Appendix E-J

Coffee Shop: Kaldis Coffee

Location: Columbia, Missouri

Drink: Cappuccino

Drinkers: Chris Hess

Meant to write this one up the last time I was in the great town of Columbia. I took pictures. I drank multiple drinks. I simply never got around to it.

So a year later, while on a week-long family tour of the deep Midwest, our route from Missouri to Iowa took us again throughColumbia. We ate fine food. We drank fine brew (not the coffee kind). And before it was again time to hit the road with audiobooks to pass the time, it was determined I needed a fine cup of coffee.

Walking back into Kaldis a year later, most is the same. It is a large space. There is a focus on fine coffees with a food menu to please the college and business folk that populate the downtown area. A change I noticed: the menus are less cluttered, easier toread. Kaldis now offers french press (bonus) and chemex (double bonus). I had an idea of them brewing it directly into my mouth while I planked the coffee bar so I could become an internet sensation in certain circles.

Deeming this to be inappropriate and maybe impossible (reverse gravity pour?)…and deterred from either of these brew methods by not feeling confident in my ability to imbibe 32 oz. of coffee on my own while being behind the wheel…I went with a cappuccino. Triple bonus? Kaldis now offers their house espresso alongside a single-origin offering. Feeling special, I went with the S.O. – a promising Guatemala.

Whilst I waited for my capp, conversation ensued. The Kaldis baristas are talkative and pleasant. What’s more, they are genuine. There is a difference between talking with a customer to pass the time while waiting for their beverage to be handed to them and truly engaging with someone. I was engaged with. My barista’s father is from Fort Collins and she wants to move West but needs a job. Kaldis is also in the process of getting their drip bar/by the cup system rolling (Quad Bonus). See what you learn when you actually meet people instead of “meeting” people?

Next, my drink arrived. It was quite good. Nice balance and texture. Some of the sweetest milk I’ve ever tasted, and the espresso held up very nicely as the drink cooled while I drove north.Well done, fellow behind the machine who I didn’t get to speak with much. You were pleasant as well, though. I have the feeling we might have spoken for some time.

Thank you, Kaldis, for being the official coffee sponsor of my Missouri-Iowa transition. I will return. I recommend you – reader – try it for at least the first time. If not in Columbia,

then one of their other locales.

Methinks you’ll dig it.

Popularity: 2% [?]

A quick note about this one…

We have a lot of conversations with folks about opening a shop like Everyday Joe’s: non-profit, volunteer powered, a place of community and love and Truth that loves nothing more than good relationship. All the convos are enjoyable, though rarely does a shop come out of one. The conversation with the people of Sola happened one year ago and the shop opened in November of 2009. Rejoicing is happening in our hearts right now.

Coffee Shop: Sola Coffee Bar

Location: Old Town Scottsdale, AZ

Drink: double capp, hot chocolate, chai tea, hario v60 drip (’twas a family outing)

Drinkers: Chris, Jessica, & Thomson Hess

Every year the family & I spend one week in Scottsdale, AZ where my parents have a place we can stay free. Vacations with free lodging, a fridge full of food, and a delightful assortment of beverages for the drinking are the ones to take. Oh, and free babysitting thanks to the grandparents.

Last year I used one afternoon of my vacation week to sit and talk with two fellows: 1)Matt, who is a member of the Everyday Joe’s family whom moved to Scottsdale a few years ago and met a lady and got married & 2)Jared, who is a fine fellow with nice hats and a good heart. We sat and shared pizza and cheese fries and conversation about Everyday Joe’s and how it operates. Because, you see, Old Town Scottsdale was screaming for a place like the one Oldtown Fort Collins has. Jared heard the screams, and ignored those saying he shouldn’t spend too much time on “this coffee house thing.”

Before returning to Scottsdale this year, the thought ran through my mind to call Matt and see if the shop we talked about ever opened. I called once we got to town. The shop was open. It is called Sola Coffee Bar. I became happier.

BUT…

I was a little apprehensive. The coffee & espresso bar culture is different than the cafe culture. Coffee bar’s don’t generally encourage hanging around for too long. It is a place to sit and drink a craftful drink, talk for a bit, and then move on. Some pretentiousness might also be thrown into the mix.

HOWEVER…

Upon arriving at Sola, and being greeted by volunteer barista Johnna, these thoughts were erased from my mind. We, as a family visiting a place for the first time, were at ease. The room was at ease. Two long tables with seating for about 12 sit in the middle of the room. A small couch area by the window. It felt like home.

