Coffee Shops

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Happy National Coffee Day.  I assure you, I didn’t plan this post for this day.  I am just not that clever or organized.  And didn’t even know it was National Coffee Day until some people mentioned it in the comments (edited to add this)

I was recently received this Peet’s Coffee for review as part of my relationship with FoodBuzz as a Featured Publisher

Peets Coffee and tea mug and Cafe Solano and Cafe Domingo bags

A perfect gift in the mail for me.  Never met a coffee I didn’t like.  Some are better than others, but ya know.

The Cafe Solano and Cafe Domingo are both delicious.  Medium bodied, crisp, but full of flavor with hints of sweetness.  Perfect everyday coffees.

Bag of Peets Coffee Cafe Solano

I have always loved Peet’s.  I had never tried Peet’s until about 8 or 9 years ago when I was in San Francisco and stumbled upon a Peet’s coffee shop so I walked in.  I didn’t know at the time what a serendipitous happenstance that was.

What I admire and enjoy about Peet’s is that their coffee quality is excellent.  They handcraft their coffee in smaller batches with higher quality beans, and I can really taste the difference.  Always rich and smooth, just the way I like my coffee.

This quote from their website says it all “His style of coffee was a radical departure from what was then available, emphasizing smaller batches, freshness, superior quality beans, and a darker roasting style that produced coffee with richness and complexity”

Two thumbs up for the coffee they sent me as well as this reusable mug.

Peets Coffee and Tea Mug

If you are ever near a Peet’s coffee shop, go in and try a cup. Not only for the coffee, but because their coffeeshop atmosphere, is fabulous.

Outside Peets Coffee and Tea storefrontOr if you live in San Diego, pull up a chair on the patio.

The vibe is calmer and less rushed compared to other coffee shops.  And none of  that being so crammed at the cream and sugar station that you want to run for the door as fast as possible.

Peets Coffee and Tea storefrontAnd as a bonus: The baristas at Peet’s don’t scream out your order or any other patron’s orders at the top of their lungs.  Because who really cares that a stranger named Susan ordered a venti sugar free vanilla four pump soy latte with extra foam.

What am I going to use the coffee for?

You guessed it

Vanilla Iced Coffee

Vanilla Iced Coffee in glass

Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Pumpkin Spice Lattes in orange mug

Or just…drinking as is

Love your coffee as much as I do?

Chute going into coffee can

Check out this post for reviews and mentions of dozens of varieties and brands of coffee that I’ve sampled

And what will I pair my coffee with?

Oh that’s easy dessert because cakes, bars, or cookies just go with coffee, right?

White Chocolate Blondies with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

White Chocolate Blondies with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting stacked

or

Snickers Bar Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Snickers Bar Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Questions:

1. Have you ever tried Peet’s Coffee?  What’s your fave brand of java?

2. If you order coffee from a coffee shop, do you ever drink it there, or do you grab it and go?

What I enjoy about Peet’s is that they take time to give you a great cup of coffee and make the atmosphere as nice as the coffee and for me, that counts for almost as much as the product itself.

I’ve mentioned recently that for me atmosphere matters.  It was regarding hair salons.  But coffee shops, hair salons, clothes shopping, or really any business, I don’t want to linger if the vibe is not soothing or tranquil or peaceful.

Too much shouting, banging, music blaring, people bumping into me, tons of hustle and bustle, nah, not my something I enjoy anymore so I avoid those types of establishments and businesses.

I wish, however, that I had time to just linger in coffee shops.  To just sip my coffee, savor the moment, people watch, and watch the world pass me by.  Ahhh, those are fantastic memories of my single life and pre-kiddo days.  And with memories, I mean distant memories.

Nowadays, life is too busy and rushed for me to stop and smell the roses smell the coffee beans and just plop down with my coffee and a book, magazine, or just zone out at a coffee shop.  But I want to make time for that again.

The closest I get to chilling at coffee shop are during meetups with friends like Marla, Amber, or Madeline (<–also distant memories with those meetups, sniff sniff)

P.S. Reminder to enter the Hoodie & Leggings Giveaway

 

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Comments

  1. My fav coffee is either Green Mountain or New England Coffee Roasters Blueberry. I love blueberry anything, especially coffee! :)

  2. This is a great post for coffee lovers like me.

    I’m very fond of Peet’s Colombian, and a Costa Rican coffee from a local roaster. i also have a Nespresso machine that I use several days per week to make iced lattes. And sometimes I like to use a french press. I need an entire room dedicated to my coffee equipment and products!

  3. Ever tried Stewart’s Coffee? I think it’s mainly a New England regional thing. I’m not even that into coffee, but when I was up in Vermont in June, we stopped in a Stewart’s convenience store/gas station daily mainly for the coffee. It was excellent. Really good flavor, and I could see myself getting hooked on it.

