Two Persons

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Two Persons
Location: Philadelphia, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

In driving around Philadelphia, I am always surprised by what I do not see. I blame it on familiarity. Growing up in the area, I have grown accustomed to the sights that it's only when something new happens that an old structure hidden in plain sight becomes apparent. 

Blue Deer

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Blue Deer Cookies
Location visited: King St, Boone, NC
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

When a great concept meets a unique space, nifty things can happen. It doesn't happen a lot, as I have seen many a great concept in a sad, ill-fitting structure as well as lackluster concepts in beautiful spaces, but every now and then both boxes are checked. One of the most recent I witnessed was a late-night cookie and coffee shop serving up their wares out of a spiffy building in Boone.

Zion Coffee Bar

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Zion Coffee Bar
Location: Peoria, IL
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

While great coffee comes in all manner of settings, from dimly-lit basement coffee dens to outdoor espresso patios, one of my favorite places to enjoy coffee is in a shop with tall ceilings, nice furniture and a classy aesthetic. While in Peoria, I found such a setting in a place called Zion Coffee Bar. 

Spencer's Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Spencer's Coffee
Location visited: Downtown, Bowling Green, KY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

Some time ago, when I first visited Bowling Green, I remember being tired and exhausted, sitting in a parking lot with (at least) a cranky toddler and a decent drive ahead of us. In the moment, I remember deciding that despite my weariness, I would not grab coffee in Bowling Green but would wait til later somewhere closer to our distant destination.

How I regretted that decision.

Mighty Missouri Coffee Co.

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Mighty Missouri Coffee Co
Location: Bismark, ND
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

During various chunks of my childhood, especially high school and early college, I often frequented a YMCA near my house. Whether it was lifting weights, running laps or swimming, the "Y" was a tremendous convenience in finding all I needed in one spot. It was not last year that I realized I had been cheated.