cafe Archives – Lost in Wanderland

Coffee Shop Love: Outta the Blue

September 5, 2021

outta the blue made in Kansas City coffee coffeeshop cafe

Anyone still out there? I am, in fact, still alive (I know, you were dying of suspense wondering).

Obviously unnecessary to state, but it has been A YEAR (or two? What is time anymore?) Everything has been a little topsy-turvy for everyone since about 2019, I think, and between public spaces being closed and life just plain being crazy, I’ve completed neglected my little corner of the web over here. In all honesty, the past couple of years have been very rocky in my personal life — I’m not going to go into detail, because that’s not really the aim of this blog, but suffice it to say, I’ve been out of the loop, and for anyone who has been feeling lost and/or hopeless lately (or ever): I feel you. With that said, I’m trying to get back into the swing of things, and it has been way too long since I’ve done some wandering.

So: I have new coffee shops to check out, new places to explore, yada yada. A lot of life/the world is a chaotic mess, but there’s still coffee and getting lost in colorful city streets and discovering hidden gems of art and humanity. I, for one, could use some of all that. Let’s see if anyone is still around to read about my shenanigans, eh? (If not, at least I have an excuse to drink lots of coffee).

First up: a cheery spot in Leawood to grab a java (or cocktail).

*****

Coffeeshop Love: Outta the Blue

5291 W. 116th Place, Leawood, KS

Despite the fact that I’m currently bemoaning the hot, sticky weather and longing for fall, I have to admit that I love the beach (who doesn’t?). Of course, there are no (ocean) beaches in Kansas, but I’m all for places that let me pretend I’m in a tropical cabana. Outta the Blue dubs itself “KC’s Lil’ Oasis,” and really, the flip-flop fits. There’s (sadly) no ocean and (probably thankfully) no sand, but they do have palm trees, rattan furniture, and colorful surfboards on the wall. With plenty of windows, light colors, and modernistic furniture, the entire place is hip and cheerful. Did I mention there are swings? Probably not conducive to sipping coffee, but they sure are fun.

A recent addition to Leawood’s Park Place shopping center, Outta the Blue is a Made in KC outpost (though interestingly, I didn’t see anything that said Made in KC in the actual café). It’s usually quietly bustling, busy with everyone from people tapping away on laptops to friends catching up to families corralling kids. While I’ve been there, the soundtrack has ranged from mid-2000s nostalgia (think Hillary Duff) to 1960s-80s oldies. It’s a friendly, fun atmosphere, calm enough to get work done yet active enough for good people-watching and a welcome dose of gaiety. A little bit granola-crunchy, quite a bit hip, the café fits into the clean-cut environment of suburban Leawood, but it also adds a touch of style — and a laid-back beachy vibe — in an area mostly filled with a lot of chain restaurants and shops.

If you’re hungry, they have snacks and breakfast sandwiches from Parisi Coffee, pastries from local Scratch Bakery, and vegan breakfast sandwiches from Mattie’s Foods. (Major points, in my humble opinion, for having almond croissants, which are annoyingly difficult to find and obviously the best.) For sips, there’s the usual lineup of espresso beverages and (quite tasty) drip coffee, as well as a selection of teas and cold-pressed juices. And if you need something a bit stronger — or feel like really leaning into the tropical cabana spirit — they have a full bar menu of cocktails, beer, and natural/organic wine.

All in all, it’s not actually the beach, but Outta the Blue is a fun place to work or hang out. As much as I like offbeat, slightly shabby coffee shops, it’s hard not to fall in love with this bright little café. After all, who doesn’t love palm trees and swings?

September 5, 2021

Food/ Javaholic/ Travel

The Best Paris Coffeeshops

November 29, 2019

What would a trip to Paris be without le café? Despite Paris’s vibrant café culture, it’s generally accepted that the coffee itself isn’t all that great. But in the past few years, the third-wave coffee movement has hit the city — with vigor — and these days there are legit roasters and more coffeeshops than even I could manage to hit in one trip. That’s not to say I didn’t try — I had a mile-long list going into my trip, and I drank enough coffee to fuel endless trekking around the city (which is a lot). Though I don’t want to think about how much of my trip budget went to coffee breaks, this did leave me with a pretty good sampling of the Paris coffee scene. Unlike years past, it’s pretty easy now to find a good latte or filter coffee in Paris (and the list of places offering alternative milks is also growing), not to mention that there’s a collection of friendly, charming cafés to visit. My list was a good one — I don’t think I drank a bad cup of coffee on my trip. That said, I narrowed it down to my top five picks for the best Paris coffeeshops (though the full list of spots I visited is included as well — all of which I would recommend, honestly). Thankfully, there’s never a need to wander Paris under-caffeinated again!

