If you’d like to see some context to the pictures, take a look at the posts on Instagram.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
coffee
Where Are You Drinking Your Coffee?
Are you drinking your coffee at home? Maybe you’re sipping your café au lait at a cozy neighborhood café? Like Caffeé Nero for instance.
I visited their South End location on Tremont Street last year and am just getting around to writing about it now. It’s a cute little spot. I really enjoyed it and had intended to return.
I’ll make it back there or to one of their other locations at some point. Have you been? Besides coffee they have plenty of sweets too.
I was reminded of Caffeé Nero after reading a Boston Globe article this morning. Apparently Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks had lower sales than expected this past week.
The writer wondered if it was because of higher prices or a bad national mood. Then further speculated.
The question now, she added, is where are people buying their coffee instead. “Are they driving people to McDonald’s, Cumberland Farms, or Speedway?”
Maybe the answer is simple. We have so many better alternatives.
A Favorite Coffee I’m Brewing at Home
Have you ever tried coffee with chicory? I’m a new fan.
The practice of mixing chicory with coffee has been a French tradition for centuries and is what gives New Orleans style coffee that special rich flavor.
I’ve been experimenting with new to me coffees lately, since sometimes I do my grocery shopping at Market Basket when I do my mom’s shopping at the same time.
Market Basket has a different selection of coffees than Stop & Shop, so I noticed the New Orleans’ Famous French Market brand as one to try. It’s only $4.99 at Market Basket.
Also, a random note, it’s on the top shelf, so if you’re short like me, you may have to stand on your tip-toes to reach it!
I love the flavor and have been buying it all the time now. So if you brew your coffee at home and want to try something new, I definitely recommend it.
Unexpected: Co-workers + Coffee
On my old blog, I sometimes wrote about things that surprised and delighted me. That were unexpected.
I’m not sure why, but I haven’t done that much here. Well, that’s about to change, because last month I was surprised and delighted.
A co-worker, who is from Nairobi, was recently married. Her family knows coffee growers in the area, so she and her husband, who is Italian, gave packages of Kenyan coffee and biscotti as favors to her guests. Isn’t that the best idea!?
Our group has only been working together for a few months, but we all get along really well. One day around Christmas, when I arrived at work, I saw packages of coffee on our desks. The quote in this picture was on one side.
It doesn’t matter where you go in life… What you do in life… or how much you have… It’s who you have beside you!
On the other side of the package is their names. They had extra packages of coffee, so she shared it. It was such a kind gesture for her to think of us.
The coffee is long gone now. I had planned to take a nice picture of a mug of it, but that didn’t happen. I was very surprised by the flavor. It was quite different from the coffee that I usually brew at home. It was so smooth and almost fruity. I’m no coffee expert, so I’m not the best at describing it. But I liked it.
Also, I started thinking that it was interesting that I got a wedding favor. I wondered if this were some sort of sign that I would be invited to a wedding soon. It was! I received an invitation to a wedding within weeks of the coffee! Again. Surprised and delighted!
Gracenote Coffee Roasters
On the first day of my current project, I walked past Gracenote Coffee Roasters. I was in a rush, but stopped and noticed the sign. It’s small, simple and elegant. Mostly white space with a red mug in the center and a musical note floating above it. It’s quite a lovely logo.
I figured that Gracenote had been there for a while and I was just new to this particular corner of Lincoln Street in the Leather District. Turns out it’s not just new to me. It’s new!
The cafe opened this past September and it’s the brick and mortar incarnation of The Coffee Trike that I would always see at South Station.
I’ve visited this location twice and really love the coffee. I had my first flat white and it may have been the best cup of coffee that I’ve ever had. It was so silky smooth and rich.
When they brew your coffee at Gracenote, it’s a very beautiful ritual that you can watch up close. The only drawback is that the space is very small, so you can’t sit and linger. It’s a cozy space and would be nice to stay for a bit.
Word has spread about this place, so there is often a line. Not very long, but still a bit of a wait. You’ll have a nice experience watching the process. People are learning, asking questions and chatting with the baristas a in order to place their order.
They really make you want to stay! There is a bit of space to stand and sip fast if you want. But generally, you’ll have to move it along and take your beverage to go.
So when you’re in the Leather District and want an exquisite cup of coffee to go, Gracenote should be your destination.
