A recent trip gave me the opportunity to stop at Wm. Van’s Coffee House in downtown Springfield, Illinois. This was my second visit which gave me a better appreciation for the family-owned café. The shop is located near the state capitol and adjacent to Abraham Lincoln’s home. The interior features a variety of seating options
Tag: Coffee
I don’t normally compare coffee shops, preferring to find the uniqueness and redeeming qualities of each shop, independent of comparison. In some instances I have refrained from reviewing a shop because my first impression may not have been complete enough to commit it to words. Regardless of past practice I am posting this comparative blog
French Truck Coffee is a New Orleans based roaster and coffee shop. The Memphis shop is located in the Crosstown Concourse, a multi-use building originally built as a Sears warehouse and retail space. The shop is attractive and accessible within the complex. French Truck offers coffee, tea and smoothies from one half of the counter,
The Washington Coffee Shop was not my first choice for pre-race coffee while in Washington, MO for the FRAY swim meet. Locust and Oak in nearby Union was my preferred destination, but it was closed for spring break. My next choice was Exit 11 Coffee in Washington. GPS directed me to their coffee truck. But
A recent visit to Vandalia, IL yielded a pleasant surprise. Shimoji Coffee opened at 7:00 AM on Sunday. The drive-through coffee shop was established in 2016 and works hard to assure a consistently pleasant customer experience. Shimoji roasts a rotating variety of beans for their shop and for consumers to enjoy at home. Hand-crafted syrups
Most of my trips to Florida are to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. I usually struggle to find a satisfying cup of coffee in this area. High rent and a transient customer base is not fertile ground for growing a business focused on the bean. I’m not interested in how many flavors of
One of the pleasant surprises during a recent trip to Bowling Green, KY was a stop at Spencer’s Coffee. Knowing I would need some caffeine for the long ride home, I selected Spencer’s. The downtown location has an upscale, coffee-shop vibe. Well-appointed and spacious, the shop’s walls are tastefully filled with original artwork, including a
I had never been to a Book Release Event. Never had a desire to. Have never really anticipated the release of a book. This was different. It was local and I knew the author. There was music, comedy, readings, food, a variety of people, late night in downtown Sikeston, MO. Something compelled me to be
Parengo Coffee opened a small shop on Malone St. in 2013. It was a comfortable space with counter service and a somewhat detached seating area. Parking and access were a bit limited by the location on Sikeston’s major east-west thoroughfare which is also Highway 62. But Colby Williams and staff built a good business of
I’m not sure how it happened. I didn’t do many of the things that lead to a successful race. I had not done any race-specific training, no twelve-week plan with a well-timed taper. An unseasonably early cold snap resulted in me running less, yet enjoying it more. I decided to run the Pearl of the
