The Affogato… Dessert has NEVER been better. March 6, 2011

There are so many ways to enjoy and experience coffee. Beyond the cappucino, black coffee, mocha and french press, there’s still a world of wonders waiting for you. One of its most seamless (and delicious) uses is in desserts.

Who hasn’t had chocolate covered espresso beans, or coffee ice cream, or one of the countless cookie and cake recipies with coffee dribbled in for extra zing? The love triangle between chocolate, sugar and coffee is no secret, but if you want something special… a dish that will wow, taste like heaven, look elegant and still take almost no work at all, then what you want is an Affogato.

Affogato is Italian for ‘drowned’ and it delivers a dish that is simple and completely, undenighably decadent. What is it? Traditionally, it’s a scoop of vanilla gelato that is liberally drizzled with a shot of hot espresso (or strong coffee-it’s less traditional but still works well) till the gelato is gently floating in a growing pool of creamy delirium. If that isn’t enough, you can dress up your dessert with the liquor of your choice (Frangelico, Sambuca or Grand Marnier) and a light sprinkling of crushed coffee beans, chocolate flakes or whipped cream.

Be sure to serve those Affogatos immediately (before they melt) in a small bowl or glass and be ready for the complements to start flying. If you don’t have your own espresso maker and don’t want to use regular coffee, stovetop brewed coffee is a great substitute or you can still make a killer dish and buy espresso shots from a local coffee shop (be sure to add a touch of cream or milk to the espresso to keep it from getting bitter) and refrigerate it till dessert time. It won’t be hot, but it will still be good!

Unfortunately, you can’t get the Affogato at many cafes but Amante Coffee in Boulder carries on the Italian tradition of drowned deserts. Take your pick of gelato flavors to pair with their rich, dark, Italian espresso (you can also add liquor for extra $). Glacer Ice Cream shop (only the Baseline location) also offers ice cream topped with espresso. Go ahead, drown those sorrows…

 

Directions Per serving:

1 shot of espresso or 1/4-1/2 cup of strong coffee
1-2 scoops of vanilla ice cream (or flavor of choice) into a bowl or cup.
Gently pour the hot espresso/coffee on top of gelato/ice cream
Add liquor (optional) to taste
Dress it up: biscotti, crushed coffee beans, whipped topping, chocolate flakes, etc.

One Caffeine Queen’s Confession– Feedin the addiction: here’s what I had today. January 30, 2011

When do you know you have a problem?

I’m sitting in Boulder’s Atlas Purveyors coffee shop and find myself double fisting it. One drink just wasn’t enough. This is obviously an indicator of my addiction. How can I explain myself? It’s not that I forgot that I already had one. Nope. I wanted something tried and true and couldn’t help but also hanker for the excitement of something new and untested. I am aware of what this may say about my state of mind.

Let’s just focus on the obvious; I now have two drinks in front of me.

Today the old faithful is the Atlas’ Pearl Grey Latte. It’s been months since I last had one. Like any good addict, I ultimately overdosed and had to take a breather but now I’m back for more.

For those out there who love chai but are interested in experimenting, this is a swell alternative to try—as long as you like a bit o’ bergamont. The Pearl Gray tea is a potent Indian black tea mixed with blue mallow flowers, bergamont oil and vanilla bean. Add in your choice of milks and a touch of vanilla agave (I always request half the agave. It really doesn’t need more.) and its a cup of happiness waiting to be slurped and savored.

So that’s drink numero uno…

This is the place. Photo by Mark Gammon

On to the newcomer who has momentarily captured my attention, Comfort Coffee. I’d heard about it from another regular and decided to try. It’s an Atlas’ specialty drink that you won’t find on any menu so you have to hear about it from someone to know you can ask for this sweeter twist to the Cafe Au Lait. Purists will frown at it and continue on their merry way, but if you like your coffee with cream and sugar… grab yourself one.

Comfort Coffee is about 75% coffee that’s topped with milk, cinnamon and vanilla agave. Unlike a traditional Au Lait, EVERYTHING is steamed together, turning each drink into a slightly creamier puddle of caffeination. The cinnamon harkens on a subliminal level to winter holidays around a fire… so I can see why it’s becoming so popular, even if it is too sweet for my taste. (As usual, I’d cut out about half the agave/sweetener.) Give it a try though, you may find it’s all the comfort you need…

That’s all I have for now. The buzz is strong, the Chemical Brothers are playing and I shall do my best not to vibrate into an alternate dimension. At least not today…

Ciao

It’s a green cafe… and you’ll love the coffee. January 30, 2011

I'll take a coffee... and make it green.

