Category Archives: Coffee

September 15, 2014 · 9:25 am

Picture of the Week: Biscuits & Coffee in Durham

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Wicked Biscuit at Cocoa Cinnamon

This week’s picture was actually taken last Sunday. My wife and I headed over to Durham to grab some coffee and tea at Cocoa Cinnamon. It is one of my favorite coffee shops and we enjoy sitting outside among their patio tables and people watch. This past summer food trucks have started showing up at the shop for “Sunday Brunch” and while the trucks tend to rotate, one of the regular trucks you can find there on Sunday is the relatively new Wicked Biscuit truck. I didn’t get the opportunity to try a biscuit on this visit (we were on our way to the park) but I plan to do so very soon. In the meantime you can track the truck to find out where they will be by following them on twitter at @WickedBiscuitCo.

Cocoa Cinnamon ~ 420 W. Geer Street – Durham, NC

I couldn’t possible share about Cocoa Cinnamon without at least one coffee picture! On this visit I tried their Middle Eastern Iced Coffee. Their menu describes it as a slow and cold brewed iced coffee brewed with cardamom, rose petals and vanilla bean. I found it delicious and I highly recommend it if you are looking for something a little different the next time you want an iced coffee. Cocoa Cinnamon is a great community space and one of my go to places in Durham. To keep tabs on their latest offerings and things going on at the shop follow them on twitter at @CocoaCinnamon.

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August 14, 2014 · 10:29 am

Well Bean Coffee ~ Coffee On The Go in Wake Forest!

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Well-Bean Coffee – Wake Forest, NC

Well-Bean Coffee is a fun new coffee kiosk located on the corner of Burlington Mills Road and Capital Boulevard in Wake Forest just across the street from Crossroads Ford (map). What sets them apart from other local coffee shops is they are a drive-though service featuring locally roasted organic coffee, espresso drinks, teas and fruit & protein smoothies. It is a perfect stop for commuters because it is right off Capital Boulevard and you don’t even need to get out of your car to get your coffee. Just pull right up to the the window to place your order and within a minute or two you are on your way with drink in hand. For those in an even bigger hurry,  Well-Bean just released a a new app so you can place your order in advance so they can have your drink ready for you when you arrive.

Iced Latte

I paid my first visit to Well-Bean a couple of weeks ago on a particularly warm day so I opted for iced latte. I was really impressed with the wide variety of drinks they offer. I like whole milk in my iced latte, but was happy to see they also offer soy and almond milk for those looking for dairy alternatives. In addition to a full lineup of coffee and espresso drink offerings, Well-Bean also sells a number of healthy shakes and smoothies including gluten free and paleo-friendly options. You can view their full menu here.

Well-Bean Coffee Kiosk

The baristas at Well-Bean are super friendly and skilled at making great drinks. I was really impressed with my iced latte and a cappuccino I ordered on a subsequent visit. Their drinks easily rival those found in some of my other favorite coffee shops around the Triangle. I really like the healthy aspect of the business with its focus on organic coffee and gluten free and paleo-friendly options. If you are looking for a new place to pick up a great coffee on the go without compromising quality and enjoy supporting locally owned business keep an eye out for the little green Well-Bean sign the next time you are driving down Capital Boulevard. Well-Bean is open 6am-5pm Monday through Friday and 8am-4pm on Saturday & Sunday. For more information about their coffee and the services they offer check out their website here.

Well-Bean Coffee
10012 Capital Boulevard
Wake Forest, NC
website: http://www.well-bean.com
twitter:  @wellbeancoffee
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellbeancoffee

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July 13, 2014 · 4:57 pm

BREW Coffee Bar Coming to Downtown Raleigh!

Brew Coffee Bar Raleigh

BREW ~ Coming Soon to Downtown Raleigh!

BREW is a new coffee and beer bar coming to downtown Raleigh’s Seaboard Station. The bar will serve coffee from local roaster Raleigh Coffee Company and will feature other local roasters rotating the offerings each month. Brew will also offer a host of local beers both on tap and in bottles.

Brew business partners AJ Viola and Mike Sholar have already started construction on the shop working with local architects and designers on the design of the 1,150-square-foot space that they plan to open sometime in August. They’ve launched a kickstarter campaign to help raise funds for some of the finishing touches that will allow the shop to deliver the best experience to customers. “We’re coming to Kickstarter because we want to give our community the opportunity to get involved in making Brew happen,” they write on the campaign page. To learn more about Brew and how you can help check out their Kickstarter Page here.

