Paris on the Platte
The oldest coffee shop in Denver is Paris on the Platte, located close to the Platte riverbed. In operation since 1986, this coffee shop is home to a diverse clientele, ranging from teenagers to hipsters to business professionals. Paris on the Platte can be eccentric, but everyone is welcome. With their coffee roasted by themselves, the drinks range from the Broadway Wakeup – which features bananas – to a Café Mexicano. Other drinks include Italian Soda. Food ranges from sandwiches, pizza, deserts and nachos. There is even a wine bar where one can drink wine. There are several seating areas – the first room, the backroom, outdoor seating and the wine room. The first room features music playing really loud, but the backroom and the outdoor seating are very comfortable to hear the person you are with. Free wifi graces Paris on the Platte, as does artwork by local artists. Open most nights until 3am, this coffee shop will meet your coffee needs at almost any hour. Parking is street parking, but occasionally you can find a parking spot in back. Events range from movies in the wine room to free jazz concerts. Get your drink to go, and walk to the Platte River and relax with friends.
Coffee & Your Dog
Community Bark is Milwaukee’s hang out for coffee lovers and their dogs. Dog owners will agree that some cities don’t provide enough places for people to sit back and relax with their pets in public. In other countries, especially Europe, dogs are allowed to lounge with their owners in coffee shops and cafes. It is not uncommon to see someone drinking coffee and reading a newspaper with their furry companion table-side.
The United States is becoming more progressive when it comes to coffee drinking and pooch loving. More and more places are incorporating coffee into something dog related such as Community Bark’s coffee house/dog wash. The establishment is located down the road from Milwaukee’s popular Katharine Kearney Carpenter Dog Park. It offers a wide arrange of coffee selections while your pooch is getting washed from a day at the park.
Dog-friendly coffee houses are popping up all over the nation as business owners realize that drinking coffee and spending time with your dog go hand in hand. Many coffee-serving businesses hold “yappy hours”, specific times where dogs are allowed to visit. Dog parks and coffee shops have several things in common, the most obvious being, people like to linger and socialize. If you are looking for a place that serves coffee and allows dogs, go to dogfriendly.com for a convenient listing of what is available in your city.
Coffeehouse Locations
Whenever I’m at a place of business that provides a customer service, I try to think outside myself about what opportunities there are for business to assist that business. This brainstorming usually happens when I’m waiting at a place of business for an extended period of time. The car dealer waiting for service, the registry of motor vehicles and even the doctors office, all these places make me think specifically about coffee. This is usually because I don’t like waiting as long as these places often make customers wait, and coffee calms me down while waiting for hours does not. So I was thinking about how profitable it would be to open up a coffee shop inside or beside one of these business locations. The car dealer and the registry would probably benefit the most, I just can’t picture a practical way to incorpporate a coffee shop in a doctors office. This particular idea struck me when I was sitting in the car dealership waiting for a very long time, and the coffee offeed there is worse than what we have at my work, a lucrative business idea in the shadows!
It’s great!
Don’t you think it’s great to walk into a coffee shop! Walking into Starbucks or any other coffee shop it’s amazing. I think it’s a great place to have a social meeting with friends or even catch up with some homework. As a student it’s always great to be greeted kindly by the hard working people behind the counter. The downside is that these coffee shops are always packed up to the rafters unfortunately. Although the noise is kept to a minimum and there is mostly always seating. Also may i add their table are tremendously small for all the books students always have to cary. All in all, i believe that coffee shops such as Starbucks are a great place to socialize and if you are looking for a job take a run to check their openings. Finally thank god for these modern french cafes. They always offer a great ambiance and a good time out.
Frozen Coffee Drinks
Frozen Caramel Latte
Ingredients
3 oz. brewed espresso
1 tablespoon caramel sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups ice cubes
2 tablespoons whipped cream
Directions
Pour the espresso, caramel sauce, and sugar into a blender pitcher. Blend on high until the caramel and sugar dissolve into the espresso. Pour in the milk and add the ice; continue blending until smooth and frothy. Top with whipped cream and serve.
Coffee Shake
Ingredients
1 teaspoon instant coffee
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons white sugar
6 ice cubes
2 teaspoons chocolate syrup, if desired
Directions
Combine the instant coffee, milk, vanilla extract, sugar, ice, and chocolate syrup in a blender; blend until smooth.
Vietnamese Iced Coffee
Ingredients
4 cups water
1/2 cup dark roast ground coffee beans
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
16 ice cubes
Directions
Brew coffee. Pour 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk into each of 4 coffee cups. Pour 1 cup of fresh hot coffee into each cup, and stir .
Serve guests, and give each one a tall glass with 4 ice cubes, and a long handled spoon. Guests pour hot coffee over the ice.