Sola has two paid employees – the afformentioned Jared and Toby, the latter of which soon joined Johnna behind the bar. We talked coffee and Sola/Everyday Joe’s for a bit…then moved on to other things: dropping out of college, vinyls, churches, serving. It was good. It felt like home.

My good lady Jessica enjoyed a chai. My firstborn Thomson enjoyed a hot chocolate steamed to perfect kid temperature (a task that seems simple but can – for some unknown reason – can be hard to do). I enjoyed a double cappuccino to start, and then moved on to a selection from their drip bar, which uses the Hario V60 pour-over. Sola brewsthe beans roasted by Cartel, which are delcious. Johnna & I had a brief convo concerning the stewardship of the beans we pay for and the expression of service through drinks that are well-made. Her thoughts on the matter translated right into my capp, and Toby’s right into my Hario drip.

I could continue to sit here and gush over this place, but I will stop after communicating two things:

• If I lived in the state of Arizona, I would be a regular at this place and get to know the people behind the counter because they are simply that lovely.
• If you live in the state of Arizona, you should be a regular at this place and get to know the people behind the counter because they are simply that lovely.

We’ll be back in AZ in June, and will again imbibe some bevs at Sola. Until then, please visit in my stead.

It feels like home.

 FURTHER:

• Sola Coffee Bar official site
• Follow Sola on Twitter
• Other People’s Coffee: Cartel Coffee Lab

Popularity: 2% [?]

Coffee Shop: The Coffee Ethic

Location: Springfield, MO

Drink: 8 oz. Latte, Clover

Drinker: Chris Hess

Back in August, Everyday Joe’s took a field trip to Springfield, MO. It was a trip centered on serving people and an attempt to transport the heart and spirit of 144 S. Mason to another locale, even if just temporarily.

While researching locations in Springfield where a gear distribution to the homeless might work best, I found that the town’s downtown square was ideal. I also found that a magical place called The Coffee Ethic occupied one of the store fronts.

Why magical? First things, they have a Clover…the dying breed of coffee preparation due to certain things not beneficial to discuss here. Second things, their web site is the hotness and they love Helvetica, which is a direct path to my heart. When reading the Helvetica on the hotness of that site, it’s clear The Coffee Ethic knows coffee…and they want you to know about it too.

Fast forward approximately two weeks. We are in Springfield. It is not as hot or miserable as everyone said it would be. It has been busy day full of meeting those in need and hopefully meeting their needs and learning the stories of everyone…homeless or not. Our afternoon distribution has gone well at Park Central Square and I now have a moment to slip away. The Coffee Ethic is within shouting distance. I go there. I walk into quite a beautiful space. The exposed brick walls remind me of a place I love and the connected library reminds me of an IKEA catalog. The barista on duty (who’s name has now left my memory bank) is a good fellow willing and able for conversation. He finds out we’re from Ft. Collins and we begin to talk beer, the industry he hopes to get into sometime soon. He let’s me know of hopes to come to FC soon, but that is a story for another day.

I order a Clover. I don’t remember the bean. I do remember that the taste was deep and good. Earthy with a bit of spice. I then order a latte. It too qualified itself for the delicious tag. The drinks were top notch, but not what impressed me most.

There is a trend these days in the specialty coffee world…away from the coffee house idea and into what might even be described as a coffee studio. Away from Central Perk and towards an atmosphere that makes you expect something wonderful to enter your mouth. I can dig this…most of the time. What I can’t dig is when someone is made to feel inferior or intimidated when they walk into a shop and don’t “know” coffee.

The Coffee Ethic is not guilty of this. Our friend behind the bar engaged us. He willingly and even lovingly talked with us about anything we brought up: from beer to marriage to design of the shop to Twitter. This trip to The Coffee Ethic was one of the few times I felt like a barista at a shop on this level was happy to make me my drink and made me feel welcome enough that the counter between us disappeared.

The people of The Coffee Ethic take coffee seriously, but they also take people seriously. I thank them for that. I also thank them for delicious beverages.

FURTHER:

• The Coffee Ethic
• The Power Of Clover
• Another great review of The Coffee Ethic
• Everyday Joe’s Goes To Missouri

Popularity: 3% [?]

This installment of “Other People’s Coffee” holds a special place in our heart…and the reason is two-fold:

1) It is written by Nick Hamilton – a good friend/man and former Everyday Joe’s regular whose job took him & his family to Knoxville, TN.

2) Remedy Coffee is a shop managed by David Teten – another former Everyday Joe’s regular that called a few months ago and said, “A shop with the same heart as Everyday Joe’s is opening in Knoxville and I’m going to run it. Here are a lot of questions.” They even made the choice to buy beans from Intelligentsia.

