Showing posts with label cafe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cafe. Show all posts

Friday, October 01, 2021

Vagrant Coffee


Subject: Vagrant Coffee 
Location visited: Philadelphia, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Despite its proximity, there's not a lot of motive for me to visit Baltimore these days. Sure I blame it partially on the pandemic, but I would also chalk it up to just a lack of good impetus to visit the city in general (though as I write this post, I am chalking up some interest in a visit). Thus, when I found a Baltimore coffee roaster had set up a Philly presence, I figured that would be a perfect compromise for the time being.

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

The Clay Cup



Subject: The Clay Cup
Location: Altoona, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I have driven past Altoona many times but my past itineraries/passengers have never allowed me to make a stop before. Fortunately I was able to remedy that on a recent trip west, where I was able to stop in town not only to take in the local sites but to grab some coffee as well.

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Clyde Coffee


Subject: Clyde Coffee
Location visited: Missoula, MT 
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Navigating a frozen pass is one of the few things I dislike about the northwest mountains. Living on the east coast, we have our share of icy slopes but not many of them exist on an interstate. Just recently, I had to get from Spokane to Missoula around the beginning of March, and since every realistic route involved a major mountain crossing, I just went with the obvious road and took Lookout Pass. Thank the Lord it was mostly thawed by the time I got to it, but the experience still proved slightly harrowing.

Friday, September 18, 2020

Little Goat Coffee Roasting Co



Subject: Little Goat Coffee Roasting Co
Location: Newark, DE
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

A college town without great coffee nearby is a sad educational prospect. Personally, my alma mater still lacks a great coffee option abutting campus (though there's one a short drive away), so when I visit towns harboring an institution of higher education without a good local coffee shop, I definitely feel a pang of shared sorrow for its students. 

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Cafe Red



Subject: Cafe Red
Location: Seattle, WA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I had never before visited Seattle in the winter, but for a trip in February it was quite beautiful, especially compared to a NJ winter. Aside from the general warmer weather, the green evergreens of the area wonderfully offset the dreary skies, but the likely silver lining to Seattle that had the most effect is the plethora of coffee options.

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Hivolt



Subject: Hivolt
Location: New Orleans, LA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Getting a quality meal and a good cup of coffee at the same time used to be a rare occurrence. Fortunately the days have grown brighter and coffee is no longer an afterthought. Specifically in the past decade, things have greatly improved in the food world so that brunch spots and fine dinner establishments now purvey quality coffee from excellent roasters instead of capsuled espresso or cooked coffee from an urn long overdue for a cleaning.

Friday, May 22, 2020

Treeline Coffee Roasters



Subject: Treeline Coffee Roasters
Location: Bozeman, MT
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

There are a few states that hold a special place in my heart, and the hardest one to physically get to has been Montana. After a decade of foiled attempts, I finally found myself back in Bozeman just a few months ago. North of Yellowstone and full of old memories, I was delighted to find so many good coffee options, some from yore but many new to me.

Monday, February 17, 2020

Steamworks Coffee





Subject: Steamworks Coffee
Location: Lockport, NY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

If one spends any time in Upstate New York, the Erie Canal must come up at some point. When I lived in Syracuse, there were markers and signs everywhere, showing where the waterway once played so prominent a role in the city life. Sadly (or fortunately depending on your opinion) the canal has largely been covered over in places like Syracuse, but for folks looking to see what used to be, there are still a few towns that have kept their canal heritage and charm, and if you had to pick just one to visit, I would suggest none other than Lockport.

