On a leisurely walk through Old Town Scottsdale (looking for coffee), I became captivated by the beautiful flowers pictured above. All of a sudden a lady came through these rod iron gates with what looked to be an iced coffee beverage in her hand. I curiously asked, “Where did you get that coffee? I am looking for a coffee house” She replied, “right through those gates.” I counted it as a blessing and moved through the gates quickly. What I found was nothing short of beautiful. It was a courtyard; a sanctuary of sorts. It was filled with more flowers and a lovely fountain with beautiful seating for all to enjoy. The excitement I felt was overwhelming because I knew a great coffee treat would be on the other side!
(photo credit: yelp.com)
So, with great expectation I perused the menu and spoke with the barista regarding iced beverages. I decided to order the cold brew, lightly sweetened with agave and a splash of half and half. My, my, my, it was amazing! Perfectly brewed. Perfectly balanced. Perfectly smooth!
My experience here was extraordinary. If you are ever in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, check out Schmooze in Old Town Scottsdale. It was one of the best coffee venues I have visited.
New Order Coffee Roasters is located on the ground floor of Midtown’s Crystal Loft Building and near Grey Ghost Detroit. From the moment you walk inside, their mission to “delight and energize your everyday life”is clearly evident. The decor alone will take you to a happy place. The color scheme is aqua, orange and white, almost giving you the feeling of being in a candy store.
New Order is not your average coffee shop. They start off the right way by carefully selecting their beans and roasting them in small batches on site. However, what sets them apart is their fun and whimsical approach to making their beverages.
Customers can order drinks like the Cereal Milk latte, lattes with flavor-infused homemade marshmallows and M&M ganache. New Order Coffee also offers sweet and savory pastries and specialty foods and candies. They offer several brew methods and have Nitro of tap too! On our visit, my husband and I order the Cracker Jack latte (…and yes, it came with a prized! LOL) and the Marshmallow latte. Both were terrific and the Frosted Flake milk had us feeling nostalgic. “Who thought of this?” I asked my Barista. She replied, someone who is truly a kid at heart! Yes indeed! Another really cool thing about this coffee shop is that customers can buy freshly roasted coffee beans right there on the spot! The roasting can be customized to suit their taste and they can walk out of the shop with a warm bag of beans to brew at home roasted just for them in minutes. How awesome is that?
The proprietors at New Order are truly on to something fresh and new in the coffee world. They are a great addition to Midtown Detroit and I look forward to my next Esspressotrip there. Check them out if you are in the area: www.newordercoffee.com Also, go to my Instagram page to see my Cracker Jack Latte. My IG page is: Sweetsations
Recently, I had the opportunity to hang out with my family at Uprising Muffin Company (UMC). UMC is located in Washington DC: Shaw Neighborhood. It appears that UMC established this company on the basis of making fresh and tasty muffins. I can tell you they have completely met the mark and are living their motto: “offerings are simple, fresh & seriously delicious”. Now who can pass that up? I certainly can’t. I sampled the sweet potato, savory spinach tomato parmesan and the strawberry and cream cheese muffins. They were indeed delicious. But this is a coffee blog. Right? My Barista prepared a very delicious lightly sweetened Iced Vanilla Latte (with an extra shot of espresso of course). It had the perfect blend of Stumptown espresso, house made simple syrup and cream. What a treat!
Looking forward to another visit. If you ever find yourself in the Washington, DC area do yourself a favor and go check out Uprising (http://uprisingmuffins.com/) You will be glad you did!
I just have two words….Yum-my! My girls and I just shared an amazing Acai Bowl. It was simply delish! Topped with Sweetsations O Gracious Granola. So worth the trip. You can learn more about Sweetsations at: My Etsy shop! https://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetsations
There is something pretty darn special about sharing a great cup of coffee (or Chai) with a few good girl friends. Today, I had the blessed opportunity to share Vigilante Coffee House with 2 other really great Moms.
I might add that we were there for nearly 2 hours!!! We laughed, talked and a few times nearly cried as we savored our Vigilante Juleps, Chai Tea, Apple Turnover and the O’Gracious Granola! It was All very delicious. Once again, the Baristas rock at Vigilante!
If you are ever in or around Hyattsville MD, do yourself a favor and check out this very awesome Coffee House! http://www.vigelantecoffee.com
Kenny, myself and the kids spent the last 10 days in the Midwest visiting the Detroit Metro area and Chicago, IL. We had an amazing time with friends and family. Some of the Chicago highlights were going to the 31st Beach, The Lincoln Park Zoo, The American Girl Store, Giordano’ Pizza and Karyn’s Fresh Corner.
We enjoyed some great coffee in Chicago. Gaslight Coffee Roasters: Located in Logan Square is an eclectic cafe with very random decor and excellent service. We ordered many items from the menu and since I’m the “blogger” I got to taste everyone’s coffee and food! Pretty Sweet…right? Our friend Heather had a smooth Soy Latte and a tasty Bacon and Brie sandwich. Kenny and our youngest daughter (Dayley) had the Pesto Grilled cheese Sandwich. It was really good. Kenny also had a Cold Brew that was rich, full of earthy notes and had a great finish. Our daughter Dia had a breakfast bowl like no other! It was slightly spicy with rice, bacon, sausage, scrambled duck egg and topped with a fried duck egg. Now, I have to say that is the best breakfast bowl I have ever had. Yummy! I had a Brazilian Slow Bar. This is Gaslight’s version of a Pour Over. It was very good and I Iced it so that I could take it to go. So good! The doughnuts were some kind of good! Especially the cardamom glazed. It definitely takes the traditional glazed doughnut to another level!!
