Mudhouse Coffee, Charlottesville VA

I recently traveled to Virginia to visit my grandparents. To be true to my blog, I asked around and checked yelp to see which coffee shop I should visit. Since my faithful roomies did not travel to Virgina with me, I was foced to imporvise my coffee company; I took my mom and my aunt. Let me tell you, it is much harder to travel for coffee in Virginia than in Boston... at least under my circumstances. First of all, my grandma had to give us directions (which I then verified and altered thanks to google maps). Then, there is the issue of going with my mom and aunt, who took their time getting ready and had breakfast AND coffee (gasp!). To top it all off, we couldn't walk or take public transportation, we had to drive. However, it was all worth it and after a minor parking garage mishap and some directional confusion, we arrived at Mudhouse.

I was pleasantly suprised when I walked into Mudhouse on main street of the Charlottesville outdoor walking mall. The best part is the setup; the counter is at the very back of the store so you have to walk through the large wooden tables and hipster people to place your order.  It is larger than I had initially expected with pleanty of sitting space - couches, tables, and comfy chairs! When we got to the counter my mom and I both ordered iced drinks (think noon in Virginia in spring... hot), she got a latte and I got an americano. Meanwhile, my aunt ordered a water (another gasp!). The barista served our iced drinks (and the water) in actual glasses, which I don't often see at coffee shops. Where a hot drink "for here" is typically served in a unique mug, a iced drink remains in its clear "to go" cup. 

We sat down with a crossword puzzle and took in the scenery. The whole place is well decorated and has a great atmosphere. It has dark colors and dark wood table, but the floor to ceiling windows in the front of the shop and the outdoor seating brighten the whole place. Giant light bulb lights add flair to the shop.

Our drinks were quite yummy, although my americano disappeared too quickly. I also gave one of the baristas the URL for my blog, so "hello" if you are reading this!

Cafe Fixe, Washington Square, Brookline

Cafe Fixe makes a mean espresso. This place is super modern with clean lines and muted colors. It is small and intimate. Most of the chairs are at high tables for 2-3 people. It is a great place to go for a quite morning or afternoon with a friend, to read a book or paper, or to have a meeting. I wouldn't recommend taking a large group who wants to linger or be loud (there are plenty of other coffee shops listed on my blog that allow for that). I also don't recommend going if you are a speciality drink-a-holic; keep it simple with an americano, a double espresso, or a cappuccino and I promise you won't be disappointed.

The owner is nice but pretty stone-faced. I think he puts his energy into making drinks rather than chatting up customers. I had a blast watching him make his espresso drinks. It is an art and a science, and his technique is near perfect. Sitting in the quiet coffee shop, you can hear him "tap, tap, tap" the steamed milk until he gets it just how he (and the customer) wants it. If you are with a couple of other people, you can order a french press pot and enjoy fresh coffee together. 

Cafe Fixe does take credit cards but the owner made it pretty clear that cash is preferred. It is easy to get there via the Green C line, but Marielle and I chose to take the B line (where we live) outbound to Washington Street then walk over to Washington Square. On a nice day it is a pleasant walk through the residential area of Brookline, so give it a try!

Darwin's Ltd. Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge

"What is that giant Busch sign doing above the Darwin's ltd. sign? Wait, it's part of the sign!" Don't be suprised when you see that as you are walking up Mt. Auburn street just past Harvard Square. It really is Darwin's, not a cheap bar.

Alright, so I went to Darwin's on Thursday, but not for coffee. Actually I didn't even know they had coffee (my bad). Then I went inside and got a sandwich and still didn't know they had coffee. It wasn't until I went searching for a place to sit that I saw the other half of Darwin's, the coffee half! Immediately I was in heaven. As you know, the combination of coffee and sandwiches is right up there with chocolate and peanut butter, or artichokes and parmesan, or wine and cheese! So what did I do? I ordered an iced latte. 

I'm always torn when ordering iced lattes. The healthy side of me says to go with soy or skim milk while the indulgent side of me says to go with whole milk. (Could that be a battle between my ID and Super Ego?). On Thursday I went with the whole milk, and boy was it a good choice (good work, ID). In fact, it was so good that it has me doubting my usual choice of skim milk. Something about whole milk in an iced (not hot) latte adds sweetness to the drink. I must say, this is one of the best iced lattes I have had. I understand that this is a bold statement, but I stand by it. The iced latte can go very wrong if the espresso is not done right, and will end up tasting burnt or sour. Thankfully, neither of which were an issue at Darwin's (thank you Mr. Barista man).

OK, now to the sandwiches which are a-mazing. I had the vegetarian special with roasted eggplant, roasted red peppers, goat cheese, chipotle mayo, a vinaigrette dressing, and some other delicious veggies on focaccia bread. With the special sandwiches, Darwin's has a few different sizes (made fresh that day), and you pay by the pound. In addition to sandwiches, there is a wide variety of chips, snacks, fruit, for-purchase deli items, wine, and beer. Beware, because if you don't have a Massachusetts ID they require your passport if you want to purchase booze. Darwin's takes credit cards in the main deli section but not in the cafe. If you are using a credit card, you have to pay at the deli counter and bring the receipt to the cafe as proof of purchase. Seating is limited but they do have benches outside which are nice for people watching and eating on a nice day. However, if it is cold out, you're out of luck.