MOCHA - Hooked on Colfax

Coffee Shop:
Hooked on Colfax
http://hookedoncolfax.com
3213 E Colfax ave
Denver, CO 80206

Date Visited:
Saturday, May 28, 2016
About 3:45 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Purchased:
12 oz Almond Milk Mocha: $4.70
(.40 cent charge for almond milk)

I noticed that they had a housemade chocolate syrup for lattes.  I asked.  IT IS VEGAN.  Plus, housemade syrup is super cool.

I LOVE MOCHAS!  I was so excited!

Maybe I could get them more often, but I've mostly stopped asking.  Sometimes syrup has milk in it, or places don't think their syrups are vegan offhand.  Or they are just flavored, weird, not-food syrups.  This was a cool housemade, vegan chocolate syrup.  I GOT A MOCHA.

MOCHA

I loved it because I was watching the barista craft my amazing mocha, mixing the gorgeous espresso and glorious chocolate syrup and almond milk...and then she finished and I noticed the latte art was not entirely beautiful to go along with this amazing drink experience...and she was like, "Sorry...my flower is a little off."  I said I was judging, but it was okay.  I love that she apologized for the subpar latte art.  So...my mocha was not as picturesque as it was delicious, but it was delicious!

I think that when I asked about what size small and medium were and ordered there was a mild miscommunication that I didn't really pay attention to.  Both small and medium have two shots of espresso.  Since I am all about the strong espresso/milk ratio these days I would have ordered the small, but I guess I ordered the medium.  In this case I was also okay with there being more chocolatey mocha goodness, so this was cool too.

It was really tasty.  I liked the chocolate syrup taste quite a bit.  The espresso was a but more hidden as I mentioned so I didn't form a strong opinion, but it was a good backdrop.

Another note - my receipt said soy/rice/almond for the alternative milk charge - their menu didn't say they had rice milk, but I would have gotten it.

Crema at Crema!

 

Beautiful, amazing cappuccino with crema at Crema. :)

This is definitely one of my favorite places.  They were SO friendly again and my drink and food were delicious.  And I don't know that there is anything particularly amazing about the shop, but it's a very enjoyable place to hang out.

Coffee Shop:
Crema
http://cremacoffeehouse.net
2862 Larimer St
Denver, CO 80205

Date Visited:
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
About 12:45 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

Purchased:
Almond Milk Cappuccino: $3.75
PB&J: $8.00
Tip: $1.00
*I even tipped them because they rock my socks.

I had heard conflicting things on what a cappuccino is, which is possibly why I hadn't ordered it.  But I needed to get an espresso drink at Crema and I had faith their espresso would be really good so I wanted to use the opportunity to go heavier on the espresso.  Remember, according to Crema's web site, crema is "the lovely layer of thickly effervescent foam that defines well-crafted espresso..."  So I needed try Crema's crema!

I asked about the cappuccino and macchiato when I arrived.  I have heard that the drinks include specific amounts of foam as well as liquid milk, but the barista said for them it is really just more or less milk.  Their cappuccino was 2 oz espresso and 3 oz milk.  This sounded good and I ordered an almond milk cappuccino.

The barista was super awesome and friendly while talking to me about the macchiato vs cappuccino.

Mmmmmmmmmm I may have found my drink.

It was ridiculously delicious.  And the espresso taste was really, really good.  It lived up to the crema hype I created.  And I really liked the ratio of espresso to almond milk.

Also - they did not charge extra for almond milk!

"Espresso is all in the nose,"  their web site continues.  "The aroma of espresso lives in the crema so swirl it around. Get your nose right down in there. Inhale deeply."

I sipped my drink and held it up in front of my nose and inhaled deeply.  It smelled delicious.

This place rocks.

And there was a little star when I finished!  Awwww.

AS IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH.

Last time I was at Crema I noticed that they had a PB&J on their menu for $8.  I wanted to ask if it was the best peanut butter and jelly ever.  This time I did.  I was also hungry and pretty sold on trying it because I was intrigued.  This is a very reasonable coffee shop, so if they are charging $8 that must be a reasonable representation of how amazing the PB&J.

The answer is basically yes, it's the best PB&J ever.  But it's not really a PB&J.  It actually has almond butter mixed with peanut butter.  And DATE jam!  (That's just fun.)  And goat cheese.  I just had them hold the goat cheese.

And it came with a side of quinoa or greens (or other things, but they weren't vegan).  I opted for the quinoa.  It had veggies mixed in and was delicious!  The plate came out very hot and the almond butter was drippy and gooey and delicious.  I gave it time to cool and started with the quinoa.  Both were really good.  The sandwich was legitimately one of the best toast-like-foods I have had.

Or maybe it was all just an amazing surprise after being listed on the menu as "PB&J". :)

21 - Stella's Gourmet Coffee and Such, Denver

Coffee Shop:
Stella's Coffee House
http://www.stellascoffee.com
1476 S Pearl St
Denver, CO 80210

Date Visited:
Saturday, May 21, 2016
About 7:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Purchased:
Iced Coffee: $3.25
Burrito: $4.45

Stella's has a LOT of seating options!  There is a nice outdoor patio area in front, and another on the side.  Inside there is a room with a couch and tables, more tables, and another room that doesn't have music playing and seemed like it stays quiet.  There were a lot of people working.  The couch is quite comfortable.  There are also bookshelves!  You can read books and also purchase if you would like.  There was a little corner with a tiny table for kids as well.  This place has pretty much any kind of atmosphere you would like.

