Sunday Morning Coffee

Main Street Coffee House

2007-04-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

It's not Sunday but it has been a really long time since I have added a new review to this site and one is way overdue. It isn't like we stopped doing our Sunday morning thing but some of the places we visited I had reviewed before and I didn't want to repeat them. One Sunday we visited Santa Monica for breakfast and though I photographed part of the restaurant, I was unable to get the sign and I couldn't remember the name or exact location.

Now we are in Indiana, in Amish Country and Sunday-morning-anything-but-church is difficult to do, hence waiting until today.

We are staying in Wakarusa, Indiana located about 10 miles from Nappanee and that was our coffee destination today. We have been to this place before though not since I started this blog so I felt safe reviewing the Main Street Coffee House located ...you guessed it, at 5 Main Street in downtown Nappanee.

This "little" gem (since we were here last, two years ago the shop has taken over the building next door as well so it is hardly little anymore) is a homey, comfortable place with plenty of seating for the many patrons. There is reading material galore and even some childrens books for the little ones who accompany their moms.

Main Street roasts their own coffee on the premises and it is delicious.Today we both opted to have a bottomless house coffee (there were five different flavours to choose from) for $1.60 each. To add to our beverage aside from regular cream there were flavoured creamers, sugar, artificial sweeteners and honey as well as podered cocoa and cinnamon.

Had we not already had our breakfast, Main Street offers Amish Baked Oatmeal (seriously delicious), regular oatmeal, a variety of homemade muffins, scones and biscuits as well as other morning meals. Their chalkboard boasts of an assortment of healthy looking entrees from salads to sandwiches as well.

For atmoshere, friendly staff, awesome food and great coffee you'll be hard pressed to find better anywhere else around here and we give Main Street Coffee House 9 beans out of 10.

The Paradise Cafe

2007-03-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

Whew! The weather here IS VERY nice! It is hot, but not so hot that a motorcycle ride is out of the question. This morning with nothing heavier than a denim jacket on, we headed up to Yucca Valley in search of a place for breakfast and coffee.

Our trek took us to a cute little roadside cafe found at the east end of Yucca Valley called the Paradise Cafe located at 58890 29 Palms Highway Yucca Valley, CA 92284. We've passed it many times and there are always lots of cars in the parking lot (in our eyes, a good sign) so today we decided to check it out.

The restaurant is tiny, 15 tables, and all but one was occupied so we were quickly seated but soon there were several people waiting. The Paradise Cafe breakfast menu was pretty extensive and offered lots of homestyle choices. I had an egg and skillet type of breakfast and Rick ordered pancakes. He has an allergy to eggs and short of plain toast or cereal, pancakes or waffles have the least amount of the allergen in them (and besides that way he can justify his sugar fix). We both ordered their bottomless cup of coffee (decaf for me) which was delicious. I have recently learned to drink coffee with just cream so for me to say it was delicious is saying a lot.

The Paradise Cafe is an old-fashioned type of eatery and the service was excellent as was the food. Our entrees weren't excessive and we both left there completely satisfied with our choices. Our bill total was just under $20.00 and it was well worth the ride there.

We give the Paradise Cafe 7.5 beans out of 10.

The Backstreet Bistro

2007-03-05T08:56:00.000-08:00

Lately we are getting really lucky on Sundays; the weather always seems ideal for a motorcycle ride and we are getting an earlier start hence avoiding having to wait once we reach our destination.

This morning we rode to the Backstreet Bistro located at 72-820 El Paseo Drive in Palm Desert. We have driven by it several times and it always seems busy so for us that indicates that it is a good place to eat. The Backstreet advertises that they serve breakfast lunch and dinner so it seemed worthy of a visit.

Like many of the restaurants in the Coachella Valley, they have a lovely outdoor patio and because it was such a beautiful day, we ate outside. Though their breakfast menu is not as extensive as many we have tried lately, they do serve an assortment of egg dishes as well as pancakes and hot cereal. We both ordered the obligitory cup of coffee, (mine decaf) and I settled for eggs while Rick tried their pancakes.

There was no fresh squeezed orange juice on the menu though they do offer fresh fruit and other juices. The coffee is advertised as bottomless for $1.50, a good price and though it was pretty good, I have had better. Lately, we have been drinking our hot beverage sans sweetener therefore I am getting a much better sense of what it really tastes like.

There was free reading material and the service was great. Our server checked on us several times and was friendly, prompt and attentive. We enjoyed our breakfast and though we have enjoyed others more, it was hard to beat the price at the Backstreet Bistro. We savoured two cups of coffee and one satisfying meal each and our bill totaled less than $15.00, not bad at all.

We give the Backstreet Bistro 6 beans out of 10.