We ended our Chicago trip by going to Cafe Mushtashe. This cafe, lounge and music venue has a very chilled atmosphere and is also located in Logan Square. As I waited for my Peppered Fig and Vanilla Latte, I listened to Louis Armstrong and noticed that no one was interacting or talking to each other. I found the lack of interaction a bit odd but oh well? The room was dim and the overall feel was hipster. By the way, this has to be the most interesting flavor combination for a Latte I have ever had. It was pleasantly good.
Buzzclickphotogrphy.com
Despite it’s slow come back, Detroit continues to have charm and promise. Beyond the blight, eye sores and homelessness there are good finds, beauty and chatracter for the whole family to enjoy.
Photo Cred: Great Lakes Coffee Company
As you may have read here before there are some really exceptional coffee houses in the Detroit Metro Area. On this visit we had the pleasure of going to Great Lakes Coffee located in Midtown. Can I just say this is my kind of place? I walked into this coffee and wine bar finding myself grooving to Regulate by Warren G and Nate Dogg. For the record, Kenny tells me that I haven’t listened to the lyrics of this song and that otherwise I wouldn’t like it. Probably not my thing but the music is amazing, so I’m going with it LOL!
Photo Cred: Great Lakes Coffee Company
We enjoyed Cold Brew, a Lavender Latte, Lavender Ice Tea and a Vegan Granola bar made by Avalon Bakery (also featured on this blog). All were very delisious but oh my goodness this Latte had an unexpectedly great flavor. I would have never expected to pair lavender simple syrup with coffee but it was Delish! It totally worked. The menu at Great Lakes is pretty extensive. One interesting item is a beverage made with half beer and half coffee. Different. Right? We will definitely go back there. So many things to choose from. Great Atmosphere.
We ended this trip with a bang by visiting Astro Coffee located in Cork Town. As we drove up, I immediately noticed lots of customers hanging out enjoying this Beautiful Sunday morning and taking in all that this House to bring. Something told me Astro would have the “It” factor! It did!
We enjoyed Cold Brew, Mocha Lattes (featuring Calder’s Dairy), Lemon Ginger tea, Polenta Plum Cake and Vegan Coconut Bread. To sum it up, I found myself in Coffee Heaven. EVERYTHING was exceptional. Just Delicious. Simply Spectacular! This chalk art was breath taking!
Put these places on your Midwest Bucket List! You will be pleasantly surprised.
Started in 1992, Common Grounds Coffee was the first official coffee house in Lexington, KY. This company has grown into the largest locally own coffee business in Lexington KY. They roast their own beans in their local warehouse. This warehouse facility also serves as their commercial kitchen and coffee supplier in which they provide freshly roasted beans to other Kentucky owned coffee shops. The proprietors have also partnered with Willet Distillery to craft their own bourbon barrel coffee.
My family and I had an opportunity to visit “The Original” site; located at 343 East High Street Lexington Kentucky 40507. The décor is reminiscent of their appreciation for the Music and Arts. They have Open Mic Night and display the work of local artist on their walls. There is also plenty of nice seating and is a good meeting place for those who just want to hang out and connect with friends.
My husband and I enjoyed a few of their specialty lattes. He had The Buckeye: a creamy blend of peanut butter and chocolate. It was simply delish. I had the Depth Charge: a very rich drink with 4 shots of espresso, caramel, chocolate & vanilla. I requested this drink to be lightly sweet. It had a very unique and lovely taste. Full of body and flavor. This drink is for an experienced palate for sure! No newbies here!!! Overall, the Baristas and other staff were very professional and took time to explain the menu. We also shared a slice of Triple Chocolate Cake. Yummo!
If you are ever in the Lexington area, do yourself a favor and give Common Grounds a try. You are in for a Treat! For more information visit their website: http://www.commongroundsoflexington.com/
After reading the reviews, I thought I’d give this coffeehouse a try. The slogan: “One Big Living Room” is so descriptive of the feel! You just want to settle in with your cup and relax.
The atmosphere is cozy, uniquely decorated with lots of eclectic art, chairs, tables, books, and a record player! Yes, you can play your vinyl albums at Zed’s.
The staff is very attentive and accommodating. They have a wide variety of food offerings and desserts. I ordered “The Drink of the Day”~ a White Chocolate Coconut Cappuccino. Say that three times fast! It was absolutely delish! The foam was insane! It must have stood at least 2 inches tall! So tall, I started consumption with a spoon! Perfectly blended and carefully crafted this cappuccino was one of the best.
The proprietor at this coffeehouse is doing it Right! I will certainly visit this spot again. Check it out and you will see what the “One Big Living Room” in Silver Springs, MD is all about:)
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