I got a cold brew coffee - wanted a chunk of caffeine early in the morning.  They called their cold brew an iced toddy.  I thought an iced toddy involved other things, but perhaps it is iced coffee made with a Toddy coffee maker (I gathered this possibility after googling).  It was pretty good cold brew.  No strong opinions, but I liked it.  I drank a bit black, then added almond milk and sugar.

I was there a while so I also got a burrito for lunch.  They didn't have anything vegan out, but I went ahead and asked to check - and they produced a vegan burrito.  So that was cool.  It was from Trader Joe's and pretty good.  It had a number of ingredients (as in, not boring or just beans and rice), like quinoa.

Almost-empty cold brew and burrito

They have a small parking lot with about three slots for 30 minute parking, but there is free 2hr street parking outside and unlimited street parking on adjacent blocks (it varies a lot from street to street, but there was some behind the shop and one block south).

The wi-fi was decent, but it seemed like they have to frequently reset it.  They have three networks so sometimes you have to bounce around.  It was occasionally out and sometimes slow, but useable without a whole lot of annoyance.

My First Cortado! - Black Black Coffee

My cute little cortado!

Coffee Shop:
Black Black Coffee
http://www.blackblackcoffee.com
3459 Ringsby Ct
Denver, CO 80216

Date Visited:
Thursday, May 19, 2016
About 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Purchased:
Almond Milk Cortado: $3.75
Beetwich Sandwich (avocado instead of cheese): $8.50

Black Black Coffee was the place that introduced me to the idea of enjoying a cortado.  I also LOVED the latte I had and loved the strong espresso taste, so I came back to try amping it up!  A cortado is half espresso (2 shots), half milk.

I was thinking that they had a housemade nut milk (they don't...but I've been to a lot of places), but when I asked they said they just had almond.  I had cashew milk last time with the latte and I wish I had specifically asked about it because I think it was the best, but I didn't.  Maybe they were out or something anyway, but I didn't make sure.

But oh, well.  Still mmmmmm.  The cortado had a really good flavor.  The espresso was pretty strong, but blunted enough to feel like an actual drink to me (as opposed to an espresso shot).  I think I would have been more in love with it with cashew milk, but the espresso was the standout anyway.  It had a very substantial taste.  Good stuff.

Even though it seemed like a drink, it was still a niche drink.  In general I still prefer more of a "drink" I can sit with for a while and that is not quite as strong.  I sat with this, but more "sipped occasionally" than "drank" it.  Of course there is a niche for this!  Just in general a latte still wins.  Although I now prefer strong lattes with really good espresso and cashew milk, like the good budding coffee snob that I am.  Still, I was pleased with the cortado experience!

I also tried their kitchen!  I got a Beetwich, which was a very cool sandwich with beets and stuff like golden raisins.  They let me sub avocado for the cheese with no charge (as is reasonable, good on them).  I think it would have been GREAT if it had had good bread.  And I was expecting it to be a classy sandwich with good bread.  Instead it had good stuff inside, but was on a pretty cheap bun.  With better bread it would have been worth $8.50.  As is...I don't regret trying it, but it wasn't amazing.

20 - Tattered Cover, Denver

Tattered Cover is not primarily a coffee shop.  It is a bookstore!  But you can get coffee there - at the Tattered Cover Coffee Bar, as I saw on my receipt, which made me happy.  And I did.  While I hung out for 6 hours.

"Coffee Shop":
Tattered Cover Book Store (Tattered Cover Coffee Bar)
http://www.tatteredcover.com
2526 East Colfax Avenue
Denver, CO 80206

Date Visited:
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
About 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Purchased:
Small Almond Milk Latte: $3.35

This is not a place one would go specifically for coffee, so I am really not very picky.  Although, I think very good coffee in a bookstore is a strong asset and would add a lot because it's SO great to drink really good coffee in a cozy place like this.  I just also accept it as fine if it is not.

My almond milk latte was adequate.  It was very not-sweet, but in a way that worked, and it was pretty creamy.  Not the best, not the worst.

The coffee bar has a few literary themed drinks, which is a nice touch, but this was just a basic latte.

The store wasn't as cozy as I would have liked.  It was kind of cold, especially near the door, which is where the coffee bar is.  And seating isn't the greatest.  The location is also near a high school, so there were a lot of students coming in and out, especially around the time school ended (I assume).  I kind of love that it is such a hangout for students, but some of them were a bit disruptive, in multiple areas of the store.  From working really loudly to being loud on phones and stuff.  So mixed feelings about that (and of course there were students who were fine, and probably non-students who are disruptive sometimes, but this was just a large crowd because of the proximity, I believe).

Other than that...I mean, I hung out for 6 hours.  It clearly is a nice place to hang out.  It is quite a large store, with multiple levels and shelves set up to make different sections with different genres.  There are at least a couple seats arranged in each section and I had fun sitting all over the store reading.  And I made sure it was okay to take the coffee around the store everywhere, and it was fine. So that was what I did.  I sipped my latte sitting in different quaint chairs by quaint end tables reading stuff.