Don & Sweet Sue's Cafe

2007-02-25T18:07:00.000-08:00

Having visited Rick's Restaurant and Bakery, it seemed only fitting that Don & Sweet Sue's Cafe should be on our list of breakfast places. After all, if Rick serves a mean breakfast, surely Sue will serve an even better one, right? Actually, we had seen Don and Sweet Sue's before on a previous motorcycle ride and with the decent biking weather this morning, it seemed like a place worthy of a visit.

Sweet Sue's Cafe is located at 68955 Ramon Road in Cathedral City, just southwest of the intersection at Date Palm Drive and Ramon Road. There is a large, heated, outdoor, patio with plenty of indoor seating as well. They serve all meals advertising home cooking and serving "the best breakfast in the valley". Based on our experience today, I don't know if it is the best but it certainly is one of the best and we enjoyed our visit.

Our coffee was wonderful; my bottomless cup of decaf was hot, not bitter at all and as fresh as any I have ever had. Rick echoed the same sentiments about his caffeinated version. I had eggs florentine, a spinach version of the classic benedict, while Rick had a giant waffle slathered in fresh blueberries and vanilla cream (no calories with either choice, ha ha!). We were not disappointed.

The atmosphere at Don & Sweet Sue's is homey and comfortable with great service, delicious food, hot coffee and well worth stopping for. We give them 8 beans out of 10 and look forward a return visit.

Billy Reed's Restaurant

2007-02-18T18:44:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday we took our visitors, my daughter Karley, her partner Ian and their two children to Mimi's for breakfast and as I have reviewed it already, I wasn't about to do it again.

Today Rick and I are alone again and the weather is beautiful so we took the motorcycle and headed into Palm Springs to go to Billy Reed's for breakfast. We've been aware of Billy Reed's since we first arrived in the Coachella Valley almost two years ago. It's one of those restaurants that we would drive by, notice the full parking lot and think, "One of these days, we should check that place out".

Recently I read in the Desert Sun, that Billy Reed's was a popular place for breakfast so we figured today we would find out why. According to the sign, they've been in business since 1975 and the building and surrounding gardens are very well established.

The interior decor reminds me of a fine, old, almost-British style hotel, with high ceilings, old paintings and lots of woodwork. Unfortunately there was no warmth coming from either our greeter or our server so despite the cozy interior, there was no ambiance to speak of.

The breakfast choices were plentiful but the OJ isn't freshly squeezed, the fruit on Rick's pancakes was from a can and the whipped cream offered on my pecan waffle is also defined as an edible oil product. The saving grace was that the coffee was good, with free refills, Billy's uses "real" maple syrup; a first in these parts and we had real cream for our coffee. Our server was efficient enough but friendly isn't a word that comes to mind when we think of her.

Having already checked out Rick's and Mimi's, Billy Reed's was a disappointment but I am still glad we went. We give Billy Reed's 5 beans out of 10.

Mimi's Café

2007-02-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

This Sunday was a beautiful sunny day; warm and ideal for a motorcycle ride. We wanted to go to the outdoor College of the Desert Street Fair today so we chose to look for a breakfast place near there. Mimi’s Café fits the bill, though it isn’t an independent restaurant, it was in the perfect location, has an outdoor patio and serves wicked breakfasts.

Mimi's Café is located at 71861 State Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage across the road from The River, shopping and entertainment center. There is plenty of parking, a small outdoor patio but a large indoor dining area. Though Mimi's serves all meals, in these parts it's their breakfast they are famous for and for good reason.

Mimi's serves freshly squeezed orange juice and their coffee comes in bottomless mugs; it is not too strong, hot and delicious. There is a couple of blended coffee choices on the menu as well. The breakfast menu has plenty of great options and the prices are extremely reasonable. It was difficult to decide what to eat because it all sounded so good but once we did, we were not disappointed.

Though there was a line-up when we arrived and it was moving fast, we chose to eat outside so there was no wait at all. Sitting on the patio in the warm sunshine made the whole experience even better and we have no complaints at all.

If you are planning a visit to the Westfield Shopping Center, the Streetfair or The River, you'll be hard pressed to find a better place for breakfast and coffee. We give Mimi's Café 8 beans out of 10.

Rick's Restaurant & Bakery

2007-01-23T10:03:00.000-08:00

We are running out of independent coffee shops that are within a comfortable driving distance of Catalina Spa where we are staying for the winter; especially when we are trying to get there on the motorcycle! Consequently we have changed the criteria for our weekly venture, to include good "breakfast/brunch" spots as well as coffee shops. In fact Sunday brunches are becoming more typical for us because we just never seem to get going early enough.

This week we rode our motorcycle into Palm Springs and went to Rick's Restaurant and Bakery located at 1973 North Palm Canyon Drive. We have wanted to check this place out since we first saw it last year (something about the name) and since we learned that breakfast/brunch and lunch is all they serve, it was a perfect destination.

