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Tucked along the busy MLK thoroughfare, two coffee aficionados share their labor of love. I walked in to Christine (the barista) serving a latte topped with a two-colored heart-within-a-heart, delivered with a wholesome, “thank you for your support!” As humble newcomers to the specialty coffee scene in Berkeley, their commitment to mastering their craft is authentic and what will certainly sets their shop apart. What made me excited to visit them was how they’ve staked their reputation on roasting their own beans. Most small cafes will launch by brewing and serving the beans of reputable roasters, but Peter and Christine are drawing from their years of experience to roast and serve delicate cups of coffee in a cafe of their own design. “It’s like walking through a time machine,” said Peter in describing his thoughts behind building the countertops. “[As you walk in] it’s modern, but stepping into the back it becomes more historic.” I ordered a washed Ethiopia pour over coffee, and watched our artist at work. Christine’s pour over technique was wonderful – delivering a floral coffee with a sweet lingering aftertaste. She explained her coffee with the excitement of a musician telling the story behind a new piece: quick to point out how the coffee she made, with beans aged 20 days past roasting, had a gentler taste than when it was first roasted. MY Coffee Roastery is elevating the specialty coffee scene here in the East Bay, and they’re doing so in the most authentic way possible: by studying every roast, educating the community around their coffee, and making people happy with every cup they serve.

The Wild Way – Menu with Prices – 708 E 19th St, Kansas City

The KC coffee scene continues to be by far the most underrated in the country. Put us up against the big towns and I promise we’ll hold our own. Adding another delicious, unique and cool wrinkle to the coffee: The Wild Way Coffee Camper. Most months of the year, i.e. not the winter months where it hurts to be outside for more than 10 seconds, you’ll find Wild Way parked in the Martini Corner area slinging some seriously good coffee (duh) but also some insanely creative and natural coffee drinks. These ain’t the chemical-laden chain coffee flavors, these have that handmade local touch. But since my main jam is black coffee, I trusted Christine on a pour-over. She picked an Ethiopian one that was off the chain, and got me ready to go on a day I was hosting my biggest event of the year. Slightly fruity, balanced and chock full of caffeine, it was perfection. Christine, the owner, really helps make this what it is. She’s insanely friendly, knows her stuff when it comes to coffee (trust me I geek out over the stuff and she’s ten steps ahead of me), and makes a connection with everyone she talks to. I’m all in on this spot, and will go out of my way to try out some of the rotating seasonal creations that they crank out here.

Rig City Roasting Company Menu with Prices 1820 G St, Bakersfield

Finally! A true 3rd wave coffee standard in Bakersfield! Located in the downtown area, this small cafe front packs a great punch of various types of coffee beans from around the world. Stepping into the cafe, is an intimate place with some chairs and tables plus 2 places where a smaller group of 4 can sit in a living room type atmosphere with arm chairs, love seat and coffee table. It’s clean, modern, and speaks of Bakersfield’s culture. with After years of drinking second wave coffee (ie. Starbucks, etc.), there have been a couple of 3rd wave coffee roasters and cafe that have come to the scene, which I am excited about. While I travel the world, I intentionally go out of my way to hit the best coffee spots in different cities, including the most awarded coffee roaster in the US. I chemex with my own scale, burr grinder, and pour with my bona vita kettle set at 205 degrees. With saying that, Rig City does not disappoint. In fact, in my opinion, they are hands down the best roasters and serve the best coffee in town. (Please do not destroy your coffee with cream and sugar) I am totally impressed with the staff. All very friendly, and they know what they are doing. They know how to set the right ground levels along with the pull the coffee with their light, medium roast coffees. I recommend their Ethiopian or their Honduran Chichen. Here are my recommendations for the pour over that I really enjoy: – Ethiopian: grind level 12, pull at 4.5 – Honduran: grind level 12, pull at 4 (They will also grind the coffee and pull of you have your own preference) Other drinks that I have tried: – Cold Brew – excellent – Pineapple Matcha – good – Latte – excellent – Espresso – amazing They have various hot and cold teas also. I have not tried their pastries but they have a nice assortment and they always look fresh. This is my new go to spot for coffee and meetings. Here is my overall scorecard for this place: Atmosphere: 4.5 stars Service: 5 stars Coffee: 4.5 stars Overall: I give this a solid 4.5 but I will proudly score it a 5! The only suggestion I would have for this place is futile but I’ll post it anyways: 1. The place smells more like food than a coffee roaster due to the door to the business next door being opened. Again, this is just something I noticed. 2. They use the v-60… I personally wish they used a chemex, which I feel pulls better, but, again most people probably don’t even know the difference. Thanks Rig City!!!! You all rock!!!!

