Collage Coffee

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

It is not often I get to western Pennsylvania, but when I do I manage to always pass a sign advertising Grove City. Maybe it's that my wife points it out because she visited the town when she was looking at colleges with her father and sister back in the day, but regardless the reason, it wasn't until recently that I was finally able to make a visit.

Habit Coffee

Subject: Habit Coffee
Location visited: Chinatown location, Victoria, BC
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Traveling through the streets of Victoria, the city offers a lot of sights and wonderful distractions. As I was wandering through the Chinatown neighborhood, I emerged from Fan Tan Alley and found myself hankering for a good coffee respite. Lo and behold, so stood a Habit Coffee location, offering a perfect respite for me and my party. 

Otherside Bagel

Subject: Otherside Bagel
Location visited: Bellingham, WA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

In my experience, most shops that make their own bagels usually don't have great coffee. Especially when wandering around the east coast, most places that specialize in bagels don't put the same effort into their coffee. But in Bellingham, I found the fabled unicorn of an operation that makes great bagels and offered a solid coffee experience.

Gravel and Grind

Subject: Gravel and Grind
Location visited: Frederick, MD
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Frederick is a town I have seen quite a few times these past few years and much like a lot of cities in the northeast, it has historic charm mixed with newer construction. But of all the sights and shops, one spot I really enjoyed in Frederick was it's bicycle + coffee shop, Gravel and Grind. 

Elysian Coffee Roasters

Subject: Elysian Coffee Roasters
Location visited: Downtown Vancouver, BC
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Every time I have been to Vancouver, I swear I see a different city. The most recent visit, I was blessed with a gorgeous day to wander from my parking spot downtown over to Granville Island. 

Hide + Seek Coffee

Subject: Hide + Seek Coffee

Location visited: Fairfield Road, Victoria, BC
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Few cities allure me more than Victoria, and one of the reasons is the variety of coffee shops the area boasts. One that is truly tucked away down an alley is aptly named Hide + Seek Coffee. With two locations, both with amazing patios for nice weather, I was in the neighborhood of their Fairfield Road location one beautiful summer day and was able to stop in.

Artbean Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

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

While one does not easily access NYC from outside the city, once you're in Manhattan, there are few places like it. The odd infrastructure boasts lots of quizzical streets and offbeat nooks that offer lots of gems to those that seek them out. On one such recent visit to Chinatown, I managed to find such a gem at a cafe and roastery dubbed Artbean Cafe. 

Camber Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Camber Coffee
Location: Bellingham, WA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I love taking my family on road trips. With a packed minivan filled to the teeth, I would far rather take a long pilgrimage with my wife and kids versus a solo trip. But on these wonderful excursions, one lovely feature that has grown over the years is a tradition that some mornings, everyone asks to sleep in and I am permitted to wake up at sunrise in order to hit a nearby coffee shop or two. 

Propaganda Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Propaganda Coffee
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

A good late afternoon coffee is sometimes a telling litmus test. While the afternoon is usually slower, so the baristas can take their time more than in the morning rush, the afternoon can be prone to aging coffee in the pump pot, fatigue or simply a desire to get the shop closed a little early. Some shops fare well in this test, and others not so much.

Vibrant Coffee Roasters

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

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

Sometimes it's nice not being invited. My aunt recently treated my daughters to a show in Philadelphia and (mostly for price purposes) did not extend the offer to take me, her grown nephew (the audacity). While some folks would have taken issue with this snub, I was actually delighted to have reason to finally make a proper visit to Vibrant Coffee Roasters. 

General Porpoise

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: General Porpoise
Location: Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Navigating Seattle on a recent visit, I had a great hankering for a curd-filled donut with a good cup of coffee. While such places exist, it's hard to find quality donuts with great coffee. Fortunately Seattle has a few to choose from, with one of the most colorful being a local favorite called General Porpoise.

Equinox Coffee Co

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Equinox Coffee Co.
Location: Norfolk, VA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

There’s a few coastal cities that don’t really feel a whole lot like a typical metropolitan area, and one of those is Norfolk, Virginia. Whether it’s all the navy ships, the proximity to Virginia Beach or the fact that I only visit once a year, Norfolk just hits different.

The Blackbird Coffeehouse

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Blackbird Coffeehouse
Location: Port Angeles, WA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

For the many wonderful things I have heard of the Olympic peninsula, no words did the place justice. When I visited, I stood in awe at the natural beauty of the park and how shockingly close the town sat to the doorsteps of the National Park. Fortunately, for the brief time I spent in the port wedged between the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic mountains, I managed to find a great coffeehouse that added to the beauty.

Grounding

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Grounding
Location: Red Lion, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Every now and then in my travels, I come across a gorgeous coffee shop. But every once in a great while, I meet a cafe that has iconic aesthetics. One of my most recent finds was a shop nestled in an old factory furnace in Red Lion, PA with much of its old construction still intact, a place called Grounding.