Rick's is fabulous spot with a great choice of meal options that would suit every palate and they serve great coffee. There are even blended coffee choices on the menu as well as regular and decaf. Evidently refills are included as we both received them at no additional cost. The coffee is served in great ceramic mugs with the restaurant logo on the side (available for purchase at the counter); it is hot, not too strong and delicious. There is cream, sugar and the artificial pink stuff available . (Do you get the impression I am against artificial sweeteners?)

The seating is comfortable, ranging from well padded booths to tables and chairs to stools at the long counter. The staff are friendly, there is reading material around and Rick's makes their own homemade cinnamon buns which were very enticing (somehow we resisted).

Rick's Restarant is well worth the stop; you'll be hard pressed to get a better breakfast anywhere and we give them 7.5 beans out of 10.

The 29 Palms Inn

2007-01-14T16:10:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it has been almost a month since I posted last. Actually, we have been on holidays or had company and our little Sunday morning tradition has been on hold. While we were in BC (where we went for Christmas) we enjoyed a coffee almost everyday and usually at our daughter's home which sadly isn't open to the public because she serves one of the best damn coffees anywhere... but so it is!

On December 28th, the day we started to head back south we stopped at Ethical Addictions in Abbotsford, but I have already reviewed it so there went that week. I suppose I could have reviewed the coffee shop in San Francisco where we stopped for breakfast on our way down but I decided to have tea with my meal so that potential review was blown and finally here we are, on January 14th in a brand new year.

Today we ventured up to Twenty-nine Palms, to the 29 Palms Inn set in the Oasis of Mara at 73590 Inn Avenue. Though it may not quite be a "coffee shop", it is unique and independently owned so I have decided to include it here.

It is frigid in this part of the world right now so this venture was done by car as opposed to riding the motorcycle. 29 Palms Inn is an oasis of it's own means aside from being located in an oasis, which is how it came to be in the first place. There is an array of individual adobe cottages, a reception office and a poolside restaurant where we enjoyed our breakfast.

The unique tables are made of a slap of wood, each of odd sizes and there is a bar at the back of the restaurant. Our server was super-friendly and and though our coffee was limited to just "coffee", there was no evidence of latte's or espressos available, it was hot and strong. The sweeteners were limited to white sugar and the artificial aspartame based stuff and we had a choice of cream or milk.

I'm sure there was plenty to read but the menus are worthy of a mention; they offered not just our food choices but some interesting facts about the coyotes living in the area as well.

Though not your traditional "coffee shop", 29 Palms Inn is well worth stopping at, if just to have a coffee and walk around the pond and gardens. We give 29 Palms Inn 7 beans out of 10.

The Coffee People, Motor Moka

2006-12-19T13:12:00.000-08:00

This week because we were in transit from California to BC from Thursday night to Saturday afternoon, we decided to do our "Sunday morning coffee" on Saturday. We had stayed the night in northern Oregon and the Pacific northwest seems to dominate the world of coffee, so it was Portland where we decided to have our treat.

We were actually on the hunt for the nearest Trader Joe's and on our way there we passed at least 10 coffee shops or kiosks; just way too much temptation not to stop at one. The one that seemed to have the longest line-up was The Coffee People, Motor Moka, an indicator that it was very popular. Though it is our intention to only try independent coffee shops, in this part of the world coffee seems to be the state beverage and The Coffee People is only available in Oregon. We made an executive decision to let that be enough criteria to warrant giving them a try.

Motor Moka is located at 3623 SE Powell, just around the corner and down the street from TJ's and this store is actually a drive-through coffee kiosk with a small outdoor patio and free wifi. They offer some baked goodies as well as all the types of coffee you can imagine from hot to frozen blended as well as a variety of teas. We both ordered an extra large caffeinated version of their "coffee of the day" (we had a long drive ahead and needed the caffeine boost to wake us up). We had the choice of cream or milk and all the traditional sweeteners found at most coffee shops.

I suppose I have learned that in Oregon..they like it STRONG because even freshly brewed, this was some of the strongest coffee I have ever had and it wasn't espresso!I added two stevia tablets and even with double cream it still didn't quite cut down that "bitter" taste I associate with super strong coffee.

At $3.20 for two 20 oz. cups, the price was certainly not high but not being a strong coffee lover, I had trouble drinking it all. Overall, we give this location of The Coffee People, Motor Moka, 6 beans out of 10.

JC Bakery & Café

2006-12-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

When I started this coffee blog, it was to review independent coffee shops wherever we go and somewhere in my head, I envisioned these coffee shops to look a certain way. I also figured that we'd find quaint little places where we could sit and read the paper or quietly engage in conversation in a little corner of the shop. Wrong!

I realize now that I had set my sights in snob lane and that not every town has the coffee boutique type of shop. We are merely looking for coffee...good coffee that deserves to be tasted by other travelers looking for the same thing.

