from the Ukraine
near The Ace Hotel
X Stumptown Coffee
The air was turning on me. At first warm, it was becoming increasingly chilly, that L.A. chill, the one that feels heightened when you’re surrounded by historic buildings that act as a wind tunnel. I was headed toward the Ace Hotel where I know they serve Stumptown Coffee Roasters while I was waiting for a dinner date. And then, he appeared, out of a near cubby entrance of a jewelry shop that seemed to be standing for at least five decades. He asked for my portrait, I said yes. But, I knew I was also saying yes to following my intuition to find someone interesting on my way to a coffee. Meet Anatole.
“I’m like a coffee addict, I’m trying to cut that. But, I don’t care about the coffee place. The person is important. Photos are an excuse to get into another world; people are another world.”
He and his world view didn’t disappoint.