Revolver

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject:  Revolver

Location: Vancouver, BC
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I have been to Vancouver once before, but my first visit was very much a small foray. After many years, I finally was able to allot some time to give the city a proper tour and boy have I been missing out. From the city's water taxis to it's very alluring neighborhoods, the city truly lived up to its vibrant reputation.

Hey Happy

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Hey Happy
Location visited: downtown Victoria, BC
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I have longed to visit Victoria, British Colombia for almost half of my life, and I was finally able to make a pilgrimage happen. I've been nearby in Seattle and Vancouver a dozen times, but the lack of roads to Vancouver Island paired with my east coast apprehension of ferries kept me at bay (pun intended). Finally, after cementing some intentional recreational plans, I was able to experience the beauty of this island gem one sunny weekend. 

Devocion Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Devocion Coffee

Location visited: downtown Brooklyn, NY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

If people had told me a decade ago that a roaster could have a steady, dynamic roster of excellent coffee from only one country, I would have thought the roaster overly ambitious and foolhardy. But where some roasters have fallen short, Devocion Coffee has succeeded. 

Elm Coffee Roasters

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Elm Coffee Roasters
Location: Seattle, WA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Seattle remains one of my favorite cities to wander. Whether it's the heart of the city or one of the nearby suburbs, the city is full of little curious nooks and unique small businesses to explore. 

Buzzsaw Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Buzzsaw Coffee
Location: Williamsport, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

If you look at life in America one hundred years ago, one thing that really stands out is the industrial landscape. Factories and mills used to populate the landscape, much like our current strip malls. But now, it seems that only the ruins and bones of these past edifices remain. 

Realfine Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Realfine Coffee
Location visited: 35th Ave, West Seattle, WA
WiFi?: sure
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Nothing compares to the feeling of getting back to a place you missed. This feeling proved to be a profound experience in returning to Seattle recently. Back in 2019, I had last been in Seattle right before the COVID lock downs, and now that much of that was behind, I was jubilant to return to one of my favorite cities. 

Black Fox Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Black Fox Coffee
Location visited:  550 Madison Ave, Manhattan, NY
WiFi?: not sure actually
Rating: 6+ [see key]

For all of the traffic nightmares I have getting into New York City, I genuinely love the cafes that the city fosters. There are postage stamps espresso bars, old print-shops-now-coffee-shops and sometimes coffeehouses so pretty and idyllic, their existence defies belief.

Decibel Coffee Works

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Decibel Coffee Works
Location: Tucson, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

As someone who grew up within the grip of the New Jersey winter, the concept of a coffeehouse with only outside seating is a foreign concept. I have seen a few places make the concept work over the years, but one of the best iterations I witnessed exists in Tucson at Decibel Coffee Works.

Camellia Coffee House

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Camellia Coffee House 
Location: Lansdowne, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

These days there seems to be more and more coffee shops opening, but not a lot of good ones. A lot of shops are quick to open heavy on aesthetics yet low on the quality of their coffee. Fortunately, there's still great shops to find, as I some time ago found the delightful oasis of Camellia. 

Minch Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Minch Coffee
Location: Clermont, FL
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

Everyone loves the idea of interacting with animals, even if only in certain ways. Cat cafes definitely seem like a great idea for the subset of humanity that enjoys hanging out in a closed environment with cats. I always had a hard time reconciling the concept until I visited Minch Coffee and the Orlando Cat Cafe. 

The Kitchen Table Cafe

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Kitchen Table Cafe
Location: Callicoon, NY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

The land along the northeast edge of Pennsylvania that borders New York is both a pretty and curious area. Dotted with many quaint towns, I found the region to be an odd mix of bucolic scenery juxtaposed with herds of day-trippers (mostly) from the surrounding metropolitan centers. 

Boonton Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

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

There are lots of towns in New Jersey and New York I don't get to a whole lot purely because my trajectory rarely leads me northeast these days. But sometimes, the busy thoroughfares of northeast NJ must be traversed, and on my most recent such romp I found myself in a charming town at the threshold of Boonton Coffee.

Infusion Coffee and Tea Crafters

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Infusion Coffee and Tea Crafters
Location: Tempe, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Trying to get to an off-site coffee shop between business conference sessions is often like a leg of the Amazing Race. Half the time, the targeted cafe is just far enough away that you only have enough time to grab the coffee and get back before you are poignantly missed. 

XO Coffee Shop

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: XO Coffee Shop
Location: Kissimmee, FL
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

There exist many combinations of services I have seen with a coffee shop, but a tattoo parlor would be a first for me. 

Pressed Coffee & Books

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Pressed Coffee & Books
Location: Pottsville, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

People say a lot of things are the perfect ying to the yang of coffee, but for many of the world that grew up before Amazon destroyed bookstores, books have a special place in the evolution of coffee culture. There's something about flipping through a fresh brook while sipping on a hot cup of coffee that just makes one pine for simpler times. 

Sagebrush Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Sagebrush Coffee Shop and Roastery
Location: Chandler, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

It certainly is no indication of good coffee, but there's something about giant coffee shops. There are precious few in the northeast but once the region of super high rents begins to fade in the rear view mirror, the landscape starts to blossom with shops the size of houses. One recent visit to Arizona turned up a fine specimen, a gorgeous, large footprinted cafe slinging out good coffee called Sagebrush.

