“I’ll just have a small coffee.”
“Any flavors or creamer in that?”
“Nope. Just black.”
I know. Boring. But I like coffee. I like it a lot and I like it straight up. Okay, once in a while I’ll get a latte, but always with an extra shot to up the coffee concentration.
“Here you go, a small coffee.” I made a face when I took my first sip. It tasted good, but it tasted sweet. Well, some coffees have a little sweetness, so I gave it another try.
I said to my wife, “Taste this. Does this taste sweet to you?”
She took one sip and said, “Oh, yes.” She made a face. “Artificial sweetener.”
I hardly ever take anything back at a restaurant or coffee shop. But this day I did. “I think there’s sweetener in this. I just wanted black.” It was no problem. They made me a new cup. Much better.
My wife ordered a latte made with almond milk with just one pump of vanilla. Her typical order, nothing complicated.
After a few sips she lifted the lid and said, “There’s not much milk in here.”
I tried it and said, “That’s not a latte. That’s just coffee with milk in it. A latte is mostly steamed milk.”
She didn’t take her cup back. The poor guy who took our order was either inexperienced or having an off morning. He wasn’t a barista, just a young man working behind the counter. And the pastries were really, really good.
This coffee shop opened up in a rundown area of town in an effort to revitalize the neighborhood. Sponsored by a church, it subsidized many children’s programs, employed people just getting into the work force, and made important faith connections. They started in a bus, traveling from place to place. This permanent location had only been open for a few months. You can check them out here.
Trying out coffee shops has become a new hobby. They are tucked away in strip malls, industrial parks, and the corners of larger stores. With our coffee radar switched on, we’ve discovered many cool places.
Waite for it... 