Downtown Cafe, Augusta

204 Water St.
Augusta, Maine

The East Coast, without sounding politically incorrect, has some of the oldest architecture in "modern" American history.  And by modern I mean post 1500 and after Mesa Verde.  One of the best parts about the East Coast architecture, is that you'll find every type of business tucked away in an old brownstone.  The Downtown Cafe is no exception. It is located in a historic 1866 building and is a great place to hold a full bodied conversation with locals.

For $3 you can get a great breakfast. They have cinn-fully good homemade cinnamon swirl toast and a pretty good coffee deal too.

Pekoe Sip House, Boulder

1225 Alpine Avenue
Boulder, CO

Years in Business: 9

I was recently in Boulder for the Rocky Mountain Tea Festival.  I wasn't intending to get any coffee and tea from other shops while down there on this trip since I would be sampling tons of tea at the festival.  However, I received a call from my shop that our cup lids were running out and my order would not be there for one more day.  In the spirit of independent cafes, Pekoe helped us out and gave happily gave us some lids.

That being said, they have three locations across Boulder and have been in business since 2003.  We had a Boba Tea and a Mocha Latte.  Both were of excellent quality.  The Boba had a nice crunch and smooth taste.

There is plenty of room and a nice patio to enjoy your drinks on while you much on local Boulder treats.

Bottega del Caffe, Treviso

Via Roma, 15

31100 Treviso Province of Treviso, Italy

0422 583341

Treviso is just 30km north of Venice and is home to cute canals, great shopping, and this wonderful cafe.  Just a block from the Treviso Central train station, this cafe is a bustling spot where locals come in for three minutes to sip their espresso and be on their way.  I however, opted for their Cioccolatte and stayed for a while watching people pass through.

No coffee drink in Italy is more than 6 oz (not like the large 12-24oz things we serve in the States), but it makes for just a perfect proportion of ingredients.  The Cioccolatte is espresso, chocolate, whipped cream, and coconut shavings.  Mmmmm.... good!

Don't forget to get a gelato from the gelateria next door.

Venezia Caffe, Venice

Venezia Caffe
Venice, Italy

I apologize in advance that I cannot remember the specific address or even a phone/email for this next cafe.  You see, I was wondering around the winding, tiny streets of Venice and stumbled across this amazing shop, but I must admit I might have been a bit lost.

The Venezia Caffe is a narrow shop, probably no more than 15 feet wide.  There are no tables to sit at, just a long bar that patrons stand at to drink their espressos.  The owner is a wonderful, middle age Italian woman who roasts her own coffee right in the shop on a small batch roaster that takes up a fifth of the shop.  The idea of a "cup of coffee" is foreign in Italy (everything is an espresso base), but this doesn't mean that everything is an espresso roast.  She will make your shot out of any of her roasts that she has going at that time.  I'm not entirely sure which roast of her's I had, but I will tell you that she made me the best caffe macchiato that I have ever had in all of my trips to Italy.  And in the world of Italian espresso, that is saying A LOT!

Boulder Dushanbe Tea House

Boulder Dushanbe Tea House

Years in Business: 25

Address: 1770 13th Street, Boulder, Colorado

Phone: (303) 442-4993

Boulder, Colorado's sister city happens to be Dushanbe, Tajikistan.  Tajikistan is a small, mountainous country in Central Asia full of beautiful views, architecture, and people.  I happened to have visited Central Asia in 2008 so finding such an authentic piece of that culture in the United States is like taking a 25,000 mile trip in just a couple of hours.

In honor of their sister city status, Dushanbe sent Boulder this beautiful tea house.  And I mean sent it.  From large cargo containers this beautiful structure was erected, ornate ceilings and posts in all.

The tea house has over 100 different varieties of tea all carefully selected and in some cases blended by owner and specialist, Sara Stewart Martinelli.  Try their Sparking Hibiscus iced tea as a complement to any meal.  And speaking of meals you will find traditional Central Asian fair.  Although to be honest, their plof and shashlik are a bit fancier than what you'll actually get in Tajikistan.

Plan your day around high tea too if you care or if you're around in the summer sign up for the Rocky Mountain Tea Festival for a weekend of great tea tasting.

Flatirons Coffee, Boulder

2721 Arapahoe Ave.
Boulder, CO

Years in Business: 3

For at least 20 years, the corner of 28th and Arapahoe has been a coffee shop.  It originally was a Peaberry Coffee shop but in 2009, when the Peaberry contract ended, the owners decided to stay on as their own independent shop.

I remember visiting this shop when I was a tiny kid on my way to gymnastics practice.  It was the first place I had ever had an Italian Soda.  The shop has lost none of its charm and their coffee drinks are great.  I opted for a white mocha and the sweeting was not too sweet and the espresso tasted right on.

