Terebinth Coffee brings blessed brews to downtown West Palm.
TER·E·BINTH /ˈTERƏˌBINTH/
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a small southern European tree of the cashew family that was formerly a source of turpentine. (www.terebinthcoffeehouse.com)
As the treasure coast further urbanizes, a cultural wave approaches. A colony of young-professionals and the professionally-young is thriving in the Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and Delray Beach downtown areas. And so the restaurants and bars and coffee houses have followed. They are all of them, these youthsters, regardless of trade, education,or oddball preference drawing deeply from the watering holes of this strange and libidinous zeitgeist we call the 18-35 demographic.
The establishments they frequent tend towards the traditional and the anti-traditional.
Tradition is a wood-burning stove behind an oiled-bar where chalked menus ride athwart of any wall they must in their need to advertise coffee, wine, liquour, beer; all at once . A body-modded barista, paradoxically suspendered, turns the iPad towards you, and you will sign for your French Press in loose fore-finger cursive before punching a 5, 10, or 15 % tip . It is a more sensitive fashion for those suspicious of time or afraid of it, but unable or unwilling to resist.
Anti-Tradition is less sensitive, but no less considerate. Faux-Greek or Egyptian columns invite you towards some patio of earthly delights where you can share in both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic smoke with friends at only a fraction of your average bottle service fee. Bottle service is also available, but not mandatory unless you deign to sit in the decomissioned school-bus/rumpus room. These are the places for people who are unlikely to care about what I have to say about the next.
Terebinth is, obviously neither of these things. Terebinth is a piece of art by owner and artist, Jim Madden. It feels like some Auteur filmmakers less-commercial but more impassioned joint. There is no give to it’s concept. As you walk past the entrance to the shop you will see a door displaying the operating-hours and a plate-glass window behind which sits an easel and a mess of canvas’ in progress. This is a working-studio space with coffee amenities. The insides are pleasant while avoiding any impulse towards overdesign. There is art on the walls available for purchase. Jim’s art. Sometimes I come here to work, other times I sit around and trade stories with the genuinely friendly baristas. Jim will sit and talk with you about his art or his life without any feeling of urgency or transaction. He was nice enough to bring one of his guitar’s down from the attic, a nice Taylor acoustic, and I strummed out some bashful Neil Young before retreating to my Americano.
Terebinth Coffee is located at 300 S Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach, FL 333401. Hours are MON-SAT: 7am-11pm.
