So many choices, so little time

Lookout Joe in Mt. Lookout has a wonderful coffee bar of sorts. Each day, they have about 6 different coffees, some decaf, to choose from. And the choices vary from day to day. Today, I was torn between the Sumatran Fair Trade Italian Roast and the Tiramisu. The need for a major caffiene boost won me over. I went with the Sumatran. Rich. Bold. I probably would have needed an additional packet of Splenda if I had been drinking it with nothing else to consume, but the chocolate croissant I ordered for breakfast helped sweeten it up. Perfectly.

The nice think about Lookout Joe is that when you order a plain coffee, the first refill is free and then a dollar after that. So, I tried about a half cup of the Tiramisu. Mild. Light. Good drinking coffee when you don't need to be over caffieneated. I also loooove their Highland Grog for this very reason. I could drink cups of it and be happy.

The Sumatran, 3.5 cups. The Tiramisu and their Highland Grog, 4 cups.

No Coffee Toffee?

I'm back. My computer died, and as I was job hunting/editing novels, this took a backseat to all of the things that NEEDED to be done. I have so much coffee to revisit and write up, but it will come in time.

Joseph Beth's is an excellent local bookseller with locations in both Cincinnati, OH and Lexington, KY. They also have Bronte Bistro where you can get coffee drinks (or lunch if you so desire). As it was one of the last 80 degree days of the year, I wanted something cold. The barista recommended a blended coffee. I asked about flavorings and she said it had a hint of a chocolate taste to it, otherwise no flavors. So, no Java Julep type stuff here? I'm sure they'd give it to me if I asked for it, but you can't just order something called a Raspberry Grasshopper. You have to order a blended coffee with a shot of raspberry syrup and a shot of mint? Or whatever's in those things.

The blended coffee... Smooth, good, and made my grocery shopping trip much more enjoyable. It doesn't really need extra flavoring. The hint of chocolate was just fine. A medium costs $3.99. 4 out of 5 cups.

Mmm... Brew

Java Brewing Co., Cherokee Triangle roast. Good stuff. 4 cups out of 5. Perfect flavor. Good sweetened and creamed. I don't think you can get a cup of coffee here and go wrong. $1.50 or so if you have their to-go cup. Which is a pretty good deal if you ask me. Good coffee. Good deal. Good place to get some work done, provided that it isn't too busy and you can get near an outlet.

I'm going to be up all night...

I tempted fate after drinking the Shockwave. I met with friends at Barnes and Noble and tried out the new Art of Espresso drinks that their Starbucks Cafe is now serving. I had a buy one get one free coupon, so I decided to get two talls and try two different kinds out, asking the barista to make one now and then the other later, which they happily agreed to do.

Both drinks were topped off with a crisscross of caramel or chocolate syrup, which doesn’t belong on espresso, but whatever. I don't know if this was the sole additional flavoring of the espresso or if there was another shot of caramel/mocha in the espresso itself.

Drink #1: Caramel Macchiato… Tasty. Mild. Would recommend this again. 4 cups.

Drink #2: Marble Mocha Macchiato… Decaf. After the Shockwave and the first espresso drink, I decided decaf would be the wise way to go. With the first couple of sips, I thought the decaf made the drink taste kind of eh, but I later determined it was the syrup. It was rich but... metallic. Sort of. It just didn't seem right. It wasn't bad, just a little off. 3 cups.

Because of the BOGO, the two talls were $3 total.

Round 2 of home brew

I woke up needing coffee. Needing it bad. I saw something in my sister's cabinet that intrigued me. Folger's Gourmet Selections Caramel Drizzle. I'm not a fan of anything that says Folgers, but can anything that says Caramel Drizzle be bad? I suppose this flavor and others like Vanilla Biscotti, Chocolate Truffle, and Hazelnut Crème is Folgers' answer to the kind of coffees I prefer. It's even packed to appeal to coffee snobs.

So, I make a whole pot for myself and the 4 other people in the house. If I pour myself a second cup, it's usually good coffee. Deffo got that second cup. It's a fairly light roast, so I wouldn't make it to help me wake up in an instant... I definitely could have used some stronger stuff that morning. It would be better as after dinner coffee rather than breakfast. I would consider buying some for home, depending on my budget and what my tastebuds want. Sweetened or unsweetened, I liked it. 4 out of 5 cups.

Vienna in the Highlands

Stop number three on my tour is Highland Coffee in the heart of the Highlands, Louisville, KY. If there were more tables here, I'd love to do Write Club here, but it's just not big enough. They also got rid of the comfy couch and now have two arm chairs here. Boo! The patio is nice though, on warmer days.

Anyhoo, Highland makes the most wonderful espresso beverages and what makes them better is the choice of whipped creams they have to put on them. Blackberry whipped cream atop a mocha = yum. I'll review one sometime after Easter.

Highland has a Hair Raiser coffee to get you going in the morning. I haven't tried this yet, but will someday, maybe on an early morning to see if it truly is hair raising. Besides this, they usually offer up five other house coffees. Today, I tried the Vienna Cinnamon, a 16 oz. cup going for $1.81 (that includes tax) if you bring in your own mug. Once slightly sweetened, a hint of the cinnamon comes through. It's almost like dessert, but not. It's also a milder coffee. I think my favorite house coffee so far is the Southern Toasted Pecan. In fact, I have to give the Vienna Cinnamon 4 out of 5 cups, because I thinke the Southern Toasted Pecan is that much better.

This is one of my favorite coffee houses in Louisville. They do the frou-frou beverages right and the assortment of coffee is awesome.

I think I'm giving up the picture idea. Unless it's a really pretty cup of coffee, coffee is coffee.

Peter Tork isn't here

For my first official outing, I thought I'd check out Ray's Monkey House (I can't tell you how often I want to spell the word monkey, M-O-N-K-E-E, thanks to a teenage obsession with the television band) in good old Louisville, KY. Ray's is a kid friendly place in which to get your cuppa with two play areas complete with books and toys, five cozy couches, and colorful decor. Kids even get their own open mic night. But as a sign states, "Unattended children will be given two double espressos and a puppy." You have been warned. They also have movie nights and open mic nights for all, so if you don't have kids, that doesn't mean you have to stay away. Ray's roasts their own beans, are environmentally aware, and most of their food and drink is organic with the typical beverages that most other coffee houses provide.

I ordered a traditional cappuccino for about $2.20-something. It's everything a cappuccino should be. Bitter upon first taste. Smooth from then on out. I usually add sweetener after drinking about half, just to have it both ways. Mmm, Mmm, good! There was only one thing wrong with it as the barista pointed out after I had taken a few sips. He asked if he could make me a new one because it didn't have the right amount of foam. I assured him it tasted fine and he didn't have to make a new one unless he really wanted to. I rate it 4 out of 5 cups, but mainly because of the lack of foam.

Which makes me wonder if I need to be more covert in my personal reviewing. Did he ask because he was really concerned about it, or did he ask because he saw me write down the words "Ray's Monkey House"? I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

One thing I didn't bring is a camera. Bad blogger! Will make a point to do so next time. I'm deffo coming back with my laptop for a regular coffee. And a raspberry scone. I didn't partake in one this time, but I will be back. Oh, yes. I will be back.