We get a lot of phone calls like Dave’s, and rarely does a shop open after the conversation. It is good to see it happen, and having the man at the helm be a part of the Everyday Joe’s family is even more exciting. Things are happening and Remedy is making a difference. Please support them.

Coffee Shop: Remedy Coffee

Location: Knoxville, TN

Drink: Double Americano

Drinker: Nick Hamilton

I’m not accustomed to early mornings. Five months of fatherhood under my belt and I still cringe at 7 a.m.  I meant to get to Remedy Coffee at the crack of opening.  Crack of grand opening I suppose.  Missed it.  Rolled into The Old City at 7.45, parked, paid for parking, walked from parking to door.

The first time I stood at this door was January of this year. I heard about Remedy Coffee through the power of the interwebs.  Being a recent transplant to Knoxville I had been looking for good coffee.  My friend David and I headed to The Old City to give it a whirl only to find it closed.  Disappointed we began to head down the street to see what else was around when a woman from inside Remedy asked if we’d like to check the place out.  We said sure and she proceeded to give us the “grand tour.”  Turns out that Remedy is the brainchild of a local church called Knoxlife Church.  The church met there on Sundays but the hope was to open up the space to the surrounding community during the rest of the week.

It’s quite a space.  Set in The Old City the feel as you walk in is industrial.  From the outside you might expect Rocky Balboa to be tenderizing a half slab of beef just inside.  Fortunately for all involved this is not the case. Their motto is “coffee and conversation” and this atmosphere is successfully achieved.  The staff is friendly and knowledgeable about their product without making the untrained palette such as my own feel inferior.

I am mostly a black coffee kind of guy, but enjoy the occasional espresso.  So, I decided to give an Americano a go.  Four delicious shots later I was quite satisfied. I was told my Black Cat espresso had a “chocolate covered cherry taste,” which was easily discernable. Maybe just because it was mentioned, maybe because they pulled some good shots, whatever the case it was still delicious.

Remedy has chosen to use Intelligensia Coffee as their go to and ‘tis a delightful choice.

Hand made mugs from a local artist cover the brick walls.  An acceptable music mix tickled my multiplying ear hairs (comes with fatherhood, I think…).  The various tables and chairs set about make for comfortable, uncramped atmosphere.

All in all I’m grateful to find a place that serves a mean Americano, a comfortable environment, and a welcoming feel where one might even become a regular.

FURTHER:

• Remedy Coffee Official Site

Popularity: 100% [?]

Coffee Shop: Cartel Coffee Lab

Location: Tempe, AZ

Drink: 8 oz. Latte

Drinker: Chris Hess

Two of the cultures I am most intrigued by are converging upon one another: coffee and beer.

Two of the local breweries here in Fort Collins now have beer/coffee offerings. At New Belgium you can try Giddy Up and the folks at Odell Brewing Company were offering their try at the concoction in the tap room for a limited time (can’t remember the name, sorry). It feels like I’ve been drinking various coffee porters for years. Even a few of the folks at Intelligentsia (our Chicago-based roaster) worked with the guys at Three Floyds to produce a very limited run of Dwarven Hammer, a delicious altbier.

Just as good coffee is something I seek out in my travels, a nice pint is never a bad thing to find either. The last time I was in Alaska, I discovered the Midnight Sun Brewing Company. I asked my cousin if we could go to the brewery to do a tasting. He said sure and off we went.

As we drove, I wondered what the tap room at Midnight Sun might be like. The tap rooms at New Belgium & Odell & Fort Collins Brewery are each so distinct to the personality of the brewery that some very grandiose visions began to form in my head. Then we pulled into an industrial complex and parked the car in front of a taxidermy shop. I was confused.

Once out of the car, I realized that Midnight Sun was located in the two spaces next to the taxidermist. One space was full of brewing equipment and the other refrigeration equipment. Taps came out of the corrugated steel covering the refrigerator and a stainless steel counter stood between me and the goodness . On the walls hung merchandise and various heads of animals that couldn fit in the taxidermist’s quarters next door. If we were to show up outside of business hours, the spaces would have been concealed by your typical industrial park garage door. It was like discovering a treasure and the beer was nothing short of mighty fine. I long for it often.

A week ago I had a similar experience when entering the Cartel Coffee Lab in Tempe, AZ. I found out about Cartel while watching the United States Barista Championship, as one of the competitors is employed there. I became excited because I was going to be in the Tempe area for vacation. After a bit more research, I realized the shop was on the way to IKEA and quickly came to the conclusion that a beverage from Cartel would be a good prelude to Swedish things.

