What's a Coffee Commentary?
Subject: Java's Brewin
Location visited: Philadelphia, PA
(Market St between 11th & 12th)
Free WiFi ? :
Rating: 2+ [see key]
Philly is always nice during the day, especially in late spring/early summer. There are not too many tourists, children are still making field trips to the Old City area, and people are still in that happy attitude that lingers after winter's end and the real summer heat begins.
Just the other day I was out showing a good friend of mine from out of town around Old City, taking him to see all the history and novelties of the central Philly area. We stopped in the Reading Terminal Market to eat lunch and also grabbed a bleh, tremendously overpriced cookie at 4th St Cookie Co (you could make a better cookie with pre-made batter and save $2!) and on our way south, we went through the old Reading Terminal area and stumbled upon a new (to my eyes) coffee joint tucked to the side of the main entrance, Java's Brewin.
The place had a real take-out feel to it, with little sit down area and only to-go cups. The decor was hackneyed at best and boring at worst. The shop is actually a franchise out of Boston that is slowly expanding, with this recent addition in Philly.
They offer several single origin coffees, with a dark roast Sumatran and a light roast Columbian on tap when I visited. I had the Columbian which had a nice balanced taste, but nothing really spectacular about the flavor.
The espresso was horrible, with a horribly pulled shot that resembled nothing close to a good shot. That on top of not having ceramic cups (only paper!), the doubleshot I ordered tasted like charred sorrow. They serve Tazo tea, a boring so-so option.
Aside from their stellar location right on Market St next to the corporate coffee giants of Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks, Java's Brewin makes a sad attempt at an alternative to either. They seem to be yet another chain that seems to speak the language of specialty coffee, but in reality can only fake the lingo.
What's a Coffee Commentary?
Subject: Barista's Daily Grind
Location visited: Kearney, NE
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]
Nebraska, land of corn and the Cornhuskers. It has remained one of the few states I have never set foot in until recently, when I had the distinct pleasure of driving across it. To tell the truth it wasn't that bad, especially since I had heard that there was a decent coffee location in Kearney, NE which ended up being a perfect spot to grab lunch as well as an afternoon cup of joe.
My friend and I made a quick lunch stop and then made our way into downtown Kearney to seek out the Barista's Daily Grind (let's call it the BDG for short). We found it promptly, though we were taken back by its odd architecture. The place looked like a gingerbread village, with an espresso drive-thru building set out in the front and two larger gingerbread house buildings flanking behind either side with a patio in between them. The front lawn (?) was made up of ornate gardens and really windy paths to get to the front door. Overall, I was a little overtaken with the complexity of the grounds.
The inside of what appeared to be the sit-down place was really small, with but two tables and four chairs (though plenty of space on the patio to sit, but what happens in winter?). The baristas were dressed in nice attire and the place looked snazzy, even offering alcohol (for those sticking around I assume).
The coffee they serve is a mystery, because for some daft reason they don't want people to know where they get their coffee (!!). I would think the roaster would want you to be proud of them (unless the coffee is being roasted in an unorthodox, suspect manner) and more importantly, what in tarnation is the point of keeping it a secret? The only people who you wouldn't want to know would be the same people waiting outside for your roaster to make a delivery (they'll find you out!). But I digress...
The mystery coffee is stored for wholesale up front, some of the containers holding large amounts of pre-ground coffee (why?). The coffee that I tasted sampled fairly decent, having a nice fresh flavor.
The espresso was where they won my admiration as the young man who pulled my shot (who clearly had some skills hammered into him) pulled my shots manually and expertly. The espresso itself tasted a little heavy, but I think that was more the espresso blend then the barista. The tea was Harney and Sons, which is a good cup of tea by my experience.
Overall, the place is definitely a gem amid the Mid-west but nonetheless, a 5'11'' man amongst giants. They seem to have multiple locations across the area; hopefully they can strengthen themselves before they grow any more in number. In closing, when in Nebraska keep an eye out for a BDG and give it a try for yourself.
*Update 8/16/07
Turns out that theres is some massive address changing going on; stay tuned via there website for newest location!
What's a Coffee Commentary?
Subject: Victrola Coffee Roasters
Location visited: Seattle, WA
(411 15th St E location)
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]
Few places have I yet to see beat Seattle's parking availability. It's amazing how you can go see the Space Needle or even near Pike's Place Market (albeit that one takes more time) and still find ample parking even on the weekends! Granted the city is often cursed with dismal skies and depression but at least you don't have to be dismal or depressed about parking...