Since it wasn't as cozy and comfortable as I would have liked I wouldn't do it a lot, but it was very fun for a day.  I also don't think it would be the best place to get productive work done since the atmosphere was kind of hectic at times with the noise and stuff (which was the disappointing part because sitting around books can be so inspirational and settling).

Also the wi-fi wasn't very good.  Maybe it is if you're sitting right inside the coffee bar, but I don't know.  I wasn't connected most of the time.  When I was things had trouble loading.

They have a 30 minute parking lot in the back of the store.  There is also unlimited street parking on the side street and a free garage (just no overnight) next door.

Kombucha at Nixon's

Coffee Shop:

Nixon's Coffee House

http://www.nixonscoffeehouse.com

871 Englewood Pkwy

Englewood, CO 80110

Date Visited:
Thursday, May 12, 2016

About 1:30-4:30

Purchased:

Medium Kombucha: $4.95

It is gorgeous!  I think the kombucha reviews will be pretty much the same wherever I am, since most places I have seen it use Happy Leaf kombucha.  But Happy Leaf is good!  As is my impression anyway.  This was cranberry lavender kombucha, which was a really cool combination.  The lavender was very soft in the background and the cranberry wasn't too strong, so it was a really nice, unique blend.  If I hadn't known it was lavender I don't know if I would have been able to place it, I just would have known there was a really cool flavor in the background.

It was very nice and cold and refreshing on a nice day.

The wi-fi was annoyingly slow this visit.

EDIT: I thought that most places used Happy Leaf, but it turned out that some of the places I thought used Happy Leaf actually use Upstart (like City O' City - I had thought it was Happy Leaf because I'd had the same flavor in Happy Leaf, but then I found out it was Upstart).  I think Upstart might be more common.  And I really like Upstart.  I don't usually get kombucha when I'm doing these, so I had to come back here and mention.

19 - Hooked on Colfax, Denver

Coffee Shop:
Hooked on Colfax
http://hookedoncolfax.com
3213 E Colfax ave
Denver, CO 80206

Date Visited:
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
About 2:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Purchased:
12 oz Drip Coffee: $2.25

I ordered a drip coffee, which came with one free refill (all sizes do).  I never get more than one refill anyway, so it worked out swimmingly.  I drank the first cup black, then put almond milk and sugar in the second.  It was pretty good coffee.  I liked it.  I am not sure that I will ever be impressed by regular drip coffee.  I am going to keep tabs on the situation, but it doesn't seem to be the kind of thing I end up loving.  This seemed like good coffee, but I just didn't have strong feelings.  However, I did like it both black and with creamer and sugar.  And this place definitely had a standard for coffee (as opposed to just having coffee to serve so they can call themselves a coffee shop).

Even though I don't seem to have strong feelings on drip coffee, I REALLY liked drinking my coffee at Hooked on Colfax.  Because I REALLY liked the coffee shop.  It was so nice to sit and sip my good-tasting coffee.  The whole shop was really quiet and peaceful.  Significantly so - it struck me as I sat down and I still thought so as I left.  There were a decent number of people there.  Most were alone, but a few were talking.  So it wasn't because it was deserted.  I also don't think being deserted makes things peaceful...but I think this place would still be peaceful if it was deserted.  They have a very nice, relaxing atmosphere.  There was jazz music playing and I didn't think it could get much better unless there was actually a live musician playing softly in the corner while we were all chilling with our drinks.

There were a few rooms in the coffee shop.  What I would call the main area had some booths and counter space and there were a couple of small tables in the room where the barista was (there were sort of adjoined).  The booths were taken up by one person, which was kind of annoying because it was a lot of space for one person, but there was also plenty of other seating while I was there along the counter/bar.  I had the sense of it being an awesome, chill bar at the complete off-peak time, so it was super relaxing.  Later I saw they have alcohol as well, so maybe this was more true than I knew! There was also a downstairs basement that had ridiculously ornate couches and lighting and things.  I was almost overwhelmed by the amount of character.

I checked it out, but then went back to my seat upstairs.  Which I loved because the atmosphere of this place was so great and relaxing and nice and peaceful.

I only used almond milk as creamer, but I noticed that they have staggered charges for adding it to drinks: .30/.40/.50 cents for small/medium/large.  I have to shout-out because I appreciate the internal consistency.  It's not an arbitrary charge, it actually applies to the amount being used.  It is also a low surcharge, which makes me think it may possibly be reasonable, depending on the quantities they go through as a business, etc.

The wifi that I was on was slow enough to be annoying, but I also didn't check to make sure it was actually their wi-fi.  I think it was, but I didn't care enough to check.

They don't have parking, but I parked a few blocks south on the street, where parking was unlimited.  There was 2hr parking in the vicinity.

18 - Roostercat, Denver (Capitol Hill)

Coffee Shop:
Roostercat Coffee Co.
http://roostercatcoffeehouse.com
1045 Lincoln St
Denver, CO 80203

Date Visited:
Monday, May 9, 2016
About 12:00 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Purchased:
Medium (16 oz) coconut milk latte: $4.00

Their menu said that there was a .50 cent charge for soy/almond/coconut milk....but they didn't charge me...

Roostercat's web site says that their espresso is "Promised to be one of the best tasting espressos ever!"  When I got there I asked if it really was special and the barista said yes, but I think he may have just been agreeing with me.  He didn't offer any details or anything.  Still, I decided to go for it.  I ordered a 16 oz coconut milk latte.

