45 - Huckleberry Roasters (Denver, Sunnyside location)

Coffee Shop:
Huckleberry Roasters
https://huckleberryroasters.com/pages/huckleberry-flagship-4301-pecos
4301 Pecos st
Denver, Colorado, 80211

Date Visited:
Saturday, December 22, 2018
About 12:45 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Purchased:
Autumn Leaves Latte (small - 10oz): $5.00
*oat milk - no additional charge
Millenial Brekkie Premium Toast: $7.50

The Autumn Leaves Latte included maple syrup and cardamom (omg).
The toast was almond butter, apple, cinnamon, and toasted coconut.

Notice the validation of oat milk. It's not some weird, modified latte you have to charge extra for. It's a latte.  They 100% know what they're doing.  They are all about good coffee, no room for unreasonableness.

This latte was soooo good.

It was incredible. It is in the running for the best latte I've ever had. (And since I have no legitimate ranking policy, that is as high as it could go.)  It is the reason for these adventures.  It is the special gem in a bowl of beautiful rocks. And it is called Autumn Leaves. Omg.

Autumn Leaves Latte - does the name itself not sound too beautiful to be true? Would this latte, by any other name, taste as wonderful? At least, the name is yet another amazing component.

I mean, you can see how beautiful it is. It is a visual work of art that delivers even more than promised when it hits your other senses. I'm now realizing I didn't savor the smell anywhere near as much as I should have.

I had pretty high expectations since this place is a roasters also, and they were totally met and exceeded.  The espresso was amazing. The way it blended with oat milk was heavenly. The additional flavor was in spot-on proportion. This was an artful beverage.  This is one of those espresso drinks that is a destination, totally worth going for on its own merit.

I got the 10oz version of this drink because that is what the mug size is ("for here").  I am partial to higher espresso ratios when the espresso is good, so I liked that aspect.  I think at least one of the paper cup options was 12oz, but I'm sure this is better (a mug is always better than a paper cup, an opinion I hold strongly). I'm sure they know what they're doing with their mug sizes. Sooo classic, too.

Millenial Brekkie Premium Toast

(The camera I've been using on my phone really sucks...it's detracting from the visual quality for sure...I'm gonna stop using this...second photo apology to the integrity of this blog.)

The toast was really good. Definitely what I would call "premium." It was fun to try - really good, and "different" without being weird.  The flavor combos were nothing surprising, but it's not the kind of thing you see everywhere either.  "Premium" ingredients down the bread, and nicely crafted, like the latte.  It also paired really well with the latte.

I will also emphasize one more time that the latte was exceptionally wonderful.

You know another little detail I really appreciate? They actually serve this on a real plate. I've noticed a trend where coffee shops serve you things like this on a little plate, which hold the toast (or whatever), but there is no room to maneuver. I always spill something, at least crumbs. This is an actual plate I could eat from. Nicely done, Huckleberry.

The atmosphere was nice and I enjoyed myself.  It wasn't really anything special on this end, but it was a good place to enjoy amazing espresso.  I wouldn't be pulled to come back for the vibe, personally, but there was nothing negative (it was clean, etc.).

Parking was easy. I parked on the street, but then saw they have a lot also.

No wifi issues.

44 - Cherry Bean (Denver - Sunnyside Location)

Cherry Bean! It's super cute! (I'll be real, I forgot to take this picture, then took it from my car, parked awkwardly across the street, so now I have to own up to it so this place doesn't appear less cute. This-picture-done-well-from-the-corner-instead is right on the main page of their web site though. I obviously wasn't trying very hard. I apologize to the integrity of this blog.)

Coffee Shop:
Cherry Bean Coffee
https://www.cherrybeancoffee.co/
4059 Tejon Street  Denver
Colorado, 80211

Date Visited:
Friday, December 21, 2018
About 3:30 p.m. -  5:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 22, 2018
About 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Purchased:
Nothing! Haha! I was in a cool airbnb that covered a morning coffee, so I checked it out twice for comparison and didn't buy anything, but here are the details:

day 1 - 12 oz oat milk latte
day 2 - 12 oz peppermint oil almond milk latte

latte: $3.75 base
$1.00 charge for oat milk

peppermint oil latte base: $4.00
$.80 cent charge for almond milk

The extra charges are a little overboard, especially because I think whole milk is standard! It definitely gave me a getting-away-with-it-because-they-can vibe. .80 cents is pushing it (especially when it's the same for a little cappuccino or a 20 oz latte). Oat milk is a dollar and the others are a .80 cents, which means they put some kind of thought into it, but they do not get points for reasonableness and are willingly part of the system of unreasonableness.

Okay my first general comment though: This place is awesome.  If I had any kind of ranking system or sensical way to keep track of things, I'm sure this would be up there for something like a "best overall" category.

Their cappuccino looked legit (6 oz they know what's up) so I kind of wanted that, but since they have oat milk and also seemed to know what they're doing espresso-wise, I decided to compare almond and oat milk lattes back to back (since I was coming two days in a row). Then I complicated this by getting a peppermint oil latte with one of them. Oh, well.  Not only do they seem to know what they're doing espresso-wise, but they had one of the coolest menus I've ever seen.  I had to try a little of both sides, even though I was focusing on espresso/basic lattes.

Oat milk latte

They have ALL sorts of cool stuff.  I was very intrigued by the "lattes" that don't have espresso, but instead cool blends of things like spirulina or turmeric, and health-kick-type-things. But like, with latte art. Omg.  They also have smoothies and some other stuff. So SUCH a cool menu to draw from.  The peppermint oil latte was one of their "specialty drinks" so I decided it was a good representative sample. I'm sure there are a lot of things that taste good without being too health-kicky too. So awesome place to go, whether you want caffeine or not.

