Cartel Coffee Lab

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Cartel Coffee Lab
Location: Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, Terminal 4
WiFi?: No
Rating: 5+ [see key]

If I've said it once, I'll say it ten trillion times: every major airport should have a solid coffee presence. Some cities get it, awarding space to high-quality coffee establishments able to provide weary and gastro-curious travelers with a delicious cup of coffee. Other cities, like my home airport of PHL, don't seem to see the opportunity to make their coffee options memorable and delicious, but are more content to settle upon tired and typical outlets.

Either/Or

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Either/Or
Location: Portland, OR
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

One of Portland's many charms is its numerous, extremely-livable neighborhoods. While cities further east often have tight city lanes where space and parking are at a significant premium, in a place like Portland many neighborhoods offer the peace and parking of suburbs with the proximity of city life. 

Mugged: Beachcomber Coffee Co

Subject: Beachcomber Coffee Co
Coffee Mugged: self-titled
Rating [see key]: 3+

While I've only been to Vancouver, BC once, it remains one of my favorite Canadian cities. The climate was pleasant, the people friendly and the coffee abundantly delicious. Thus, it nearly always pulls my interest to hear of new coffee coming from the Canadian west.

Tamp and Tap

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Tamp and Tap
Location: Memphis, TN
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

One of my first major road trips back when I was first in college was a whirlwind 32-hour road trip to and from Memphis. Two friends and I decided one weekend we wanted to visit some other friends going to school down yonder, so we alternated shifts and arrived lickety-split to spend one day roaming Memphis, only to turn around and head back to Philadelphia the next morning. Ironically, not having learned from the first trip, we did practically the same trip a year later, spending only one day at our west Tennessee destination.

Peddler Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

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

For as long as I've been drinking coffee, I've been a firm believer in imbibing while learning. Clearly any academic or scholarly venue becomes better ten fold with a cup of good coffee in hand. This applied firmly to classes in college, small group Bible discussion, all-night cramming and by far the most pleasant, museum visits. Especially with Philadelphia institutions, I would always make an out-of-the-way stop for some great coffee before wandering the Academy of Natural Sciences or the Franklin Institute.