Showing posts with label Durham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Durham. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Cocoa Cinnamon / Little Waves Coffee Roasters


Subject: Cocoa Cinnamon / Little Waves Coffee Roastery
Location visited: Chapel Hill Rd (Lakewood), Durham, NC
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

The worst time to get to a coffee shop is the last 15 minutes. The baristas are starting the closing process, most baked goods are gone and the general atmosphere can be sometimes hostile. But one near-closing experience proved to be the perfect stop for a long day in Durham.

Sunday, September 11, 2022

People's Coffee


Subject: People's Coffee
Location visited: Durham, NC
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

When folks look for lodging, typically they either want to be around amenities or they want relative seclusion. The typical unfortunate scenario unfolds in finding a nice hotel in a highly-populated area with little to see or do nearby. Nonetheless, every now and then an occasional match is made. Such was my fortune last time I passed through Durham, North Carolina when I found an affordable Hyatt nearly abutting a coffee shop of repute, People's Coffee. 

Wednesday, August 31, 2022

The Freedom Cafe



Subject: The Freedom Cafe
Location visited: Durham, NH
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

It's amazing how ten years can elapse between the first visit of a place and getting there again. Many times it's a matter of distance, other times it's circumstances and most often it is because I have not found a way to make it fit into the schedule.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Boxo



Subject: Boxo
Coffees Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Joe Van Gogh: Nicaragua Selva Negra 5
- Larry's Coffee: Colombia Fonco Paez 5

Sleuthing out great coffee is something I really enjoy. Much like Indiana Jones thrives on risking his life to unearth forgotten or really-hard-to-find artifacts, I love seeking out great coffees from great roasters. And while much of my social circle does not share this passion, it seems I have a few kindred spirits in the folks behind the subscription coffee service Boxo.

Monday, January 14, 2013

CC: Scratch Bakery



Subject: Scratch Bakery
Location: Durham, NC
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


In the culinary arena, few food mediums tickle my digestive system more than pies. Savory or sweet, I think I could eat pie at almost any meal (save Thanksgiving dinner; a turkey pie could never replace the bird). Naturally, when I was in the area of Durham, I penciled into my itinerary a bakery with multiple pie accolades from publications like Food & Wine and Bon Appetit. But when I found out they purveyed great coffee too, it became a must on my short trot around town.

Stopping en route one morning on my way to some business, I located the bakery bustling but not overtly crowded at its side street location. A quick glance foretold of an enticing venue, with its glass front that leads the patron into their brightly arrayed space, with a chic, modern array of furniture to seat the visiting masses.

Ordering coffee before pie (a necessity), I decided on an espresso of Intelligentsia's Black Cat and a drip of an Intelly-concocted House Blend. The espresso, pulled short with brown crema, reverberated unsweetened cocoa, spinach, lime, nutmeg, fig, thyme and lemongrass, all together holding a nice measure of acidity and spice. The drip of the House smacked of almond, croissant, carrot, root beer, milk and some cashew in a brothy yet sweet cup of coffee.

After my coffee, I dug gleefully into two different pies (any bakery listed in the top 10 pie places in the nation deserves 2 slices of pie), all to find a confirmed haven of great pie accompanied by great coffee. If you're close, scratch deep the surface of Scratch.


Monday, October 12, 2009

CC: Breaking New Grounds

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What's does "CC" mean?

Subject:
Breaking New Grounds
Location visited: Durham, NH
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]


I
n a time where people trust web content over verbal endorsements and a useful web page can be created by a toddler, it still amazes me that many companies and organizations lack websites. This realization becomes even more frustrating for me when I seek good coffeehouses on the web and a coffeehouse holds no legitimate web presence.

The lack of a website would be one reason why I passed over Breaking New Grounds in my initial New Hampshire research. Fortunately, I met a coffee-savvy local soon after rolling into town and he pointed me back to the NH coffee shop.

Breaking New Grounds' Durham location resides on a cute main street outside the University of New Hampshire. With their simple-yet-sharp outside furniture and proximity to a good bike rack, I really thought the spot perfect for a soothing read on a warm day. Inside, the venue is long in orientation, with seating in the front and back of the shop (even right in the front window) and lots of local art.

Breaking New Grounds roasts their own coffee, with many to pick from on their back wall. That morning they had their El Salvador available so I sipped on the lightly-roasted coffee with flavors of of sweet pear, flowering grass and caramel. The espresso was pulled short/medium with fair crema, a milky texture and flavors of sugar cane and chocolate; a decent pair of shots that with a few tweaks could have been amazing espresso. The tea is free leaf.

Once again, experience has retaught me not to rely purely on coffee operations with decent websites (no matter how easily everyone could have one). If you're in Durham or near the other location in Portsmouth, consider Breaking New Grounds for a short stop.