There is no giant recycling emblem stamped on the building or anything inside to alert a visitor that they’ve entered an uber green cafe. If anything, the building’s design hints at its earlier incarnation as a Dunkin Donuts but this coffee shop is a far cry from those humble beginnings. Since it opened Folsom Street Coffee has made a name for itself (with those in the know) as a trendy, eco-savvy café and now their coffee and sustainability efforts are better than ever.

Even six years after opening, Folsom Street Coffee remains the only coffee shop in Boulder county to be awarded the “Zero Waste or Damn Near” award from Eco-Cycle (they recycle and compost 95% of their waste) and their list of environmentally sustainable achievements continues: among other things they received the “Waste Reduction” award from the Center For Resource Conservation, are P.A.C.E. (Partners for A Clean Environment) certified, use zeroscaping to minimize water use, are 100% wind powered and use compostable cups and utensils for to-go orders.

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Still, the café has had to pick and choose its battles. When they opened, the café went with a roaster in Utah, Salt Lake Roasting, instead of a local company. Folsom’s owner, Chris Warner, is the first to admit that it wasn’t an ideal situation, given their mission, but he knew the Utah roasters and respected their product.

A view of Folsom Street Coffee from the inside... lots of light and some communal seating.

Chris went on to say, “Everything else we did as green as possible, except for our coffee. Of course, we have been thinking about switching roasters for a long time, but that’s a big change -like swapping out the engine of a car (while it’s still running).”

Fortunately, times change and last August Folsom Street made the switch. They now serve Conscious Coffee, a Boulder roaster, and the impacts are obvious (and not just in carbon footprints). Conscious Coffee’s own dedication to environmental and societal sustainability are a perfect match with Folsom Street’s goals.

In a field packed with enthusiastic roasters Conscious Coffee stands out (direct sourcing, minimal waste, really fair trade with small family farms, only organic beans, attention to quality, and exceptional roasts). In November Roast Magazine named them their coveted Micro-Roaster of the Year. A cappuccino made with Folsom’s proprietary blend, Tuku Espresso, results in a perfectly balanced, mellow, rich, subtlely hued drink that has kept regulars and newcomers coming back for more.

It’s safe to say that Folsom Street’s drinks have never been better. If you’re interested in a visit, be prepared for a full house. Folsom Street Coffee isn’t small but tends to fill up with students and working Boulderites. It’s proximity to campus, consistently good drinks, friendly/hip staff and free parking area keep business booming.

So, stop by. You’re in good hands. Just be sure to separate your trash, compost and recyclables into their appropriate container. This is one cafe that’s serious about keeping things green.

Ya. I’d like to buy that latte with my phone… thank you very much. January 15, 2011

Turning that phone into your mobile bank...

Want to pay for that bagel and coffee with your phone? Well, if you’re one of the 30% of the population with a smart phone, odds are you won’t have too long to wait. Right now, you have a few options too.

There are a lot of apps out there; Apple’s iPhone alone has over 300,000 apps and sprinkled among them are purchasing programs for various stores and companies. Here are a couple of phone apps on the market that turn your phone into a credit card for coffee… and more.

The top pick for innovative coffee shop app goes to Splick-It. This app is a dream for people on the go.  Imagine you’re running late for work and want to avoid a long line of caffeine craving insomniacs. Splick-It has a simple, intuitive menu set up and makes it easy to order from your phone. It allows you to add notes (like: make that a skinny, flat latte with whipped topping… I’m having a bad morning.), select a time for pick-up, and pay with the click of a button. Then just grab it and go. No line, no fuss, no problem.

The drawback of this app is that it is still in limitted release around the country. It’s in use at about 50 participating locations in the Boulder/Denver area (and a couple of other Colorado cities). They are also found in Chicago, Lynchburg – Virginia, Tacoma – Washington, and Moorpark – California. They are expecting to grow a lot in LA and Chicago this year. So, if you’re in those cities, this is an app that you’re going to want. For those of you who live in Boulder, here are a few locations you can use Splick-It’s grab and go app: Amante Coffee, Atlas Purveyors, Brewing Markets, Corner Coffee Bar, Flatiron Coffee, Great Harvest, Pita Pit, Saxy’s Café, Snarf’s and Treppedas.

I feel so special. I have my own barcode.

On the whole most smart phone purchasing apps aren’t quite as convenient. They simply turn your phone into a credit card using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology imbedded in the phone or the app actually creates a personal bar code on the phone’s screen that you swipe over a scanner. All things considered, aside from not having to sign, these don’t really make buying a coffee more convenient… at least not yet.