(There's a latte inside.)

I wasn't that impressed.  Granted, the espresso taste was the best part, so maybe their espresso is really wonderful.  But the latte was pretty watery and there wasn't much other flavor or substance.  I also mentioned that I was staying when he reached for a disposable cup, but he said it was easier with the disposable anyway.  I wasn't going to complain...but it's nicer to drink out of a real cup.  Also not that big of a deal, but he spilled a bunch over the edges of the cup (you can see the stains).  (Obviously there was no latte art to speak of.)  So it wasn't one of my better latte experiences.

The coffee shop is a pretty cool place to hang out.  There is a decent amount of seating inside (although it's all medium sized tables that are shareable, but that seem taken over if one person is sitting there; I offered to share my table with someone who was looking for a seat and there was plenty of room for two).  There is also a fair amount of outdoor seating, and fire pits that they light when it is cooler.  I imagine it would be awesome to hang out there with some friends and a drink at night (they also have alcohol and a decent selection of food).  They weren't lit while I was there, though.  The outside is nice, but since it's not on a quiet street I wouldn't like it as much.  Inside, they have a few comfy chairs and a couch and a bookshelf with some books and boardgames, all of which are touched I appreciate.

I didn't have a particularly notable experience, but I felt like at a more social time and with other people Roostercat could be a pretty fun place (but that is a guess).

About the food/drink selection, I noticed that their web site menu is really out of date or incomplete.  There were significantly more options in the store.

No wi-fi issues.

They don't have parking.  As far as I know metered is the only option, or there's a paid lot next door.  I was actually in a free garage a block south, but I believe it is actually designated only for the attached businesses.

17 - Platform T (Glendale Location), Glendale

Matcha latte - this was REALLY good.

I wasn't really impressed overall, but it's a nice place.

"Coffee Shop":
Platform T: A Tea Lounge
http://www.platformt.com
682 S Colorado blvd
Glendale, CO 80246

Date Visited:
Saturday, May 7, 2016
About 9:15 a.m. - 2:15 p.m.

Purchased:
Green Izu Matcha (almond milk) Latte: $5.56 (total, I think it was $4.50 + .55 cents for almond milk)
16 oz Jasmine Green Tea: $4.40 (total, I think it was $4.00)

I LOVE tea and in addition to the shoutouts to Commonplace Coffee in Pittsburgh, I also frequented a Tea Bar (Te Cafe - whoo!) that introduced me to many teas.  So I was looking forward to trying this place out.  While I did really enjoy the tea, it didn't live up to my expectations.

When I first ordered I said I wanted tea, but was deciding, and asked how things worked.  They have a teapot service, which I was expecting (where you get tea in a pot and can get hot water refills and drink forever), but they did not mention this to me...and I would have thought that was the signature serving.  However, they did mention matcha and I don't think I have had matcha before (at least that I remember), so I was pretty excited to try that.  However, I think I was given some misleading information about matcha.  She said it was "tea espresso", which is fair enough, but they had a list of matcha "flavors".  Matcha is actually just one type of finely ground green tea, grown and processed in a special way.  So maybe they have other "tea espresso type things"...but they're not matcha.  I did get what they were calling "traditional tea ceremony" matcha, so it was probably the real thing, but false information makes me doubt the process.  And I don't think the barista knew the difference.

I got the matcha made into a latte anyway, so it's not like I was going for a pure experience.  And it was really delicious.  I liked it a LOT.  So I will give it due credit for that.  It had a very nice, smooth green tea flavor and I thought it worked awesomely with almond milk.

My issue with it was that it wasn't very warm...which was even more unfortunate because the seating areas were pretty cold!  I had a sweatshirt on and was still cold (granted, I was wearing sandals...but also long pants).  The drink was also pretty small.  So with those two things combined, I ended up needing to get another drink before I was there too long (about an hour later).  I looked at the offerings for a bit and ended up getting a cup of jasmine green tea.  It came as a 16 oz cup.  I think it was well-brewed and had a nice, smooth flavor.  And it was hot!  I enjoyed drinking that for a while and it was nice to sit and drink for a while, whereas the matcha latte was a pretty short experience (but more memorable - it was delicious).

Jasmine Green Tea

For other comments...  I really didn't like their prices.  Maybe partially because I was spoiled by the Te Cafe, where I could go in and get a pot of tea for $3 (sometimes $4 or $5 for more expensive teas, but they had a Tea of the Day for to go cups or $3 pots, so sometimes even the more expensive teas were only $3).  Granted, Platform T was a larger location, nicer tables, etc overall, and it's a different city and these are all things that raise the price for atmosphere, which I am okay with.  However, $4 for a 16 oz glass of cheap tea is a bit ridiculous.  Especially when it wouldn't actually cost them any more in tea to provide the leaves to re-steep.  Since match is a bit more of a specialty and a bit more involved to make, I was more okay with that price, but for the small size I would still not be likely to order it very much.

