Photos by Zephan Blaxberg