24 Carrot Magic at Otto's
Among the myriad things the pandemic reminded us was to support local businesses you care about seeing on the other side — as long as they themselves aren’t totally out to lunch. In May 2020, Sylvan Park denizens were blindsided by the owner of longtime standby Star Bagel posting a bunch of QAnon rhetoric on the business’s site. By taking SB out of the equation, the area becomes a coffee chasm, with the exception of the sleepy, slow branch of Dose right off I-440. I’ve always preferred Headquarters — over on Charlotte Avenue, across from Richland Park — which turned 10 years old this year. A gem hiding in plain sight, it’s not much of a spot to post up at, but the coffee never disappoints. Call me a basic millennial, but the avocado toast rules too. A couple blocks east on Charlotte sits the Headquarters folks’ nighttime endeavor, Otto’s, a refurbished auto shop (hence the name) and welcome new destination for West Siders and visitors to catch up over cheap margaritas and tacos.