It was $7 for a pot, which I think is on the high end of reasonable, if it is served in a really classy pot with classy dishes, etc. and there were also tea-knowledgable baristas (both of these are questionable for this place).  But the catch is that for "high-end" teas it's more!  I checked for one (I guess it depends which tea) and it was $9 for a pot.  So this is 3-4 times more expensive for a pot of the same tea than I have gotten at a similar establishment.  And like...this place just wasn't that good.  The furniture was decent and there was a lot of seating, the glasses I drank out of were pretty, but it wasn't overly comfortable or character-filled or styled or anything especially remarkable.  And it was uncomfortably cold!  It is a nice place, good furniture, good windows, good dishes, but not worth it to me.

In  the context of it being more expensive than it was worth, one of the baristas seemed to know more and be able to talk about the tea more than the other one.  Like I said, if I was getting a bigger "tea experience" for the price I would complain less, and it would help to have super classy tea baristas.

One other thing that was cool was that they had a display with all or most of their teas and there were little drawers that had loose leaf tea leaves inside for each kind.  You could open them up and smell the types of teas.  See...it had the makings of an awesome classy tea shop, but just wasn't quite good enough.

There is a free parking garage in the business complex that Platform T is part of, in addition to shorter-term free parking outside of most of the establishments.

No wi-fi issues.

16 - Kaladi Coffee Roasters, Denver (University)

Coffee Shop:
Kaladi Coffee Roasters
https://www.kaladicoffee.com
1730 E Evans ave
Denver, CO 80210

Date Visited:
Wednesday, May 3, 2016
About 2:45 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Purchased:
16 oz Venetian Cream: $4.00

Ha.  You can see my reflection.

I saw this on the board:
Venetian Cream: "Always iced, always non-dairy, always a secret recipe."
____

EDIT 6/4/16: See my edit at the bottom of the post, but it's not actually dairy free (and it's not actually a secret recipe).  I asked to make sure it had no milk/egg/etc products in it and the barista said it didn't, definitely.  And she was lying because she didn't actually know.  Really unprofessional.  Especially for a question about dairy in a drink advertised as non-dairy.  So basically, they actually suck.  But here was my reaction day of.
____

Um, my choice was made.  They have a secret recipe! [EDIT: They don't, actually.]

I asked to make sure it wasn't low on caffeine, and the barista said it was actually high on the caffeine.  I have to confirm.  I got jittery.

Partly because it was too easy to drink!  I was guzzling it!

It was pretty sweet, but I thought it blended really well with the coffee.  It took me a minute to place the specific delicious coffee taste I was tasting, but I eventually realized it tasted a lot like coffee ice cream!  Which I always loved, even when I was a kid and didn't like coffee at all.

Delicious Secret Recipe Venetian Cream
[EDIT: It was good...it's just a lie.]

I liked this drink a LOT.  My only issue is that I'm not sure I could get it all the time because I really was jittery and I don't know if I could fully enjoy it if I had to force myself to drink it more slowly.

The coffee shop doesn't have any comfy/cushy seating or lounging areas, but I still found it a really nice place to hang out.  Like, when you want the "coffee shop hangout" experience, this is a really good bet.  It smelled SO good.  They were grinding beans all the time.  It was wonderful.  I think they are primarily a distributor (I mean, they are a distributor, I am not sure about the "primarily"), so it made sense.  They have a decent amount of seating, but I can see how it would fill up sometimes, with its proximity to DU.  There were definitely a lot of students and people working while I was there.  But this speaks to its niceness of a place to hang out.

Another note - I realized when I looked up the location that I had been here once before.  Hung out to chat with someone for a while - it was also nice for that.  Most of the tables and chairs are old/cheap, but it works because it's such a good "coffee shop" atmosphere with all the grinding beans and stuff.    Importantly - this is the place that introduced me (the other time I was there) to a Mate Late, which is a late made with yerba mate and I liked it a lot!

I am also glad that I have now gotten a coffee-based drink from them!  Because they are a really legit roaster and distributor.  Their web site is amazing.  I recommend.  Especially this: https://www.kaladicoffee.com/about-our-coffee/

ESPECIALLY the sections about bitterness and acidity and labeling and flavor and EVERYTHING.  I am not sure what to think specifically yet.  I need time to absorb all of this information.  It is definitely helpful to my coffee education adventure.  I will be consulting this in the future.  I will also be figuring out how it fits into the rest of the coffee world.

Kaladi's big thing is that they air roast their beans, which minimizes the acidity and bitterness of the beans.  My understanding is that the process is a bit gentler because the beans are not roasted by coming into direct contact with hot physical objects - instead there is a buffer of air.  I like this concept.  I would like to spend time exploring how it affects beans and how much of a difference I notice and if I like it.

I definitely want to go back to this coffee shop at least one more time to try straight coffee.  I am pretty sure I have had coffee from their beans before (Nixon's uses Kaladi beans), but I definitely want to try it straight from their own shop as well.  That was they control all aspects of the situation.  That situation is worth trying.

The wi-fi was slow enough at times to annoy me a bit while I was there, but it was functional.

They don't have parking, and being close to DU parking is a bit of a problem (though they are also within walking distance for a lot of students).  However, if you go a few blocks away from the university there is free, unlimited street parking.  And there is plenty of free 1hr parking in the near vicinity.

