My New Friend Jo

What a perfect life.

I try to see myself on a long, desolate, sandy beach with the salty ocean sprays rising fast to meet my bare feet- no, that’s not right.

I picture a girl with dark hair like me, standing on a lush green hill with wildflower bunches tickling her knees and her arms outstretched a la "The Sound of Music-" nope, that’s not it either.

Am I cruising down Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, my hands tight on the wheel of a classic roadster letting the wind whip my hair in every direction? Not even close.

 I’m sitting on my laptop, on a small patio on Second Street, sandwiched between the bustling Lavaca and Colorado streets, hoping that the next gust of wind to blow through the trees is the one that pushes inspiration into my fingertips to word how beautiful today really is.

I am here.
photo courtesy of http://1.bp.blogspot.com

Does everyone feel the same way about their city? Do other people in other cities unknowingly write an “Ode to My City” blog every time they mean to write a blog about an unrelated subject?

But I should correct myself. I feel that Austin and coffee go hand in hand. You can have coffee without Austin, sure, but you can’t have Austin without coffee. We have dozens of local roasters and hundreds of coffee shops; every café has a different claim to fame and a different daily special. No we aren’t the birthplace of Starbucks, that’s fine; We are the birthplace of locality and flair and big business molded into innumerable little Austin gems.

Like this gem. RIP Leslie
photo courtesy of tmdailypost.com

Jo’s Coffee is one such gem. Jo’s is a local chain in Austin with two stores in two hot spots: South Congress and downtown SecondStreet. This place really looks like it has its act together: The store front is polished and painted and the inside looks like an upscale bohemian deli. Jo’s host numerous community events and thrives on the feeling of corporate gone local. I can appreciate a place like this.

Across from me are three suits discussing the latest iPhoneapp and “next-big-thing” as they dine during what I assume is a quick business lunch. The two on the end take a giant first bite of giant hamburger covered in a mountain of steaming, hot fries. Too bad I already at lunch.

But really, too bad I’m a broke college student.

The baristas on staff, and really everyone on staff, is so kind. I ask if I can get a coffee, and the barista retorts that I can if I want one. I tell him I would LOVE a sugar-free caramel, nonfat café au lait in the biggest cup he can find. He obliges.

I watch him whip my drink together with careful attention. It’s ready in a blink of an eye and I’m almost disappointed it didn’t give me more time to peruse the menu and beautifully open café. I grab a seat at the bar and look up to see piles board games and three straw cowboy hats resting on a shelf in front of me, and I find my curiosity lost somewhere between the two.

I decide to begin exploration of the one thing I am familiar with, coffee. I take the introductory sip sans straw to get the first of the signature café au lait foam layer. Perfect.

photo courtesy of i-cdn.apartmenttherapy.com

I know I say a lot of coffee in Austin is good- a lot of it is! But I try to be discerning between good and great coffee. I find it no surprise that the coffee shops I categorize as great, brew Cuvee Coffee. This must mean I like Cuvee and the people who know how to serve it. 

I’m not more than three sips in before the friendly barista who crafted my café au lait approaches me to ask if my drink is good. When I say yes he hounds me to see if I’m just saying that because he was asking me: I wasn’t.

Three minutes go by and I hold my breath and lift the lid to see how much of my precious coffee is left, I’ve got more than half. I take a deep breath and sigh in relief.

The caramel is there, but not thick. The coffee is fresh and sharp. I know by the café au lait’s smooth, warm sweetness that it was poured by someone who knows what they are doing. The caramel faintly lingers on my tongue and I continue to swallow to see how long I can savor this flavor; I don’t wait long enough to find out, I’m hooked. The cinnamon spice undertone is a surprise, but a happy one. Who doesn’t love cinnamon?  There’s no separation of flavors in this café au lait, everything is blended as it should be and I don’t feel like I’m just left with foam when I finish (I hate when I’m left with foam, it’s such a tease.)

Okay so Jo’s is only open until 9 p.m. and parking is a vengeful beast downtown but I’m willing to fight what I need to for this coffee. This coffee is worth fighting for.