The wife & I had some initial trouble locating Cartel, as the address we thought was correct brought us to a tattoo parlor in a smallish business park. It turned out to just be confusing signage and after driving around the corner we found our destination and the Australian woman on the GPS was able to take a break.

Once we walked in, I immediately began to flash back to my experience at Midnight Sun. The shop is long and fairly narrow with wonderful (tiny) art on the walls. The roaster sat towards the back of the shop in front of an open garage door, and the coffee bar was on wheels & covered in stainless steel. I approached and ordered a small latte, noticing the doserless grinder and naked portafilter the barista was working with (yes please, thank you). While waiting I noticed the only lights on were above the bar, and the natural light streaming in from either end of the the shop provided  the rest of what you needed. The menu was spray painted on ply wood and various seating areas – couches, stools, tables – were set up where they could fit. I almost had the feeling that if I left and then tried to bring people back, Cartel Coffee Lab would vanish and my friends would think I was making the whole thing up…like Costanza & his party full of supermodels. I had again discovered a treasure, this one tucked away amongst the hustle and bustle of the university down the street.

My latte was great enough I wished I had time for another, but we had “Swedish” lamps to buy. I will return to you Cartel, as long as you promise to be there.

Further:

• Cartel Coffee Lab Official Site
• Midnight Sun Brewery Official Site

Popularity: 42% [?]

Coffee Shop: Lasso Espresso

Location: Gothenburg, Nebraska

Drink: Latte

Drinker: Seth Daire

There are days when I feel compelled to drive 21 hours from Colorado to my home in Erie, Pennsylvania. Those days don’t come often, but February 14th was one such day, and along the way, I had a craving for coffee. The road to Pennsylvania known as I-80 is long and boring, with the exception of a few cities until you hit Chicago. With my newly acquired GPS, I searched for the only coffee house I expected to find, and found one, many miles ahead.

On the way there, I saw an exit with a sign for Lasso Espresso. Not sure what to expect, but excited about the possibility of a new coffee adventure, we gave it a go. What can one expect from a coffee house in Gothenburg, Nebreska? Well, the only way to describe the decor is eclectic. As one reviewer describes it: “Lots of cute little cards, candles, piggy banks, jellies, home made treats and other trinkets. You can drive go through the drivethrough for your coffee or walk in and sit at a table or couch.” I opted to walk in and order a latte, straight up. The owner was also there and offered us some popcorn from their popcorn machine, made with corn from their corn fields! Yes, it appears the family business is corn…in Nebraska.

We talked with the owner a bit, and the quality of their coffee is very important to them. They use Seattle-based Caffé D’arte, a roaster who hand crafts their coffee in the Italian tradition. That’s not what I expected to find on a random stop somewhere in the middle of Nebraska, but found it I did, and my coffee craving was satiated.

Further:

• Caffé D’Arte Official Site
• More Reviews of Lasso Espresso

Popularity: 28% [?]

Coffee Shop: Dreamer’s Coffeehouse and Deli

Location: Reno, Nevada

Drink: Latte

Drinker: Seth Daire

I spent a month in Reno this summer, though not all at once. Four times in point of fact. When working during the week, I actually opted for lesser coffees for their caffiene content, especially the days I awoke at 5am, which is too early for a night owl.

I stayed at the Eldorado in downtown Reno most of the time. They have slot machines, lots of slot machines, and tables, and other boring gambling peraphanalia. My first week there, I saw someone get arrested outside of the hotel, and that really didn’t encourage me to explore too much. My second to the last day of the fourth week I was there, I realized something. Less than four blocks from my hotel is a riverfront district that is very cool and trendy. The river walk is quite nice. Did I mention it was only four blocks away all this time?

My last day in Reno, I had some time, so I decided to walk on down. I was looking for a place to eat, though I didn’t know what to look for. What I found was Dreamer’s Coffeehouse and Deli, with a patio on the waterfront. I ordered a panini and a 16 oz latte. The panini was above average for a coffee house, with Brie and turkey.

The latte was acceptably good, the staff friendly, and the decor quite cool. Art and couches were in one area, a bookshelf in another. After lunch, I took my latte and walked along the river for a bit. For the location alone, it’s worth the trip.

Further:

• The Reno Riverwalk District
• Java Jungle- another shop on the Riverwalk

Popularity: 19% [?]

Coffee Shop: Stauf’s Coffee Roasters
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Drink: Latte & Clover
Drinker: Seth Daire

I’ve been traveling on business quite a bit this summer, and when not working, I have a chance to explore the nearby culture, including the local coffee culture. As I often do, my search begins in Google with “best columbus coffee house”

First I went to this site, which informed me that this coffee house has been around a long time. Stauf’s has been roasting coffee onsite since 1988.

