Don't Try This at Home . . .

try this at a locally owned coffee shop! Where do I begin? I've been enjoying so many Triad Coffee Shops lately, but I still haven't been to every one of them. Whew, blogging is hard work, folks!

I enjoyed lunch at Tazza Cafe Bistro. Tazza has great, healthy sandwiches, breakfast, and desserts. You know that "oh, I need a nap" feeling you get after lunch? If you eat lunch at a coffee shop, you can either relax on their comfy couches until you feel restored (ahem, I said relax, not take off your shoes and start snoring!) or you can have fresh brewed coffee with your lunch to perk you right up.

I enjoyed the drive throughs at Krankies Airstream and Brew Nerds. Drive-through coffee shops are like a magnet for my car. It steers off the road toward the drive through lane, much to my delight! Drive through baristas are even friendlier than your everyday barista, if that's possible. These folks are always happy to see customers. Both Brew Nerds locations get a prize for most creative menus & artwork. CoffeeCat loves that they make being a nerd so cool - almost cooler than being a CoffeeCat!

Robust-ah!

I finally, finally, finally visited two High Point shops that Mocha Mutt sniffed out for the blogspot! Rev's and Robust-ah. Ahhhhh. Rev's specializes in European coffees and has some that you won't find anywhere else on the East Coast. It's also hopping with social activities. If you are looking for entertainment, new friends from around the globe, and great coffee, this is the place! Robust-ah's very knowledgeable and friendly barista impressed CoffeeCat beyond words! The comfy, gorgeous furniture is oh-so-tempting, and the treats are baked on-site. Can you believe it?

While you're in  High Point, go across the street from Rev's and have some coffee and treats at Manna Bakery. It's 100% Columbian - both the baked treats and the coffee.

Let's see, where else? Oh, yes. I've enjoyed a few quiet mornings writing in Krankies Wherehouse. By night, Krankies is a bee hive of local indie music, poetry, and art. By day, it's like a study hall for grown ups. It's full of people meeting to share ideas, work out business plans, and read the newspaper over coffee. All the conversation makes for great background noise to keep CoffeeCat awake and focused! And CoffeeCat managed to resist having an espresso brownie for breakfast.



True works of art at the CAC coffee bar



Oh, and don't forget the Community Arts Cafe, folks! It was featured in last Sunday's Winston-Salem Journal but . . . . no mention of the awesome coffee shop within! So, it will be our little secret. Check out the almost-daily performances - jazz, open mics, gatherings for artists of all types.

Whew! These are just a FEW of the great, locally owned Triad Coffee Shops. I'll be writing about more of them soon. If you have a suggestion for CoffeeCat's next coffee shop visit, please tell me about it! I'm always looking for more reasons to visit more coffee shops.

Good news, Bad news

Good news first: it's going to be coffee shop patio weather this weekend. Get out there and try a new coffee shop! Or stop by your old favorite as you walk the bow wow around the neighborhood.

Bad news: We lose an hour of sleep tonight. Be prepared! Pick up some freshly roasted coffee beans at your coffee shop for your Sunday dose. You'll need a cup at home before you even get to the coffee shop.

Even better: Plan a Lazy Day on Sunday. Need help? Watch your cat all day and do whatever the cat is doing. It couldn't be easier!

CoffeeCat has totally enjoyed our locally owned coffee shops in the past few weeks! I'm tempted to keep it all to myself, so the whole world won't discover my best coffee shop secrets. But I can't keep it to myself. I'll share everything I know about Triad Coffee Shops! Come back soon!

Ahhhh . . . .

CoffeeCat has gotten a good dose of Triad Coffee Shops in the past week or so and couldn't be happier! Coffee shop fans are sooooo lucky to live within 30 minutes of dozens of great places to get your caffeine fix.

Some fans get their coffee shop dose Monday through Friday, rushing into their neighborhood coffee shop for a cup to go. Some fans make great use of coffee shops as a meeting place for business conversations, a quick lunch meeting, or a meet-me-after-work-for-coffee spot. Whatever the need, there is usually a coffee shop that fits the bill! Even when you're driving down the road between errands, appointments, and work, you might see a drive-through coffee shop. Poof! It's like magic.

Then, there are the weekend coffee shop fans who find their favorite bands, artists, poets, and more at the coffee shop. It's a great atmosphere to enjoy music and the company of a friend. Even though many coffee shops also sell beer and wine, you won't really see folks going there to get drunk, as they do at the not-so-cool-nightlife-establishments we won't discuss here. We've been there, done that, folks, and now we enjoy our coffee shop luxuries. If anyone does have a little too much of an adult beverage, well, there's plenty of black coffee for them to chase it with.

CoffeeCat enjoys everything our locally owned coffee shops have to offer. The coffee, the sandwiches and sweet treats, the conversations with friends & new acquaintances, the patios with pooches, the comfy couches . . . oh, I could go on and on . . . . but I'll save it for another post. Right now, I'm going in search of another coffee shop treat!

Life is Hectic

Cats in search of a coffee shop 

Blog posts are a little sparse lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been enjoying our Triad Coffee Shops! The lovely spring weather last week had me all ready for "coffee shop patio" season, but now we are back in "curl up on the coffee shop sofa with a mocha" season.

Who am I kidding? I love any season as long as there's a coffee shop nearby. I hate winter, but I'm willing to tough it out because it's such a great excuse for snuggling with a hot mug, a cat, and a good book. Although I have yet to find a coffee shop that lets me bring the cat with me. And it's even harder to find a cat who wouldn't hide under the coffee shop sofa!

Check out the Events page and Howls & Meows for some great weekend entertainment & opportunities to save the world (or at least the furry critters in our corner of it!).

Take a hike!
Mocha Mutt got the weather reports a little confused. Last Saturday I decided it would be a great day to try out a coffee shop on our local university campus and take a long walk with a friend and my dogs. However, it wasn't until a couple of minutes into the walk that I realized it was cold, dreary, and verrry windy, so we were especially glad to visit with the staff of a locally owned (and heated!) coffee shop and enjoy hot drinks. We continued on our trek, but the wind made it difficult to hold on to the dog leashes without spilling the drinks, so we had a challenging time. We made it through the long, cold walk, enjoyed our cookies and hot drinks, and were very happy to get back to our warm, toasty house.

Today was a beautiful, warm, sunny day - one of those rare treats we Carolinians get to enjoy in February. Again, we decided an afternoon walk with the pups was a great idea. This time, though, just a week after our last campus adventure, we enjoyed iced tea as we walked, got to meet pedestrians, chase squirrels, and admire the daring moves of skateboarders. It was the perfect day for taking a hike with your best friend(s).

Tomorrow is forecast to be even warmer than it was today, so even if you don't have a canine friend to tag along, stop by your favorite coffee shop for a cool beverage and take a long walk in the sunshine.

Coffee & a Flick

Fans, I'll be updating the events page soon. But let me give you a tip: the Community Arts Cafe is coming alive! The latest is the Cinema Pub Winter Shorts Series - screenings of short, original films made right here in the Triad!


Now, the poster puts the idea of beer and pizza in your head, but that doesn't fool me. CoffeeCat can sniff the coffee a mile away. And I know there's coffee in that cafe!

Bad Idea

Never update the blog on an empty stomach. The coffee shop treats look so yummy - can't wait for my next coffee shop lunch, dinner, breakfast, or snack. Be sure to check out the sandwiches & more that many coffee shops offer.

And, in downtown Winston-Salem, the Big Eat continues through February, with Tuesday specials at a couple of downtown coffee shops. Check it out!