CC: Brew Urban Cafe

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What's does "CC" mean?

Subject: Brew Urban Cafe

Location visited: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]



Winter both excites and disheartens me. I love the holidays, the extreme sports (polar bearing!) and the occasional snow-scape. Yet, despite the fun of it all, I sure miss the greenery of the other three seasons. Of course that could be resolved with a trip south between December and April, but alas, the opportunities usually fall during the nicer months.

One such untimely foray south would be a previous business trip to Florida during some of the nicest weather in the northeast. Though the timing was not the greatest, I made the most of it with some beach visitation and a trip to Fort Lauderdale's lovely downtown for good coffee.

The cafe visited was called Brew Urban Cafe, one of the only coffeehouses of rumored repute in all of Florida. Arriving one warm morning, I discovered convenient parking in front and took in the beauty of the surrounding area. Eventually I found my way through their doors and found a great cafe, with one of the nicest pieces of wall art I've ever seen, dark wood furniture and beautiful lighting.

Serving up Intelligentsia, I ordered a cup of the Brew's house blend via drip and an espresso of Black Cat. The drip, though a little stale, delivered notes of chocolate milk, cloves, fig, minestrone and a little chili powder; a decent coffee overall. The espresso, pulled of a medium volume with marbled crema, held bits of sugar cane, dark cocoa, lemon, a little cinnamon and some coriander (good showing of Black Cat). The tea is Intelligentsia and Island Rose.

After my visit, I now know exactly where in Florida I will go when I get the chance to winter there in the future. Make a stop at Brew Urban Cafe if you happen to be nearby.

CC: Heart Roasters

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What's does "CC" mean?

Subject: Heart Roasters

Location visited: Portland, OR
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]




We all like a good heart. Whether it be a cut-out valentine, everyone's favorite cardiovascular muscle or even the new, hip verb form (I use it to denote a degree of admiration below "love"), I have yet to meet someone who does not like hearts.

In traversing Portland, I found yet another Heart to love. In the lovely neighborhood of Kerns resides one of Portland's newest coffee roasters called Heart Roasters. In deciding where to visit while in town, word was that they were doing spectacular things with their coffee and with needing little other reason to visit, I dropped by.

Heart's cafe is all together pleasing to the eye. The shell is a simple black face with a large garage door that opens in the nice weather. Inside, the mix of vintage furniture and creative minimalism sets the mood at an oh so inspiring calm.

At their spacious coffee bar, they boast two espresso machines, a halogen siphon bar and pour overs. I settled on their Ethiopian Sidama via pour over, an infusion that threw out notes of bright blueberry, sweet hibiscus, mellow fig, lemongrass and a smooth body. This coffee was delicious by and large.

For my espresso, I settled on their Kenyan. Pulled short with good crema, the shots lent the flavors of dark lemon, mango, ginger and cocoa. A good balance of flavors and a great single origin espresso.

The tea I failed to officially note but I'm pretty sure its free leaf.

To put it simply, I definitely hearted my experience at Heart. If you are in the vicinity, dock it.

CC: Town Hall Coffee Co

Subject: Town Hall Coffee Co
Location visited: Merion Station, PA and Philadelphia, PA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


Updated 12.29.13 (see bottom)

It is all about patience. Things always seem to happen slowly but if you can wait it out, usually your fortitude will win out. This particular view has helped much in watching the Delaware Valley area develop a quality coffee scene. Back in 2006 when I started this blog, there was literally nothing great in Philadelphia and only one decent place in NJ (Delaware still has nothing stellar!).

But almost five years later, the region has greatly blossomed, with the latest flower being Town Hall Coffee Co. Opening their doors in the beautiful area near St. Joe's University, Town Hall exists as a moderately-sized cafe with gorgeous Edison bulb light fixtures, various seating and an overall pleasant aura.

The coffee offered is highly varied, with coffee from Ritual, Old Queens, Counter Culture, New Harvest and Intelligentsia. They offer most of their coffees brewed via pour over, so I went with Ritual's Costa Rican Halsar de Zacaro. The coffee delivered notes of honeydew, cherry wheat, caramel, graham cracker, a touch of cinnamon and a little milk chocolate; a simply surreal coffee as far as rich flavor and smoothness.

As for my espresso, I went with the current offering of Gimme Coffee's Brazil Santo Andre. Pulled short with a blondish, marbly crema, the 'spro produced notes of root beer and cocoa, a little ginger, some raspberry and a deep body. Overall, a scrumptious infusion.

The tea is Premium Steap as well as others.

Needless to say, if you happen to be in the area, Town Hall Coffee Co is worth the detour.


*Update 12.29.13*
Recently visited their new Philadelphia location. Same great quality in a very spiffy shop on Chestnut. Definitely worth a stop.

CC: The Coffee Plant

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What's does "CC" mean?

Subject: Coffee Plant

Location visited: Portland, OR
[downtown location]
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]



Downtowns rarely seem to have good coffeehouses. Blame it on the rent, but of the many cities I've had the pleasure of visiting, only a handful sport decent coffee.

Naturally, Portland is one of such exceptions, sporting quite a few within the downtown vicinity. My most recent Portland downtown encounter was a place called the Coffee Plant. Operated by dedicated locals to provide a coffee oasis amidst the downtown bustle, this cafe has been going strong since 2003.

I blew in one blustery afternoon to their oasis. The cafe has a mini-mall entrance as well as a street entry, both leading to their two story interior, speckled with an old tile floor and arrayed with a nice assortment of seating.

Coffee Plant uses local Stumptown for their coffee. That afternoon I ordered shots of Hairbender and a drip of Honduras Finca El Puente. The drip held notes of deep cocoa, honey, wheat, tobacco a tingle of granola and a smack of whiskey; a swell coffee though it was a bit stale that day. The espresso, pulled short with nice crema, blasted dark chocolate porter, paprika, lemon, almond and a smudge of black cherry (all together, great). The tea came from Stumptown and Mighty Leaf.

Aside from the freshness of their drip that day, Coffee Plant proved the refreshing watering hole they aim to be. If you're in downtown Portland, take root at the Coffee Plant.

CC: Cupcake Royale/Verite Coffee

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Subject: Cupcake Royale / Verite Coffee

Location visited: Seattle, WA
[Pike St location]
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]



Personally, I have never been a big fan of cupcakes. In my youth, they were the cheap and easy-maintenance solution for birthday parties or classroom festivities. Sure I never turned one down, but I never had one that made me crave another.

That changed with my visit to Cupcake Royale and Verite Coffee in Seattle. Always curious of venues doing more then the normal coffeehouse routine, I slotted the dynamic duo of cupcakes and coffee for a pleasant after-dinner treat one fine Saturday eve.

Sauntering up to their neon-lit storefront, I peered in through their huge windows to the bustling interior. The cafe consists of a large, white counter smack in the middle, with seating and nifty portraits surrounding.

The coffee served is Stumptown, with both the espresso and the drip that night being Hairbender. The espresso, pulled short with nice crema, had flavors of sweet cocoa, whiskey, cherry, a little saltiness and a little tobacco (overall a good showing). The drip was a little stale but still provided a decent cup, with notes of honey, beef broth, black tea and a bit of tobacco. I did not note the tea but as I hinted above, my cupcake sent ripples of euphoria through my nervous system (I would have had another, had I the strength).

To put it mildly, I relished my cupcake and coffee experience, with the staleness in the drip being my only criticism. If you happen to be in Seattle and in need of a cupcake and coffee, stop in to Cupcake Royale and Verite Coffee.