EDIT 6/3/16 and 6/4/16: I just inquired about the Venetian Cream at Nixon's and found out that it has a milk derivative in it.  I specifically asked at Kaladi's if it was definitely vegan in addition to being dairy-free, like not just dairy-free, but no milk products/egg, etc....and they said yes.  I get when people think dairy-free means vegan, but I specified...
I checked with Kaladi on the phone and they said, "Oh, it's not even dairy-free, either."
So basically...really crappy barista I had.
And like...are they calling this a secret recipe and using a bag mix?
I think they kinda suck now.
Like...the menu says it is non-dairy.  This is a reasonable question to expect a correct answer on.  And she didn't even say she didn't know.  She said it like they had intentionally made a non-dairy drink.

I don't often go for the really sweet/flavored/lots of weird ingredients drinks anyway, so while it was fun I wouldn't have been disappointed to not get it.  Obviously I won't again.  Kaladi's still seems really cool for coffee, but this drink aspect sucked.  And if they are being misleading on their menu and through their baristas...maybe they are not actually that awesome.

15 - City, O' City

Two places in one day.  WHAT?  Yes.  It was that kind of a day!

Super cool place.  No way around it.

"Coffee Shop":
City, O' City
http://www.cityocitydenver.com
206 E 13th ave
Denver, CO 80203

Date Visited:
Monday, May 2, 2016
About 3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Purchased:
Rosebud Kombucha: $5.00
Soft Pretzel: $5.00
--with vegan cheese sauce: $2.00
Posole Soup Cup: $2.00
Coconut Lime Bar: $6.50
Tip: $4.00

(Tip included since this is a sit-down restaurant and tips are basically mandatory.)

So City, O' City (A Lament) is actually a super cool restaurant.  However, part of its super coolness is that, in addition to being a super cool restaurant, it is a super cool place to hang out and work and such and they have wifi...much like a cafe.  So although it is not a typical "coffee shop" it fits my general criteria.  There is certainly a cafe/bar area.

I have only previously experienced City, O' City as a super cool typical restaurant.  Today I went for the cafe experience.  I think it is great on both fronts.  I also think it is great that it doubles so seamlessly.  When I went before it was all just typical restaurant things and I had no idea that they had wifi.  I found this fact out and realized I could go hang out and work there by myself and it wouldn't be awkward and I was super excited.

I arrived and said I was just hanging out by myself and working so I could sit wherever.  There was plenty of seating available (which was not the case the other time I went, which was on a Saturday afternoon - that was a full restaurant experience, including having to wait a few minutes for a table), so they said I could sit wherever.  They asked if I needed an outlet - because they have seating by outlets.  They also said there was a lounge area with a couch and comfy chairs.  I HAD NO IDEA.  Even though it was totally visible from near the entrance.  There is just this cafe hidden right in front of your eyes within this restaurant!

I did not actually get any coffee (remember, this is my second place of the day so I had had coffee already).  City, O' City has kombucha on tap with rotating flavors.  Today it was rosebud.  I jumped on that.

Beautiful and Delicious Rosebud Kombucha

It was DELICIOUS.  It was superfluously refreshing.  With a delightful hint of rose.  And it was delicious.

It is a bit small for $5, but it is some of the best kombucha I have ever had, and I am proficient with kombucha.  More than coffee.  I should be writing about kombucha instead.  But there would be less chronicling of my learning.

***
Digression.  4-5 years ago when I became a bit proficient with coffee and discovered cold brew coffee at Commonplace in Pittsburgh (shout out again...this will happen) I used to wish very hard that when I went to a coffee shop I could order kombucha.  You can do this all over the place here, now!  Not the majority, but a reasonable minority of coffee shops have kombucha!  My wish came true!  And now I keep ordering coffee.  Ah, well.
***

Since I was there to hang out for a while I went with multiple snacks instead of a large meal (which ended up kind of messing with me because I realized all throughout this day I never really sat down and ate a full meal...so I was eating, but I never got completely full...so even though I wasn't hungry I felt hungry because of the confusion).  Usually it's too much for me to order appetizers and things and dessert, so this visit was a good opportunity to explore side dishes.

I started with a soft pretzel, then decided on a cup of soup.

This is the pretzel.

This is the soup

It was probably a bit too small since I never really ordered something substantial, but I wasn't that sad.  I liked trying it, but the soup wasn't my favorite.  I thought the pretzel was wonderful.  It was so warm and chewy and salty and there was gooey sauce.  Okay...the sauce was actually kind of watery, but it served the mood of gooeyness well enough that I won't complain.  But I would have liked it to be more gooey and less watery.  But they house-make it!  (See how much I don't complain about being charged $2 for something made in-house?  This is a great service they are providing that I will gladly pay for the opportunity of being served!)  It was coconut-based.  They also house-make another kind of cheese-stuff that goes on the pizzas.  (They also have Daiya.  I don't care. :p)

And I also got a dessert coconut lime bar.  It was tangy and good.  It seemed kind of small for $6, but it was also something that required smaller bites.  I actually took half of it home and added it to my breakfast the next morning.

Coconut Lime Bar.

I didn't even realize it until toward the end of my visit, but I was there during happy hour, (2:00-6:00) and the pretzel and soup were happy hour food items, so they were a bit discounted, which was cool.  There was also a sign that said there was a happy hour discount on "every drink behind the bar" (or something like that).  ...But this did not include my kombucha.  So...that's just not quite right.  I didn't try any other drinks this time, but the kombucha was perfect.

