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Posted by on Apr 22, 2013 in Blog, Local Coffeehouse Visit | 0 comments

Terra Java, Arcadia Neighborhood, Phoenix AZ

At the counter @ Terra Java

At the counter @ Terra Java

Terra Java, Phoenix AZ

Thanks to my mom’s gift of gab, I got the chance to chat with Omea Eaglerider, co-owner of this community gathering place in Central Phoenix.

Omea is a chef-turned-coffeehouse-owner.  She had been leasing the kitchen in this coffeehouse, formerly Mama Java’s for eighteen months.   Mama Java’s had been in business for eight years, but due to personal issues the owner needed to close the business.  He turned to Omea, and a year ago offered her the opportunity to takeover the business.  

Within 48 hours she said YES and combined her catering company “Terra Bites” with Mama Java’s creating “Terra Java Coffee House” where she can sell her world-themed foods to her coffee customers every day.  

Coffee choice:  They sell coffee varieties from Passport Coffee, roasted locally in the Scottsdale Airpark.  Also offered are many other local and healthy food options.

Barista LOVE!  They just sent one of their baristas to an international competition.  I love it when owners support their employee’s passions, too.  

Lovin’ the local flavor of Arizona!

Lisa

2013-04-20 12.34.59Terra Java Coffee House
3619 E. Indian School Rd
Phoenix AZ 85018
602.840.5282
http://www.terrajava.biz

 

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Posted by on Mar 26, 2013 in Blog, Happiness, Local Coffeehouse Visit | 3 comments

Mirage Trading & Roasting Company in Moffat, Colorado

      
DSC_0037 DSC_0154Mirage Roasting Co.
17555 State Hwy 17
Moffat, CO 81143
719-256-4357
www.miragetradingco.com

The charming Mirage Roasting Company sits in the San Luis Valley in southwestern Colorado on Highway 17.   One woman told me that there is 1 person for every 2 square miles of land out there, which makes it the least densely populated area in Colorado.

DSC_0172

The entire valley consists of acres of farm land for potatoes, barley, quinoa, etc. and sits on top of Colorado’s largest aquifer providing life-giving water to this high desert landscape.  

Mirage Roasting Co. also houses an art trading business and cafe where both the locals and tourists gather.  Lisa, barista and roaster, explained that they purchased a roaster about a year ago and now roast several pounds a week.  Several of the area’s restaurants are now serving their specialty, single-origin coffees.  They are proud of their 100% organic, fair trade beans and so is the community.  They wish to remain small and specialized and never compromising quality.

On my tour of the Valley I also discovered The Great Sand Dunes National Park, a restaurant that raises and serves grass-fed yak, an alligator farm, the international spiritual hub of Crestone, and a UFO lookout tower.  

What a grand adventure!  This is what road trips are for … to discover the uniqueness of our country. 

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Posted by on Sep 4, 2012 in Blog, Local Coffeehouse Visit | 1 comment

Moca Joe’s Coffeehouse, Delta Colorado

 

Freshly harvested peaches, a family reunion, and an indie coffeehouse!

Sidewalk sign.

The Western Slope of Colorado gives the country delicious fruit!  This time of year fruit stands dot the roadways and hand painted signs indicate the bounty of fruits they sell.  There are peaches, pears, plums, apples, cherries, and cantaloupe; peppers, squash, honey and jams.

Bikki Family Farms, Palisade Colorado

Most of the farms are family owned and operated.  And when it’s time to harvest the community comes together to pick, sort and pack the produce for market.  This is what I love about community coffeehouses across the world, too.  They gather people together and give us the chance to get to know our neighbors.

@ the counter

Take Moca Joe’s Espresso on Main Street in Delta … they have delicious roast from a  local roaster and serve an Americano (my fav) that is rich and aromatic.  The owners put their energy into this one shop and it shows 🙂

When traveling to a wine tasting in Palisade or to ski in Aspen, just stop in.  They are on Highway 50  in downtown Delta, Colorado.  Tell them we sent you.

Peace, Lisa

Moca Joe’s Espresso  
352 Main Street
Delta, CO 81416
(970) 874-1133
www.facebook.com/pages/Moca-Joes-Espresso/35848219966

 

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Posted by on Mar 21, 2012 in Blog, Coffee News, Local Coffeehouse Visit | 0 comments

A “soccer blogger” speaks about local, independent #coffeehouses and roasters in the US!

MLS Mornings: Pre-Game Roasts & Brews

Eric Giardini spills the beans on what should be in your mug….the first in TSG’s MLS Travel Series

It’s 7:00 in the morning and you’re settling in on the couch to begin a long day of soccer viewing.

What are you reaching for?

If you are like me, perhaps 7:00 is a bit too early for beer (and if it isn’t, you are my hero).

Perhaps you need something else. Something that can wake you up for a long morning and afternoon of games.

Or, if you’ve ever road tripped to see your club or national team play and have had to leave first thing in the morning, what are you in need of? If you are anything like me, you are reaching for a cup of coffee.

Coffee, much like beer, has undergone a revolution in recent years. Gone are the days of the giant tubs of pre-ground coffee, scooping it into a machine and hitting “Brew.” Coffee is becoming more and more like beer with localized roasters fine-tuning their craft around the country, which allows for a higher quality, fresher product.

