This town is overrun with coffee shops and java slingers. But we'd like to think there's always room for one more...
 
Especially in cup-o-joe-deprived Upper Market. The Café at Café du Nord, prepared to fill a dire caffeine void and bring some beer along for good measure, opens Monday.

Started, not surprisingly, by the same guys who own Café du Nord and the Swedish American Hall, the Café is meant to deliver you many delights—from cappuccino and croissants to concert tickets, WiFi and beer (think: Yoshi's meets Ritual Roasters meets Cheers).
 
Kickstart your day sitting at the smooth, raw cypress bar with a Ritual Roasters double espresso and a few of Oakland's own Peoples Donuts. If you're staying for the WiFi, a front table by the window is your best bet, though the elevated ones by the bar have outlets to keep you fully juiced.
 
The Café is also here for you (like any good cafe should be) during that dead time before the bar downstairs opens and the concert next door begins. Order a ham-and-gruyere sandwich and wash it down with one (or all) of the four beers on tap (we like Racer 5).
 
For what you'd like to call: the pre-show buzz.