This restaurant-with-secret-cafe is a fun place to hang out.  They will bring you all the food and drinks you want!  And the variety of seating options is great.  I started on the comfy chair and couch, but later moved up to the bar, partly because the sun was shining on my face and partly because it was easier to eat with a normal eating table.  I was pretty comfortable in both locations.  There were a good number of other people who looked like they were also hanging out working.  It's a really cool mix of regular restaurant tables for groups and bar space and little tables where people like me this time can chill out with computers or whatever.  The restaurant is a pretty distinctive/quirky place.  It definitely has more of a bohemian vibe than a fancy restaurant vibe.  I like that anyway, but I also think it makes it a nicer place to chill, like I was.  It's just super cool.  One of my favorite places.

No wifi issues.

They don't have parking... This is a bit of an issue because there is only metered and 2 hour parking nearby.  However, I parked in the free 2 hour parking and ran out and moved my car in the middle and it worked out fine.  It would be easy enough to go pay the meter again too, if necessary.  Also, the metered and 2hr limit both only last until 6 p.m.

14 - Dazbog Coffee - Auraria Campus Location, Denver

Quirky.  Styled.  Intense.  Russian.

Coffee Shop:
Dazbog Coffee (Auraria Campus)
http://www.dazbog.com
890 Auraria Pkwy
Denver, CO 80202

Date Visited:
Monday, May 2, 2016
About 12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Purchased:
Coffee of the day: $1.95

This is not normally a coffee shop location I would have sought out (on a campus, no parking), but I ended up needing to wait around the campus for a bit and saw a Dazbog Coffee, which I had never tried before and had been wanting to check out.  So it was a serendipitous place to hang out.

Okay, so it's a Russian-themed coffee shop chain.  I think it's hilarious.  There is all of this black and red and Russian all over the place.  There is a sign on the wall about a "KGBlend" coffee.

This is a very quirky, styled place so I was interested in their signature drinks.  I investigated getting a "Chokolat Cappuccino" but the chocolate powder had dairy in it, even though it was dark chocolate.  The "White Nights Red Eye" is two shots of espresso immersed in their coffee of the day.  I heartily approve of this drink, and the appropriate intensity, but I was not interested in that much intensity.  So I just went with the coffee of the day.

There were actually two.  So I had the option of Russian Roulette or a Brazilian something.  OBVIOUSLY I chose the Russian Roulette.  The actual kind of coffee meant nothing to me in that moment.

Dazbog Coffee.  The inside looked like coffee, I promise.

It was really dark coffee.  I wasn't getting a lot of flavor undertones and things, mostly just distinctly dark.  It wasn't that bitter, so the combination of really dark/not bitter was cool.  I think I would have been disappointed if it was a light roast or if it had a lot of airy character.  It needed to be intense.  The name helped it feel intense.  But the coffee backed it up appropriately enough.  I was pleased with the experience.

There were students everywhere, as expected.  It seemed like more of a grab-and-go place for students getting caffeine in between classes ands stuff, but there were decent places to sit inside.  There was also seating outside.  There were a few people/groups inside working or tutoring.  This is a very quirky and styled place, and I wonder if/how different this one is since it is student-oriented on a campus.  It had a bit of a Starbucks-chain-store like feel (not really like Starbucks at all, but similar in the service and the niche).  This store was still a free-standing structure, but I wonder how it compares to other locations.  They might vary a lot, from airport to residential neighborhood, this one somewhere in between.  Anyway, no idea.  There are a lot of locations, but I haven't been to any of them before.

The music was bizarre.  Stuff like Ain't No Mountain High Enough and War and experimental rock, or something.  It was quite loud.  But somehow it worked.  I settled in after a few songs.  There was a method.  Maybe it was that everything needed its own version of intenseness.

Anyway, not a location I would seek out, but good enough if it is convenient.  I don't know about the chain in general, but it is definitely worth experiencing at least once.

***Last:

OH MY GOD THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A BREAKTHROUGH.

I drank part of the coffee black, because it was Russian Roulette and needed to be intense.  Then I went back and asked if I could use the almond milk as creamer.  They were happy to oblige - and they handed me Pacific "BARISTA SERIES" almond milk.  There is a barista series!  It is crafted to be creamier and foam better and make better latte art (the package even said this).

Now I am wondering if THIS is the difference between almond milk lattes I don't like and almond milk lattes I do like!  This could be a major factor!

I think I was too excited and put too much almond milk in the coffee.  It was still decent, but a bit too strong on the almond milk flavor...but totally my fault.  I missed the intenseness that I covered up.  But I added a bunch of sugar also, so then it turned into an intensely creamed-and-sugared coffee.

No wi-fi issues.

There is no parking, but it's on a campus mostly for students and people who are there anyway, so it's sort of acceptable.  I was in a garage that was $1.50/30 minutes, $6 maximum (which is actually better than I was expecting), but I obviously was doing that because I had to be there anyway and wouldn't do that just for coffee here.

Drip Coffee at Drip Denver

Coffee Shop:

Drip Denver

http://www.dripdenver.com

933 Lincoln St

Denver, CO 80203

Date Visited:

Sunday, May 1, 2016

About 2:00-5:00

Purchased:

12 oz brewed coffee: $2

In the interest of getting the actual beverages that coffee shops are named for, I had to get a drip coffee at Drip Denver.

First, let me explain how bad I have been at this.