Today we decided to see what kind of coffee shop might be found in Desert Hot Springs and lo and behold we came across the JC Bakery & Café located at 13525 Palm Dr. Essentially JC is a bakery first however to our delight we discovered that they also serve a darned good cup of coffee. They offer three house blends, (one is decaf) served from large self-serve carafes and for the espresso aficionados, they serve lattes, cappuccinos and flavoured coffees as well.

Typically we use our own stevia natural sweetener but at JC's they have those little flavoured creamers (basically made from artificial edible oil loaded with sugar) which I love but vowed to never ingest again. Needless to say my willpower sucks and I loaded three of them (or was it four?) in my 16 ounce cup of decaffeinated java. Regardless the coffee was hot, very tasty and worth the $1.29 price tag. Rick's 20 oz. cup cost $1.59.

JC's has no internet, no reading material and only a few tables and chairs but the shop was clean, there were plenty of home baked goodies and the service couldn't have been friendlier. It may not be your typical "coffee shop" but we give the JC Bakery & Café 7 beans out of 10.

Watercanyon Coffee Company

2006-12-03T16:37:00.000-08:00

We are back to typical southern California weather; very welcomed after a couple of rather frigid days last week. Because it was warm and sunny today, we decided to ride our motorcycle and head up to the town of Yucca Valley for our Sunday cup of java.

Yucca Valley is about 20 miles from here along Highway 62 (or Twentynine Palms Highway) and The Water Canyon Coffee Company can be found at number 55844. We discovered this wonderful coffee shop the first time we came to this area almost three years ago and have returned here several times since. However we haven't been here yet this trip saving our first visit for today.

The Water Creek Coffee Company is located in an old building with high ceilings and a very funky decor. Along with a large outdoor patio furnished with tables and chairs, the interior sports comfy couches, padded benches and an assortment of tables and chairs on two levels. Here they roast their own beans in a roaster located near the rear of the building ensuring some really great, fresh coffee.

As well as many choices of blended, espresso coffees, they serve several teas as well as three daily choices (one being decaf) of regular coffee. There is a great menu of breakfast and lunch choices and there are some fresh baked goodies to choose from as well. We each ordered a large 20 oz. coffee, (mine decaf) and the total bill was $3.50. There was cream and sugar along with honey, cinnamon, cocoa and vanilla to add some unneeded though appreciated "oomph" to our chosen beverage (and of course, the chemical aspartame).

The Water Creek Canyon Company seems to be the community hub offering special events like live music, poetry and film on some evenings. As in our past visits, it is well worth stopping for and we give The Water Creek Canyon Company 9 out of 10 beans.

Peabody’s Cafe

2006-11-28T11:23:00.000-08:00

Because the weather for today was conducive to motorcycle riding, we took the opportunity to explore the other end of Coachella Valley; Indio. I had found a couple of promising independent coffee shops but neglected to write down their addresses and so the quest for finding the right place continues. Last week we encountered the same problem so you’d think I’d know better and go armed with addresses but alas, I am not a quick learner.

After cruising along Highway 111, (where I remembered that much of the address) and trying to see every storefront, (impossible) we ended up going into downtown Palm Springs to try Peabody’s Café. We actually tried to go there last week but they close at 2:30 on Sunday’s and by the time we got there, we were too late. (When you are searching for a coffee shop, sometimes the hunt takes you to well past noon.)

Peabody’s is really more than a coffee shop; it is a restaurant famous in the area for their food AND coffee so worthy of a visit. It is located at 134 South Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs across the street from Ruby’s Diner in downtown Palm Springs.

Because, this is slightly different from any “coffee shop” previously reviewed here, the comparisons are difficult to make so please bear with me. The seating consists of an assortment of tables and chairs both inside the café and outside on the busy street-front. We ordered two large coffees, which came in colourful ceramic mugs and had the option of cream or milk to be added. As in most places the sweetener choices were sugar and pink poison. The coffee was delicious; really hot, rich and full bodied. For a change, today I had a caffeinated “first cup” however I requested a decaf for my refill which wasn’t as good as its predecessor. The cost per bottomless coffee was $2.50 each.

We each enjoyed a yummy brunch and were entertained by the passing foot traffic and passerby’s while we ate. For the coffee, atmosphere and service we give Peabody’s 7.5 beans out of 10.

Another Nuthin' Week

2006-11-20T20:28:00.001-08:00

Once again we couldn't find an independent coffee shop on our Sunday trek this week. Because we were heading into Palm Springs for the McCormick Car Auction we had hoped to find one we hadn't already tried there but had no luck. We explored El Paseo Drive thinking that surely there would be one there but instead found Starbucks and The Coffee Bean, neither independent. SO AGAIN, there will be no review this week. Check back in next week!

The Spunky Monkey Café

2006-11-12T15:58:00.000-08:00

Because it has cooled a bit here and today is the second-last NASCAR race of the season, this morning we opted to drive the car to nearby Morongo Valley for our Sunday morning treat. We have driven past the lime green building, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, several times in the past and today thought we should find out just what The Spunky Monkey Café might have to offer.

