Dog, are my paws tired!

After a year and a half of blogging, CoffeeCat and MochaMutt have reached the inevitable conclusion that you can blog about Triad Coffee Shops, you can visit Triad Coffee Shops, you can enjoy the awesome events at Triad Coffee Shops, but you can't do all three all the time. Since the blog began, shops have opened and shops have closed, but we consistently have about 40 locally owned coffee shops in our "Coffee Shop Guide." And that's after limiting the blog to four counties - Forsyth, Guilford, Davidson, and Randolph. We have learned about (and visited) other great shops in counties such as Stokes, Surry, Wilkes, and Davie, but we just can't keep up with them all, so we pared down the list. We also do not include "chain" coffee shops and the many restaurants in the area that have an excellent selection of coffee drinks on their menus. With the exception of Krankie's Airstream, we also don't include the many drive-through coffee "kiosks" in the Triad. Other coffee shops in the Triad are "on deck" to be placed in our guide, waiting for a site visit.

Fans, when we started the blog, we had a few shops we frequented, and knew there were others, but we never imagined the extent of the Coffee Shop universe in the Triad. It has been amazing, exciting, and, of course, delicious to discover them all. And we are still going!! Because we like to travel, and know that our readers do, too, we've added a "Road Trip" section to our Guide page. If you find a wonderful locally owned coffee shop on your travels, please share it with our readers!! Post a comment on the blog or email MochaMutt to share your delicious find!

One thing we have decided to do is leave it up to the shops on our Guide page to let their fans know about special upcoming events. We tried to keep up with them, but there just are not enough paws to keep the keyboard typing. What we do endeavor to keep doing is to let you know about new shops in the Triad, extra special/unusual offerings, new tastes, and other interesting things. We just can't keep up with every band, art exhibit, reading, poetry slam, etc. at Triad Coffee Shops. Which we think is a fantastic problem to have. Can you imagine a Triad with only one coffee shop, or one rock band, or one artist's display, or one shop owner who can belt out the blues? It would be a truly sad place to live. Fortunately for us all, the Triad is alive and hopping with art, music, literature, poetry, performance art, charity fundraisers, book clubs, conversation groups, and the many many other activities that come to life at Triad Coffee Shops.

So fans, keep checking the blog for the latest and greatest in Coffee Shop life in the Triad. And link to your favorite shop(s) from our "Guide" page to find a special event that's right for you. Then, let us know how it was. As with all writers, we love to hear from our readers. Connect with the huge coffee shop fan base and let us know what you think!

Show us your local!

Buy Local. It’s a huge fad right now, and hopefully will survive from fad to a way of life for future generations. Triad Coffee Shops know all about local. Not only are they locally owned and operated, they rely on local businesses for their menu items and services. The Coffee Shops also supply their specialties to other local businesses, weaving an intricate web of interdependence and interest throughout the Triad.

By necessity of climate and geography, the coffee and tea served by local shops must come from far-away places, however, most coffee shops use local roasters for their beans, such as Larry’s Beans, Carolina Coffee Company, and Joe Van Gogh and Chad’s Chai & Tea Co. in Davidson County supplies interesting tea combinations to several local coffee shops.

Many of the coffee shops featured on our Guide page boast particular menu items they create themselves, such as fudge, gelato, cakes, pastries, sandwiches, and much, much more. Several coffee shops feature dairy products from Homeland Creamery in Julian. Local farms supply fruits and vegetables for daily menu items, and the list goes on.

Café Roche, in addition to Homeland Creamery ice cream, features a Winkler Bakery Moravian Cookie in its custom designed Moravian Star latté. The Wet Whistle Co. features numerous North Carolina wineries for its impressive wine inventory and it’s Friday night wine tasting events.

Krankie’s coffee can be purchased at Krankie’s, of course, and at the deli at Whole Foods in Winston-Salem, at Camino Bakery, and other Winston-Salem locations. In an ultimate story of symbiotic relationships, Camino Bakery grew out of a local baker’s success at baking treats for Krankie’s customers. Now, baker Carrie Clifford has her own storefront café, bakery, and wine bar, and serves Krankie’s coffee to her customers!

Nearly every Triad Coffee Shop features work by local artists, photographers, jewelry makers, and even quilters. For example, Tate Street Coffee has regular art shows, Chelsee’s features local artists on a monthly basis, and Java K’s has a wide variety of art pieces on display and available for sale. Casanova’s offers craft shows and tomato and wine tastings.