Persimmon Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

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

I traverse Northern Liberties much less than I used to, but it's always good to see quality coffee shops when I do get over there. One seasonal day, I had some time to squander so I made over to a shop I had heard much good of, a cafe called Persimmon Coffee.

Lit / Monocacy

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Monocacy Coffee Co / Lit Coffee
Location: Bethlehem, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I have fabulous memories of Bethlehem, PA. I recall visiting a distant cousin and going to a Christmas market as a child, stopping by for numerous respites while passing through and recently, a long-overdue tour of the silent steel mill. Sadly not many of these visits had a great coffee stop but that fortunately changed on my most recent visit.

Yellow Brick Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Yellow Brick Coffee
Location: Tucson, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

While wandering through Tucson on my last trip, I found myself in a business park looking for great coffee. While this location is no longer present (see the new storefront pictured from their website above), I found myself at the (old) roastery location for Yellow Brick Coffee.

Foxtail Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Foxtail Coffee
Location visited: Hunter's Creek in Orlando, FL
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

About 10 or so years ago, it always shocked me how much the Orlando area lacked great coffee. I then chalked it up to high real estate prices or people not wanting hot beverages, but despite whatever the hurdles, good coffee is far more plentiful now amidst the area strip malls. One particular contributor to the coffee scene is the many locations of one particular coffee enterprise called Foxtail Coffee. 

First Village Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: First Village Coffee
Location: Ossining, NY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Everyone has heard of Sleepy Hollow, but not many people traverse the once-sleepy-now-insanely-populated hamlet just over the Tappan Zee bridge (and before you correct me, that will always be the bridge name). Dotted with plenty of cute towns, one particular area stood out to me not for its affinity for pumpkin skulls, but instead for its quality coffee.

18 Grams Coffee Lab

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: 18 Grams Coffee Lab
Location: Culpeper, VA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

How I still wish I liked bicycling! I like the idea of the exercise, I like the idea of being dependent more on my own muscles for locomotion and I love coffee. Sadly the disconnect for me comes into elements of time and terrain, so for now I will just patronize the bike outfits that offer cafes.

Pair Cupworks

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Pair Cupworks
Location visited: Mesa, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Cafes that open for but a few hours have either mastered supply and demand, or they hold defiantly to old convention. And since few shops that have lines wrap around the block for a truncated AM rush, I would postulate that most cafes are letting prime real estate sit unused the majority of the day. 

Grit Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Grit Coffee
Location visited: Elliewood, Charlottesville, VA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

A great coffeehouse next to a college campus is something that is surprisingly lacking around most universities. Personally, I have attended or worked at several colleges that for one reason or another, had no good shop within walking distance of campus. Sure, it's not the end of the world, but the joy of drinking excellent coffee while you wander a nice campus cannot be easily matched.

Fog & Flame

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Fog & Flame Craft Coffee
Location: Bloomsberg, PA

WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I find that Pennsylvania still has gems unearthed even after criss-crossing the eastern half for the last twenty-something years. One particular new-to-me place was a town called Bloomsburg. Having seen it frequently in pamphlets as the backdrop to the local university, I was finally able to become acquainted with the town and a local coffee shop. 

GrindTime Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: GrindTime Coffee
Location: Gilbert, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Traveling for business often means random breaks perfect for coffee shop hunting. Equipped with a car during a recent conference in Phoenix, I had an hour to kill between sessions and I headed over to a new-to-me shop called GrindTime Coffee.

The Walk In

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Walk In
Location: Livingston Manor, NY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Good coffee rarely exists alongside good food. I know I say it a lot, but it's worth repeating since there is no excuse I'm willing to hear. Most eateries that dish quality meals still, even in this age of great coffee options, serve sad java to their patrons. Conversely, many coffee shops that serve excellent drinks (can) rarely serve a solid full menu. It is the great coffee-food conundrum. 

Mudhouse Coffee Roasters

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Mudhouse Coffee Roasters
Location: Charlottesville, VA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

It's not often that one experiences a coffee shop at a trade show, but such was the case with Coffee Fest some years ago. Trying a different form of competition, they tried a Best Coffeehouse competition and it was at such a NYC competition I ran into Mudhouse. Not having been to their native Charlottesville, I was blown away by their coffee and skill and vowed to one day make it to their Virginia shop.

Kream Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Kream Coffee 
Location: Phoenix, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

Combining a coffee shop with another business (or visa versa) has always been a great idea, but what happens from inception to conception can make or break the notion. 

Blackwatch Cafe

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Blackwatch Cafe
Location: Scranton, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Many coffee shops exist in a minimalist, white-walled retail space with some minor charm, but sometimes a unique gem works its way into the mix. Such was a winter visit to Scranton to a stand-alone stone shop at a public park where I found what looked more at home in the Scottish highlands than northeast Pennsylvania.