CoffeeCat's Back!

Whew, a whirlwind of life has kept me otherwise occupied and away from the blogspot. Never fear, CoffeeCat never stays away from Triad Coffee Shops for long!!! Even though the pesky doctor put me on a caffeine diet! And exercise! And healthy eating! Oh no . . . . but all this means I'm happy, healthy, and fully entitled to coffee shop treats after a long walk.

Since my neighborhood doesn't have a coffee shop, I seek out others' neighborhood coffee shops. I've noticed a pattern since I started exercising every day. My favorite walks all lead to coffee shops. Take a look at this . . .
1) Hanes Park in Winston-Salem is a great place to walk, run, bike, play tennis, and play Frisbee with the bow-wows. And once you start walking, you can walk right up the road to Krankies AirStream.
2) Ardmore neighborhood in Winston-Salem is a long-standing "walkable" neighborhood. The well-kept lawns and high volume of walkers, joggers, and well-behaved bow-wows make it an interesting walk. And, suspiciously, most roads lead to Cafe Roche.
3) Triad Park in Kernersville. It's off the beaten path, but a great place to meet up for long walks with Mocha Mutt and the bow-wows. And after the walk, head over to Juicy Java for a smoothie. It's a great motivator to get the walk done before closing time at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. on Wednesdays).
4) UNC-G campus . . . . hang with the college crowd and build your walking endurance (backpack not required) by walking the campus and then heading to Tazza Cafe, Tate Street, Coffeeology, or The Coffee Break. Better yet, walk to them all in one day and burn the cappuccino calories.
5) Downtown Winston-Salem. Wow, the best coffee shop trail starts at Cafe Prada, down 4th Street to Community Arts Cafe Coffee Bar, then Brew Nerds, Wolfie's Frozen Custard (serves Krankie's coffee), take a detour to Trade Street for Chelsee's, then back to 4th Street for the sojourn down to Krankie's Wherehouse. Sit and catch your breath, recharge with an ice cold coffee, then head over to Liberty Plaza and Kouboura Coffee. You will be totally abuzzzzzzzzzzzzzz with caffeine and endorphins!

In fact, I'm getting out of the chair right this minute and putting on my walking shoes! Coffee shops, here I come!

Will Blog for Caffeine

You will occasionally see the phrase on the blog "Coffee Cat needs more caffeine to finish this job." Well, I think I know why.

I have been trying to help Coffee Cat keep the blog "Events" page and "Coffee Shop Guide" updated for the past couple of months or so, and whew, it's a job that makes Mocha Mutt dog tired. There are 41 Triad Coffee Shops included in the Coffee Shop Guide. We know we are probably missing some too, but still, 41 locally owned, awesome coffee shops - that have events going morning, noon, and night, many for six or seven days a week. If Mocha Mutt and Coffee Cat need more caffeine just to let you know what's going on, imagine how much caffeine the coffee shop owners and baristas must need!! So, forgive us for missing out on some events, but feel free to comment to our posts, or email us your events, and we'll do our best to stay current with the most happening spots in the Triad.

Now, if you are a fan of local coffee shops, our dilemma is your jackpot!! You have 41 choices of venue which combine for thousands of delicious drink options, food choices that range from full meals to light snacks to gourmet desserts, and each shop has its own atmosphere, décor, and combination of inside/outside seating, music, reading material, wi-fi options, the list goes on.

So if you are sitting at home whining (Mocha Mutt hates whining) that there is nothing to do, visit the Coffee Shop Guide, pick a shop at random (or with good canine instincts) and go check it out! Bark at Mocha Mutt and let us post your good finds on the blog.

Happy Caffeine Hunting!

Are you the "type?"

Many, many years ago, when my knowledge of coffee shops was limited to being able to find a single coffee shop in Greensboro, I told a girlfriend I had gone to a local coffee shop to visit with another friend. She replied, "I didn't know you were the coffee shop type." Almost 20 years later, I'm still wondering what she meant by that. Since I eventually learned that she wasn't exactly a true friend, I'm assuming that her comment was not flattering.