So far in my oat milk latte adventures, I think that oat milk is awesome. I don't know if I have liked any better than the best cappuccinos (or lattes) I have ever had, but I think I like them more consistently.  In this almost-direct-comparison I liked the oat milk better than the almond milk.  However, I had the peppermint oil in the almond milk, so maybe I didn't like the peppermint oil effect. But I think it was as expected (and I think I would have liked it better in the oat milk).

Peppermint Oil Almond Milk Latte

Both lattes were very good.  I did like the oat milk better, but the almond milk was a really good savory kind of latte, as in not sweet, focused on the espresso instead of sweetness/syrups/etc., which is nice when done well.  Oat milk is naturally sweeter, so I didn't notice as much with that one. There was none of the burned-taste that I often complain about with almond-milk-done-not-well.  It was hearty and not sweet, without being bitter. The peppermint oil added a little smoothness I think (and, of course, peppermint flavor). Good experience. The foam was nice and creamy.

Although I was not at the point of raving about how they are the best drinks I've ever had, they were really good!  And this place had so many options that they apparently do very well!  It's also super cute on the street-corner (there's a little outdoor seating, but...December), and it's such a nice atmosphere!  It somehow manages to look equally appealing for chilling and talking to friends, or sitting alone with a laptop, reading, focusing, daydreaming...whatever. You can do it all.  You could come in with kids, or just adults also. I don't know if I have seen a shop that is so eclectic and so good at so many facets.

They have a print, scan, copy, fax station.  I mean, seriously.

There are some brick walls inside. Giant windows to sit next to. Very light and open. Also cozy and comfy. Not quite at fireplace level, but they pretty much have it all.

Street parking was free, not time limited, and easy to find.

I had no wifi issues and they post the password all around (they're so considerate and welcoming!).

Cherry Bean was so fun to stop in, but it would be even better to frequent!  There's so much to try and it would fit whatever kind of mood you need. I was super impressed and loved it.

43 - 2914 Coffee, Denver (Jefferson Park)

Coffee Shop:
2914 Coffee
https://2914coffee.com/
2914 W 25th Ave
Denver, CO 80211

Look at that name. Look at that address. HOW APT.
Yet I seem to remember that there was more to the story on their website and it was awesome. I do not see it now. This place was on my list back when I lived here, so I was stoked to finally see it.
Oh, I found a little bigger blurb on their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/2914coffeedenver/

Date Visited:
Thursday, December 20, 2018
About 1:15 p.m. -  4:00 p.m.

Purchased:
Cappuccino: $4.50
(.50 cent charge for almond milk)
Veggie sandwich (vegan): $7.50
(.50 cent charge for vegan/gluten free oat bread, which was really good!)
^I had it toasted (I don't know if I would ever turn down the option to have toasted bread)
Tip: $1.00 (I was compelled because I got food too, I think, no judgement on all the places I haven't included a tip...)
Total: $13.00

Cute!

Their lattes vs. cappuccinos were just smaller mugs for cappuccinos, so I basically had six options for espresso/milk ratios, starting with a single shot latte, or smaller single shot cappuccino, up to a large. (They could of course also just do whatever you want. But that's not my style, gotta see what they present first.)
I got a double cappuccino.  It was very much basically a latte. However, it did have a decent foam covering.  Not a ton, but decent. There was actually a clear line between the foam top and the liquidy-espresso drink part, which I actually don't like as much as a creamier/smoother drink overall. (I like creamy foam, not airy foam, but I'm not complaining.)  The foam was decently creamy, with pockets of visible air bubbles (so still airy).

Overall it did the job, but wasn't particularly noteworthy. It had a bit of that almost-burnt taste that comes with almond milk sometimes (when it's not as good, as far as I'm concerned), but it was overlookable. Like I said, it was a bit more separated than many.  Since coconut milk usually separates more than almond milk, I think I probably would have liked the coconut milk cappuccino more, since that's kinda how the almond turned out anyway (but I think coconut milk would have tasted better). I noticed that many coconut milk drinks were ordered while I was sitting there, so perhaps regulars know where it's at for this place.  Anyway - overall, decent drink, no big complaints, just no raves either.

I was hungry so I also tried a sandwich. They had a vegan one! With no cheese, plus their gluten free/vegan oat bread, which was really good! The sandwich was just a basic snack, but I like that they have options that aren't just a pastry.  I'm not sure it was really a $7.50 sandwich, but the ingredients seemed fresh (and availability, real estate, convenience costs...whatever. I wouldn't call it a food destination, but if you're there and want food, they have decent options).

The shop is super cute and a fun place to to hang out.  It had a really friendly and comfortable, inviting vibe.  There was a good amount of seating for it being small-ish, and it was balanced just up to the point of not feeling crowded.  There was outdoor seating too.  It was warm for the time of year, but it's December. I didn't try it.  I was really happy with the visit, even if I'm not raving about the actual consumables, and ended up staying longer than I figured I would because it's just a really nice place to hang out.  There is nice natural light and low-key quirky art.

There is ample free, 2-hour parking in the vicinity. Since I was there longer, I moved my car, and one of the baristas told me they do actually have a two dedicated parking spots in the parking lot behind the shop, which is accessible from the alley. So I moved there.

There was wifi with a password and no issues.

The shop is a pokestop.