esspressotrips

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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

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Pound the Hill: Washington, DC (Eastern Market)

My Nutella Latte

My Nutella Latte: Pound the Hill May 2014

I have been a customer of The Pound for several years now. I can recall my first coffee beverage, The Frozen Nutella Latte. I thought my life was changed forever!! I even created a Nutella Cheesecake in honor of this drink (but that is for a future blog). The latte was so good. It kept me coming back for more. Hot, Cold, Iced or Frozen, you will enjoy this one!

The staff is always pleasant and the service prompt. The atmosphere is tastefully rustic, with multiple seating options. While the menu has a lot to offer in terms of food, I have found that it was “just ok”. I asked my husband to meet me for lunch and unfortunately he was under whelmed by the portion sizes.  However, he enjoyed his Nutella Latte:)

I like a coffee house that is serious about serving amazing coffee. This why  I became disappointed when there appeared to be a decline in service.  The coffee was less than great. Not consistent with what I had in the past.

Happily, a more recent visit proved to me that The Pound was back! I also love that the proprietors continue to make improvements.  They recently announced that they will no longer close from 4:00 pm –5:00 pm.  That was a BUMMER!!!!

So, if you are ever in the Capital Hill/Eastern Market are in DC, you should check it out!

For the Love of Coffee,
Alicia


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Baltimore Coffee and Tea (BTC) ~ Annapolis Maryland

pictured from yelp.com

pictured from yelp.com

I walked into the Baltimore Coffee and Tea Coffee Shop (BTC) with great anticipation. It’s what I do. I love coffee houses and get really amped about the experience they can bring.

The aroma in BTC is amazing! They have an endless amount of coffee beans and teas for purchase by the pound. There’s lots of cozy seating and is an overall good spot to relax, read, and get a bite to eat. The menu is  pretty extensive for a coffee shop too. Soups, sandwiches, salads, and pastries are among the many gourmet food offerings.  I ordered the tuna melt sandwich.  It was very good.

Now, for the latte(s), I ordered the Snow Angel, which is a latte with dark chocolate and vanilla syrup. It had a pretty unpleasant finished so I sent it back to the Barista.   I assumed that the dark chocolate didn’t agree with me. So, I asked if I could try something different. We settled on a Crème Brule, which is a latte with caramel and vanilla syrup. This latte was worst.  It caused me to become nauseous. I really couldn’t believe it!

Now, for the latte(s), I ordered the Snow Angel, which is a latte with dark chocolate and vanilla syrup. It had a pretty unpleasant finished so I sent it back to the Barista.   I assumed that the dark chocolate didn’t agree with me. So, I asked if I could try something different. We settled on a Crème Brule, which is a latte with caramel and vanilla syrup. This latte was worst.  It caused me to become nauseous. I really couldn’t believe it!

The staff and the tuna melt were great but the Lattes….not so much. While it is not likely I go to BTC for a latte, I may go for a sandwich and iced tea!

Baltimore Coffee and Tea~ baltcoffee.com

Coffee Love,

Alicia

Marty’s Market Pittsburgh PA~ Strip District

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Photo credit: http://www.inthestrip-pgh.com/

 Photo credit: http://www.inthestrip-pgh.com/

Marty’s Market~

http://martysmarket.com/

Pittsburgh PA~ Strip District

During our Annual Family Reunion In May 2013, we had the opportunity to visit the Strip District of Pittsburgh PA. Personally, I went there in search of a good ‘ole espresso drink.  Well, I found that and a lot more! Marty’s Market.

This Market is an incredible venue. I am sure the locals enjoy this meeting place, but it is certainly a destination for visitors.  The “Farm Fresh” Cafe offers great tasting, locally inspired foods that are uniquely pleasing to the palate. The market offers, fresh organic produce, a wide variety of spices, dairy and other pantry staples.  The coffee bar is one of the best I have ever visited. They serve single origin coffee, loose teas and a few pastries. I ordered the Honey Cardamom Latte. This latte was Nothing Like I Had EVER tasted.  It was terrific. So smooth, lightly sweeten and the cardamom takes the experience to another level. I enjoyed it so much that I went back the next day.

Great Service, Great Food, and GREAT COFFEE!