PT's Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: PT's Coffee Roasting Co
Location Reviewed: Topeka, KS
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I remember when I first got into quality coffee around 2006 that there were a few names well-known across the nation. One of those roasters of renown was PT's Coffee out of Kansas, a roaster I first sipped (and later reviewed) all the way back in 2008. Through the past decade, PT's has continuously impressed me with their excellent coffees yet a visit to Kansas to try them out on their home turf continuously eluded me.

Press Coffee Roasters

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Press Coffee Roasters
Location Reviewed: Tempe, in Nexa Apartments
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

It takes a lot of hard work to get legitimate national repute for excellent coffee. While there are tons of criteria that set great roasters apart from good roasters, I would cite two factors as most important: an adherence to consistent quality and an adaptable ingenuity that rolls and develops where opportunity allows. Having a good eye for design also helps (people do like books with nice covers).

TipTop

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: TipTop
Location: Thomas, WV
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Often I find myself in great towns purely because I heard there was great coffee there. Such was the case with Thomas, WV and the grand repute of local coffee oasis TipTop. I had been traveling northeast from Elkins and had planned a small detour for some mid-morning espresso and instead found a glorious small town full of interesting small businesses. In the midst of the multi-leveled streets dug into the hillside was my quarry, the illustrious TipTop.

Hammerhand Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Hammerhand Coffee
Location: Liberty, MO
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Some of the prettiest small towns reside in the midwest. In traversing Missouri for example, I have found gems such as Boonville and St. Charles to be delightful stops outside of their more populous (though equally delightful) neighbors. On my last visit to the state while on my way west from St. Louis, I was fortunate to find both a gorgeous locale and a great coffee establishment to add to my list.

Fourtillfour

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Fourtillfour
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Car aficionados love coffee, so it's only natural that Scottsdale, with its rust-free climate, would have a car-focused coffee establishment. Opened in 2016, Fourtillfour is a cozy garage-like coffee shop that not only boasts a superb patio, but also hosts monthly porsche nights as well as a similar night for off-roading vehicles.

Appalachian Coffee House

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Appalachian Coffee House
Location: Mt Nebo, WV
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

Few mountainous places on the east coast rival the Rocky Mountains of the west, and one of the more breathtaking eastern vistas worth beholding lies in West Virginia's New River Gorge. Full of rugged beauty, interesting history and small town gems, the area should be a must-see for anyone even remotely close.

The Monkey and The Elephant

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Monkey and The Elephant
Location: Philadelphia, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I have a fond place in my heart for coffee shops truly meeting a need beyond the morning americano. I've seen all different types of configurations and causes, but the first cafe I've visited that aims to help older foster youth is The Monkey and The Elephant in Philadelphia. While the cafe is only able to employ so many folks at one time, they're making big strides in individual lives and serving good coffee while doing it.

The Mine Cafe

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Mine Cafe
Location: Jerome, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

Not since watching the aerial shots of Minis Tirith in the Lord of the Rings have I seen a town as married to a hillside as Jerome. In the high places of Arizona exists a curious municipality with levels instead of avenues and winding streets exceedingly fun to navigate (except when there's ice). Yet despite its unorthodox layout and engineering challenges, Jerome still stands pretty much the same as it has these last hundred years, albeit a little less populated now then in its heyday.

The Grind

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Grind
Location: Morgantown, WV
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

A college town without an excellent caffeinated haunt strikes me as a country without a capital or a whale without a blowhole. What good is college if you lack a great coffeehouse from which to grab an early AM red eye or a late-night chamomile latte?

Boxwood Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Boxwood Coffee
Location Visited: Summit, NJ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

Despite the immense population density of northeast NJ, the options for great coffee are still fairly sparse in these congested lands. One can usually stand on any main road and spot a coffee-slinging entity, yet nine out of ten times that shop is hardly worth the visit. It's almost easier to find an honest NJ politician than a good cup of coffee.

Travellers House Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Travellers House Coffee 
Location: Springfield, MO
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

In my experience, too few coffee shops are open past supper. Yes, for the most part I get the economics as to why most shops close up around four, but man does an evening meet-up over well-crafted coffee hit the proverbial spot.