Wired Monk (Vancouver, BC)
Wired Monk
Wired Monk Coffee Bistro * 2610 4th Avenue West * Vancouver, BC V6K 1P7, Canada * (604) 742-1752 * http://www.kitsmonk.com/
Artsy fine-elderly design coffee bistro with food and drinks, coffees, chai, teas, and pastries. Free wifi. Didn’t find the service that great, employees seemed bored and bitter. Not many plugs available for laptops. Service was still good. Wifi good. Plain and not a place I’d go out of my way to go back to. Rating: 2 stars out of 5.
Tully Coffee (Seattle, Washington)
Tully’s Coffee * 1401 4th Ave * Seattle, WA 98101 * 206-625-0600 * http://www.tullys.com/
Tully’s Coffee, another Seattle favorite like Starbucks, that is slowly growing to be a large world chain – most notorious for its coffee. Tully’s opened its doors in 1992, they boast proudly about their handcrafted blends that are different than the rest. They also claim to be the last independent pedigreed-Seattle coffee company even though they are spreading quickly. They claim community is the big part of their stores. My visit to Tully’s at this location on 12/29/08 went very well, but not much different than a Starbucks experience. The chai and the pumpkin loaf I tried, not much different. However they do have free wifi internet, so my wifi n’ chai experience was much nicer than the pay per hour that Starbucks has. Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.
Cuppa Joe Coffee (Kitslano, Vancouver, British Columbia)
Cuppa Joes – Jericho Beach/Kitslano
Cuppa Joe’s Coffee Shop * 3744 West 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC * (604) 224-3687 * http://www.cuppajoecoffee.com/cajc/stores/kits.html
A great little local (but Vancouver chain) two story coffee house right off of 4th, conveniently located in Kitslano bordering Point Grey bordering Jericho Beach. Just a short jolt of a walk from the Vancouver HI. Free wifi internet just ask for the password at the counter. Great chai, pastries, and coffee. A Starbucks alternative. Carries organic and free trade. Always good music and apparently has great beer on tap (I’m not a beer drinker so can’t comment on that one). Staff and regulars are very friendly. Its an artsy joint with good music. Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.
Flying Star Cafe (Knob Hill, Albuerqueque, New Mexico)
Flying Star Cafe (Knob Hill – Albuerqueque, New Mexico)
www.flyingstarcafe.com * 3416 Central SE * Albuquerque, NM 87106 * Phone: 505-255-6633 * Fax: 505-232-8432 * HOURS: Sunday-Thursday 6:00am-11:00pm; Friday & Saturday 6:00am-Midnight
A large artsy/chic restaurant/cafe in the heart of historic and trendy Knob Hill district of Albuerqueque is a great place for getting your brew and grub for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Up to the counter you order just like most cafe’s, but tempted with hand made breads, desserts, and pastries while you’re perusing the menu up above. On this particular visit I went for the French Onion soup in a bread bowl and a large cold chai. My friend Vikki went for a butternut squash dish with a new chai latte they were offering and little Trinity went for the pancakes and hot chocolate. We were all quite satisfied with our choices. Jean and Mark Bernstein, both born and raised in New York, came out west with dreams of opening a restaurant … with the exquisite delicacy tastes of New York in mind. They also wanted a large meeting place where solitaries or groups could hang out and lounge. In November 1987, they opened this particular store as their first, on old Route 66. Over the last 20 years their popularity has spread to 8 locations throughout Albuerqueque. Excellent. Rating 5 stars out of 5. Visited 11/30/08.
Coffee Risk
Despite 20 years of reassuring research, many people still avoid caffeinated coffee because they worry about its health effects. However, current research reveals that in moderation—a few cups a day—coffee is a safe beverage that may even offer some health benefits. The September issue of Harvard Women’s Health Watch weighs the pros and cons of this popular beverage and eases the concerns of moderate coffee drinkers.The latest research has not only confirmed that moderate coffee consumption doesn’t cause harm, it’s also uncovered possible benefits. Studies show that the risk for type 2 diabetes is lower among regular coffee drinkers than among those who don’t drink it. Also, coffee may reduce the risk of developing gallstones, discourage the development of colon cancer, improve cognitive function, reduce the risk of liver damage in people at high risk for liver disease, and reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease. Coffee has also been shown to improve endurance performance in long-duration physical activities.
For those who drink coffee to stay alert, new research suggests that you’ll stay more alert, particularly if you are fighting sleep deprivation, if you spread your coffee consumption over the course of the day. For instance, if you usually drink 16 ounces in the morning, try consuming a 2-3 ounce serving every hour or so. Again, moderation is the key.
However, as the September issue notes, coffee is not completely innocent. Caffeine, coffee’s main ingredient is a mild addictive stimulant. And coffee does have modest cardiovascular effects such as increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and occasional irregular heartbeat that should be considered. Studies have been largely inconclusive regarding coffee and its effect on women’s health issues such as breast health, cancer, and osteoporosis. But, the negative effects of coffee tend to emerge in excessive drinking so it is best to avoid heavy consumption.
Resources
