UPDATE: Cafe Fixe, Washington Square, Brookline MA

Previously I reviewed Cafe Fixe in Brookline and described the owner as "caring more about making good espresso than chatting up his customers." Well, I went there again the day before I left for Colorado and was quite surprised by how friendly and talkative he was (he may not be the owner, but he seems like it... I can verify this next fall). 

I walked into cafe fixe at about 6:30 in the morning and was pleasantly greeted. I was even more excited to find that he was serving Novo drip coffee with a special guest appearance of Novo espresso. I told him how excited I was about the Novo coffee, and we had a nice conversation about coffee. Side note, I probably need to dedicate an entire post to Novo... the company is based in Denver (totally didn't know that until I googled it) and it is probably the best coffee I have had (with George Howell a close second). So there you go, now you can go to Cafe Fixe have a great (and I mean GREAT) cup of coffee or espresso, a great atmosphere, and the company of a pleasant barista!

Dave's Coffee, Charlestown RI

As I was sitting on the porch of my beach cottage in Quonochontaug RI thinking about coffee, I realized that I have neglected to blog about Dave's Coffee. Dave's is one of the few establishments within walking (or running) distance of our lovely cottage, about 3 miles. Dave's has a fantastic setup on a hill surrounded by beautiful landscaping, and connected to an adorable boutique (also owned by Dave's), Galapagos. With free wifi, air conditioning, and a bookstore setup, Dave's is the perfect place to spend the morning before hitting the beach. 

You can take a bag of coffee home and enjoy the deliciousness from your own coffee pot (better yet, your own french press). With blends like Quonnie, East Beach, and Central Beach, you can buy coffee named after your beach or town! If you can't make it all the way to Rhode Island for a taste of Central Beach, you can order it online. Dave's does a great job tapping into the Quonnie culture. The staff is extremely friendly, and in the summer you can always find a happy face in the morning ready to make the perfect latte or to talk coffee with you. 

The coffee shop does not sell sandwiches or lunch items however, fresh baked goods and smoothies are available every day. I should take this time to mention the Monster Muffins which are quite a monstrosity! The flavors change daily depending on the available ingredients and the mood of the barista. But if you are torn between which sweet accompaniment to choose for your coffee, you can't go wrong with monster muffin. I plan to pick one up with a bag of Central Beach blend before I leave today so I can bring the cottage back to Colorado with me. (I should mention that I will be in Colorado for the summer, so you can expect a new state of coffee adventures). 

See you in the West!