But if you like Starbucks Coffee and you want to give it a try, you can test drive their mobile app. It allows users to access their account (just like their membership card) and then creates your very own barcode. The coffee megolith’s app works at selected stores in the U.S. Currently they have several hundred regular stores and 1,000 Target stores where you can use it.

With membership cards and perks for stores on the rise and America’s love for plastic, being able to ditch a thick wallet could have its perks. Prepare yourself, this is just the first wave of apps. Someday soon, you’re bound to find yourself able to wield that phone like a mobile bank just about everywhere else.

Make A Coffee Resolution for 2011 January 3, 2011

Drink up and do good at the same time.

A whole year awaits us, shiny and uncertain.  It’s bound to be filled with political upheaval, struggling economies and packed full of moments beautiful, absurd and horrific. One thing will remain much the same, COFFEE. Start 2011 off right by adopting a few simple changes to your coffee routine and enjoy how easily you made the world a little bit better.

 

Coffee has become an entrenched staple in life and the caffeine fix isn’t likely to disappear any time soon. American’s consume an average of 400 million cups of coffee a day (146 billion cups a year) and the National Coffee Association reports that in 2009 a whopping 56 percent of the U.S. population drank coffee daily regardless of economic conditions. So, why not extend those New Year’s resolutions to include one of the things nearly as stable as death and taxes? Here are a few simple things you can do to make that coffee more environmentally and socially responsible.

 

Look out for the environment and cut those convenient but totally wasteful, disposable paper cups from your routine. If you aren’t staying at a coffee shop or making your drinks at home, bring a reusable mug out with you. In 2006 alone over 6.5 million trees were cut down to make 16 billion paper cups for U.S. consumers. That equals (among other things) 4 billion gallons of water used in production and 253 million pounds of cups in the garbage. Imagine the impacts if American’s curtailed their use of paper cups! Do your part and keep a mug in your backpack, handy at the office, or waiting in your car. (Added bonus, travel and vacuum mugs keep those precious drinks hot a lot longer.)

 

Not quite ready to cut out the convenient cup? Then get your coffee from a shop that puts that coffee in a compostable cup and then actually compost it. Another option: consider leaving the disposable sleeve behind or buy a reusable sleeve. Atlas Purveyors in Boulder sells cup sleeves made from ultra chic recycled fabrics for $5 a pop (Atlas uses them in-house and has kept an estimated 13,800 sleeves from going into the trash in 2010!). They’re adorable, comfortable and can be used with pint glasses or partnered with disposable cups. Every little bit helps.

 

Become a champion of the underprivileged and marginalized coffee farmers of the world! All you have to do is buy coffee from sources that are Fair Trade. Choosing socially conscious coffees helps to alleviate poverty and protect the environment. You will pay a premium, but there is a lot of amazing, reasonably priced Fair Trade coffee out there.

 

Fair Trade coffee gives once exploited farmers a livable wage and other opportunities (like education and support for environmentally sustainable practices). Keep in mind that no system is perfect and often the most reliable Fair Trade coffees are directly sourced by coops and roasters to guarantee first-hand that farmers and workers get paid well for their product. Feel free to ask your local coffee shop or roaster about their beans and Fair Trade options.

 

If you aren’t already doing these things, why not give them a try? Not only will you get your caffeine fix, you can also feel great knowing that you are actually making the world a little bit better… one coffee at a time.

Don’t judge this book by its cover September 12, 2010

If you aren’t looking for a café on the south-west corner of the intersection of Iris and 28th, then you’re likely to miss this one. The fact that its exterior is so nondescript won’t help either. Worse, it’s home in a Safeway shopping center seems to subconsciously ingrain a notion that it is a spot that might be worth skipping. However, Red Rock Café is a coffee shop you shouldn’t judge by its cover.

Once inside there may be a momentary pause as a newcomer reassesses those preconceived notions. This is not a dive, nor is it the impersonal comfort and warm tones of a Starbucks; this is a comfortable and modern café that welcomes further inspection. The current art on display is exotic and brings a sense of nature and culture into the space. The tea (Tea Spot out of Boulder, Colorado) and coffee (Kind Coffee out of Estes Park, Colorado) both bring a clear sense of this shop’s dedication to local, environmentally and socially responsible products and the service is all smiles.

The espresso is certainly good, though it doesn’t spark great inspiration or separate itself from most medium dark espressos, it’s also doesn’t disappoint. Further inspection shows that the baristas at Red Rock make their cappuccinos with quality foam -and plenty of it. One thing to be wary of: some drinks seem to be overly heated (one chai ordered was far too hot -if it had been dairy milk it would have scalded).