Boot Café

19 rue du Pont aux Choux

This might just be the tiniest coffeeshop in Paris — it’s also one of the cutest, and serves up delicious coffee to boot (no pun intended). Nestled in an old cordonnerie, or cobbler’s shop, in the Marais, this petite blue café has just enough room inside for the counter and a couple of tables. They manage to fit a lot of charm into a small space, though, with rustic-chic décor, art on the walls, and fresh flowers — plus delicious coffee and pastries, of course. Get a flat white to go as you meander through the Marais, or take a moment to perch on one of the outside seats and enjoy the charming street.

Paul et Rimbaud

40 rue Sedaine

Books and coffee — what’s not to love? Near Bastille in the hip 11e, this charming café is stocked floor to ceiling with books and filled with plants. It’s definitely worth taking your coffee to stay here — grab a seat at one of the eclectically mismatched tables or sofas and enjoy the tranquil vibes as you sip your café from a pastel-hued cup and munch on a house-made treat (I highly recommend the carrot cake — it was scrumptious). Though I generally think the rude Parisian stereotype is a myth, it’s also worth noting that the staff here are lovely (not a surly waiter in sight).

Strada Café

24 rue Monge

It should tell you something that I went out of my way to return to this little café several times during my trip. There are actually two locations, though I only checked out the bustling café near the Latin Quarter. This was one of the few places where I found a nearly-American-size latte (which is likely a point against me in javaholic cred but was a plus in my book). In any case, the coffee is delicious and the space lively and inviting. If you’re feeling peckish, definitely try the brownie, which is essentially death by chocolate and worth every bite. Strada is a little out of the way of the typical tourist spots, but if you’re exploring the Left Bank (which I highly recommend) — especially Jardin des Plantes or the ancient Roman Arènes de Lutèce — it’s definitely worth a stop (or two).

Le Peloton

17 rue du Pont Louis Philippe

You can’t visit Paris without stopping into this friendly spot in the Marais. It’s the sort of place where the patrons are regulars and the baristas chatty. I was barely there a minute before I was chatting about my trip with a fellow patron and the baristas, and the owners themselves are often behind the bar, making drinks and talking to people. With Aussie and New Zealand roots, it’s a favorite gathering spot for the expat crowd in Paris, and for good reason. Don’t miss the delicious waffles with your flat white, and if you’re looking for a little guidance around Paris, they also host bike tours around Paris and Versailles.

Café Oberkampf

3 rue Neuve Popincourt

If you’re looking for a mean flat white and a tasty bite in the up-and-coming Oberkampf district, look no further than Café Oberkampf. This Aussie-inspired café serves up top-notch coffee and fresh, healthy eats in a bright, friendly setting. It’s another tiny spot, but it’s definitely worth grabbing one of the few tables and staying for brunch or lunch. Their specialty is the tartine (an open-faced sandwich or toast) — a perfect accompaniment to a delicious cup of coffee.

There you have it — the best Paris coffeeshops! Here’s the list of all the coffeeshops I visited. Anyone fancy a cuppa?

November 29, 2019

Javaholic/ Kansas City/ Wanderings

Coffee Shop Love: Nomads Coffee & Cocktails

September 20, 2019

In my mind, anything that mentions travel, exploration, and/or wandering (obviously) is immediately worth an investigation. A tribute to explorers — literary and literal — worldwide, Nomads Coffee in Kansas City exactly fits that bill. It would be easy to walk straight past it, nestled in a subtle brick shopfront on eclectic 39th Street. It certainly isn’t the most colorful or eye-catching spot on the street. But that would be your loss. This charming café has become my go-to coffeeshop work spot, and it’s safe to say I’m a little obsessed.

To fully capture the atmosphere of Nomads Coffee, it’s really best to imagine yourself as a slightly disaffected nineteenth-century writer or a gruff world traveler (or at least following in the footsteps of one). The entire café is a bit dim, with dark wood floors and furniture and deep blue walls. Sophisticated, in an ever-so-slightly gloomy way. Take a spot at the dark-wood bar, curl up in a cushy armchair, or pick an intimate café table and get settled in. My spot of choice is at the bar along the front windows, with a perfect view out onto the goings-on of quirky 39th Street.

