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What's does "CC" mean?
Location visited: Croton-on-Hudson, NYFree WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]
While I hardly visit the Hudson river and its many beautiful landscapes, I really do enjoy traversing the breathless vistas. It really makes you understand the lament that many Hudson River Schoolers had about the development that really overtook the area (I'm sure it was a billion times more gorgeous pre-development).
But after a nice dose of nature, my tongue began cramping for a spot of coffee. Fortunately, I had a spot nearby slotted for a visit called the Black Cow Coffee Company. The BCCC sits in a strip mall with not too much outside save their big sign and a one way parking lot. Within, the shop has a very agrarian look with all kinds of rustic furniture and other interesting rural pieces.
The Black Cow roasts its own coffee, with a bunch of different single origins and blends. I had their Mud blend via drip, which manifested a bright cup with samples of tobacco and apple; a good cup but a little bland as well. The espresso was presented as a short/medium pull with flavors of dark chocolate in front and hints of pineapple following, but there was also a noticeable amount of bitter char on the end. The tea is Republic of Tea.
Having quenched my appetite for a decent coffee, I made my way off to the cliffs overlooking the Hudson river (pictures of course). If you happen to be in the area either admiring the sights or just passing through, give the Black Cow a visit.
Since I'm not a big fan of mints or gum, and carrying the ol' toothbrush around doesn't work either, I really get excited when other options present themselves.
Recently, I had an opportunity to try out the Colgate Wisps (disposable little toothbrushes with the toothpaste infused) and while they were nothing compared to real brushing, it did help cleanse my mouth of its many microbial trespassers.
Thus if you're not all that into sugary solutions, the Wisp might be your answer.
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What's does "CC" mean?
Location visited: Vancouver, BCFree WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]
In my travels, Vancouver has thus far been my favorite Canadian city. The beautiful mountains shadowing the large metropolis really brings the best of the city to the prisitine wonder of the wild. From also what I understand, the weather also rarely gets too unbearable (it was relatively beautiful when I visited) and the culture has all sorts of facets to it.
But for me, the best part of Vancouver was the coffee (shocker!). As Seattle's Canadian neighbor, the city has in many ways distinguished itself quite noticeably in the coffee and espresso scene. Of the many places I wished to visit, the one at the top of my list was 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters' showcase cafe on W 4th Avenue. I had the fortune of imbibing their coffee in a couple other locations, all of which proved lovely, so to visit the mother ship gave me something to really look forward to.
Walking down the street on a lovely early spring day, I first beheld the cafe after I had nearly stumbled over it (the shops were close and much of the neighboring signage was quite loud). Stepping past their nice metal outside seating and retractable awning, I walked into their beautifully decorated shop with its vaulted ceilings plus their trademark blue and brown color scheme. I also want to note that this was probably the first cafe that I've seen more than a few employees working at the same time (I remember it numbering over 6!).
Getting straight to the coffee, I ordered 49th's Costa Rica via their Clover. The brew turned out wonderful, with an even-balanced, bright cup with hints of currants. The espresso also came out blissfully well, with a nice balance of sweetness and even a touch of saltiness, overshadowed with a wave of chocolate. The tea is free leaf of their own.
Given my lofty impressions of 49th Parallel Coffee and of Vancouver, I definitely left with an utter satisfaction of a good experience. If you're ever in town, definitely pop by 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters.
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Location visited: LA, CAFree WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]
Tourism purely for gastronomic reasons has become more and more popular. Sure people have always gone to places "for the food" but now the food has even eclipsed traditional tourist spots. Why bother with the Eiffel Tower when you can do a Parisian culinary crawl?
While I am not at the level of gastro-tourism to cut out my inedible touristy stops, I do like to make sure to see local spots that garner much praise. In my trip to LA, I made quite a few (including a stop at the famous Pink's Hot Dogs and an authentic buritto joint, El Tepeyac Cafe) but my last one to a cash-only Italian eatery in the area of Eagle Rock didn't work out so well and hence, I was left scrambling for a good meal off the cuff.
I drove all over Eagle Rock and didn't see anything appealing (I know I overlooked something good) and so I decided to just put my dinner on hold and for the time being, just grab some coffee at local coffeehouse, Swork Coffee.
Located on a corner in what seemed to be close to the center of town, Swork Coffee has a very intriguing look to it, with it's question mark logo and what looked like a Scandanavian influence in decor. The outside has a nice mix of outside seating with big red umbrellas, while the inside is a nice mix of foxy furniture and even a kid-friendly room.
Swork roasts their own coffee, some with pretty interesting names. I had the Clubhouse, their house blend, which tasted nutty, earthy and bright though also a little stale. The espresso was pulled to a medium volume and had a nice graham crackery taste and tinges of cocoa, yet also had a little bit of a dark bite on the end. The tea is loose leaf.
The stop at Swork ended up decent but it would have been a stop better suited for post-dinner. Looking back, I wish I had just tried a local place as I just ended up settling for a Cheesecake Factory appetizer much later that evening that proved filling, but nothing tremendous.
Anywho, if you're in Eagle Rock looking for a decent coffee, give Swork Coffee a stop.
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Location visited: Seattle, WAFree WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]
It proves very hard finding something when the name changes and you miss the transition. My most recent encounter with this issue happened in the northern part of Seattle when I was looking for a place called Hotwire Coffee, but fortunately I had a flash of intuition, stopped anyway and found that this past Hotwire location had now become Laughing Ladies Cafe.
The cafe sits on a big cement patio with some outside seating and a very large access ramp. The interior is a colorful cafe with all kinds of furniture, nice high ceilings and computers for patrons to use. The coffee comes from nearby 7 Coffee Roasters; I had the Guatemalan, a smooth coffee with traces of pear and fig (i.e. a decent coffee). The espresso proved mostly agreeable, as it was pulled to a medium volume and had flavors of bittersweet cocoa and sadly, a bit of a burnt tinge on the end. The tea is Teahouse Kuan Yin and Mighty Leaf.
While I had originally expected a different place, I felt that Laughing Ladies did a pretty good job living up to what I had indirectly expected. If you're north of downtown, give the place a try.
What's does "CC" mean?