Blue State Coffee, New Haven

Blue State Coffee
84 Wall St.
New Haven, CT
https://www.bluestatecoffee.com/

It's refreshing to find other coffee shops (in addition to my own) that seek to be more than just a IV for caffeine.  The Blue State Coffee company has a mission statement that seeks not only to be a positive place for their communities but to also serve Organic, Fair Trade Coffee, donate to local non-profits, as well as become zero-waste.

With this location right near the Yale campus, it's a great place to catch up with old friends.  Their double latte was right on point and the latte art made it feel just a little more special.

The Crumpet Shop, Seattle

1503 1st Ave
(between Pike St & Pine St)
Seattle, WA

Sometimes when you offer such a wide variety of delicious choices you can be overwhelmed.  But the friendly staff at the Crumpet Shop are more than happy to offer an opinion as to the best choice for the day.  For example: Nutella crumpet anyone?  And what better to wash it all down with than a coffee bar or tasty chai tea latte?

Since it's right next to the flying fish market at the world famous Pike Place Market you are sure to get a true taste of Seattle.

The Rocky Mountain Roastery, Winter Park

Years in Business: 1
Address:78723 US Hwy 40
Winter Park, Colorado
Roasting beans at altitude can be a real trick, but the Rocky Mountain Roastery in Winter Park and Frasier, Colorado does it wonderfully. They offer a variety of roasts as well as a selection of loose leaf teas.
We stopped by their Winter Park location this winter for a warm up from a windy Colorado day.; The warm afternoon sun filters in onto a large leather couch.; As your eyes adjust to the interior light, an sweet barista is making drinks on their manual lever espresso machine for customers.  Need to check your email? Don't have your own computer? They also have an office station and cupboard with board games for the kids.

Le Cavalier Bleu, Paris

Paris, France
143 Rue Saint Martin

Perhaps after the Eifle Tower and Le Louvre, cafes are one of the top stops for anyone visiting Paris. They are also a starting place for nearly every Parisian.  But unlike some other Parisian cafes, they are patient with those with limited French speaking skills.

That being said, the Cavalier Bleu certainly had a more local Parisian feel. It had l lovely, heated outdoor patio and is free of the swarms of tourist groups. A double espresso is a standard drink and is a perfect way to start your day or get over jetlag.

Red Buffalo Coffee & Tea, Silverthorne

Owners: Erin Young and Louisa Morrissey
Years in Business: 3

358 Blue River Pkwy.
Silverthorne, Colorado
970-468-4959

The Red Buffalo is a newer coffee shop in Silverthorne, but has quickly become a community staple. You will very often see people meeting for business, for pleasure, and to get a little personal work done on their wireless internet. The atmosphere has a clean, homely, rustic feel with the comfort of rocking chairs. Best of all, since they're a major through-way to Colorado's ski resorts, they have a clean bathroom (make sure you take a look at the bathroom's photographs).

Even better than a clean bathroom though is the attention to customer service and better yet the views! Not 20 feet out of their back door is the Blue River (a Gold Medal fishing spot) and wonderful seating. Your view out the front window is the amazing Gore Range with their name sakes, Red Peak and Buffalo Mountain towering into the skyline.

Red Buffalo Cafe is a family owned and operated establishment and you will often see daughter Erin or mother Louisa making your drinks. Father and other daughter and niece/granddaughter can also often be found to strike up a conversation with.

Oh, and did we mention that there are over 30 varieties of loose leaf teas?

The Urbanistic Tea and Bike, Denver

Owner: Michelle and Ethan Bontrager
Years in Business: 13

Address:3215 Lowell, Denver, Colorado
Phone:303-561-3025

I make semi-regular trips to Denver and am constantly trying to find new neighboorhood coffee and tea shops that bring something unique to their community. The Urbanistic Tea and Bike shop is exactly that. In Highlands Square, a small, narrow shop is the perfect, and rarely combined, combination of a specialty bike shop and loose leaf tea vendor.

Michelle and her brother Ethan began the business 13 years ago primarily as a loose leaf tea supplier. As times progressed, they have now also fitted the needed Denver nitch of cruiser and touring bikes along with all the pretty accessories. Brooks Saddles, Basil Paniers, and bamboo fenders adorn the walls and new and vintage cruisers wait outside. In addition to their wealth of knowledge on tuning bikes, Michelle and her brother are major tea affectionados and carry over 100 different varieties of tea.

I recommend this stop any time you're in Denver to pick up some delicious tea and perhaps indulge your bike habit with a new Surley cruiser.