To complete the travel theme, shelves throughout the café are stocked with books with a global explorer bent (think Jack London, vintage travel memoirs, old issues of National Geographic). The walls are lined with photos of Alaskan dog races, mountain explorations, maps, suitably gruff explorers, and people and places around the globe.

It’s the type of place where you might expect to come across a grumpy older Hemingway ordering a cocktail or a grizzled old explorer recounting tales of his latest expedition into the jungle or Arabian deserts (though in reality the clientele is more on the young and hip side, thanks to students from the nearby KU Med Center and the vibrant culture of 39th Street).

All that said, in reality the café isn’t at all gloomy. Despite the somber (if charming) aura, the staff and customers are always friendly, and the café is usually bustling, classic and peppy oldies tunes playing in the background. (Just absorb the old-world vibes and be glad no one there actually acts like a grumpy old mountain man).

No literary or global enclave would be complete without drinks, of course! The coffee menu here is classic — none of that foufy frappuccino business — but the lattes are delicious. Plus, there’s also a full cocktail/beer/wine menu (this is an extra plus in my book because it means they’re open late, unlike many coffee shops). If you’re feeling peaky, they have a tasty selection of pastries and cookies, plus quiche, classic and hearty sandwiches, and breakfast burritos. Café fare, but the type you actually want to eat.

Full disclosure: I only tested the ham and cheese croissant, but it was scrumptious — buttery and perfectly flaky, with a subtle spike of Dijon mustard inside — and the rest of the menu looks quite tasty. The quiche is definitely next on my list!

So the next time you’re around 39th Street, wander over to Nomads Coffee for a coffee or cocktail — who knows, maybe you’ll actually run into that rugged world explorer I keep expecting to see.

September 20, 2019

Javaholic/ Kansas City/ Wanderings

Coffee Shop Love: Hammerhand Coffee

September 1, 2019

Hammerhand Coffee

22 North Main Street, Liberty, MO

Can someone please tell me where the summer went? Scratch that, where the year went? Seriously, I swear it was just January and I was cheering when the temp hit double digits (now I’m just praying it doesn’t hit triple digits). I don’t know about you, but I’m now counting down the days until fall. Crisp air, colorful leaves, Halloween ghoulies? Bring it on. That said, summer is a time of exploration. Granted, any time is an opportunity for exploration in my opinion, but there’s something particularly carefree and wanderlust-filled about summer. I’ve been neglecting my Kansas City coffee expedition a bit, and I needed an excuse again to wander and think/write/drink coffee 24/7 — or at least justify the amount of my budget spent on coffee by saying it’s blog research. So I decided to make up for lost (java) time. This weekend, that meant a little jaunt over to Liberty, Missouri, to check out Hammerhand Coffee. To be fair, at only 25 minutes from downtown KC, Liberty hardly qualifies as a road trip, but I’m fairly clueless when it comes to north of the city, so it felt like an expedition. Particularly when you factor in that I spent the first hour there hunting down a police station, who called a tow company, who battled my stubborn car locks, because I locked my keys, purse, and phone in my car … but that’s another story.

Ok, on to the important stuff. In case you’re (shockingly) unfamiliar with the small towns of Missouri, Liberty is a historic frontier town just northeast of Kansas City, founded in 1822, and now home to William Jewell College. Think stately brick campus, rambling old Victorian homes, and an abundance of kitschy yet charming shops.

Hammerhand Coffee Kansas City Liberty cafe interior

Hammerhand is right in the historic town square, across from the Art Deco county courthouse and surrounded by quaint circa-late-1800s storefronts. Considering all this, it’s surprisingly hip and modern, the type of cafe that wouldn’t be out of place in Brooklyn hipsterland. Housed in a narrow turn-of-the-century brick building, the grand wooden staircase, stained glass window accents, and iron fire escape give it an old-world vibe. Yet the decor is crisp, modern, and colorful — mid-century style furniture, bright white walls, succulents, faux vintage lightbulbs, turquoise touches. In a whimsical nod, there’s even a Chemex with a live beta fish swimming around. It feels like a cross between a homey neighborhood joint and a student study crashpad, with both lively chattering groups and tables covered in notebooks and laptops. Liberty doesn’t feel like a college town, but almost everyone there looked to be under 25, so I would guess the students, as usual, gravitate toward the caffeine sources.