Stauf’s is along a small strip in the Grandview area. Upon walking in, I was welcomed by the aroma of dozens of coffee barrels along two walls. This is the coffee and merchandise area of the store. They have an assortment of coffees in all price ranges, including $30/lb Hawaiian Kona. The staff was incredibly friendly and inviting.

I chatted with the barista about our coffee house and told him I was visiting for a few weeks. Since I never had their coffee, he made me a sample espresso shot. After that, I ordered a 16oz latte. It was sweet and flavorful, not the least bit bitter.

Later in the day, I returned and headed straight to a curious coffee maker I saw earlier in the day: The Clover. I’ve heard about the Clover, which is a single cup coffee machine costing $11,000, which seems to be a cross between a french press and a vacuum pot. You can learn how it works here.

The barista was enthusiastic about the Clover, and I was equally excited to give it a go. Given a choice of any of their coffees, I chose the Kona, and paid a marvelous $3 for this coffee adventure. It’s kindof like a French Press that takes 50 seconds and pours the coffee for you.

My Clover cup of Kona coffee is very, very good and quite refreshing. Cream and sugar need not apply. It’s thicker than an Americano, but a bit thinner than French Press, in my opinion. Being a bit cleaner than a French Press, it manages to give you the coffee minus the sediment. But hey, for $11,000, it better have some perks! (no pun intended)

The atmosphere of the coffee house is nice too. Lots of  tables, wood floors, wood chairs, sidewalk patio, track lighting, and the smell of coffee. I highly recommend you visit.

Further:

• Stauf’s Official Site
• The Clover

Popularity: 24% [?]

Coffee Shop: Lazy Daze Coffee House

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

Drink: Latte

Drinker: Seth Daire

It was a week ago, on a business trip to Indianapolis, Indiana, otherwise known as the Home of the Colts. I decided I wanted to experience some good coffee while I was there, and so went to Google Maps. Fortunately, one of the better-rated coffee houses was not too far away from my hotel, known as Lazy Daze Coffee House. They have an interesting logo. So I plotted a course, and the next morning, asked my coworker if I could get some coffee. And so we went, and you know, it looked so much closer on the map. After almost 15 minutes, I started to wonder if we would find it, but then I saw the logo and we pulled around to the one-way street (from the other way, of course).

The décor was nice. In most respects, it fits the typical image of a coffee house. The barista was chatting with a friend, and then we chatted a bit as she took my order. She was friendly. I ordered myself a latte, straight up. I asked who their roaster was, took note of it, and then forgot. There wasn’t much time to soak in the atmosphere, as we had an agenda for the day, and the coffee house already took more time than I anticipated. Once I got in the car, I sipped the latte, and it was good, really good. That made me happy. It was well worth the time to have the coffee experience that morning. And being that I worked till midnight that day, well, at least I started the day with a good latte.

Further:

• Lazy Daze Coffee House Official Site
• Google Maps location of Lazy Daze
• Get a peptalk from Peyton Manning

Popularity: 17% [?]

About a month ago, we started a new series on Appendix E-J called “Other People’s Coffee.” It is to be a reference guide of sorts…something to look to when you need to get a good cup of coffee on the road. An index of good third places.

The series started with C4 in Cave Creek, Arizona. A month later, the series has yet to expand past C4 in Cave Creek, Arizona. While there are several entries coming down the pipes, I believe this series presents a grand opportunity at community.

We want you to collaborate on this project. Chances are, you’ve been to a coffee shop that you would like all of your friends and their acquaintances to go to as well. Tell us about it, and we’ll take a look and post it as part of the “Other People’s Coffee Project.” That is correct, it just became a project…eight words ago.

The guidelines:

1. The coffee shop should be outside of Fort Collins, CO. Hopefully out of the state, although new shops are opening all the time in Colorado and it would be good to know about them.
2. If you own or manage the shop, don’t submit your own store (we have people…we will know).
3. This is not a forum to rip a coffee house to shreds. Any submission that even comes close to that will not be accepted.
4. If your submission is posted, we’ll give you a free drink.

How To Submit:

1. Send an e-mail to chris[at]everydayjoes[dot]org with the subject “Other People’s Coffee”
2. In the e-mail include:

• Name of the coffee shop
• Location (City & State)
• The drink you had there
• Your name & where you are from
• A description of the place…what you liked, what drew you there in the first place, some info about the drink, etc. Take creative license here.
• Attach a picture or two, if you like

That’s it. Go out and drink coffee, and then tell us about it. Thank you.

love.

Everyday Joe’s

Popularity: 18% [?]