Local coffee shops also feature local performing artists: bands, poets, comedians, etc., whether booked and scheduled in advance, or impromptu open-mic and competitive performances. Rev’s features live music several nights a week. Community Arts Café is a haven for the literary, performing, and visual arts. Nearly every coffee shop on our Coffee Shop Guide hosts live bands on weekends.

There are over 40 locally owned, independent coffee shops featured in our Coffee Shop Guide. Although not every one of them can be featured in this post, we can guarantee that each and every one of them gives their customers the opportunity to support local entrepreneurs. So, get out there and support them!

It's ablog time!

Well, for Mocha Mutt, it's always ablog time!

No matter what task awaits me on the laptop, the blog always beckons. I put off banking, budgeting, meeting planning, writing letters (actually e-mails) home to mom, and lots of other "shoulds" to check in with local coffee shops and see what's happening. While blogging about coffee shops and animal rescue is not a "should" in my life, it's definitely one of the most fun parts. There are always good drinks, good eats, and nifty events at Triad Coffee Shops. Even if there are no special events planned, there are always local, interesting people to meet. In a world immersed in electronic media, large crowds of people, and impersonal interactions, the local coffee shop is a great merging of worlds. I can work (blog!) on my laptop, but at the same time visit with friendly baristas, meet local residents, bump into neighbors, help someone "just passing through" with directions to their desination, and any number of other things. The local coffee shop is one of the few places you'll hear "make yourself at home" from the owner or staff, and they are sincere!

Some sad news on the coffee shop front - several local shops have closed in the last few months, and that is always cause for sadness and nostalgia for Coffee Cat & Mocha Mutt. However, it just emphasizes to us that we should enjoy the coffee shops we have, and appreciate their hard working owners and staff with every visit. We never know when life or economic circumstances might make it necessary for our favorite shop to close its doors.

But here on the blog, we'll do our best to let our readers know of shops opening, shops closing, and where you can find a welcoming, pleasant atmosphere in which to enjoy life.

Dogs Rule!

No doubt about it, the staff and volunteers of Red Dog Farm & Triad Stage sure do know how to throw a party! The 3rd annual "Dogs on the Catwalk" was a great show in a sold-out theater. Guests enjoyed food & drink donated by many area restaurants, had a chance to bid on hundreds of silent auction items, and, of course, saw an incredible fashion show of adopted and adoptable dogs. Thirty-one dogs and their owners dressed in coordinated costumes and wowed the audience with their creativity, antics, and overall adorable-ness.

TV personality Cindy Farmer and her dog, Bailey, got the party started, and local hero Susie, the inspiration for Susie's Law, closed out the "adopted" dog portion of the show. In between, dogs and their owners paid tribute to Carolina, Duke, the Oklahoma Sooners, Elmer's Glue, Olivia Newton-John, and the city of New Orleans. There was a "Lady in Red," a "Devil in a Blue Dress," "Cheeseburger in Paradise," Wizard of Oz, and even a tribute to the Little Shop of Horrors.

MochaMutt and CoffeeCat are astounded by the time, creativity, and love the owners and families put into planning for this event. For at least half of the dogs, their entire families were part of the show, kids included.

For those of you who know the blog, you know there are two things MochaMutt and CoffeeCat agree on - - coffee shops & animal rescue. And, sure enough, there is a connection here! Local coffee shops and many other locally owned businesses donated merchandise and gift cards for the silent auction. Thank you!! Funds raised on these items pay for veterinary care, food, supplies, and any thing else needed by the pets in Red Dog Farm's adoption network.

But that's not all - - after the show, a trip to a local coffee shop was in order. Too late for caffeine, but definitely not too late for an iced drink and a cookie bar! Thanks, guys, for working late on a Saturday night so we can get a little refreshment and enjoy sharing memories of the fashion show in a friendly coffee shop!

An Escape from the Ordinary . . . refrigerator

After a Thanksgiving day of eating, napping and baking holiday treats for humans and canines, this morning was time for Mocha Mutt to escape from the almighty, overstuffed, delectables-filled refrigerator at home . . . and to get back to work!! Where better to do this than one of my favorite Triad Coffee Shops? I could get a sandwich (chicken, not turkey, thank you!), a warm, highly-caffeinated beverage, and about 10 miles between me and the refrigerator. So, I could focus on my work, enjoy holiday music in the background, and eat only what I needed to eat, and not everything in sight.

While the thrill of the hunt motivates many people to shopping centers on Black Friday, Mocha Mutt prefers the relaxed, happy atmosphere of a coffee shop - - it's a refuge from the traffic, noise, and busy-ness of the season, and a pleasant way to enjoy a small meal and "comfort" beverage. Won't you join me?