Black, hot and bitter is the best way to drink it, and deprivation triggers raging headaches. Coffee is by far my biggest weakness.
I can’t function without my morning ritual of gulping down at least two cups on my way to class. The smell is intoxicating, and the taste has become an easily acquired addiction.
But the conversations with my friends that accompany my frequent trips to the big purple couches at Starbucks Coffee Co. are just as important as what I’m drinking. Whether in pursuit of the swanky jazz music or the colored lighting, I set off on an adventure to some of the coffee shops in town to overload myself with caffeine and find out what makes each spot a haven for coffee fiends.
Day 1, Wednesday, Oct. 3
Fighting fatigue from a late night party the previous evening, I downed a yummy but sweet 16-ounce iced vanilla latte as the sun shone through the windows of The Buzz Coffeehouse. Freshman education major Hillary Cook said she likes the homey, comfortable atmosphere of the campus hangout and frequents the establishment five or more times a week.
“This environment is just easy to study in,” she said.
Karman Ratliff, a junior journalism major, said she is enjoying her new job working at the Buzz.
“I was already an addict — now I drink way too much (coffee),” she said.
As James Taylor tunes played in the background, Ratliff said a definite draw to the EMU location is the artwork by local artists, students and faculty on the walls, as well as open-mic nights on Fridays and live poetry readings on Monday nights.
Day 2, Thursday, Oct. 4
As I sipped a 12-ounce cup of 100-percent-real Kona coffee, I was immediately attracted to Allann Bros. Beanery and Coffeehouse. The hardwood floors, warehouse-style ceiling, simple but comfortable furniture, and indoor and outdoor seating make it a great place to escape from the college bubble.
Along with college students studying in pajamas and business men engrossed in their newspapers, Denise Wendt, 37, of Harrisburg, spent her afternoon at the coffee shop. Wendt was celebrating the purchase of her first piece of original artwork with a lunch of Greek quiche and a raspberry and strawberry flavored Oregon Sunset Soda. She said she hadn’t visited the downtown spot for a few years and had missed the “eclecticness” of its location.
“I’m also a people watcher,” she said, as she explained that coffee shops provide a great place to work on writing a book. “I get in touch with my creative side — listening to conversations, watching people and looking for ideas.”
That evening, I also stopped by Espresso Roma and picked up a medium Chai tea. The quiet location and reasonably priced, strong drinks make it one of my favorite places to sit in a corner and hide from the world with a good book.
Day 3, Friday, Oct. 5
Running Horse Coffee Co., in front of Taylor’s Bar and Grill at the corner of 13th Avenue and Kincaid Street, was a quick stop on my way to class Friday morning. As I waited for the owner, DC Cork, to top the lid of my 12-ounce mocha with a coffee bean, I met senior political science major April Snell.
Snell said she visits the stand at least four times a week, sometimes twice a day. The employees don’t have to ask her what she wants — it’s always an Almond Roca latte.
“It is very much an addiction, but it is also very much a treat,” she said.
Snell said she likes the fact that the stand is locally owned and that it uses organic beans.
“They had good flavorings,” Snell said. “I admit it, I get stuck on things. I like to go to the same place to shop and the same place to get coffee.”
Later that day, I snagged two of my friends, Kim Culligan, a sophomore business major, and Lindsey Pilger, a sophomore studying EMS, for a run to Full City Coffee Roasters.
Voodoo, a drink comprised of coffee and espresso, caught my attention on the menu.
“It’s really heavy duty,” said employee Juniper Frazer. “You’re going to want to add flavoring. It’s an in-case-of-emergencies kind of drink.”
Frazer’s warning that I would be “really jumpy by the end of the day” was right on target. I was wired. I felt like a hummingbird high on nectar — I couldn’t sit still.
Culligan went for the Cafe Borgia, a chocolate mocha orange zest espresso with steamed milk and whipped cream.
“It took me a minute to get used to it, but it’s good,” Culligan said.
Full City Coffee Roasters makes its own chocolate, which intrigued Pilger enough to order a chocolate latte.
“It’s rich and creamy,” she said. “It’s a bit much for me, but I can see people liking it.”
We all admired the modern pieces of art hanging from the ceiling, photos by Bob Keefer on the walls and bright, cheery atmosphere. But now that I have all this coffee in my system, I’m headed to the bathroom for my fifth time today.
Lisa Toth is the Pulse/features editor for the Oregon Daily Emerald. She can be reached at [email protected].