And so, piggybacking off the success of any of the beer focused pieces we’ve done in the past, we though we’d reach out to local roasters in cities with MLS clubs and compile a list of those doing great things with coffee.

Our goal is to provide a resource for places to grab a cup when in town for a match, or beans to brew at home. We contacted roasters in each of the 19 MLS cities and, while we weren’t able to hear back from all of them, we had quite a few that were more than happy to participate and were gracious enough to send samples. It was a difficult task drinking fantastic coffee every morning from some of the best roasters around, but I did it for you.

(Also, I’m not a professional taster so forgive my amateur tasting notes. Thank you in advance.)

Eastern Conference

Philadelphia: Old City Coffee

Founded in 1984, these guys have been a staple in the Philly coffee scene for 27 years. Roasting in small batches guarantees that the freshest coffee will be available at either of their two café locations in Philadelphia. I was fortunate enough to be able to taste their best selling Old City Blend coffee, and I can see why they sell so much of it. The Old City Blend nicely combined the earthiness that South American beans tend to give with the more floral, citrus notes of Ethiopian beans. If you find yourself in the Old City District of Philadelphia, stop by their location on Church Street.

Kansas City: PT’s Coffee

While technically not in Kansas City, we would have been remiss to leave out a former Roast Magazine Roaster of the Year out of Topeka. After beginning as a single café in 1993, PT’s has grown and supplies coffee around the country. Of the coffees we were able to try, the Guatemala Finca El Injerto was my favorite. The caramel and chocolate flavors were pronounced; yet overall the coffee remained round and well balanced.

And to tie this into soccer, PT’s has partnered with the Prodigy Youth Soccer Association in Topeka to help Topeka-area youth soccer players receive the funding to offset annual dues. Through the sales of Flor del Sol, PT’s hopes to raise $1500 for the Jon Kaspar Memorial Scholarship Fund in memory of a former barista and soccer player in the Prodigy Soccer set up. The Flor del Sol is only available for a limited time, so if you are into great coffee and helping youth soccer players and their families, act quickly. I know I will.

Houston: Java Pura

With five cafes in the Houston area, there are plenty of locations for Houston coffee drinkers to find Java Pura. Named the Best Coffee Roaster in Houston by the Houston Press, Java Pura’s mission is to provide drinkers the freshest, locally roasted coffee possible. Many of their coffees are Fair Trade and organic. The Costa Rica “Don Teofilo” was sampled and the earthy, nutty aroma was balanced with chocolate and citrus flavors to create a very enjoyable cup.

Western Conference

Portland: Stumptown Coffee; Public Domain Coffee

Not surprisingly, two roasters from Portland participated in our guide. Stumptown is a fairly easy-to-find coffee that can be purchased by the bag across the country, and they have cafés in Portland, Seattle, and New York City. The Hair Bender blend is their most popular coffee and most versatile as it worked well in my French Press or as espresso.

Public Domain has been in business for 40 years providing quality coffee in downtown Portland. Their Guatemala Finca Santa Felisa coffee was a favorite with a fruity, berry-like flavor that created a smooth cup that made getting up early to watch a 0-0 draw a little more palatable.

Seattle: Victrola Coffee

Recently named by Food & Wine magazine as having one of the country’s best cafés, Victrola Coffee has been providing Seattleites coffee since 2000 and have been roasting their own on site since 2003. I tasted the Finca Vista Hermosa coffee from Guatemala and was impressed by the chocolaty, nutty flavors that were present in each cup.

Surprise brew!

Colorado: Novo Coffee

Not knowing this ahead of time, we hit the jackpot with Novo Coffee out of Denver.

Not only has their coffee and café been recognized by Denver Magazine as one of the Top 100 Things to Taste in Denver, by Westword as the Best Local Roaster in 2011, AND as one of the Top 10 Boutique Coffee Shops in America according to Bon Appetit, but Jake Brodsky, one of the owners/co-founders, is also a self-described “huge soccer fan.” After finishing his collegiate career at UMASS, Jake played semi-pro soccer in Colorado, where he was able to train with the Rapids and Arizona. After “retiring” in 2002, he started Novo but still plays in a weekend men’s league in Denver. Both of the coffees sampled (an Ethiopian and Columbian) were fantastic and it was easy to see why Novo is held in such high regard around the country.

Los Angeles: Handsome Coffee

Last, but certainly not least, we have a roaster worthy of the city that’s home to the defending MLS champions. Three guys who’ve been around the coffee business in locations across the country formed Handsome Coffee in 2011, and only the Galaxy’s Big Three of Donovan, Beckham, and Keane only dwarfed this partnership in media exposure. They had garnered such a reputation built upon social media and coffee blogs that I was a little skeptical of whether their coffee would be any good. My skepticism proved to be misguided, as the coffee is good, very good. Their first café in the Arts District of Los Angeles opened earlier this month and heavy lines are the norm. Don’t worry, like everyplace else on this list, you can order online from their site

This is by no means an all-encompassing list of the roasters in every MLS city, or even all of the roasters within the cities highlighted. We tried our best to reach out to at least one business in each location, and sometimes we were lucky – other times we weren’t. If you know of any that I may have missed, please add them into the comments section. This also goes for little coffee shops, cafés, and breakfast joints. Our ultimate goal was to create a communally developed source of information for supporters traveling to see their teams play. Enjoy!

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