I got a chai latte at Drip Denver.  I got a latte at Black, Black Coffee.  I got cold brew coffee at Crema (named after espresso).

What is my deal?

In fairness, Drip Denver makes their own chai, so it's still a specialty.

Also in fairness, these places keep telling me about how they are special in ways that their name does not indicate.

Anyway, I was back at Drip Denver and wanted to be a purist this time.  I asked what coffees they had available and this ended up being confusing...and I hate when the barista doesn't take over because I am not a good enough coffee snob to be good at asking the right questions.  But I found out that for brewed coffee they had a decaf and regular (so this was not much of a decision because...not decaf).  I believe the regular was Danger Monkey, with jives with what I just checked on their web site.  So I ordered their brewed coffee.  I am pretty sure this was drip brewed, additionally because their web site says that they drip brew Danger Monkey.  If they didn't even tell me about their drip coffee when I asked then it's not a necessary of enough specialty anyway!  It wasn't fresh pour-over for sure, they had it made for the day.

Classic.

So I got drip coffee from Drip Denver!  I thought it was pretty good.  I added almond milk and sugar at the beginning so I didn't try it black.  But I was feeling a bit especially hazy that day and I found this coffee very nice and easy to drink to help the situation.  It was pretty cold outside and this coffee was one of those which was very nice and warm to drink on a cold day.  It was a cozy-warm beverage.  This is not true of every coffee - I would say really strong or bitter or floral-y ones are not. A cozy-warm beverage on a cold day calls for a calm arc of flavors instead of an adventure.

It is also a nice cozy coffee shop to be warm in on a cold day.  Except that it was rather cold while I was there, unfortunately.  I put my hat on while I was sitting after I had finished the warm coffee and was drinking ice water (which I'm sure was a contributing factor to needing the hat).  As we were exchanging pleasantries before I left, the manager mentioned that it got a bit cold after the majority of people left, and good thing warm weather is around the corner.

I think that drip coffee at Drip Denver lived up to being a namesake.  I enjoyed the experience.  It seems like an appropriately classic drink to get when one wants coffee.  Also, I was there toward the end of the day and the coffee didn't taste old or overheated anything.

When I was deciding between sizes they were going to give me a paper cup, but I asked for an in-house cup and they obliged.  This greatly increased the coziness of the experience.

13 - BookBar, Denver

Unique, awesome place!

Coffee Shop:
BookBar
http://www.bookbardenver.com
4280 Tennyson St
Denver, CO 80212

Date Visited:
Saturday, April 30, 2016
About 11:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Purchased:
*15 oz Almond Milk Latte: $4.00
**"Love in the Time of Hummus" (hummus and pita): $5.00

*No charge for the almond milk! Way to be!

**A presentation started and two of us were talking.  They asked us to whisper during the presentation and gave me 50% off the hummus plate (so I paid $2.50).  I thought this was a really cool way to balance everything.  I mean, we should be respectful of people trying to listen, but we also didn't know that the store was about to be taken over by a presentation, so we hadn't had a choice and had already ordered.  Since there wasn't a notice or anything, I think this was the best way they could have handled the situation.

The BookBar.  It's a bookstore.  And a bar!  It's SUCH a cool place to hang out.  When I got there I ordered an almond milk latte.

BookBar Almond Milk Latte

It wasn't the greatest latte.  And obviously no latte art.  But it's okay!  Because this place is such a cool place to hang out.  It was also the kind of almond milk latte I don't really like.  I didn't think it was gross, but it was that kind that I am in into, and I'm still not sure what the difference is between places that make them how I like it and places that don't.  I have to remember that I don't normally like them, since I have had so many that I thought were good lately.

They have comfy chairs and couches, as well as tables throughout the store, and bar seating right by the bar.  There is a fake fireplace in a little seating area in the back.  Windows are nice in the front.  And we were even served at our seats!  They came over and asked if we needed anything, took dishes we were finished with, etc.  I ordered something and they brought it out!

I was there for a long time.  I had seen that they have a food menu so I was planning on staying a while since they could also provide me with sustenance.  But the portions were REALLY small.  It was more like a very light snack than "food".  It seemed like the food was cute and classy, plus it has literary names, as do the alcoholic drinks.  But it just wasn't enough.

Hummus Plate - cute, but too small!

So it's probably fun to get some drinks and maybe a couple food items with people for the sake of having food...but as an actual means to become less hungry.  However, I suppose it did tide me over.

IT IS ALSO A BOOKSTORE.

I just need to emphasize that again.  Such a cool place.

It happened to be Independent Bookstore Day!  Which I found out when I walked in.  They were having a raffle every hour for a free book (I did not win, despite the many hours) and had some deals on books.  And it was fun because it was a celebration.

I love that they were actively encouraging people to hang out as long as possible with the raffle.  I also love how they assumed that every purchase was opening a tab.  It's definitely a place where they expect and want you to stay and hang out.

Anyway.  Super cool place.

I absolutely loved that I could get up from working and wander around books, check things out, then sit back down AND ORDER FOOD OR DRINK FROM MY SEAT IF I WANTED.

This is just such a cool combination of awesome things.

They don't have a parking lot, but there is free, unlimited street parking around the block.  It was a bit tight when I was there, but it seems like it would be generally doable.

The wi-fi was pretty slow at times.

Also - they had a recycling!  I want to start making sure I give praise where praise is due.