Not feeling the caffeine? Try this their house favorite, the Climber’s Lemonade. It’s a refreshing summer treat. Want something other than dairy milk? Have no fear, this shop won’t charge you extra for soy or rice milks!

From the outside, Red Rock may not appear to have much going on, but looks aren’t everything. Swing by and give this café a try. You may find a new favorite that is conveniently located just off of the Diagonal in north Boulder.

Ozo is Coming to Downtown August 23, 2010

Ozo isn’t fooling around, not when good coffee is at stake. The roaster and coffee shop is planning to expand beyond its east Arapahoe location to downtown Pearl Street. Projected to open in November, Ozo’s newest location will be the largest Boulder coffee shop to date. Spanning 3,000 feet left vacant by Bart’s CD Cellar (at 1015 Pearl St.) and virtually across the street from Trident, the move is an ambitious one.

Can downtown handle another coffee shop? Let’s hope so. Ozo’s newest creation is poised to bring the next level of coffee culture to Boulder. Not only will this downtown shop continue Ozo’s focus on quality coffee and espresso that are derived from single origin, fairer trade, and artfully roasted beans… it will go one step farther. This coffee shop is slotted to have an entire portion of its bar dedicated to pour-over coffee and vacuum pots!

For those unfamiliar with the process, the pour-over is a hands-on way to brew coffee and when done correctly, extracts some of the most amazing and delicate flavors from quality roasted coffee. (see a quick blog about how to do this at home here). Ozo’s bar will include a specialty pour-over station that handles 10-12 specialty orders at a time.

Ozo’s Roaster, Nolan Dutton, admits that pushing the coffee-enthusiast envelope in Boulder presents some risks, but is quick to point out how readily pour-over bars have taken off elsewhere. They can be found across the country in choice coffee bars (especially on the east and west coasts) and there are actually a few coffee shops in Boulder that offer the option, if you ask (like Jetty’s Espressoria). However, Ozo on Pearl will the first café in Boulder to offer this divine coffee process as a systematic, dialed-in staple.

With such a burgeoning coffee culture in Boulder, Ozo’s prospects look good. So, keep your eyes open for the next Pearl Street café. It promises to be one that will expand your coffee experience and appreciation for that cup o’ joe you’re craving.

Another Boulder Café Offers Equal Treatment for All Milks… August 14, 2010

Need that latte but feel like the extra 50 cents for alternative milks is bordering on excess? You’re not alone. In a time when the word “recession” looms everywhere, a little budgeting, especially on items you buy every day, can go a long way. The good news is that there are at least two coffee shops in Boulder that don’t charge a premium for lactose free choices like soy, rice and almond milk. For the daily shopper of espresso drinks, that’s 14 dollars a month saved without giving anything up; it isn’t a lot of cash but every bit helps, especially when the average 12 oz. latte already runs about $3 a pop without the lactose-free surcharge.

Looking for this deal? Atlas Purveyors on Pearl St. (see previous “Equal treatment for soy” blog) is one option but if you are in north Boulder or passing that way, then check out Red Rock Coffee Shop (located at 3325 28th St. on the north side of the shopping center). It’s a perfect stop for a caffeine fix. In fact, most people probably drive by, never even noticing it. But this shop is a score worth finding. Just a few blocks from Vic’s on 30th, it’s modern and open, seats over 30, has several outlets available for laptops, serves Kind Coffee out of Estes Park and has Tea Spot teas. Red Rocks is also the only coffee shop in Boulder carrying Sanctuary Chai –a local chai that is spicy and a nice alternative to Bhakti!)

When asked why Red Rocks doesn’t charge for soy or rice the owner, Guy, said that not only does he drink soy, he doesn’t want to penalize people who are trying to have a healthy alternative to milk especially since the cost of soy and rice has gone down. He also pointed out that though his decaf espresso costs him more (nearly the same as soy over milk) he wouldn’t charge his customers more for a decaf option and doesn’t see how he could do otherwise with alternative milks. Here’s hoping this catches on at more coffee shops.

So, swing by Atlas or Red Rock where all milks are treated equally.

Equal treatment for soy! One Boulder coffee shop breaks the mold… July 21, 2010

It has been a long battle and unfortunately it isn’t over. However, there is a glimmer… a hint of hope that perhaps one day soon all milks will be charged equally. Yes, it is true. For many a year soy, rice and almond milk have been available in grocery stores and in Boulder it’s hard to find a coffee shop that doesn’t offer at least one of them. Wondrous as this fact is (considering there are many corners of the U.S. where dairy is the unrivaled king of cafés) having options comes at a cost.

