La'Aroma Cafe, 85 Newbury Street Boston

"La'Aroma, La'Aroma! Ooo la la."

That just about explains how I feel every time I walk into this lovely cafe on Newbury Street. With a patio and an adorable lower level bistro La'Aroma exudes a European ambiance.

This is one of the first coffee shops I'd been to with simple syrup for iced coffee. I remember thinking "What a brilliant idea!" and then, "duh!" Simple syrup is one of those perks that, once you've experienced, you can't imagine how you lived without.

In fact, here is a simple recipe for simple syrup:

1 c. water

1 c. sugar

Combine equal parts sugar and water in a pot.

Heat and stir until sugar is dissolved

Store in a cool, dry place

Let your iced coffee drinkers indulge

After sweetening my iced latte with simple syrup, I was pleased not to have awkward granules of sugar ambushing my straw. Please note - this was back in the day when I actually put sugar in my latte. By the way, they actually FROTH the milk for you latte even if its iced! That extra touch really puts the latte over the edge. Come to think of it, I'm not sure I have ever seen a frothed iced latte anywhere else... They also froth their cappuccino. One lovely summer day I was in the mood for an iced vanilla cappuccino & went to a random coffee shop only to be told that they don't "do" iced cappuccino. Well, I never! La'Aroma does it, and they do it damn well!

In addition to great coffee drinks, La'Aroma has panini, insalata, gelato, homemade pastries and quiche! Every item I have tried has been quite delicious. This is a great place to meet "for coffee" because of the wide variety of options. The cute tables are perfect for two and the cafe is big enough so it doesn't get too loud. I should also note that they provide catering.

So the next time you are in need of a coffee break, I suggest really taking a break. Take in the ambiance of La'Aroma cafe and indulge in a European experience. Ooo la la.

Blue Mug in a YouTube Dating Video

Hey All,

First off, sorry I haven't posted in 3 months (gasp!). Actually my last post was when I was living in Colorado this summer. Anyway to kick off the coffee posts again, here is a funny video about a San Diego man trying to get a date with a quirky YouTube Video. The video is courtesy of Greg Verdino. Why amI writing about a Tim Goggin on a coffee blog? Well, if you watch the

video below and pause at 3min 11sec, you will see Blue Mug on glass doors.

Did you see it? Blue Mug is one of the many Coffee Shops that I have not yet reviewed. I absolutely LOVE this place. First off it is in Escondido, California - you couldn't ask for a more beautiful place to have a coffee shop. This place has so many varieties of loose leaf tea and whole bean coffee. The whole bean coffee is an interesting concept. Instead of the traditional "we brew 2 types, bold and regular, and you drink it," Blue Mug lets you choose your coffee. From here they grind it, put it in a drip cup and pour hot water over the grounds. The fresh coffee brews right into you "for here" blue mug or "to go" cup. Brilliant, yes? When I visited The Blue Mug a few years back I had never seen this custom coffee brew. Since then, I have noticed a few places that offer it in addition to the House Brew, Cafe Fixe is one of them. It is a win/win situation really. Instead of brewing giant hot pots of coffee (and throwing them out after 30 minutes...a hem Starbucks...) so the coffee is always "fresh," blue mug only brews exactly what will be consumed. Because of this they can have a wide variety of more expensive and high quality beans without worrying about the waste.

The actual Blue Mugs are a sight of their own. The opaque blue glass mug is big enough to cup in both hands for maximum cozy factor. I actually have one, and absolutely love it. I will be heading to LA this spring, and will be sure to stop at Blue Mug on the way.