Luxxe-urious Coffee for Coffee Lovers
Caffe Luxxe latte art.
COFFEE LOVERS ONLY
Do you ever crave a really good cup of coffee or espresso drink? Or perhaps "latte art," as it is called these days. I know I do. All of us Dorothy girls appreciate a superior cup of joe when we can get our hands around one. Every now and then it is worth that extra dollar or two to indulge in an espresso experience where you savor each sip and it gives you that extra kick of energy :)
Every city has its Starbucks, Coffee Bean, Dunkin Donuts, Dutch Bros., Peets, or whichever other large coffee chain is sprinkled on city corners around the country. Now don't get me wrong, I frequent those corner coffee chains as often as the next person... I LOVE my coffee. But then there are the days when I crave more than a just a cup of coffee: I want a really good cup of coffee. So I pop over to the nearest boutique coffee shop. Artisanal coffee roasters have become a popular and successful trend, with coffee aficionados (or snobs, as many like to call them) heralding the superiority of local, freshly-ground, brewed-to-order caffeine. Every city has their collection of boutique coffee haunts that have garnered a devout following and solid reputation for "the best coffee," in someone's "expert" (or pretentious) opinion. I am often that person and will easily tell you all about the dominance and perfection of a better cup of coffee like it's a necessity not a choice. I hear about these "in-the-know" coffee spots that are a must try from friends around the country and the handful of cities I have been to: San Francisco has Four Barrel and Blue Bottle; Denver has Novo; New York has Bluebird, Mud, and Think Coffee; Portland has Stumptown and Barista; Chicago birthed Intelligentsia, which is now also an LA favorite; Los Angeles also has Groundwork, Lamill Coffee, and Caffe Luxxe.
Caffe Luxxe latte.
Now, I am not going to stop going to Starbucks or Peet's when it is nearby and I get that coffee craving, because I appreciate their pervasiveness, convenience, and wallet-friendly prices as much as the next person. But, I also most certainly will throw in a boutique cup of luxurious and outstanding coffee when I feel like it :)
Jen and I did just that a couple days ago. We walked the few blocks from our apartment to Caffe Luxxe on a lazy Sunday morning. We didn't even mind waiting in line for ten minutes to order because watching the espresso artwork being made is entertainment in itself! The coffee treat that resulted complemented a lovely morning and every sip was thoroughly enjoyed and worth it.
What are some of your favorite boutique coffee roasters or coffee shops in your neighborhood? See Bon Appetit's Top 10 in 2009 here.