Day 3 - Nixon's, Englewood

It was snowing and very pretty out the window.

Good place to get coffee (a bottomless cup!) and hang out.

Coffee Shop:

Nixon's Coffee House

http://www.nixonscoffeehouse.com

871 Englewood Pkwy

Englewood, CO 80110

Date Visited:
Thursday, March 31, 2016

About 2:45-6:00

Purchased:

In-House Bottomless Drip Coffee: $1.95

"Power Puck" (a nut bar thing): $2.75

I have been here a number of times since it is fairly convenient for me.  They have an in-house bottomless coffee that you can refill as long as you want to stay there!  I don't actually drink that much coffee, but it's nice, and also nice to be able to get a hot drink again when I have been there a long time.  I drank it black.  It is good coffee for when you just want coffee!

Bottomless coffee!

I have gotten oatmeal there before...and they have one other vegan snack.  Since I am justifying things with this blog, I went ahead and experimented and got it since I was there a while (coffee makes me hungry...and I work better when I snack).  It was called a Power Puck, shaped like a cookie, but more like a nut bar.

Snack: A Power Puck

It...wasn't that great.  Although it was probably better than you would expect if you have low expectations for these sorts of things.  It was, however, substantial and filling.  I still did enjoy eating it and it is nice to have an alternative to overdosing on sugar and caffeine while at a coffee shop (depending on which you would prefer at the moment, of course).

It is a good place to hang out for a while.  They have a lot of little tables, as well as larger if you need more room or for multiple people.  There are also some bigger, comfy chairs and a couch.  They also have things to read and some games and stuff that you can pull out and play with people - that is a touch I like.  I like sitting by the window.  It is comfortable.  The glare from the sun is kind of bad, but they have the shades to pull down and filter it.  Today it was snowing, anyway!  It was very pretty and relaxing.

They do NOT have a parking lot.  However, there is plenty of free 2hr parking right outside (which makes this a little more forgivable...though 2 hours is not quite enough for me when I go to a coffee shop, and I detest having to worry about time limits!).  They are also near some other places with big parking lots, so especially if you are multi-tasking on an outing, it is easy to walk over.
***Later edit: There is also a free 4hr parking garage diagonal across the loop (the street) from Nixon's.

I didn't have any major wi-fi issues, although it got slow for a five-second period or so while I was paying attention.

Day 2 - Corvus Coffee, Denver

This is a classy coffee shop.

Coffee Shop:

Corvus Coffee
Flagship Roastery & Espresso Bar
http://www.corvuscoffee.com/pages/1740-s-broadway
1740 S. Broadway
Denver, Colorado 80210

Date Visited:
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
About 12:15-3:00

Purchased:
9oz almond-cashew milk latte: $4.40
**For real, 9oz.
[10 oz (? I think*) almond-cashew milk latte: $4.40]
*I am not sure...I just ordered "a latte"
*Edit: I originally put 12 oz, but I am pretty sure it was 10 oz based on their menu, which I saw later, and emphasized now by getting a 12 oz latte elsewhere and it seeming noticeably bigger
**Edit again - upon returning I saw that on their menu their lattes are listed as 9oz!  It was other drink that were 10oz.
--Preserving for posterity because this is funny.

I decided to go with a latte.  They have a cashew-almond milk, which they make in-house, and that is very cool (it was 50 cents extra).  The first drink was a surprise because it was not quite like any latte I have ever tasted before.  It almost had this sour background to it (not sour like bad-taste, it's just the best description I can come up with).  It grew on me, too.  Most of it seemed to be in the foam.  I liked the foam - I don't always like latte foam (maybe because this was a unique latte experience).  The latte was really creamy, not sweet, and kind of thick.  I thought it was very good, and it just seemed like a very high-quality, classy latte, but it ended up not being my favorite, in the sense that I was pretty slow to finish it.

My creamy almond-cashew milk latte. And water.

They gave me the in-house cup by default.

I liked the space inside, but it was a little awkward to find a place to sit.  A lot of it is long tables, so you have to decide how close it is okay to sit next to a stranger and juggle the awkwardness, but since it is set up that way it felt normal to do.  There were only four chairs with backs and they were at the only low table.  Most of it was bars and barstools.  So it seemed to me like the kind of place to stop in for a bit, or to meet someone for coffee, but not to hang out for a long time.  I was ready to leave a bit before I did, but I was finishing something.  I would say it is more of a place to go be productive for a little bit than to chill and relax and await inspiration.