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BREW Coffee Bar ~ Coming August 2014!
111 Seaboard Avenue – Raleigh, NC 27604
website: www.brewdtr.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrewDTR
twitter: @BrewDTR
instagram: @BrewDTR

 

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June 24, 2014 · 9:34 am

Yellow Dog Bread Hosts Latte Art Throwdown June 26th

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Yellow Dog Bread Company in downtown Raleigh is set to host this month’s Triangle “Thursday Night Throwdown” (TNT) latte art competition this Thursday at 7:30pm. During the event local baristas will compete head to head creating beautiful latte art that will be evaluated by a panel of three judges. The public is invited to attend an enjoy the show. Jenny Bonchak of Slingshot Coffee Co. and Chef Scott Crawford from the soon to be Standard Foods have been announced as judges. A third “mystery judge” will be revealed on Thursday night.

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AJ Viola Creating Latte Art

The purpose of these friendly competitions is to cultivate a coffee culture that respects presentation and quality coffee drinks and provides an opportunity for the local coffee community to come together and have some fun! They are also entertaining to attend. In addition to free/pretty lattes (attendees can drink the lattes created during the competition), there will be House made baguette pizzas and local beer from Raleigh Brewing.

Latte Art

Latte art is typically judged based on four criteria: balance and symmetry, use of space, color contrast and definition, and overall impression.  The judges compare the appearance of drinks based on these factors and decide which barista will move on to the next round. After several rounds of competition, the field is narrowed down to two baristas to face off one last time to crown the ultimate champion of the evening.

Yellow Dog Bread Co. ~ Raleigh, NC

If you haven’t been to one of these events I highly recommend you stop by Thursday night to check out Yellow Dog Bread and watch some of the throwdown. If you share any pictures on twitter of instagram be sure to tag them with the hashtag #TriangleTNT. Thursday’s throwdown is open to the public, free to attend and just $5 to compete.

Yellow Dog Bread Co.
219 East Franklin Street – Raleigh, NC (map)
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yellowdogbread
twitter: @yellowdogbread
instagram: @yellowdogbread

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April 22, 2014 · 6:05 am

Triangle Coffee Pros Head to Seattle to Compete in US Coffee Championships

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This is a huge week for the US specialty coffee industry and of course the Triangle is right in the thick of it. Tim Jones of Jubala Village Coffee in Raleigh and Jonathan Bonchak of Counter Culture Coffee in Durham head to Seattle this week to compete among the nation’s best baristas and coffee professionals in the 2014 US Coffee Championships (USCC). Scott Conary, President of Carrboro Coffee and Chair of the SCAA Competitions Committee is will also be attending the USCC on the other side of the counter with the competition judges.

Tim is putting his skills to the test in the US Barista Championship, while Jonathan is competing in the US Brewers Cup. These two gentlemen have been working tirelessly over the past few months to prepare to go up against the nation’s best. Please join me in wishing them both good luck as they wrap up their final week of planning. If you would like to follow along this weekend the event will be streamed live online here starting on Thursday. You can also track the action via twitter coverage provided by @SprudgeLive. Visit the event website for the complete schedule of events.

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Tim Jones of Jubala Village Coffee

US Barista Championship Explained (From the Official Website)
“The United States Barista Championship (USBC) is a platform for baristas to enhance their espresso beverage making skills through an exciting and challenging competition. In 15 minutes, the barista must prepare and serve espressos, cappuccinos, and a personally designed signature beverage for four sensory judges; all while being assessed on their preparation abilities by two technical judges. The USBC is more than a competition; it’s a place to develop community and meet other coffee lovers from across the US. Throughout the year, baristas from all across the country compete in six regional competitions to qualify for this national event and the winner of the USBC will go on to represent the United States in the World Barista Championship.”

Jonathan Bonchak of Counter Culture Coffee

US Brewers Cup Explained (From the Official Website)
“The United States Brewers Cup is an exciting competition that highlights and celebrates the fine art of manual brewing. Competitors are judged in two rounds by skilled coffee tasters. The first round is a blind tasting, the competitors all brew the same coffee on their chosen manual deceives. Those who advance to the second round will brew and present their chosen coffee to the judges’ panel. The winner of the US Brewers Cup will represent the United States in the World Brewers Cup Championship.”

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USCC 2014

US Coffee Championships – Seattle, Washington April 24-27
To learn more about the US Coffee Championships visit their official website here: http://uscoffeechampionships.org

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