San Marco Coffee Roasting – Menu with Prices – 401a N Glenoaks Blvd, Burbank

This fresh roasted coffee is superb. My wife and I like to have one large coffee in the morning so purchase a single pound of whole beans and make our medium/light roast by the cup. For us, one experience defines San Marco Roasting: when I first visited the shop, I asked the owner, Vahan, to recommend a mix. That was an espresso that turned out to be too intense and heavy for us at six a.m. A day later, I brought back the bag. Vahan understood completely, took back the coffee and began to mix beans like a chemist. Afterwards, he and I examined the mainly Peruvian beans together with Vahan explaining their qualities and what we could expect in terms of taste. The roasts were days old versus weeks or months like you might get from Starbucks, a supermarket or from Amazon, so the result was a particularly smooth and delicious cup of coffee. I had once visited a high end whiskey distillery in Scotland where they take you out to the peat bogs that serve as fuel for roasting the barley. Clearly, you could smell and taste that peat smoke in the finished single malt. I experienced a similar sensation smelling the beans that Vahan presented to me: beyond the typical coffee roast aroma was the actual smell of the land where they came from 4,000 miles away. It was impressive. Several days later, I phoned Vahan to tell him that the mix was perfect. He said, “I was worried, so thank you for calling. This makes me happy.” The shop is pleasant, casual and unassuming. Visit once and you will be considered a regular. Bottom-line: you deserve to treat yourself to one of the great, simple pleasures in life that is the artisan-crafted experience that San Marco provides for a modest price.

Muldoon’s Hand Roasted Office Coffee – Menu with Prices – 5680 Timberlea Blvd, Mississauga

Note: There is NO TAX for your purchase of consumable goods here, e.g. coffee, tea. Hidden gem! I’ve been meaning to check out Mississauga’s coffee roasting scene, so after running out of beans, today was the day! I had a list of 3 places on my list that were coincidentally all in the 403/Tomken Rd. area. On the side of the building, Muldoon’s has a side entrance into their outlet store. They sell coffee machines, filters, Keurig pods, boxes of tea, & of course, coffee beans. At the back of their store, there is an automatic coffee maker and you are able to taste test the various flavours/roasts before you commit to a bag of beans! Ashley was very helpful and I tasted 3 different coffees before I decided what beans that I wanted. Since it’s primarily me who drinks coffee at home, I didn’t want a full lbs, so I got just under 11oz for $5! To give you an idea, the last bag of beans that I purchased was around the same size for $10USD. So you save more than 50% and there’s NO TAX. They also have a loyalty programme where you get a stamp for every $20 you spend and get a free bag of beans on your 6th visit. After this experience, I don’t think I’ll ever buy coffee beans at retail prices! Bonus: None of the beans have been roasted more than a week ago! Another Bonus?: Their coffee cups are biodegradable. And they are trying to phase out the K cups because they’re not environmental.

Lone Light Coffee – Menu with Prices – 1518 E High St, Charlottesville

I came to this Lone Light Coffee location because I heard they started roasting their own beans awhile back, but that they might still use Milli’s at their downtown location. I am glad I was finally able to have a try at them as I ordered an Americano. Charlottesville definitely has another great roaster in Lone Light, as their espresso roast was great quality. I’ll definitely be back, and hopefully grab a pie at the co-located Pie Chest (similar to how it is in the Downtown location). I also hope that they expand on their roasting!