The food looks pretty good too.

Coffee Drinkers: Anything. Really.

Non-Coffee Drinkers: Grab a cold and local Firemans 4 brew

Store Hours:

Mon-Fri: 7 am - 9 pm

Sat- Sun: 8 am -9 pm

Store Location

242 W 2nd St.

Austin, Texas

78701

Coffee From a Box

South Lamar isnt really the street you frequent to find solace. South Lamar is quirky and has a little something local for everyone. Its entertaining, sure; purposeful? Most definitely. But peaceful is not in the description: unless we are talking about La Boite café.*

*La Boite is French for "the box."

                     

La Boite Cafe
photo courtesy of foodiswhatilove.com

Positioned atop a lush green hill, La Boite overlooks the busy street of South Lamar. The street is buzzing with the sound of hundreds of cars whirring down the road. Faintly, I hear the steady chirping of birds in the distance;  Although I can’t see them, I know by the sound they too have found peace in the middle of this popular boulevard. 

I am sheltered beneath a canvassed fabric stretched from the top of La Boite to the ends of its cracked stone and gravel patio.

The sitting area is much like the inside of La Boite’s trailer. It is small, unassuming and confident. La Boite isn’t shrouded in local art or fancy lights. The walls are a paintless cement covering everything in the trailer permanently except for the unfinished wood ceiling. The menu is two small pieces of paper bolted between two chalkboards with the daily specials. The pastry case is small but delicious looking. Word on the street is that their macarons are too. die. for.

When I order my iced hazelnut latte with nonfat milk I am told by the friendly barista that La Boite has run out of ice (#foodtrailerproblems). I still order it cold and hope for the best.

Literally seconds later my latte is waiting for me on the counter- I grab it and head outside. Perched on a chair in the shade, I take a good look at the Austin skyline and go in for my first sip.

The hazelnut flavor is just right. It tastes as though my straw has pierced right through the center of a hazelnut and found some cream and sugar along the way.

The first sip is the same as the last. The after taste is the same as the before taste. This is seriously good coffee. 

The coffee peeks through the hazelnut syrup. It is not overshadowed by the hazelnut flavor, but thinly veiled. Make no mistakes the espresso taste is there and strong; lattes from La Boite are not for the faint of heart.

The milkiness of my latte, is very much unlike other lattes; the milk isn’t heavy like I find whole milk to be, but it certainly is rich, especially for being skim milk.
 How do they do it?

Did I mention La Boite makes their own syrups?

I don’t know how flavoring syrup is made, or what goes into one- but I do know a good one when I taste it. La Boite expertly makes delicious syrups

Everything here is taken very seriously. I overhear the owners casually talking with a potential business partner about the design and engineering of a shipping package for La Boite’s macarons. Yes, they are discussing the importance of how their macarons will be sent through the mail. Dedication to detail at its finest. Every minute facet of this tiny trailer has been carefully thought out and executed.

I'd wrap these babies up good too.
photo courtesy of texasmonthly.com

I am so comfortable right now watching Austin life hurry by, while I steal time to enjoy a perfect iced hazelnut latte.

Moments like these, I know that there will never be another city quite like this one. You can keep your overcrowded New York and overly-tan Los Angeles-

 I’ll stick to the gentle city noises and flamboyant quirkiness of Austin.


Coffee Drinkers: Go for the cappuccino. 
Non-Coffee Drinkers: House-made Macarons. Duh.



Store Hours:
Mon-Fri: 7:30 am- 4:30 pm
Sat-Sun: 8 am- 4 pm


Location:
1700 S. Lamar
Austin, Texas
78704
512.377.6198

The Curious Case of Summermoon Coffee

In another life I must have been a private eye.


A real gumshoe, you know.


I'm not sure what sets me off, but every time I happen upon a fishy story I spiral out of control searching for leading clues, interrogating innocent bystanders and humming ominous background music.


Maybe its the thrill of the chase that fuels my curiosity, or maybe its the odd comfort I take in knowing that something in the world is yet to be discovered.