Most coffee shops charge $0.50 for an upgrade and in a market where a 16 oz. latte already costs $3.25-$4.00, an extra 50 cents can almost feel punitive. Fortunately, the difference in cost for alternative milks has gone down as more and more people make the switch from dairy milks. Yet the coffee shop charge for lactose-free options has remained static, this has been justified by the fact that dairy milk remains the cheaper option but should the costs to the dairy sensitive be quite so high? One coffee shop in Boulder has decided it shouldn’t and has made the non-dairy-drink-charge a thing of the past. In fact, they have never charged extra for soy or almond milk.

If you would like your milk without the dairy and want it for free, then stop by Atlas Coffee Purveyors (at 1505 Pearl St.). This deal appears to be here to stay. Not surprisingly, there has been absolutely no backlash to Atlas’s shift in coffee shop ideology, but can cafés afford such a deal on a daily basis? Chris Rosen (partial owner of Atlas) had this to say, “We price out every drink, from the cup to the milk and the lids to the beans and for us the cost (of soy and almond milks) is a non-issue. It’s about a cent a drink.” and that cent of additional cost for Atlas is easily recovered by building stacks of loyalty from lactose-free customers.

So, (technically) the soy at Atlas isn’t free, but it won’t cost you more than a dairy drink and that is what really counts. Equal treatment, it’s exactly (sort of) the principles that this great nation was created upon and since the founding fathers were really into their hemp, one can only infer that they would be thrilled to see it also being utilized as a milk alternative. Given time, perhaps hemp milk will be added to the rosters of coffee shops and find itself on equal footing too. One can only hope.

Warning: Cupcakes from heaven and world class coffee. Bring your willpower with you! July 16, 2010

It’s a tiny little shop and yet it still manages to have seating, funky merchandise, a coffee bar and a desert bakery. This isn’t your average coffee shop. So, would you like to experience sensory overload on a cupcake? Do you need a custom cake that is delicious and made to order or feel like coffee from one of best roasters in the United States that calls Denver its home? If the answer is yes to any of these, (and it should be) then make tracks for Tee & Cakes in Boulder.

These people have to be magicians to create such an array of goodness in such a tiny shop. Maybe they are. This is one specialty bakery that takes on a “Ace of Cakes” vibe and creates custom cakes worth enjoying. They make beautiful wedding cakes but also venture out into the quirky and fun, like a stylized “Big Lebowski” cake. They’re good, but the real story for coffee shop hounds is the cupcakes.

These cupcakes are like edible pieces of heaven and can be a well deserved indulgence that won’t overwhelm your waistline like a whole cake would. The house favorites are the Banana Fudge (which is unbelievable) and the Coca-Cola but that’s only two out of an ever rotating array of fantastic (Red Velvet, Mocha, Triple Chocolate, Chocolate Mint and Strawberry Milkshake –just to name a few). For those who think that everything is better if it has chocolate or bacon coating it, Tee & Cakes has your number: a Chocolate Bacon cupcake (served on Mon. Thurs. Sat. & Sun.). The shop provides these little guys in adorable pink to-go boxes that make them a great gift idea… if you can bear to part with them.

Don’t stop reading; there’s more. This is the only coffee shop in Boulder that currently serves Novo coffee. Granted that you can find Novo in restaurants across Denver and in a growing number of high end coffee shops and restaurants across the U.S., having a coffee shop that serves their divine roasts in Boulder is a huge coop.

It’s possible that you haven’t heard of Novo. Surprisingly, they don’t actively promote themselves but even without real marketing by this small, family business Novo has been recognized in several journals (Forbes & Bon Appetit), newspapers (Westword, Denver Post), voted best Denver coffee roaster by Westword and online sources (MSNBC) as one of the top coffee roasters in the U.S.  After you have some of their Novo Espresso blend with its lighter, caramel, herbal flavor that is touched with nut and banana accents – you’ll understand why.

So stop by, but bring your will power with you. You’re going to need it.

Special Notes:Speed of Service and Cappuccino’s

Remember, it’s a small shop with a small staff and is focused on quality, not speed. Be prepared to wait if there is a line. Several cappuccino’s ordered from this location were very light on foam (only a quarter inch). So it may be a good idea to ask for yours “drier”.

Internet:

Not a good spot for meetings or working remotely. There is very little seating, but there are a few tables outside for nice days.

The Beans:

Espresso Novo and an alternating selection of Novo roasts for coffee.