Golden Grounds Coffee, Golden CO

So I have been reluctant to visit GGC, it's terrible I know. I was judging strictly by the looks of the building. It is a stand-alone shop across the street from Golden High School off of a round-a-bout. It is also near a bicycle shop and the location just seemed weird altogether. In reality, it is an IDEAL location. It is well designed and modern inside with tile floor, black leather couches and fabulous stools that are the perfect height for the tables (for blogging). Actually these stools are just like the ones at the counter at Cafe Fixe. There is plenty of parking (unlike many of my favorite places) and HELLO it is right across the street from a high school.

As I walked in today there was a chalkboard sign that offered 50% students with ID between 6 & 7am. When I think back to all the mornings I rushed to hit up Crowfoot before school then all the afternoons I spent there, it is clear that high school kids will bring plenty business for this place.

Oh yes, the coffee. GGC brews Coda coffee , a relatively new company based in Denver, CO. I've been to one other coffee shop, Miyo in Castle Pines, that brews Coda. Keep an eye out for Coda because I suspect it will start to turn up more an more in the coming year. It's nice when a coffee shop sells local beans (I just wish more places would sell Novo!).

I don't know how but they have daily specials for $1.95 lattes - the menu has the price for a 12oz at $2.50. I am sipping a 16oz iced 2% vanilla latte and it is quite good. I swore off vanilla lattes for a while because I had a bad streak of super sweet and watery ones... but this one may have cured me! It is subtly sweetened with Da Vinci syrup and just creamy enough without giving me a stomach ache.

So I encourage you all to stop in, use the free-wifi and enjoy the atmosphere. The staff seems very friendly so take time now to become a regular so you can be an original fan of this place when it takes off in the months to come.

Aviano Coffee, 9th & Lincoln, Denver, CO

My best friend just moved into a new place near 9th and Lincoln. So after spending the night there & celebrating her new place, we were both in need of a strong cup of coffee. Using my handy dandy iphone, I looked up coffee shops near her apartment. Of about 5, Aviano Coffee was the closest and had the most supercilious website. I knew I had to check it out. Walking in, I was immediately impressed with the design - very elaborate and grand while still maintaining a homey cozy feel... not sure how they achieved that one.

Anyway, the website boasts about their use of latte art as "a regular part of the coffee experience." So instead of getting a plain cup of coffee, I sprung for a skim latte and bought the coffee for my friend. I told the baristo (who was very nice and kind of a punk/hipster) that I saw on the website about latte art and had to see it for myself. He chuckled & responded "I haven't really tried that yet." OK, I really don't care about latte art, but the website was so adamant about the "experience" that I was taken aback to hear he hadn't done this. Anyway he tried and honestly the latte was delicious and looked like a decent attempt. Side note - we have an espresso machine at my work, and I attempted latte art and couldn't even figure out how to make the froth creamy enough to make art out of it. My latte was "dry" with a stiff foam, and some pretty crappy espresso. - So I was grateful to have such a creamy latte even though the artwork could use improvement.

The coffee was damn good. Intelligenstia Coffee oh how I love you! It is right up there with Novo for me, and that is saying something. My friend had the dark El Diablo roast which, according to the Intelligenstia website has "delicious dark chocolate notes softened by a delicious buttery sweetness and accented with mild floral flavors... [with a] sweet, elegant, and crystal clean finish." Oh yea, couldn't have said it better myself. An amazing dark roast brewed perfectly, no doubt about it.

There is plenty of space to sit in Aviano and you should really come here to sit down and enjoy your drink. They do have wifi and a computer open to public use. They serve pastries and Breggo breakfast calzones (which are absurdly expensive but very well made and tasty). I was there at 8 on saturday morning and the pastry selection was slim so I just had the coffee. Aviano is definitely a coffee shop that you should go to when you need a break. You can sit on one of the modern but comfortable leather couches, take in the mystical local artwork, and listen to the drone of the espresso machine while sipping a supurb drink. Yea... it's that good.