Or maybe it's because I'm a sucker for guys in orange ascots.
photo courtesy of cartoonnetwork.co.uk

Either way when I found myself in a daze sipping on a latte at Summermoon Wood Fired Coffee, I knew there was a mystery to be solved. 


From the moment I stepped inside this modest coffee shop off of South 1st, I felt as thought I had been let in on a great Austin secret.


It's likely you drive right past this establishment often without even knowing. Residing in a plaza that also houses a salon and a physical fitness center, it's not a typical spot for a cafe.


After opening the door I felt a quick push of warm air against my face; I looked around and heard a mix of spirited conversations between friends and saw people hunched over laptops furiously typing what might just be the next great American novel.


The people here are regulars. Some park just to run in, grab their usual and head out to whatever the day brings them.


I asked the barista to give me what Summermoon does best. Without hesitation he told me the best drink is named after the shop itself: the Summermoon latte.


He explained that the Summermoon latte is a mix between their house espresso and an unique, sweet Summermoon milk. Talk about vertical integration...


I opted for the half as sweet one, appropriately named the half Summermoon.


As he gingerly prepared my drink I asked him about the shop owned by his father-in-law. Apparently Summermoon has the only wood-fired coffee in Austin. What's more is that they roast their own coffee too.

Summermoon's personal wood fired oven
photo courtesy of woodfiredcoffee.

That's right, Summermoon has been roasting its coffee beans in its personal wood-fired oven for over seven years now. What does this mean?


Not only is Summermoon local, but its unique. There are about three major roasters in Austin that coffee shops in the area get their beans from, and all of these roasters use a gas oven.












Wood-fired is not necessarily better than gas roasting, it's just different. My barista describes its as "smoother." I feel good drinking these beans because it feels more natural.




Now there are two mysteries to Summermoon Coffee.


The first mystery is that of the Summermoon latte; I don't know what it is! The latte is sweet and at the risk of puzzling you all, custard-y. I watched my drink being crafted and I saw everything that went into it. As promised, the half Summermoon latte is a careful blend of skim milk, Summermoon espresso and Summermoon sweet milk- that's it.


But the taste is much more complex. As I mentioned above, there is some sort of custard hint to it- a sort of thick, easy vanilla flavor. I would know if there was sweetened condensed milk in it because of its characteristic heaviness, and because of its mysterious ability to tighten my waistband; but although it is a dense drink, it is not heavy.


The Summermoon latte is of a natural frothy consistency. It sips creamy and cool and effortlessly masks the assumed bitterness that follows a latte with four shots of espresso. After I indulged my coffee for almost two hours, I feel full and alert- but not jittery.


I also felt sad; very, very sad.

the latte can't ALL be gone?!
photo courtesy of findairfreight.com

The second mystery of Summermoon to be solved is its popularity. With a homegrown philosophy and bewitching brews, people should be lining out the door to get a taste.


This is not to say Summermoon does not have a steady flow of customers, but I am surprised that the small coffee bar isn't brimming with eager caffeine addicts searching for outlets.


Sure, there are numerous positive reviews on yelp.com about this place, but why are yelp users the only people talking about it? Why haven't I been here before?


Why aren't you there now?


The space isn't big, so don't bring your entire social circle expecting a place to sit- keep Summermoon for your inner circle of friends.

Summermoon
photo courtesy of austinrealestatehomesblog.com

While the front patio is nothing to ride home about (its pretty small with bare, mismatched seating), the inside is quaint with eclectic chairs and tables and colorful lanterns dangling from the ceiling.


Stop by Summermoon right now. And tell your friends about this well kept secret.


As for the unsolved mysteries? The only reason I can think of why this place isn't packed full of yuppies is simply due to its hidden storefront and odd location.


And the Summermoon latte's curious sweetness? Summermoon sweet milk is magical. That's all there is to it. I challenge the world's most expert chemists to find another solution.






Summermoon is sensational. Case closed.


Coffee drinkers: try their espresso straight up. My guess is that it is fabulous.


