Taking a seat in the corner gave me a full view of the parade of regulars that started to pour in at 11:30 a.m. If this is any indicator, the two young owners of Two Teaspoons Café, Katie Karlstrom and Nyki Delorme, have settled in and made many friends since opening last October.

The entrepreneurs opened up shop where the Steilacoom Café formerly existed, offering small panini sandwiches, wraps, breakfast items and pastries made from scratch. Check out Caffé D'arte coffee and espresso, Mad Hat tea, bottled juices and sodas for drinks. Just around the corner from Jake's Bar & Bistro in downtown Steilacoom, the micro-café has inside seating for only 17 people. The cozy environment encourages chitchat with neighboring tables. Flip side? Zero privacy. The bench tables are about one foot from each other. Outside seating is available.

Thanks to hot-tipper and lifelong Tacoma-area resident Barb D., I enjoyed a new vegetarian panini packed with sweet red and yellow peppers, hummus, mozzarella cheese and mild pepperoncinis while gazing at the Puget Sound and the ferry dock. A big mug of yerba maté hot tea left me feeling warm and snuggly, or maybe it was the way people were greeted by name and treated to beaming smiles from the welcoming women behind the counter.

[Two Teaspoons Café, 215 Wilkes St., Suite 102, Steilacoom, 253.292.0431]