Their web site said that you can view them roasting coffee on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and some Fridays, so I made sure I went on a Wednesday.  While I was there they were just bagging the coffee in the back.  The storage area of the store is blocked off, but visible, I presume so they can show stuff like the roasting, so some of it is probably cool to see or talk to them about.

It seemed like a place that makes high-quality coffee all-round.  Like...if you think you don't like coffee, try this kind of coffee before you assume.  And if you can taste the many flavors of coffee, you can rely on these guys.  (These are assumptions, I have only had the one latte from them, but I'm just saying they have a purposeful style.)  I would still like to try their cold brew coffee (I am obsessed with cold brew...that is probably the only thing I can intelligently comment on - and shout out to Commonplace in Pittsburgh, PA for introducing me to the many tastes of classy cold brew coffee) because they take it seriously and it is probably really good.

They have a parking lot.

The wi-fi was a little slower than some places, but I didn't have trouble.


**EDIT: I returned on 4/23/16 and saw that their lattes are 9oz, not 10oz!

Day 1 - Solid Grounds, Littleton

Great atmosphere!  A FIREPLACE!

A really good latte, a fireplace, comfy chairs, and a vegan burrito.  I may have peaked on day 1.

Coffee Shop:
Solid Grounds Coffee House
http://solidgrounds.org
6504 S Broadway
Littleton, CO 80121

Date Visited:
Monday, March 28, 2016
About 1:30pm-6pm

Purchased:
16 oz rice milk latte: $4.20
Vegan burrito: $5.00

This is the first place I have been able to get a rice milk latte, which I always thought (since it occurred to me, anyway) would be pretty good.  I liked it a lot!  It was nice and creamy, even though rice milk isn't the creamiest of milks.  And it didn't have the burnt/bitter taste like so many lattes I have had lately.  I was very pleased.  I don't believe I was charged extra for the rice milk (which is as it should be and reasonable because rice milk is not expensive...) [EDIT: Actually I do, it was .60 cents.]

ALSO - they had a vegan burrito.  I am always looking for a coffee shop that also has good food to eat because I usually like to hang out a while and get hungry.  Nothing has filled this niche since the ONE place I have found closed, which was a place I went to in college that served really good full-meal food.  I would rather eat while I work...there needs to be more places like this.  Pastries are good, but it's just not the same.  So I really liked the burrito alternative here.  They don't have a full-service kitchen or anything, but they did grill it and it and it was good.  It was vegan, with Daiya cheese, and also gluten free.  They had this option...but it was the only vegan option and I believe I got the only one.  I think they had more vegetarian options.  And they did have a pastry selection (but none vegan).  $5 is a bit much for the burrito and I wouldn't make a habit of this, but it was still cool that they had it.

They did not automatically give me a reusable cup since I was staying, but I think they had them for if I would have specified.  Consequently...I cannot judge their latte art.

My food and beverage.  Latte was half gone by this point.

Also, self-serve water.  Just...saying.

I loved hanging out here!  They had a FIREPLACE.  The chairs were really comfy and it's all very cozy and inviting.  I sat by the fireplace (obviously) and worked on my laptop, but there weren't tables there (just side tables), so it would be harder with books and things.  But it's okay! Everywhere else looked nice to sit, too!  It is cozy and spacious at the same time, so there was plenty of seating.  There are two rooms!  I also think this is cool.  One of them is more social, the other is more studious.  I sat in the "social" room, which was fine to work in, and it was where people hung out and chatted with their delicious coffee.  There was music playing; I liked it...don't remember specifics.  I kind of like that about coffee shop music.  In the "study" room (which I briefly looked at because I just think this is cool...this place has coffee shop atmosphere DOWN) it still looked very comfortable, but it stayed quiet, no music, and it looked like a nice place to work.

They also have outdoor seating on a balcony.

I liked their windows a lot, too.  There was a lot of natural light, but no glare the whole time I was there.  It was just so comfy!

They have a parking lot, which is basically a requirement for me if I can't walk to a coffee shop.  I don't want to have to worry about parking or double the price of my coffee with a meter (or worse).  But no problems here.

I also had no wi-fi issues.


**EDIT: This is in my follow-up...but I am not sure whether I was charged extra for the rice milk or not.  It wasn't on my receipt, but it wasn't during the follow-up either, but I checked and the price was higher.  However, I got a different size, so I can't compare.  And I did notice their menu lists an extra charge for soy, coconut, or almond milk, but not for rice milk...but the price does seem higher during this visit also, even though I don't remember the menu list price.  Just trying to be thorough.