Archive for July, 2008
Jake's Coffeehouse
Jake's Coffeehouse, originally uploaded by andai. Jake's Coffeehouse is a rather interesting little coffeehouse I discovered last week while I was in NJ for work. I noticed the little coffee shop at the Newark International Airport when I first arrived. Since I wasn't really hungry (or thirsty for that matter) for a cup of coffee, I made a mental note to pass back there on Friday on my way back to Seattle. What I noticed immediately was that they were not using generic coffee cups so that was a good sign. What I noticed next, and that was on Friday on my way back was that they did actually use a real espresso machine where the barista had to steam the milk, grind the beans and pull the coffee. This alone convinced me that I had to try the coffee. This is also the reason why I don't like Starbucks where all they do is push a button and let the machine do everything... I got to my gate at boarding time so I didn't have time to actually stop for a latte, but as luck would have it, the plane was very [...]
Quimper Sound and Great Coffee
Quimper Sound Coffee, originally uploaded by andai. It just so happened that I was in Port Townsend a few weeks ago and of course I had to stop by one of my favorite stops, Quimper Sound, the CD store that happens to have a coffee bar. I was chatting with the owner (at least I think he was the owner) about music and stuff including their coffee, and he was telling me about how great his coffee was. Since I had just drunk a latte less than an hour before, I wasn't ready to buy another, but the owner being confident he could backup his boast, offered me a free latte. I am glad he did because I really enjoyed the latte. The latte was nice and strong, had great flavor the the barista did a great job baristaring (or whatever you call the action of steaming and foaming the milk etc). Two things for sure, I think they have the best coffee in Port Townsend and I will certainly stop there next time I am in town.
La Madeleine Coffee and French Bistro
La Madeleine Coffee Cup, originally uploaded by andai. I was down in Irving Texas last week and I happened to stumble upon La Madeleine, the French Bakery and Bistro. From the outside, the building looked almost like the German style of architecture you normally associate with Bavaria, but on the inside, the place looks rather homey and rather European with French trimmings and decor all over the place. I tried a sampling of their offerings from the bakery, the kitchen and also their coffee. I though that their Strawberry Napoleon was much too sweet for my taste and I couldn't finish it. On the other hand, their "Braised Beef in Red Wine Sauce" was rather rich and very delicious and filling. Finally I can appreciate French cooking. But enough of that, what about the coffee? Surprisingly, the coffee was actually pretty decent. I probably had 5 or 6 lattes there over the week. One thing I thought was interesting was that they only have two sizes, regular (12 oz single shot) and large (16 oz double [...]