Milone Brothers Coffee Co – Menu with Prices – 1413 Lone Palm Ave, Modesto

The best coffee in Modesto. One of only two coffee roasters in Modesto City proper, Milone has been roasting superior coffee for almost 30 years (since the late 80’s). It all began as Plantation Coffee Company, a roastery & full service cafe. They closed the cafe part of the business long ago, & today operate as wholesale distributors. Where can you sample some Milone coffee? Several local businesses carry them…Sabatino’s, Michael’s Pizza, Papapavlo’s, Velvet Creamery, & Picasso’s, just to name a few. I was particularly impressed to learn that the coffee I had at Sabatino’s, which I loved, was just one end of a surprisingly broad & prolific spectrum. From Brazilian roast to Fogburner, there’s a roast for every palate. And after sampling just 2 of their roasts, it was easy to surmise that any coffee lover will find a Milone roast that he or she loves. Not a business owner? No problem. You can come in & purchase beans by the pound. But remember that this isn’t a full service cafe. I had the pleasure of meeting Scott during my most recent visit. Scott knows everything about coffee. He’s basically a walking & talking coffee encyclopedia. He is also beyond personable. A gem. This is the best coffee in Modesto. 5 stars.

Palace Coffee Company Menu with Prices 817 S Polk St #2, Amarillo

This roast is pretty good, gosh, I think I can even taste the honeycomb tasting notes. You can serve lite to medium roast all you want but don’t suggest I like coffee that tastes like an ashtray because I prefer dark roast. The coffee taste is ok but overall it is weak like a blonde roast. Ruta Maya in Austin makes great coffee. Their medium roast I don’t prefer but many people do. I get that the coffee perfectionists don’t want to burn the bean but you don’t have to argue the point. As purists, we at Palace Coffee prefer that you drink the coffee that we feel you should like best. And what you will like best is weak with hints of huckleberry.

Made coffee – Menu with Prices – 107 W Amerige Ave, Fullerton

This is one of my favorite study spots. The owner and workers are all very friendly, and I always receive top quality coffee, specialty drinks, and pastries! Single Origin Pour Over ———————– Usually I order Cappuccinos, but they do the pour over so well here! I forgot what beans I picked, but to be honest, I have not had a bad pour over from here. If you love quality black coffee, I recommend getting yourself one! Coffee Cake ———— The pastries seem to look and taste similar to the ones at Intentional Coffee, and I mean this in a good way! The owner told me that they receive the pastries from a bakery, and they sure are tasty! This Coffee Cake has just the right amount of sweetness to pair with the Pour Over. Deliciousness that is perfect for a pick-me-up! ————- This coffee shop hasn’t been around for very long, but I highly recommend coming here if you have not already! A note for those who plan to come here to study: {PROS} – Good Wi-Fi (I personally never had a problem with connection or speed.) {CONS} – Limited Outlets – Except for the big table in the middle, not very comfortable seating – Bathroom is in another building next door, but access key is provided. Although it may seem like a lot of Cons vs. Pros, I mainly come here for the products, the service, and the ambience, so I do not mind tolerating these Cons!

Mojo Coffee Menu with Prices 15256 E Hampden Ave, Aurora

A wonderful addition to the neighborhood! This is a coffee shop AND an Ethiopian grocer. While I know nothing about Ethiopian ingredients, they DO carry Injera so I am very happy (Injera is a soft, Ethiopian flatbread.) Mojo, the coffee shop – very modern, upscale look. Nice sitting area with a TV and comfy chairs, along with regular tables and chairs. Their coffee is from the Denver-based Kaladi coffee, as well as an Ethiopian roast. They make most drinks with Kaladi’s dark roast, I think that the Ethiopian is more of a medium roast and ordered for an espresso shot or cappuccino. BUT! I give Mojo a whole bunch o’ stars because they carry about 5 sugar-free syrups! Woo hoo! On my second visit (in three days) I ordered a drip coffee with sugar-free white chocolate and it was so good, and fairly guilt free! So, if you want a good cup of coffee, a great place to work with a wonderful atmosphere – come on over to the south side of the metro area and visit Mojo’s Coffee!