The Spunky Monkey Café can be found at 49700 29 Palms Highway, Morongo Valley, CA about 20 miles from Desert Hot Springs. Inside we found a retro diner-style of layout with a couple of comfy booths and some tables and chairs. Outside is a patio with plenty of seating to accommodate folks wanting an outdoor atmosphere.

Our server seemed to be working alone and was perhaps not really happy about it so she was polite enough but not terribly friendly. We each ordered our coffees, both 20 oz cups. Rick's regular coffee was served from a large vacuum thermos and had some floating "coffee dust" in it. (I say dust because it was too fine to be considered grinds). The flavour was unaffected and it was very good. My decaf was individually brewed, super hot and delicious.

We had to ask for cream and saw no evidence of sweeteners but to be fair it was a diner-type eatery as well as a coffee shop so perhaps that was why there was no creamer/sweetener station.

They served a large variety of dressed-up coffees, among them a signature one that for the life of me I have forgotten the name of. However, it was intriguing enough that Rick ordered a 16 oz. one to go and it even came with a free T-shirt (that doesn't have the name of it on it either) and for the three coffees and the T-shirt our bill came to a whopping $5.50!

The "nameless" coffee came with three shots of espresso so Rick's been in a cleaning mode ever since, scrubbing and polishing the interior of the Moho while he watches the NASCAR race. I tasted it and it truly was yummy and with the added energy perk, it might just be worth it for me to drive to Morongo Valley to get one for Rick everytime the motorhome gets dirty!

All in all, the coffee was great, the service was good but unwelcoming and so we give the Spunky Monkey a 7.5 beans out of 10.

Crossroads Cafe & Tavern

2006-11-05T20:39:00.000-08:00

Today we ventured up to the town of Joshua Tree, California for our weekly coffee fix. The weather was spectacular (as usual) and certainly worthy for exploring an area at a higher altitude than the Coachella Valley.

We had passed the Crossroads Cafe when we brought the motorhome to Desert Hot Springs from Las Vegas in October and it looked like a place to check out at a later date. Today was that date.

Crossroads is located at 61715 29 Palms Highway or Highway 62 and sits among a few other interesting little businesses. It is definitely a coffee shop but is also a great little eatery and a tavern (as least according to their webpage). Inside you'll find an assortment of seating areas as well as a patio at the back, all located in a funky decor with an array of menu boards on the wall. Because of the time of day, we also decided to have our lunch here but first we ordered coffee.

There is a full coffee menu to choose from including lattes, iced and espresso coffees as well as three different roasts and one decaf to choose from. The decaf is made individually to order and the roasts are served from three different carafes. We ordered two large coffees (mine decaf) and both of them were delicious and piping hot.

There was milk or cream available as well as sugar, (brown and white) honey and the poison in the pink packets. Because we were eating we chose to sit at a table but where the couch and comfy chairs were, there was plenty of reading material for folks to browse through.

The staff was friendly and super efficient but there was a notice asking the patrons to bus their own tables. The quality of food and coffee was excellent and the cost for an extra large (20 oz.) coffee was $1.70. Evidently it is a popular spot because the place was thriving with patrons piling in there the entire time we were there and yet as busy as they were, they chimed, "Thanks for coming" and "have a great day" as we were leaving.

We enjoyed Crossroads a lot and give them 8.5 beans out of 10.

Ignition Coffee Lounge/Niteclub

2006-10-29T19:36:00.000-08:00

After being away from the Coachella Valley for a few months, once we returned we took a stroll downtown Palm Springs. In the short time we were gone there were several changes, among them a new coffee shop that deserved to be investigated. After our disastrous hunt for a coffee shop last weekend, we decided to go for a sure thing and we visited the new Ignition Coffee Lounge/Niteclub located just south of the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Palm Springs on Palm Canyon Drive.

The Ignition is a funky little spot with a very modern decor, several comfy chairs with sitting areas inside and out on a patio with a shaded area to enjoy your beverage from. There is a small gallery inside where they are featuring works from local artists and a stage for musical artists. One of the owners enthusiastically served us and let us know they have been open for only a month. They want to be more than a coffee shop as is evident from the gallery and stage and with their central location, they just might succeed.

For coffee they offer three daily regular varieties and a decaf as well as the mandatory lattes, cappuccinos and espressos. Rick had the mild roast and I, the decaf, both large, delicious and super hot. They had cream, milk, a variety of sweeteners including honey (no stevia) as well as fresh vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg or cocoa powder.

As the sign indicated there is free wifi access and magazines and newspapers for folks who want to read. We enjoyed sitting outside people watching and basking in the warm weather.

Our two 20 ounce coffees came to $4.20 and we give them 8 beans out of 10. If the coffee quality, the friendliness and the enthusiasm is any indication we can see this place only getting better with time!