Non-coffee drinkers: the full Summermoon Latte. Sweet, with a hidden jolt.




Location:
3115 S. 1st st.
Austin, TX, 78704
512.804.1665


Hours:
Mon-Fri: 7 a.m. - 12 a.m.
Sat: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Sun: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Natives of Thunderbird Coffee: UNITE!

THUNDERCAAAAAATS.

video courtesy of youtube.com

No, I did not visit a ThunderCats themed coffee shop.

But that would have been AWESOME.

I did however find myself at a similarly named Eastside coffee spot: Thunderbird Coffee. 
(NOTE: there are no Thundercats memorabilia to be found inside Thunderbird, despite its name)

Everything about Thunderbird Coffee is Eastside. Parking is found on the winding streets of a charmed, vintage neighborhood. The front patio borders Manor Road with a wire mesh fence draped in Christmas lights. A long string of light bulbs envelops the patio in twinkling light. Sitting at Thunderbird is like sitting on the back porch of your best friend's house. Patrons play indie music from personal speakers and discuss novels as they sip on their espressos and ice cold tap beers. 

Thunderbird Coffee's front patio
photo courtesy of tx-coffee.com

Yes, I said beers.

Thunderbird Coffee sells beer, bottled and tap, in addition to their locally roasted Cuvee coffee. That name may sound familiar; many coffee shops in the area get their coffee directly from this local roaster, known for its personal relationship with their farmers and growers. If a coffee shop touts its fair-trade philosophies and local-focus, its more than likely they get their beans from Cuvee Coffee.

The inside is again, standard Eastside: dim lighting, mismatched seating, nondescript, bare walls and soft alt-rock beats thumping.

The lone barista complimented the coffee house nicely in a checkered button-down, skinny jeans and a lopsided black beanie. 

I gave the him the standard spiel, "Hi, I'm writing a coffee blog about coffee shops here in Austin. Can you give me what [insert coffee shop name here] does best? What's your signature drink? blah, blah, blah"

Right away he asked me what coffee shops I had been to; and at that moment I knew I was being tested. He wanted to know what kind of coffee drinker I was, so I didn't dare to name drop Starbucks (I'll save that  for another blog). 

About three things I was absolutely positive:

1. Thunderbird was for serious coffee drinkers only: habitual Starbucks-goers need not apply.

2. With the above kind of haughtiness, Thunderbird must have good coffee.

3. This is an embarrassing Twilight reference.

a perfect cappuccino

         I settled on a cappuccino since the barista insisted this was the only true test of a coffee shop's quality. After I was handed my espresso I stalked slowly outside to my table, so as not to spill the delicate cream leaf atop my drink. 

My first sip was bitter. My second sip was bitter. And my third? Bitter. But a good bitter. 

I've mentioned in an earlier post how all too often the natural bitter taste of the coffee is overshadowed by sugary sweeteners and syrups. Now don't get me wrong, I love my sugar and my sugary lattes, as evidenced by previous posts, but sometimes it's nice to sit back and smell the coffee, real coffee.


There's a tang to this cappuccino that I quite enjoy. The espresso is clean, you can taste the roasted beans and the milk- that's it. The subtly sweet undertone lingers on my tongue long after I have finished swallowing. Its the kind of drink you order when you don't the coffee flavor (or buzz) to end.


I've got to hand it to Thunderbird. Not many coffee shops will put their lone espresso up to bat with the bases loaded; most pump up their drinks with hazelnut and sugar as a sort of safety.


Its a bold move, but Thunderbird has definitely hit a home run.

good to the last drop

Coffee Drinkers: Get the Cappuccino. But prepared to stay awake for 4-6 hours after consuming.


Non-Coffee Drinkers: The Honey Nut Latte was delicious. A great cinnamon flavor, without too much spice.


Location
2200 Manor Road
Austin, TX
512.472.9900

Hours
Mon - Thurs: 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Fri: 7 a.m. – 12 midnight
Sat: 8 a.m. – 12 midnight
Sun: 8 a.m. – 11 p.m.