esspressotrips

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Espresso in Italy!

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Ciao (Hello)!

On a recent visit to Italy, I quickly learned that the way we drink and order coffee in the United States is completely different than the Italians. First of all, Italians drink espresso drinks all through out the day. At least 7-8 drinks daily. The portion sizes are significantly smaller and you will not find a Quad Venti Latte option on the menu. No Grande Caramel Macchiato in the streets of Venice! Not a chance! However, what you will find is a rich and luxurious cup of espresso. Bursting with rich flavor and without six pumps of white mocha:) Another important and defining difference is that coffee is consumed while standing -something that hardly ever occurs in the States! Unless, the coffee is ordered “to-go” in a disposable cup for walking. Also, there are no “coffee houses” in Italy.  For the most part, one would order coffee from what is called “A Bar”

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I am happy to say that I had my first shot of espresso in Italy! Rich~Dark~Smooth is how I would describe it. It is served in a very small cup, on a saucer with a small spoon. Definitely worth the wait. I also had my share of Cafe con Panas, Cappuccinos, and Cafe Lattes. A true favorite was the Affogato with Amaretto Gelato! Yummo!!!

When you visit Italy, order your espresso like the natives and Enjoy!

Fino alla prossima volta (until next time),

Alicia


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Ceremony Coffee @ Riva~ Annapolis MD

Hey Friends!

I have hesitated for more than a year to blog about Ceremony Coffee. Why, you might ask? Well, Ceremony has multiple locations and I typically only blog about independently owned coffee houses (no chains or multiple locations). However, for the last three or four months I have visited this “house” and order the Iced Almond Milk Latte. Can I tell you that this latte is so darn good?  I never missed the regular milk? They use Califia Farms Barista Blend Almond Milk (www.califiafarms.com/barista-blend-almondmilk). In fact, each time I order from Ceremony I am far from disappointed. Their Flat White and Mocha drinks are delish too!

I am really not surprised by the quality coffee because they roast their own carefully sourced arabica beans and strive to deliver a consistent line up of coffee selections. Their motto is: “WE STRIVE TO DELIVER THE CUP OF COFFEE THAT CHANGES SOMEONE’S LIFE.”  Well, I guess we can’t argue with that! Right?

Pictured below is the Sakura Saku. This is coffee jelly, cherry blossom honey an lime-infused Chantilly cream.  I did not personally have this coffee delight but the customers I interviewed stated that it was surprisingly good and had an interesting taste.

Sakura Saku

On a recent visit I ordered my Almond Milk Latte and the “Amazing Toast” and amazing it was! This avocado toast is topped with smoked salmon, boiled egg, furikake and sesame seeds. This may have been the best breakfast I have ever had! For real:)

Amazing Toast and Iced Almond Milk Latte

Great Service! Great Baristas! Amazing Coffee. If you are ever in the Annapolis MD area go check them out: http://www.cermonycoffee.com

Ceremony does not disappoint!

 

Amazingly yours,

Alicia


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Urban Bean Company ~Detroit, Michigan 

On the corner of Grand River and Shelby Street: Downtown Detroit, you will find a very unique building. Its orange. A sea of orange with floor to ceiling windows. This  coffee house has a unique decor with a rustic flair. You won’t find your typical music here either. Urban Bean proudly supports electronic music. I certainly didn’t expect that!

Green Fairie Latte: Urban Bean Co.

Serving freshly roasted local coffee and local pastries including Dutch Girl Dounuts you will find something to make your palate smile. I sure did:) I had the Green Fairie Latte. Hand crafted with fair trade espresso, pistachio, white chocolate and steamed milk. This specialty drink is among one of the favorites. I can totally see why. It was very good!

Second Floor: Urban Bean Co.

Need to have a meeting with friends or colleagues ? Study? Wanna listen too some electronic music? You can. At the Urban Bean on the second floor👍.

If you are in Detroit and need lite catering or a specialty coffee drink, check out the Urban Bean: http://www.urbanbeanco.com

Urbeanly yours,

Alicia


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Common Grounds Coffee Shop~Greensboro NC

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Common Grounds (CG) is an eclectic coffee house and wine lounge situated in the heart of Lindley Park.  CG is also a Performing Arts Venue housed in the Chronicles video production studio. So, you can drink your coffee and produce a video all in one spot. Pretty cool! Right? Well it doesn’t end there. CG is a great place to study, meet up with friends, play a little air hockey or read a book.

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K.C. was my Barista and she was so cool. With a professional and personable flair, K.C. whipped up some amazing drinks for my husband and me. All of their drinks are named after an actor:) We had the Charlie Chaplin and the Robert Downing Jr. The Charlie Chaplin is a white and dark mocha with steamed milk and espresso. The Robert Downey Jr. is a salted caramel mocha with steamed milk and espresso. They were both made to perfection. My husband’s personal favorite was the Robert Downey Jr. The next time I will try the Robin Williams. This is a latte made with banana and chocolate syrup, steamed milk and espresso. They also have their own coffee blend called the Lindley Park. It is available by the pound so that you can brew it at home. For the non-coffee drinkers, you can choose from a variety of teas, hot chocolate and locally made baked goods.

If you are ever in the Greensboro area, treat yourself to Common Grounds (commongrounds.coffee/). Tell K.C. I sent you:)

Yours in Coffee,

Alicia


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Where is your favorite place to Coffice?

What is coffice? Coffice: A term that combines “coffee” and  “office.” It is when a person goes to a coffee house, makes it into an office and performs non-coffee shop work.

Do you have a favorite cofficing spot? Today, I decided to coffice at Vigilante Coffee in Hyattsville, MD.

Tell me yours? If you haven’t tried cofficing lately, give it a try! You may find that you get more work done:)

Yours in Coffee,

Alicia


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Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year Coffee Lovers!

As I get my girls ready for school, I thought….huummm “a cup of coffee would really be nice right now”!

So, I got a little creative and made this beauty:)

Brewed up some Organic Sumatra. Found some Ghiradelli White Mocha in the pantry. Grabbed my Mason jar, added some evaporated and coconut milk, poured in the coffee, topped it with whipped cream and cinnamon and viola! White Chocolate Mocha…..Esspressotrip.com style!

When you can take an esspressotrip, make one at home:)

May God bless and keep you this year and beyond!

Continue in His Grace,

Love,

Alicia


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Shot Tower Coffee: Philadelphia PA

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Shot Tower Coffee is located in the Queen’s Village/ Bella Vista neighborhood of South Philly.  This contemporary coffee house with rustic features offers a nice place to enjoy a cup of coffee. With indoor and outdoor seating you are sure to find a good spot to relax.  The communal seating is a plus for meeting up with friends and family.

Nice music……..Check

Nice ambiance……..Check

Great baristas…………Check

Great customer service……..Check

Oh! You want to know my favorite part of this #esspressotrip? I thought you’d never ask:) The Iced Mocha! First of all they start with carefully sourced and handmade coffee from CounterCulture. Secondly, they make their own chocolate syrup for this handcrafted drink. Now it doesn’t get much better than that! Right? My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this “His” and “Her” espresso treat.

If you are ever in South Philly check out Shot Tower Coffee. You will quickly see who’s calling the shots:) Lol

Mocha Love,

Alicia