The best coffee beans are grown in the center of the earth, but the farmer who dares to harvest them must overcome the infamous Lava Twins, infinite negative gravity, and his commitment issues. Grind the best beans growing above ground with today's Groupon: for $12, you get $25 worth of sandwiches, crêpes, and organic coffee at Café Felix, located inside Metro Music & Book Store.

Café Felix's well-caffeinated patrons snack and sip in the creative company of the adjoining book and music store. Before coffee streams into one of its ceramics, each bean journeys through an organic infancy and fair-trade adolescence before advancing into self-critical maturity in one of the café’s daily roasts. Coffee connoisseurs can imbibe a drip-brewed mug ($1.50–$2.25) or purchase fresh-roasted bean bags by the single pound ($12) or half pound ($6). Other energizers include cappuccino ($3.25–$4) and chai tea ($3.75–$4.50).

Beyond their brewing duties, baristas tuck crêpe coverlets around savory or sweet ingredients such as spinach and asiago cheese ($9.75) or honey and almond butter ($4.95), then sing them lullabies from French cookbooks. A lineup of sandwiches includes grilled cheese with cheddar, feta, and tomatoes ($8.95), and the Turkey #1, dressed with cranberry cream cheese, lettuce, and onions ($9.95). Underage hot-chocolate ($2.75–$3) drinkers and prodigal, coffee-swigging child doctors alike can enjoy a kid-size chocolate sandwich layered with Nutella and jelly ($5.95).

Café Felix's blaze-yellow and blush-wine walls are lined with local art and exchange warmth with an enamel stove stationed at the café's heart. An eclectic array of parlor chaises, fiddle-back chairs, and diner-style stools beckon noshers to sit while they read or enjoy free WiFi. Diners with dogs may munch at a special table reserved in the bookstore, although they cannot eat inside the café itself.

Reviews

Café Felix has been reviewed by the Anchorage Daily News:

• The Greek-style crepe was like an aria of music compared to its one-note companion. Pleasing to both the eye and palate, the crepe was filled with elements of flavor that made it sing. – Riza Parsons, Anchorage Daily News