Cup – Fine Coffee & Roasters – Menu with Prices – 339 Fleming Rd B-1, Charleston

Delicious, cutting-edge coffee drinks made all the more exciting because of the freshness of the beans–they purchase raw coffee beans and roast themselves. You can taste the difference. The names of the single origin farms are clearly displayed so you know exactly where your coffee is coming from. They are doing everything locally including making their own specialty whipped cream for espresso drinks. I had their unique saffron-infused espresso, and the owner Robbie explained that the Turks used to use saffron for a coffee flavor enhancement. Go find them at the farmer’s markets and chat them up.

Belux Coffee Roasters Menu with Prices 5430 McGinnis Ferry Rd #101B, Alpharetta

Welcome to the next innovative idea with coffee- this is a boutique coffee roastery (very few exist in Atlanta and in the US in general, but with a little help in getting the word out into the streets that roasting, and that making this a workshop is possible, perhaps these will show up more in downtown areas). This has a very workshop kind of feel if you like something hands on, educational, and wanting to understand coffee better rather to the next level after enjoying them in various forms, in various cafes. This place shows you the upcoming and traditional forms of preparing coffee (cold drip that takes 8 hrs to use cold water to slowly percolate, infrared technology, drip, and other traditional methods). the coffee beans are sourced directly and selectively chosen for quality. They even roast it in a large roaster once a week if you ever want to schedule a time to come in and see a large machine roasting green beans. The business model is to educate, encourage roasting/brewing at home, and to have a more get together kind of feel for those who want a more hands on experience. Good for large groups- not a place to come and do your work in the corner with wifi like cafes Coffee 101: 1. Dimensions of coffee: I’ll let Ben and Lucy, the owners of this cafe take care of the rest of explaining this concept, but coffee comes in many layers of flavor, as most coffee brewers know. Darkness vs. concentration. Darkness measures how long and how “burnt” a cofee is roasted. A medium roast, is harder to obtain b/c it is less inherently a less robust roast than a dark roast- but skill wise, it is much easier to roast a bean too long and get a stronger burnt flavor than it is to artfully create a robust but smooth blend, which is what mediums are known for. Concentration measures how long the grounds are steeped for. 2. Brewing methods: coffee comes in different aromas- Something that is more oily and heavier tasting is likely brewed in something like infrared or a french press- without a paper strainer, the oils stay. It is amazing how if you add a drip coffee method in, you can remove such a dimension and the coffee tastes differently altogether. This is what makes a coffee workshop fun- for those who want to play around and learn how coffee is brewed and how flavors are achieved, you want to come here and fully appreciate what goes into a coffee in dimension, concentration, and darkness. This place has a cold drip that takes hours to percolate all night. there’s the infrared. Drip coffee is becoming a big thing in the US. 3. Types of coffee- they have Indonesian, Colombian, blue mountain etc. All the coffees here are highly premium in quality and price. They even sell the aparatus and educational methods so people can go home and learn how to make quality coffee.

Laughing Cat – Menu with Prices – 3545 Airway Dr # 110, Reno

A friend we were with recommended we come here while in the area to get some coffee. I had never heard of the place or seen it before. When walking it you smelled a euphoria of all types of coffee and tea. A good selection. It is a small inside but stacked with fresh coffee beans, tea and other items like natural soaps, lotions etc. The owen was really nice and down to earth. He is very knowledgeable about the coffee beans, flavor, roasting process and taste. He will grind them for you if you like or you can buy the coffee beans. My favorite was the Southern Pecan for the sweet and the Uganda for the strong.