Tag Archives: coffeehouse series

the coffeehouse series: the hub coffee & bicycles / springfield, mo.


we spent our thanksgiving this year in springfield, missouri, where my sister- and brother-in-law (and best niece ever) live. in our past stays in springfield, we haven’t done much exploring around town, but we’d read about a couple of great coffee spots in town and figured we’d check them out during this visit. first up is the hub coffee & bicycles, which as you might guess, is half coffee shop, half bike shop. we have a similar spot in omaha – omaha bicycle co. – that we love, so we figured the hub would be worth a visit.

i took a look at their coffee menu before our trip and was really excited to see that they make cortados. a cortado is espresso and milk, usually with a 1:1 – 1:2 ratio – somewhere between a macchiato and a cappuccino. i haven’t seen these on too many menus, and have read that they’re gaining popularity in certain coffee scenes but have never tried one myself. at a shop like this, i’d usually order a cappuccino, but since this was a rare find, we went with the cortados.

our cortados came served in coupe glasses, which was unique in and of itself. the drinks were unsurprisingly very delicious. i forgot to ask what espresso they were using that day, but their website says they use intelligentsia, madcap, handsome, and populace, all very reputable roasters, and i think it’s cool that they carry several. we didn’t try their brewed coffee during this visit, but they did have some manual brew methods on their menu that i’m sure would be wonderful choices.

i just love the idea of coffee shops that are coffee shops plus something else, so we really enjoyed our visit here. i don’t know much about bikes, but our brief wander through the bike part of the shop led me to believe that they do everything from bike repairs to sales of both bikes and accessories, and appeared to carry some neat brands. the whole shop is super bright and airy, with plenty of space and seating for staying awhile. if you live in springfield or happen to find yourself there sometime and are in need of some good coffee, i would definitely recommend the hub!


to visit:
the hub coffee & bicycles
811 north boonville | springfield, mo 65802
www.insidethehub.com

If you’re interested in guest posting about a favorite coffee (or tea) spot in your own city, please get in touch: hollyannefricke@gmail.com.

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the coffeehouse series: handsome coffee roasters / los angeles

Originally, the photos from this post were going to be California, part 2, but I realized that the photos I took from our day adventure to Los Angeles were overwhelmingly of Handsome Coffee Roasters. Since the coffeehouse series kicked off last week, I figured this series would be a better home for this and any future write-ups on coffee shops we visit in different cities.

Handsome Coffee is a beautiful coffee shop oasis in the middle of an otherwise (let’s be honest) pretty ugly and sketchy part of DTLA. In fact, when we were following the Google Maps directions to get there, I thought for sure we must have entered the address in wrong, because it didn’t seem like an area that such an esteemed establishment would be. But alas, we turned the corner and there it was, complete with a taco truck camped out front!

One step inside and I was instantly transported to what I’m pretty sure was white subway tile heaven. Before this, I’d kinda sorta dreamed about white subway tile in our future kitchen, but now, I must have white subway tile in my future kitchen. Their menu is simple – coffee, espresso drinks – nothing fancy and that’s kind of the way we like it. While I really prefer brewed coffee on a day-to-day basis, I’ve gotten into a rhythm of ordering a cappuccino whenever we visit a specialty coffee shop like this. I love the feeling of a drink being so perfect that I don’t even feel guilty about the whole milk it was made with, and I just love the experience of watching a barista prepare espresso, and of course the latte art is just the kicker. So, we ordered cappuccinos to enjoy inside and they were – unsurprisingly – perfect.

I also really enjoyed the ambiance of this place – I love places whose decor focuses on natural woods + white/grays, natural light and uses greenery for pops of color. If I ever owned a coffee shop or restaurant, it’s definitely how I would design and decorate the place.  It is bright and cheery but still simple and understated.

If you’re in the LA area, definitely check out Handsome Coffee! In addition to being a coffee shop, they also sell their own roasted coffee and lots of other manual coffee brewing equipment.

More photos, if you’re interested…


to visit:
handsome coffee roasters
582 mateo street | los angeles, ca 90013
www.handsomecoffee.com

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the coffeehouse series: cafe voce / shanghai

I’m so happy to finally be kicking off the coffeehouse series that I wrote about awhile back, and even more happy that the first post in the series comes from my bff Ruth & her husband David. R & D are currently living in Shanghai, China, where Ruth is teaching and pursuing her Master’s degree. Ruth and I have bonded over many a coffee date throughout our friendship, and even though this year we’ve been especially far apart, the next best thing is following along with her and Dave’s adventures via her beautifully-written blog, no.17,  and of course, instagram. Here, Ruth shares about a favorite neighborhood spot in the Former French Concession, Cafe Voce…

How did you first discover the shop?
One of the first things that Dave and I did when we moved into our studio in the Former French Concession was take a walk around the area. This was the first coffee shop that we walked past, and we decided to go there the next day for brunch. We sat in front of the window and people-watched, and from that vantage-point, it felt like we weren’t really in China.

What’s your favorite drink to order there?

Voce has a toasted almond latte on their drink menu, and that’s what I’ve ordered since the first time I went there. I’m obsessed with all things almond, and that latte has just the right amount of extra flavor and sweetness. They have a weekday afternoon tea special (as many places in Shanghai do), and my favorite combination is the almond latte with mini lemon mousse tarts – perfect for a midweek pick-me-up.


Can you share something unique or special about the shop?

The first time (out of many, as we later discovered) that our power and internet went out, I had a paper due. It was past 8pm, and I still needed wi-fi. I threw my laptop in my backpack, and Dave and I rushed over to Voce, hoping that there were still open and that they had internet. I was so relieved to find out that Voce stays open until 11 pm on most days and had free wi-fi. I submitted my paper and then we chatted on Skype with my parents. Since then, Voce has been our go-to hangout when we need someplace nearby to work.

Many thanks to Ruth & David for sharing one of their favorite Shanghai spots. If you’re interested in guest posting about a favorite coffee (or tea) spot in your own city, please get in touch: hollyannefricke@gmail.com.

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the coffeehouse series.

for a while now i’ve been thinking about starting some sort of series on this blog that would feature some of our friends and readers. i’ve loved following these types of things on other blogs, like elembee’s across the usa series and the man behind the blog series over at vmac + cheese. so after lots of thinking, i finally decided to take the plunge and start a series about one of our favorite things: coffee. in the coffeehouse series, i’m planning to feature friends and readers from across the country (and world!) talking about and sharing photographs from their favorite places to grab a cup of coffee or tea. i’m hoping for it to be a collaborative celebration of the slower, finer moments in life, as well as a way to feature independent, smaller coffee shops in lots of different places. who knows, maybe it’ll help you discover an awesome place in your own city, or give you somewhere to visit on your next coffeecation. (everyone takes those, right?)

i have a few people lined up so far, but in order to represent more people and more places, i need your help!  if you love coffee (or tea) and have a favorite shop in your city that you’d like to see featured, please email me at hollyannefricke@gmail.com so i can send you all the details. all it requires is answering a few quick questions and sending in a few corresponding photos.

thanks in advance for your support on this little project, and can’t wait to see how many cities we can get featured here.  happy coffee-shopping!

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