Monday, February 08, 2021

Cotton-Top Pastries


Subject: Cotton-Top Pastries
Location: Helena, MT
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Bakeries dot the landscape of America, but there are fewer than twenty that I would call excellent. Sadly, many bakeries exclusively do fancy cakes (and I am a man who orders exactly zero fancy cakes each year) and (too) many other operations specialize mostly in hackneyed and yawn-tastic items like jellied shortbreads and butter cakes. But the handful that do it right, I have each time considered the possibility of relocating my family in order to be closer.

Thursday, January 28, 2021

Four Twelve


Subject: Four Twelve
Location: Hamburg, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Road trips are bound to have dry spells where good coffee exists not. Fortunately in the past decade, such coffee-absent zones have greatly shrunk but still there remains large chunks of land where good coffee has yet to be found. 

Friday, January 15, 2021

Drum Coffee


Subject: Drum Coffee
Location visited: Broadway St, Missoula, MT
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Music and coffee are natural pals. For many folks the combo is an obvious pairing, especially for those who have lived with an open mic coffeehouse nearby. Thus, when I found a coffee shop involving the drummer of Fitz and the Tantrums in Missoula, I made sure to give it a stop when I next passed through town. 

Friday, January 08, 2021

Javamango's Outpost


Subject: Javamango's Outpost 
Location visited: Waterford, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

The concept of a coffee shop is often a subjective thing. Quite often, folks think of a single space with a giant counter and plenty of seating. But some of the more interesting and great coffeehouses exist in less traditional spots, like converted public restrooms, outdoor shanties and small outfits adjoining shared space.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Ladder Coffee / Vessel Coffee Roasters



Subject: Ladder Coffee 
Location visited: Monroe St, Spokane, WA (formerly Vessel Coffee Roasters)
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Since my turnaround time on posts is not exactly fast, many times things happen between me visiting a shop and me publishing my visit. Sadly, especially this year, the situation is more often that a shop has closed down and does not plan to reopen. But occasionally something cheerier happens, like every great once in a while a quality shop merges with another quality local coffee operation, creating a stronger presence for both in a fortuitous union.

This seems to be the case with Vessel Coffee Roasters and Ladder Coffee in Spokane. Some months ago, I made a visit to Vessel's sole outpost and had a most delightful experience (of which I will further share). Unfortunately, due to the hour and other circumstances, I was not able to make it to Ladder Coffee that day and sample their highly-regarded coffees, and I headed out of town that night forlorn for missing the window to visit.