NOLA Cafes: Spun Cafe at the CAC

Finally back into the swing of things at work, I finished my Friday morning meetings, took care of some personal business downtown and found myself with an additional hour of time on my parking meter.  It was time to dive into my afternoon work to do list and needed a place to settle.

I decided to try a new angle in my search for the perfect NOLA cafe and ventured into the Cultural Arts Center in New Orleans' Central Business District (aka: downtown).

A few years back, I went to some actual art exhibits in the CAC and didn't even notice that upon entering the beautiful old industrial brick building was a shop for "coffee & cocktails".

Parked right across the street, I had no choice but to pay a visit to Spun Cafe at the CAC.

Snuggled in my work spot, I had a perfect view of the magnificent architecture of this building. 

Despite the would-be distracting artwork and drool-worthy features of the building, I was able to get quite a bit of work done in this space. A double espresso never hurt anyone either. 

There were only about 4 more customers along with me, so crowd control was good.  The cafe was playing hip, jazzy music. My coffee was perfectly strong, and while I wasn't biting, Spun did offer a variety of good pastries and snacks. 

Bonus: if you come at a different time of day with a different agenda, the place also offers cocktails, so you can turn your visit into something more romantic or social. 

I'll have to try the cappuccino to really know where my heart is on this place, but the way it's looking now, I give Spun Cafe 4 out of 5 cups. 

This is part of the exhibit Water, by Edward Burtynsky 

I LOVE this one. 

The only thing that was missing for me was a bit more warmth in the decor. I like industrial, but when it's mixed with a little soft, rustic edge. 

Next time, I'd also like to add an art viewing to my visit. I live in a city saturated with art and it's really a crime not to take advantage.