Californiacaffeination

Alas, I am here in the city of angels, Los Angeles. I have an internship on Sunset Blvd, and a 90's real estate agent style gold Acura and a nice apartment in "The Valley" (a-hem, I mean "North Hollywood"). Life is grand, or rather, life if grande. If only I could remember what LA looks like when it is sunny. I've come to LA during a week of rain; reportedly the most rain they have had since 2005. Well thank you weather.com. Anyway, the rain will go away, and I will once again feel the desire to leave our fireplace and explore the city.

One thing that stands out about LA is the abundance of coffee shops. Everywhere I turn, I see a coffee shop and think "oh, I should go there," this is only after 1 week here. I am so excited to explore the LA coffee culture. I have tried on a few for size, and think I found my perfect fit. Sit tight, I shall reveal this place to you in my next post.

KooKoo! KooKoo!

Honestly, how can you not like a coffee shop with a name like Kookoo? I just want to go there so I can tell people I am at Kookoo! Ha, I can't stop typing it either. This little gem is in Brookline Village right off the Brookline Village D line T stop. I would warn you, however, that once you enter the village, it's hard to leave - EVERYTHING is as adorable as this coffee shop.

On a rainy monday, I was feeling particularly UNproductive (as I do every monday) and needed some outside stimulation to get me in "work mode." For me, this always means a coffee shop. I didn't feel like going to Cafe Fixe or Athans (mostly because I didn't have any cash), and my cousin had told me about Kookoo. So I left the house and jumped on the T for all of 2 stops.

Immediately I noticed the interior is quite charming, and completely cozy. It is owned by 2 people (Ali and Elie) and serves up Middle Eastern fare alongside delicious Iggy's breads, pastries, Mem tea, and of course coffee. George Howell coffee, to be exact. Oh how I love the Howell! They even have a Kookoo blend! George Howell + Kookoo + Me = heaven.

The best part of the coffee shop is the layout. You walk in and can immediately order at the counter. Then you walk around the corner and there is quite a lot of seating. You can get cozy in a corner, hunker down and get some serious work done. The thing is, you are hidden from the staff so you don't feel like they constantly notice how incredibly long you have been sitting there. The only downfall is that they don't have any wifi. If you are lucky enough to have a cousin with a special "wifi anywhere" stick, then you can borrow that and beat the system. If not, I suggest you bring work that doesn't require the internet - if you can find any. A book always does the trick. ; )

So if you want to try a new coffee shop or take a bread from "Red Line" coffee, hit up the Green D line and get a little Kookoo!

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.