You know the saying, “Fish and houseguests start to stink after three days?”  The rain hung around like a bad houseguest plus nasty old seafood after pouring for days on end.  The constant sprinkle can make traveling difficult, wardrobe choices confusing, and hair a disaster.  And for some, it can also really bring on the blues.  I am generally one of these people. 

When I started feeling a little down Thursday, I relocated to Northside Social to get a chai latte.  I don’t know where the impulse came from (other than I had a delicious experience with a chai there in the past), but on my way home, POOF!, there it was, a seemingly clear answer through the sheets of grey rain.  It took an umbrella, soaked pants, and wet shoes to get inside, but once I did, Northside welcomed me in, with local art on the walls, jazz playing, and all types of people reading and on their laptops – sipping on coffee and tea or dining on warm, comforting soups with hunks of bread and butter.  I just felt, well, warm and dry for the first time in a few days.

Northside Social has a lot to offer with a full menu, great coffee and espresso drinks, beer selections, and a full-on wine bar upstairs that opens every evening at 5 p.m. (except Sundays).  They also host coffee and wine tastings regularly and often host live music. The food at Northside is not what you generally expect from a coffee shop.  The same executive chef who oversees the menus at Lyon Hall and Liberty Tavern in Arlington is in charge of the tastes that Northside Social delivers.

But I should keep my priorities straight…back to the chai latte: it was a warm, frothy, sweet-but-not-too-sweet, masala chai. The herb-spice mix is just right in their version of the drink – a masala chai – which means they don’t use a crazy sugary mix that makes your stomach hurt later. Also, all the milk that Northside uses is local – they buy from Trickling Springs Creamery in Pennsylvania.

All in all, Northside made my southward feelings feel better.  Make the most of the rainy days - and starting today, the beautiful sunny ones, to come by to cozy up with a book or bask in the sun on the porch. Either way, hot or iced, a chai latte that comforts the soul.