Seattle’s Gift to the World the Third: Coffee
| Seattle isn’t the birthplace of coffee–that’s Ethiopia. We didn’t invent the coffeehouse, either: the Turks did. If you enjoy your coffee with milk, sugar and other flavorings, well…you should thank the Austrians. We’re not even responsible for giving coffee to the United States, early English settlers brought coffeehouse culture with them. Still, it’s beyond a doubt that Seattle, Washington is one of the coffee capitals of the world. |  |
| If you have to ask why Seattleites love their coffee so much, you obviously haven’t been here during the long, dank winter when it feels like the whole world is made of grey. A little liquid love goes a long way towards easing the daily doldrums. | image via Wikipedia |
The ubiquitous Starbucks is the name the whole world knows (I predict that one day soon Starbucks will be more well known than even Mickey Mouse and McDonald’s), but they are far from the only coffee in town. Some folks love Tully’s, the soft-spoken team trainer to Starbuck’s peppy cheerleader, but my local favorite is Caffe Vita, whose rich, flavorful coffee is pure perfection. Espresso Vivace lives up to their “a beautiful cup of coffee” motto with coffee that stirs the tastebuds just as surely as Uptown Espresso truly is the “Home of the Velvet Foam”. (This is a bit of a turn-off for me, but some people really, really like foam.) Victrola’s coffee is pretty fine, too, a palpable manifestation of their mania for careful roasting. Smaller roasters like Lighthouse Roasters, Zoka Coffee, and Seattle Gourmet Coffee have every reason to be proud of their products, as do Poulsbo’s Grounds for Change, Bellingham’s Toad Mountain Coffee, Sumner’s Dillanos and Yakima’s Whatcha Know Joe, along with the many other fine local roasters.
There truly is something for everyone’s coffee taste here; if you think you don’t like coffee, maybe you just haven’t found your perfect match. (My own great love of coffee didn’t begin until one day on the Ave when I ducked into EspressoRoma to get out of the wind. One latte “just to give it a try” later and my life had changed.) Light or dark, regular or decaf, peppermint mocha or “just black”, the possibilities are endless. Mr. Spot’s will give you chai with your espresso (so not for the weak of heart) and Monorail Espresso will give you maple syrup (it’s unbelievably delicious). There are more coffee houses, kiosks and carts here than you could shake an entire forest of sticks at, each of them with their own unique spin and vibe. If you live here, take the time to check out your local coffee shops (I highly recommend Trabant Coffee & Chai), both big and small, corporate and independent. If you don’t, well, you can always order coffee online, brew it up, and drink a cup under your lawn sprinkler.
P.S.: Seattle’s Best Coffee? VERY ironically named.
[Don't see your favorite mentioned in this post? Give 'em a plug in the comments!]
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See also: Gift the First, Gift the Second
Read about gifts from around the metroblogging world with this updated guide [la.metblogs] or follow some of these technorati tags being used across the metroblogging network: Metblogs7Gifts, 7Gifts, Metroblogging7Gifts.
Caffe Ladro!
I must be crazy, I can’t believe I didn’t include Cafe Ladro!!
Ok, it may not have the BEST coffee in Seattle, but it’s pretty good, and the artsy atmosphere rocks. The Wayward Coffee House in Greenwood! The owner is Australian so you can get some weird but delicious drinks at the Wayward. Plus art, live music and a weekly open mic!
Starbucks may have its detractors, but there is something magical about those red cups that come out every winter. Particularly when they’re filled with peppermint mocha, among the happiest beverages on earth as far as I’m concerned.
I’m partial to Monkey Grind on 85th. And Diva is pretty good. I used to enjoy mochas with real whipped cream at B&O Espresso quite a lot. The Buzz Stop on Capitol Hill is my favorite drivethru. But Vivace is my very favorite coffee ever.
despite my celebration of the peppermint mocha, vivace turned me into a coffee snob. everything else pales in comparison.
I have a love and hate relationship with Starbucks. In Europe, you can probably get around them. After all, we invented the whole thing…
In the U.S. and the decaf-coffee-culture, it’s sometimes pretty hard. ;)
By the way, the entire “coffee house culture” comes from Berlin originally. Even though the Austrians (Vienna in particular) like to claim it. The first coffee in Europe was sold in Berlin.
Hey, Till, thanks for that comment–I never knew that about Berlin, that’s cool.
I think a lot of people have a love/hate relationship with Starbucks. It’s not my favorite, but I enjoy their coffee well enough and their offerings are consistent and their locations convenient. To me, Starbucks versus my favorite (Caffe Vita) is like buying my vegetables at the supermarket versus the farmer’s market. I know what I’ll get from the grocer is good, but what I get from the grower is more meaningful. If that makes sense.
Seattle’s Best may not have very good coffee, but their hot chocolate is to DIE FOR. They make it entirely with half-and-half instead of milk.