Anyway, I was able to park in a perpendicular street spot (one of the spots on the street that you back into and so end up perpendicular to the street) right by my last coffee stop before hitting the road to Oregon: Victrola Coffee. Now, I've never heard of the place before doing some coffee research on the greater Seattle area. But after some simple preliminary searches, Victrola seemed like a quality spot to try out and hence my companion and I had headed there right after our lunch stop at Pike's Place.
The section of 15th St E that Victrola sits in seems to have numerous neon signs, having a slight camouflaging effect on the store. No matter, since my friend and I were looking for it and hence picked it out easily. The exterior was quaint, with some outside seating cradled in the window nooks out of the way of the sidewalk. The interior had a very full moon look with a nice collection watercolors (at the time), with a good deal of seating and an odd key system to their two bathrooms (I guess it's harder to lose a key when it's attached to a spatula...)
On to the coffee, they roast their own beans (at their other location I deduce), with a nice variety of single origins as well as Cup of Excellence and other auction coffees. I had the Empire Blend, which came off bright and full. Their espresso, pulled expertly, had a nice chocolaty sweetness with a hint of sunshine. The teas were free leaf but I didn't get the chance to sample their quality.
As one would expect of a Seattle coffee giant, Victrola gave a beautiful performance. While you have a plethora of coffee choices around the greater Seattle area, I would make a point to give Victrola a go.
What's a Coffee Commentary?
Subject: Espresso Vivace Roasteria
Location visited: Seattle, WAFree WiFi ? : yes (after 6pm)
Rating: 6+ [see key]
Ah, how I have so longed to visit Seattle. I spent a whole lot of time out near it this year but it wasn't until last week that I was actually able to romp around the city. Given its overwhelming espresso and coffee reputation, grabbing the late morning java topped the list on things to do first.
As the first coffee stop, I thought it appropriate to visit Espresso Vivace' at their Roasteria location as they have a grand reputation across the world for their love and detail for espresso. Sure enough, we arrive (with convenient street parking nearby) to find a line clear out the door, into the lobby, out onto their front ramp. My compadre and I stood in line for around twenty minutes, which according to their wifi policy (none until after 6pm due to high customer volume) seems to be normal.
The menu consisted of the usual, except coffee. They serve only espresso (go with what you're good at?) as well as pastries and tea of course. The espresso, as expected, was expertly delivered and their blend (roasted in-house) sampled beautifully. As we were in a rush, we didn't get to sample the tea.
As a place which has garnered much admiration in the espresso world, I highly recommend making a stop at one of the numerous Vivace locations in Seattle. No matter the weather, it should brighten your day.
What's a Coffee Commentary?
Subject: City Brew Coffee
Location visited: variousFree WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]
Yet another small road trip ago, I got to see the lovely city of Billings for the second time in a much more comprehensive manner then the first (it was a 1 AM pit stop in a 10 hr drive). While it definitely can boast as the "city" of Montana (it has skyscrapers!) it's still no thriving metropolis.
Now that might sound critical and condescending, but it actually has a lot of perks. For one, never was it overwhelming to navigate the city. And secondly, its local coffee chain hadn't gone the way of charred disgusting-ness.
The chain I reference is City Brew Coffee, the other Montana coffee chain found mainly in its home in Billings. While I had heard much about it from a good pal (she's their biggest fan), I tend to hold skepticism of a coffee operation with so many locations across such a wide space...
So cut to the chase, I had to try it while I was in Billings. After a decent dinner out, a nice-sized group (about six of us) headed over to the closest branch to our sleeping quarters. The exterior of City Brew looks corporate as does the inside, with the expected Panera/Starbucks environment (which isn't bad, just a little overdone).
But the decor is where the corporate look stopped. I was stunned to see they offered french press (at a decent price too!) and that their espresso machine wasn't automatic (not completely manual either, but few places can maintain those machines at quality operation).
They roast their own coffee, and unlike many of their chain-brethren, its actually not over-roasted to an oily misery. On top of it, their various brews actually tasted decent (though not overly amazing either).
Their espresso, while light years beyond corporate charred espresso funneled out of an auto machine, still didn't really impress me. It had a decent body and flavor, but overall was pretty bland. The shots also failed to be consistent in my several visits, which would be the weakness of multiple locations.
The teas were also their own, though I didn't get to try them.
After much deliberation and visits to multiple locations (even the new one in Bozeman), I would say amongst coffee chains they're head and shoulders above the competition, but in the world of specialty coffee they still have a bit of improving to do. If you ever set foot in a Montana city (the places with more then 20K people), keep your eye out for one and give it a whirl.
What's a Coffee Commentary?
