coffee – Lauren Warnecke

Two places in Dublin you have to go.

There is a lot to see in Dublin, despite it being a relatively small city. Everything is pretty much walking distance from everything, which sometimes makes the city maps really confusing.

I digress.

If you find yourself in Dublin, there are typical touristy places like Dublin Castle and the Book of Kells. You should probably go there, but if you know anything about me then you know that I’m not a traveller who typically likes to visit tourist traps. What I enjoy when traveling is really good food and drink, and I have two recommendations that you must not miss. Continue reading Two places in Dublin you have to go.

You can tear these coffee passports from my cold, dead hands.

I was repurposing a big basket tonight (as I’m apt to do in the wee hours of the morning when I’ve accidentally drank too much coffee after 6pm), and came across a stack of coffee passports and coffee master kits from my time in the trenches at Starbucks. The thought crossed my mind that it might be time to purge some of these things, but I don’t know, I just don’t want to yet.

The thing is: I have a lot of really fond memories of working at Starbucks. It’s surprising how many sentences I start with, “You know, when I worked at Starbucks…”

Starbucks was my first real job. I was set to graduate college, and, having a typical 22-year-old what-am-I-doing-with-my-life existential crisis, walked three miles from school to find a serendipitous sign on the storefront at 670 N. Michigan, Number 2548 – the busiest Starbucks in the Midwest. It went something like: “Now Hiring.”

Ok, as far as coffee art goes I get that Starbucks is the McDonald’s of premium coffee beverages (except, apparently the golden arches have their own fancy coffees now too…), but I maintain that it was, and I assume still is, a fantastic company to work for. Character building… yeah, that’s what it was.

So…. right. Purging.

In the end, I parted with the two coffee master kits, but couldn’t give up the passports even after streaming an episode of Hoarders on Netflix.

#thestruggleisreal

A Coffee Post that is Not About Starbucks

One of the reasons we decided to drive to Florida this year was to create a reason to go to Nashville. While I don’t necessarily envision Nashville as a final destination, stopping over for the night was something I was really looking forward to. Provided you don’t stay at the Ramada by the airport, it’s a really good time… but that’s another story.

Crema is a totally rad coffee shop a little off the beaten path from the big flashy bars and touristy country music stores. I’ll always love my Starbucks, but this place is special. We met up with a friend who swears by their Cuban coffee. Since she’s marrying a Cuban guy you can be sure she’s a reliable source. A had the cortado, which is essentially a really, really strong latte. I wish I hadn’t eaten a crappy waffle at the Ramada, because I would have loved to try the house-made quiche, or a breakfast “cremarito”. On a chilly Sunday morning it was easy to find a cozy corner to chat or read a book, but from what I hear the place can get packed pretty easily. People don’t mind the wait, and after trying Crema once, I wouldn’t mind it either.

Using the Nashville filter in Nashville… naturally

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Crema is located at 15 Hermitage Ave. in Nashville, TN. Store hours are MON – FRI 7AM – 7PM // SAT 8AM – 6PM // SUN 9AM – 4PM. Follow them on twitter @cremacrema

Starbucks Around the World: Somewhere outside Atlanta, GA

Ah, how I love a road trip. I’m not going to say that I rely on road trips to fill out my collection of Starbucks site visits, but it sure doesn’t hurt.

Leaving this winter wonderland behind wasn’t too hard…

… to spend the holiday vacationing in Florida. Along the way we came across rising temps and a nice little Starbucks outside of Atlanta. Apparently you aren’t supposed to drive through Atlanta, though I can neither confirm nor deny the horrendous traffic that is rumored to be there. After a couple hundred miles with not a green siren in site, this was a misto I’d been waiting for (which might explain the weird look on my face… or maybe I was in the middle of sentence. Either way…)

Twenty Days of Thankful #9

Day #9: The Love of my Life

You might have thought I already covered this, but let’s make one thing clear: coffee stole my heart long before anyone else.

More than one person has asked me if my tattoo of a teapot was the result of a drunken escapade. Not so – as a matter of fact I have a deep affinity for hot beverages. But it’s not just how coffee tastes – the thing that I’m really drawn to is the gathering of people together that accompanies a pot of joe. Communing this way is a quality of nearly every culture of the world, and many of our differences could perhaps be worked on by sharing a cup.

Visiting a coffee roaster in Pluma Hidalgo, Mexico

More than just a caffeine fix, coffee is something that reminds me to slow down and connect with people, share ideas, and explore our differences.

Twenty Days of Thankful #5

Day #5: Sun and skyscrapers

On my last morning commuting in from the suburbs, this was the view. Actually it was better than this, but sometimes pictures don’t do sunrises justice (at least not instgram pictures on my phone). The traffic was moving, the ipod was blaring, the coffee was hot and, in the words of the great Travis Tritt, “It’s a great day to be alive.”

Yeah, I went there.

Starbucks Around the World: 8 S. Michigan

I’m flying solo tonight going to (can you guess?!?) a dance show and stopped for a greek yogurt and short hot chocolate. It’s the dinner of champs, right?

There is a buzz about downtown stores that reminds me of mine. Lots of guests, even in the evening, and lots of baristas, all quite friendly. The wifi, the stale smell of past grindings… it almost makes me miss it.

Almost.