Two Strikes

2006-10-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (Sunday) we went for a motorcycle ride into LA and we rode north along the Coast Highway. We ended up in Malibu where thought we found a coffee shop to try... the Marmelade Cafe. Wrong, though it served coffee, it turned out to be a very popular eatery where instead we enjoyed a delicious brunch along with a pretty good cup of coffee. As it turns out, it is one of several Marmelade Cafe's in and around the LA area, so it wouldn't really qualify as a independent anyway. Strike 1.

Today, I went online to find coffee shops in the Coachella Valley and as we were going to Costco anyway, we thought we'd go to It's A Grind which is located in a little mall across the street from the Costco store on Monterey in Palm Desert. Surprise, surprise, though it is listed on a website I refer to for "independent" coffee shops, it turns out, It's A Grind is a franchise. So though we have done the Sunday Morning thing two days in a row, it seems neither establishment qualifies to be reviewed as independent coffee shops. Strike 2.

So rather than report on the coffee this week, I will forgo that task until next Sunday when we will seek out a shop that meets the criteria to be reviewed here. My apologies to any readers and please look in next week to see what we can find! Let's hope we don't Strike out!

Koffi of Palm Springs

2006-10-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

We have arrived in the Coachella Valley for the winter and based on what the weather has been doing in places north; not a moment too soon. This morning for our coffee treat we decided to go to a place we have frequented often in the past; Palm Springs "Koffi" a delightful café with the best sitting area of all.

Koffi is located on the edge of the original downtown Palm Springs, at 515 North Palm Canyon Drive near Alejo. It is situated in the center of a little shopping plaza known as the Corridor Shops which is part of the reason there is such great seating. Inside the café are tables and chairs but outside there is a lovely garden with an assortment of cool benches both in the shade and in the sun to sit on. Koffi offers a free Wifi service for those folks who like to surf while enjoying their beverage of choice.

Their coffee is delicious; both the decaf and the regular (2 choices) and there is a full espresso menu as well. Koffi serves snacks in the form of home-baked goodies including sugar free apple scones (among others). They also serve some great sounding lunch choices.

We ordered two 20oz. coffees which came to a total of $3.80 and they were piping hot and very tasty. There is milk or cream, three sugars, honey, lemon and the poison stuff in the pink or yellow packets as well as vanilla, cinnamon and cocoa powder for those who like to add some additional flavour. The service is very friendly and the place was hopping busy as usual.

We give coffee 9 beans out of 10.

Willow Canyon Books & Coffee, Kanab, Utah USA

2006-10-09T17:17:00.000-07:00

Well, a little explanation is forthcoming before I review the above mentioned coffee shop. Yesterday we went to have coffee and our experience at the place we chose was so bad that I just couldn't write about it. The purpose of this blog is to share coffee experiences but when they don't even rate one bean, I just can't write a review. Lets put it this way; I have had better instant coffee, the creamers were half & half or "coffee-mate" and somehow the server mixed our coffees up with me getting the caffeine!!!! Enough said. Now on to the good review.

We chose to go to the Willow Canyon Outdoor Gear Books & Coffee, a tiny little shop on Hwy 89 between Radio Shack and a service station. The official address is 263 S. 100 East, Kanab. As the business name suggests this is much more than your run-of-the-mill coffee shop. They sell books (all kinds and some really good ones), outdoor gear and hiking equipment, other cool little trinkets and coffee.

Willow Canyon serves four choices of coffee including a couple of organic blends (one being decaffeinated) and some of it comes from Ibis (where we enjoyed our coffee last week). They offered cream AND Stevia (yes stevia) as well as organic sugar, white sugar, and the pink poison packets as well. They also have a good choice of lattes, espressos and blended options. For munchies they have some cookies (though not freshly baked they did look pretty good) and some packaged snack foods.

There are a couple of tables with chairs both inside and out to sit and enjoy your roasted beverage at but with all the cool stuff to browse through, who wants to sit?

Our coffee was delicious; I mean really tastey, the service was super friendly and the atmosphere is the most unusual of any place so far. For our two 20 oz. coffees we paid all of $3.40 US, a darned good price for such a good experience (especially after yesterday's).

We give Willow Canyon 8 beans out of 10.

Another One Day Delay

2006-10-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

We went for a coffee this morning, but our experience was just too bad to give it a proper review so again this week we will be having our Sunday Morning Coffee on Monday. Please check in on Tuesday for full report!

Caffe Ibis, Logan, Utah, USA

2006-10-02T20:37:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we had planned on doing our Sunday morning coffee tradition but couldn’t find an independent coffee shop that was open so finding one today was a priority. We located one in Logan, Utah about 45 kilometers from the RV Park where we are staying. Logan is home of Utah State University which would explain why we found such a great coffee shop, the Straw Ibis Herb & Grain Co. also known as Caffe Ibis. We have learned in our travels that in university towns we can find great food outlets both by way of grocery stores and restaurants. (Evidently the education-seeking younger generation understands the concept that our bodies need good food in order to be healthy.)

