The Grey Dog is Top Dog

Last week I had an early Doctor's appointment and was looking for a place to grab an iced coffee on my way to work. I'd heard of The Grey Dog's Coffee before and was going to pass right by it, so I stopped by. The instant I stepped in the door I felt like I had been transported to Austin. Part coffee shop, part brunch haven, part bar, it reminded me a lot of Austin Java Co. I knew I needed to bring The Mr by here for brunch, lunch, or happy hour immediately.

Sail On In to PORTS

We were walking home this lovely afternoon when we spotted a Coffee Shop we haven't noticed before. The sign in the window boasted Stumptown Coffee, so we had to stop in. We loved it! It has its own unique, chic vibe and serves quality coffee. There isn't much in the way of seating, so not a place to stop to study. But a great little shop to pop in for a good cup of joe.

LA Edition: Espresso Profeta

Met up with a colleague here for a quick cup of cappuccino. I really wanted to sit in the courtyard which had adorable metal cafe tables and was well shaded by lush foliage, but we had to get some work done so we enjoyed our coffee inside. A perfectly darling little cafe, I only regretted that we didn't have more time to spend here!

Won't you take me to Stumptown

During our apartment hunt we found ourselves in the nether region around the late 20s/early 30s between 7th & 5th Avenuess which the apartment buildings love to call Chelsea, isn't quite Flatiron/Gramercy, but also isn't midtown. It is here that we found the famous Stumptown Coffee Roasters in the lobby of the Ace Hotel. It was love at first site. Both the hotel and the coffee bar are meticulously decorated to achieve a charming old-timey feel, down to the baristas clothes and jaunty hats. A lot of the reviews off-handedly refer to them as just being 'hipsters', which yes, I am sure they are, but look closer. Their outfits are carefully crafted to match the decor and each other, I am certain that these are their uniforms which are picked or approved by management.

There was a bit of a line, but it moved very quickly. Especially since we were fascinated by watching the making of the coffee. Now, I'm no expert, but they were much more precise than the baristas at your typical chain. The piece de resistance were the foam designs which they quickly did with expert little flicks of the wrist as they added the milk. Amazing, I always assumed these were done post pour with add of a coffee stirrer or other such instrument.

I heard they have an amazing Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding, but unfortunately they didn't have that variety on this day. Instead, it was a nut & fruit variety, still very yum. Stumptown was a little trip to a magical place and left us energized and refreshed for the day ahead. 

Gregory's the Great

Several of our out of town guests have asked us 'Is there a decent coffee shop nearby...that isn't Starbucks?' So in the name of research we decided to scope out Gregory's Coffee one morning. We were surprised to find that it's actually quite big with plenty of place to sit and chat or work or whatever it is that you do when you go to a coffee shop. They also had a great assortment of foods & snacks ranging from healthy (fresh fruit) to the decadent (pastries). The coffee cake was hands down the best coffee cake I have ever had. And I do not say that lightly. On top of all of this the coffee was great!

Austin Edition: Epoch

We're in Austin for Thanksgiving so will be visiting some of our favorite restaurants in the Capitol of the Lone Star State:

The Iced Mojo

The Mr. spent a lot of time in coffee houses in Austin, so knows the people who wound up opening up Epoch after Mojo's shut down years ago. They have kept the tradition alive by continuing to serve The Iced Mojo- sweet and caffeinated liquid joy.

August gets saved by an Angel(ique)

Charming

Adorable

Bread

How sweet is the garden room of August in the West Village? We decided to split a bunch of small plates instead of having a big meal.

Fava Bean and Pecorino Bruschetta

The Fava Bean & Pecorino Bruschetta was a bit lackluster. The bread was kind of chewy and the toppings didn't have a lot of flavor.

Grilled Baby Octopus

This octopus didn't really do it for us either. It was also on the chewy side and again, not a whole lot of flavors happening here. 

Ok, and then this showed up. If it looks like a corn dog served over some shrimp salad and cucumbers, well, that's because it was. Now we're no snobs, we have no problem with a fancy restaurant deconstructing junk food, but this wasn't even a good corn dog.

Aaaaand then this happened. It tasted even grosser than it looks. Oh August, where did you go so horribly, horribly wrong? Here's our tip, if you want to go to experience the charming ambience of the garden room, just order some beers & the pizza. That looked decent.

We quickly paid the bill and went off in search for something to fill our tummies and get rid of the weird taste in our mouths. That's when we found Cafe Angelique. It embodies everything that comes to mind when you hear the word 'cafe': wire backed chairs, small tables, and delicious pastries galore.

A couple of coffees, some tiramisu, and a stuffed cupcake later and our evening was salvaged.