Monday, January 27, 2020

Tipico Coffee



Subject: Tipico Coffee
Location: Buffalo, NY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Twelve years ago, my first impression of Buffalo was a resounding "bleh." Maybe it was because I visited in late winter and the chilly winds coming off Lake Erie made the trip less enjoyable, or maybe it was because my first taste of authentic buffalo wings was not nearly as euphoric as I had hoped (to this day, I have still not had amazing wings within Buffalo). But whatever it was, it was compounded by the fact that my first trip to Buffalo definitely lacked amazing coffee finds, and overall proved a sorry prospect for good brews.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Storied Coffee



Subject: Storied Coffee
Location: Scotia, NY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

The region around Albany is full of hidden gems. Whether you seek outdoor adventure, city amenities or stuff to do with the family, places in the Capital Region like Schenectady have a plethora of options.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Gracenote Coffee


Subject: Gracenote Coffee
Location: Boston, MA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

While large, spacious coffeehouses occupy a hallowed place in my heart, I do also greatly enjoy the more cozy cafes of the urban landscape. Carved into city corners and architectural oddities, such a shop doesn't necessarily need to command a certain square footage to be excellent, but more so, it pulls in customers due only to coffee excellence and miscellaneous splendor.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Rare Bird Coffee Roasters




Subject: Rare Bird Coffee Roasters
Location: Falls Church, VA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

As I recall it, the DC metro area was one of the few places on the east coast to first spawn (or at least feature) good coffee over a decade ago. Since then, excellent roasters and quality espresso havens have continued to thrive despite the horrid traffic and rising rents.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Solo Espresso




Subject: Solo Espresso
Location: New Orleans, LA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

When I first planned out a recent trip to New Orleans, one of the first Airbnb spots my wife spied sat adjacent to a coffeehouse. Never being too hopeful that such convenience can result in great coffee, I got my hopes appropriately low and googled the shop. Little did I know that said cafe would soon become one of my favorite coffee shops in the city.

Thursday, August 08, 2019

Oak Creek Espresso




Subject: Oak Creek Espresso
Location: Sedona, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Sedona continues to be one of my favorite spots in Arizona. My first visit south into the canyon from Flagstaff still gives me chills when I recall the majestic red rocks and towering pine trees.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Futuro




Subject: Futuro
Location: Phoenix, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

There are a few days each year where going out for coffee is more about escaping the heat than getting a cup of joe. These last few days across much of the USA has reminded many of the glory of a great air conditioner, especially when cold air is pumping throughout a great coffeehouse.

Monday, June 17, 2019

Rise Coffee House



Subject: Rise Coffee House
Location: St. Louis, MO
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Everyone wants a good coffeehouse somewhere in their morning routine, whether they know it or not. There's something transcendently better about grabbing a cup of freshly-made quality drip coffee with an egg-laden buttermilk biscuit from a local coffee purveyor, versus making it at home or work. Fortunately for the folks of The Grove in St. Louis, Rise Coffee House exists to make such AM dreams a reality.

Sunday, June 09, 2019

Exo Roast Co.




Subject: Exo Roast Co.
Location: Tucson, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

While I quite enjoy the eastern side of the USA, the sudden burst of heavy humidity every year around June makes me pine for drier regions. That's probably one reason I took such a quick fancy to Tucson. Even in the summer, its beautiful landscapes and agreeable climate made it a nice respite from the constant moisture that is the East Coast.

Monday, April 29, 2019

Rise 'N Grind Cafe




Subject: Rise 'N Grind Cafe
Location: Rising Sun, MD
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

It always amazes me how most folks don't explore their regional backyards. Whether it's ignoring local tourist sights or avoiding scenic detours, few people seem to fully drink in what their area has to offer.

Monday, April 22, 2019

Taylor Books Cafe



Subject: Taylor Books Cafe
Location: Charleston, WV
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

Local bookstores have largely vanished from the landscape, becoming a rare sight in most lands. Gone are the days of literary emporiums being ubiquitous with regular life, with only libraries really remaining as the final bastions of casual literary perusal. Whether it was a place to kill some time looking at new titles or a rendezvous for learning and coffee, such book havens are too few indeed.

Monday, April 08, 2019

Eurasia Coffee & Tea




Subject: Eurasia Coffee and Tea
Location: Springfield, MO
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

Many times when looking for a place to crash for a few days, I hope to find affordable-yet-swanky lodging that either offers excellent coffee or has good coffee within a short walk. Often such El Dorados are hard to come by, but every now and then one materializes out of nowhere.