Ibis Coffee Company originates in Logan, Utah though it can be found throughout the country at various locations. Caffe Ibis is located at 52 Federal Avenue in downtown Logan. The atmosphere is very funky and the counter staff was friendly. The seating is comprised of several comfortable tables and chairs with some outside seating as well, though there are no couches. There is plenty of free reading material in the way of newspapers and magazines for folks looking to enjoy their beverage while catching up on the latest news.

The coffee is served from self-serve insulated carafes and there are three daily choices plus one decaf choice kept behind the counter. We ordered two large (16 oz.) coffees, each costing $1.50 US plus tax along with some great vegetarian grilled Panini sandwiches. They offered several choices of blended and iced coffees as well, some of which I had never seen before. There was 10% cream available along with milk and white & brown sugar as well as honey and the artificial sweetener in the pink packets. There were some baked goodies as well as soup of the day and a lunch special available.

Our coffee was excellent, very hot; tasting freshly made and so good that Rick wanted a refill to go at a cost of $.54, a damn good price for sure.

We give Caffe Ibis 9 out of 10 beans and well worth driving to Logan for.

The Waterton Bagel & Coffee Co., Waterton, Alberta, Canada

2006-09-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

We are in Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta and having never been here before, I anticipated us having to drive to Pincher Creek, the nearest town, for our Sunday treat this week. Imagine our surprise to discover a little village here and with it, several places to get a coffee. Because it is approaching winter, several of the businesses here are closed or closing but lucky for us, The Waterton Bagel & Coffee Co. is still open

The Waterton Bagel & Coffee Co. is a tiny shop located in the same building as the Waterton Opera House and the Ye Old Licks & Nibbles Ice Cream Parlour on Waterton Avenue. Though there is little indoor seating (4 stools) there is an outdoor patio with benches, two tables and some chairs. Besides, as it is a seasonal place, indoor seating isn't really an issue anyway. The interior is decorated with canvas coffee bags and some funky signs and they offer a variety of reading material from newspapers to funny books.

They serve Cuppers Coffee, from a small batch roasting company in Lethbridge, Alberta, which is served from a number of insulated carafes. There were six different choices of coffee from a light roast to dark as well as a superb decaffienated dark roast. Though the chalk board menu didn't indicate any frozen blended drinks, they offered several iced coffees as well as many hot ones, some of which I hadn't seen before.

Like most coffee shops, there were some baked goodies available as well as a selection of bagels and a variety of cream cheeses. The best part was talking with the proprietress who was very friendly providing us with lots of information about the area.

I had the decaf coffee (as usual) and Rick chose a medium roast. There was cream and milk available served (funnily enough) from baby bottles with the tips cut off of the nipples. They also had both white and brown sugar along with that poisonous, (Did I just write that?) artificial sweetener.

The coffee was hot and delicious but a little more than we've been paying at $2.25 for a 16 oz. cup. We loved the ambiance and the owner! Out of 10 beans, The Waterton Bagel & Coffee Co. deserves a rating of 8!

Rattler's Coffee Cantina, Osoyoos, BC Canada

2006-09-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

We are in Osoyoos, BC now, in the southern Okanagan Valley, so today our search for our Sunday morning coffee was centered in downtown Osoyoos. After driving through the town in our quest for an open coffee shop we located one called Rattler's Coffee Cantina on the main street beside Shopper's Drug Mart.

We found Rattler's to contain the comfy, cosy chairs and couches that we are beginning to expect at all coffee shops as well as the obligitory tables and chairs. Like all the coffee shops we have reviewed so far, Rattler's also serves breakfast and lunch choices as well as an assortment of coffees and teas.

They serve Canterbury Coffee; from a Canadian specialty coffee roasting company out of Richmond, BC and offer several brewed choices kept hot in vacuum carafes behind the counter. The solo Columbian Decaf was hot and quite tasty but I was disappointed that in order to put cream in it, I had to open several small creamers instead of free-pouring it from a flask, like most places. Rick had the French-Vanilla flavoured coffee. They offered an organic blend among several others as well as espresso and all the machiata's, mochas and lattes available elsewhere.

The overall decor was in a desert theme however it lacked any kind of fluidity as there were a number of things, from posters to furniture that just didn't fit. The owner was very nice as was his staff and we were pleased with the service. Our 16 oz coffees were $2.00 each plus tax, more than we've paid so far (the others were 20 oz.) but a whole lot cheaper than that from that infamous Washington based franchise! We give Rattlers 6 beans out of 10!