    Btw, sorry to bring it up, but I’m sorry about that TJ’s incident the other day. Ugh, really bothered me to read that. So sad that happened to you. Hope you’re healing well. Xoxo.

  4. Oh great, it’s national coffee day during the week I decide to do a cleanse (Garden of Life Raw Cleanse — really gross stuff by the way) so I’m not supposed to drink caffeine. And….I heard lots of places giving away free coffee, bummer for me. However, I did enjoy a cup of CocoCeps instead of coffee this morning. It’s chocolate, so I think even you might be able to forego a cup of cofee for this. However, the CocoCeps still has natural caffeine due to the chocolate, but I was willing to risk it :). It was a sample that I received in an iHerb order so I decided to have it instead of Teecino. Okay, my real reason for the comment…..Clarisonic! Yes! It is definitely worth the $$. Your skin always feels clean and soft after using it and as you know, exfoliating helps to absorb your skincare products. Tried it on my boyfriend and he said wow! I want one!

  5. Just making your blondies from the picture above. Can’t wait for them to finish baking. It’s a little too late here to have them with a coffee now as its past 10pm, I’m already in my PJ’s and was actually ready for bed but then I saw this picture and thought they’re exactly what I need after the work day I had. Decided to skip the frosting though (just can’t wait that long ;)) and put some peanut butter directly into the blondies instead. So I just want to let you know that your recipes and picture are powerful at creating cravings for sure ;)

      1. They’re divine. I seriously feel much better now after some chocolaty sugary goodness. I had one pretty much straight away after like 2 mins of cooling and they didnt let me down. I actually had two in a matter of 10 minutes. Gonna leave the rest now to properly cool and an then frost them tomorrow even though they are already great by themselves – but it can only get better with more chocolate on top, right? :)

  6. I am a coffee connoisseur! I have to know everything about it, bean origin, roasting time, additives, etc. So I lean more towards small eclectic coffee shops where their main focus is on producing a great cuppa joe, as opposed to loading you with syrups, whipped cream, and pastries.

    As an previous *bucks barista, the calling out of the drink contents is used as a means of final quality assurance check. However, I personally HATE having my drink contents called out!
    I am a sit and read kind of person, the atmosphere of a coffee shop makes so much of a difference to me.

    I’m not really a fan of Peet’s, but I think my only experience with them was a fluke at the end of the night with stale coffee. Other than that I live for Jones Coffee Roasters in Pasadena, Barclay’s Coffee and Tea in Northridge, and Living Room Cafe in San Diego!!!

    1. ok thanks for lmk WHY they call out the contents…I am not a fan of that but understand it a bit more now.

      And just saw coffee and a coffee shop on your blog in Pasadena. Thanks for reading and saying hi :)

  7. When travelling we stop in the coffee shops and drink our tea there. Sitting and enjoying the scenery, people watching, reading a book or magazine or local paper.

  8. Never have had Peet’s (yet). I really like Starbuck’s Verona, Steep and Brew’s Italian Espresso–anything that’s a bold roast. In goes Stevia and LOTS of 1/2 & 1/2. The coconut creamer is pretty darned good too. I’m a grab and go girl…on my way to work. Once in a while Paul and I go to a coffee house. There used to be a wonderful place called “Jitters” and on Tues nites they had live music–we’d meet some friends there. 2 guys playing acoustic guitars. Sadly it’s gone, but I have great memories.

  9. There’s a Peet’s in Boston! I’m not a coffee drinker but the boyfriend is (understatement of the year). We sometimes go to coffee shops with WiFi to do work!

  10. I gave up coffee for 2 years but recently I started drinking it again! I love everything about it– the smell, taste, warmth– so delicious– I don’t know what I did for 2 years without it : )

  11. I don’t drink coffee, although I have seen a Peet’s coffee shop before. Good to know that there are some places with what sounds like a much better atmosphere!

  12. I LOVE the smell and taste of coffee but I’m so sensitive to caffeine. I already start to get shaky in my hands after a cup of black tea! Yeah…it has the same effect white sugar has on me, though without as bad of a crash after.

    If I do have it I use decaf and I love to cook with it, use it to flavour things, that way I get the flavour but without the strong hit of caffeine. Yum!

  13. Where would we be without coffee? It is seriously awesome. I spent a lot of my time at University studying at one of the local coffee shops. It was warm, cozy and relatively quiet (noise wise) for a University town. Recently I have started taking a couple of hours each Sunday to go to a local coffee shop to blog and have some ‘me’ time. My husband hangs out with the boy so it’s a win-win situation :)