However, in the last five years, I've begun to compile a composite of the "coffee shop type." I'll give it a shot ...

This morning, for example, I'm blogging in a local coffee shop that is full of children wearing sports gear and their parents. There are kids waiting in line to play a chess game. The kids have had a busy, active morning of athleticism, and are refueling their energy with snacks, hot chocolate, fruit smoothies, etc. It's noisy, chaotic, and I love it!!

Earlier this morning, the shop was humming with a small group of women who get together early, before their kids, husbands, and jobs pull them in many different directions. There was a steady flow of older customers, young adults, middle aged couples, shoppers on their way to or from their daily errands, folks on their way to work, and all of them just needing a customized caffeine drink and contact with a friendly barista before going on with their day.

Last night, there were so many local coffee shops hosting music, open mic, and other events that I couldn't even get them all on the blog's Events page. I logged into Facebook this morning and saw how many more events there are scheduled tonight than I could possibly hope to attend. Folk music, jazz, Christian music, blues, rock, you name it, somewhere in the Triad, it's at a Coffee Shop.

On weeknights, you'll find scrabble games, reading groups, poetry groups, foreign language groups, families coming in for a drink after soccer practice, couples getting coffee on their way home from evening church services, dads connecting one-on-one with their teenaged children. Some shops are perfect for quiet work, studying, reading, and quiet conversations with a friend or date, while others are a great place for meeting new, interesting people you wouldn't meet anywhere else.

Based on the overheard conversations, bulletin board postings, art work, board games, and lending libraries at Triad Coffee Shops, everyone in the Triad is "the coffee shop type." They might not know it yet, but they are!

We came, we saw, we feasted!

Mocha Mutt has a very kind friend who recently provided an excellent referral for a Triad Coffee Shop. Although coffee is not in the shop's name, it is definitely on the menu, and is the perfect accompaniment to the fantastic baked goods available - donuts, donut holes, bear claws, fritters, croissants, and other pastries. Mocha Mutt and Coffee Cat hit the road to Thomasville, North Carolina, and it was well worth the trip! Granny's Donuts and Sandwiches is a whirlwind of activity on both sides of the counter. Trays of donuts move quickly from the cooling trays to the hands of customers who stand in line for the delicacies. The line is sometimes long, but it is a noisy, joyful line of happy, friendly folks who know they are in for a sweet treat and a quick visit with friends, neighbors, and strangers who have a common goal - - a box of baked delights.

Like many other coffee shops, Granny's has free wi-fi and a great variety of iced and hot coffees, teas, and fruit-based drinks. After we "wolfed" down our donuts, we enjoyed hot tea and lattes and watching lots of customers come and go.

Lessons learned for coffee shop fans: break out of your normal routine and travel outside your hometown for a special treat, and when you find a local coffee shop with great drinks and food, tell your friends and neighbors about it so they can enjoy it, too!

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!

Mocha Mutt wants to know:

In honor of Spring (and so far it's been wonderful!), Mocha Mutt would like to try some special seasonal offerings of food and drink at local coffee shops. If you've detected any, please post your finds here, and Mocha Mutt will report back soon!

As promised, it was a hoot!

Coffee Cat & Mocha Mutt attended a book signing by local humor author Danny R. Roberts, and everything he says, not to mention everything he writes, is absolutely hysterically funny, including his dead-pan delivery of "I'm not funny."

It's been a long time since we have seen such merriment, fun, and fellowship on a Saturday afternoon.

This is exactly the sort of event that was made for a locally owned coffee shop. Rev's Coffee House in High Point was the gracious host for the event. There was plenty of space for Danny's fans and for Rev's regulars, as well as customers who just found the place. There were plenty of good eats and coffee, along with teas, sodas, and the essential bottled water. Thanks, Rev's, for the hospitality and thanks, Danny, for keeping the laughs coming!