Legal Grounds Coffee House, Abbotsford, BC

2006-09-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

This morning we had to drive our son and his fiancée, Bill and Laura, to the Abbotsford Airport to catch a 7:00 AM flight. We thought it would be a good idea to do our café review on our way home having the misconception that all coffee shops would be open early (even on a Sunday). We tried five different ones on our way back to Mission, only to find all of them closed much to our disappointment. Unlike their franchise counterparts, they don’t seem to feel the need to be open early (I guess that is the beauty of being independent). Anyway we went home "coffeeless" and took a motorcycle jaunt out later in our effort to have our Sunday morning treat.

We went to the Legal Grounds Coffeehouse located in downtown Abbotsford; a spot we had passed on many occasions when heading into the town to do some shopping. Inside we were greeted by a friendly staff member taking fresh baked cookies out of the oven to cool, always a good sign. This coffee shop serves it’s patrons Van Houtte brand coffee and have all the specialty coffees found anywhere else. To my delight, my decaffeinated coffee was made individually (the way espresso is made) and was served piping hot. Rick’s came out of an insulated carafe but it too was very hot; he chose the Organic Ethiopian blend.

After we had tried sitting outside (there were only three tables and one was occupied by two heavy smokers) we found it to be too hot (and smoky) to stay there so we returned to the inside seating. It wasn’t until after we were finished, when I went down the hall to the washroom, that I discovered another more comfortable seating area, with leather couches and a fireplace. We’d sat in the café front with too many wooden tables and chairs as well as a counter and bar stools.

Overall we found the service to be friendly, the coffee hot (and quite tasty) and the atmosphere clean. It’s unfortunate that because of the fact that the store occupies a long, narrow space that the seating is limited and not as cozy as we’d like. Our two 20 oz. coffees came to a grand total of $4.16 CND.

Out of 10 beans we give Legal Grounds a 7 bean rating.

City Blends Coffee & Tea House, Mission, BC

2006-09-04T16:48:00.000-07:00

Because we were on the last leg of a cross-country trek yesterday and we had limited time to get home, we had to forgo our coffee treat until today. We chose what we thought was an independent coffee shop in Mission, BC, "City Blends Coffee & Tea House" located on the corner of the Lougheed Highway and Highway 11. As it turns out, it appears to be one of at least two, possibly three, in the area with the same name.

The atmosphere is pleasant enough with some overstuffed, comfortable chairs and some tables and chairs as well as an outdoor patio. There is even a fireplace to sit beside and on a cold winter day, it could be quite cozy; however the décor is a little haphazard with no particular theme. To our disappointment, the coffee served is the brand name, Seattle’s Best Coffee, not a house brand and it is brewed like coffee found in most places. They serve from a full coffee menu with the typical gourmet flavours as well as dressed-up blends (Mocha, Caramel Latte’s etc.) and frozen treats. Decaf is only available in Espresso so in order to limit my caffeine intake; today I had a 16 oz. House Blend while Rick ordered it in the 20 oz. size.

The coffee was okay; it tasted like it had been sitting for a while and though it was hot, once we added cream it to it, it could have been hotter. There was also milk available and white or brown sugar packets as well as the obligatory artificial sweeteners. We stayed in the shop to enjoy our drinks which were served in nice glass mugs; a nice touch. We have no complaints about the service; it was very prompt and friendly but overall out of 10 beans, we give City Blends a 5 bean rating.

Because we had guests with us who paid for ours and we also purchased some food items I don't know if the posted prices included tax or not. A 20 oz. coffee was $1.97, a pretty good price to be sure.

Ethical Addictions, Abbotsford, BC Canada

2006-08-28T00:59:00.000-07:00

We made a huge mistake today by using Ethical Addictions in Abbotsford as the place where we have launched our new Sunday tradition. By that I mean that we will be using their coffee to measure any future coffees we drink and everyplace else is going to have a hard time competing with this place.

Ethical Addictions can be found at the corner of Sumas Way and Marshall in Abbotsford, only a few miles from the US border crossing of Sumas and just a short distance from Costco, Home Depot, Sears and Wal-Mart.

The inside décor is extremely clean, cozy, with comfortable couches and tables and chairs and a furnished patio outside. They make each cup of coffee individually (like espresso) and there is a large selection of beans from a number of countries, some organic and all ethically acquired. It comes in various degrees of roast levels and is available in both caffeinated and decaffeinated. You can even mix & match your bean choice to have a completely unique blend just for your palate! For those folks requiring a dressed up coffee like Macchiato or Mocha, they have a large selection to choose from as well as frozen blends.

The staff were very informative and friendly. They advertise that they serve the richest, freshest coffee you’ll ever drink and we think they are right. We give this place an A++++ in almost everything and the only recommendations we would make is to make Stevia available as well as both 10% & 18% cream. Consequently out of 10 beans, we give Ethical Addictions a 9.8 bean rating

Our two large coffees (20 oz) came to a grand total of $4.45 CND including tax, a price that will be difficult to beat anywhere.