Hammerhand Coffee Kansas City Liberty cozy interior

In the art of full disclosure, the coffee had a slightly odd taste. Not bad, just different. I realized, though, that I haven’t actually had regular milk for quite some time (they ran out of almond), so that might have just been me. That being said, my latte was rich and smooth, and they nailed the latte art (yes, it matters!). The rest of the menu features the standard drip, cappuccinos, cold brew, etc., plus seasonal drinks, housemade syrups, and a selection of pastries. About your usual coffeehouse fare, though it all looked scrumptious. They supposedly also carry a rotating selection of beer and wine, though I didn’t see any sign of that (to be fair, it was also a Sunday afternoon).

Hammerhand Coffee Kansas City Liberty latte art

Overall, the chances of most people just passing through Liberty, MO, is about zip, and most large cities probably have dozens of Hammerhand-esque java joints. That said, it has a certain flair, with its 19th-century-frontier/hipster mélange, and the coffee is pretty damn good. If you happen to be in the KC area, it’s definitely worth a stop.

**This post was originally published in August 2018 on beanopiablog.com.**

September 1, 2019

Javaholic

Coffee Shop Love: Goat Hill Coffee

July 27, 2019

Coffeeshop exploration Goat Hill in Kansas City

Goat Hill Coffee & Soda

811 W. 17th Street, Kansas City, MO

Let’s talk about goats and mochas. What, isn’t that a typical topic of conversation for everyone? Ok, bear with me here. It perplexed me a bit at first that goats seemed to be a theme for coffee shops — the Laughing Goat, Kaldi’s, Goat Hill, etc. As a java nerd, I should have known better. In case you haven’t brushed up on your coffee history, Kaldi was a ninth-century Ethiopian goatherd who noticed his goats bursting with energy after eating some little red berries — and voilà, the discovery of coffee! Or so the legend goes. I don’t know if this was actually the inspiration for Goat Hill Coffee, but I’m going to officially declare the goat the official javaholic mascot in any case (and there’s your history lesson for the day).

Anyway, my mom and I were wandering around KC’s Westside neighborhood — an eclectic area of quirky shops, tiny indie restaurants, and shabby Victorian houses — and stumbled upon an irresistibly seafoam green coffee shop. Well, more like a coffee hole-in-the-wall. Of course, I can never resist a new coffee shop, let alone anything seafoam green, so we had to check it out.

Keeping with the neighborhood’s vibe, Goat Hill is tiny, charming, and quirky. Case in point: pressed tin ceiling, seafoam green details, vintage snow cone maker. Worn wooden shelves lined with vintage tchotsckes (and old-school lollipops for sale) add a rustic look. And when I say tiny, I really mean tiny. The shop consists of a window cove of retro metal chairs at a wraparound bar, plus a few seats overlooking the counter/kitchen area. It probably fits nine people max, plus the baristas. Luckily, that only adds to the charm.

On to the important stuff! Chocolate + coffee = bliss (amirite?) You would think that with a zealous love for chocolate and coffee (ahem), a mocha would be a sure bet for me. Perhaps surprisingly, though, I’m not really a mocha person. Or at least, I didn’t think I was. But this time I wanted something other than your standard latte, so I decided to give the mocha another chance. Spoiler alert: great choice. Not only was my mocha topped with a lovely rosetta latte art (hey, I’m susceptible to a good presentation), it was also delicious — rich, sweet, creamy, and perfectly chocolatey. Goat Hill has mostly basic offerings — you won’t find a frou-frou turtle-butterfinger-marshmallow fluff latte here — but their coffee is top-notch. They also serve Little Freshies snow cones, locally made icy treats in funky flavors like Blackberry Lavender, Spicy Ginger Fizz, and Blood Orange Rosemary. And if you want something sweet to accompany your java, they have a small but mouth-watering selection of scrumptious homemade donuts and pop-tarts. My only complaint is that they have only 8- and 12-oz. latte sizes. Yes, a massive latte is a java afficionado faux pas, but I wanted more mocha — that must be a good sign, right? I suppose I’ll just have to go back…

This post was originally published on my coffee blog, Beanopia, on March 6, 2017.

July 27, 2019