Need a little afternoon caffeine boost? Craving something cold and refreshing? Well, you’re in luck because now until May 16, Starbucks is offering a Happy Hour! Head to any participating Starbucks between 3 and 5 p.m. and enjoy a half-priced Frappuccino beverage.
Starbucks is known for its large selection of Frappuccino’s with flavors like Coffee, Mocha, Strawberries & Cream, Café Vanilla, Carmel, Tazo Green Tea and more. Now they’ve added one more to the list- the “however-you-want-it” Frappuccino! With thousands of ways to customize your Frappuccino, Starbucks Happy Hour is the perfect opportunity to be adventurous and create a new icy concoction. Click here for more information.
Free Starbucks Pastries!!
For all of you coffee-drinking, pastry-loving foodies, March 23rd is Free Pastry Day at Starbucks! Head to any participating Starbucks and receive one free pastry with the purchase of any handcrafted, brewed, or iced beverage. If you aren’t familiar with Starbucks pastry selection, they have delicious croissants, bagels, pound cakes, scones, muffins, doughnuts and more. These pastries are free in another sense all year long; free of artificial flavors, dyes, trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup. That makes these tasty treats even more appealing!
To get your free pastry, all you have to do is print out this coupon and give it to your Starbucks barista or, you can even show them the coupon on any mobile device. This special one-day offer is good from opening (which varies by location) until 10:30 a.m., or until pastries run out!
Just Millin’
Are you a coffee snob? You know, one of those people whose mission in life is to make and drink the perfect espresso or cup of coffee? In your world, the coffee must be ground to a particular standard, the water filtration must be just so, and even the method by which the coffee is expressed from the grounds is the subject of careful study?
If this describes you, then you must visit LA Mill in Silverlake. On a recent trip to Los Angeles, I had the pleasure of stopping by and experiencing this unique coffee house/French bistro. Only in LA could you combine coffee perfection and rustic French cuisine against an almost seemingly contradictory modern backdrop. And yet it works – the place was buzzing!
My sister Cara, the kids and I sat down for a late lunch in the posh dining room. Immediately, my children began to worry that the food would be too fancy, and therefore not edible. We were pretty famished, so we began with dessert – that’s what vacations are for, right? We started with the House-Made Brioche Doughnut Holes with a side of Madagascar vanilla crème. And with the kids won over (and no longer cranky from being overly hungry), we dove into the menu.
My daughter ordered the Elia’s Sliders, which were three sliders with carmelized onions, sweet pickle, tomato, arugula, and cheddar on brioche buns, served with a side of delicate shoestring fries. My son, figuring a ham sandwich was a pretty safe choice, ordered one of the baguette sandwiches, Jambon de Paris au Beurre Sale’, consisting of fine French ham with salted Vermont butter and a cone of handcut potato chips. My sister and I both feasted on salads: for my sister, the Chipotle Chicken Salad with apple, currants, scallions, almonds, and celery served with sliced ciabatta; for me, the Flank Steak Salad with tender seared flank steak, sherry honey vinaigrette atop a mesclun blend.
All of our meals were extraordinarily delicious, and we ended up sharing since none of us could decide which was the most delicious. Then, we punctuated our fancy lunch with some – you guessed it – perfectly crafted coffee: for me, it was a nonfat latte, and for my sister a soy version. Just the smell of the coffee sent me over the top.
By this point the kiddos were getting restless, so I never did have time to purchase some coffee beans to bring home and enjoy. But, from previous posts, you know my love affair with LA. Sactown is home, but LA is home away from home. And now, I have a yet another reason to visit.
Tell us, do you have a favorite coffee hangout?
LA Mill
1636 Silver Lake Boulevard
Los Angeles, Ca 90026
(323) 663-4441
Chocolate Fish Coffee, Sacramento
Working in an office, a mid-afternoon caffeine fix is often necessary. We “discovered” a new coffee shop that not only has delicious drinks, but also offers a unique New Zealand flare – right here in downtown Sac. Located on the corner of 3rd and Q Street, from the outside you might second guess if Chocolate Fish Coffee is even open, but it in fact opened its doors in April of this year; despite it’s under construction entrance, the shop is already gaining attention and a downtown following. We’ve taken the four-block trek from our office together on a number of occasions.
The owners, Andy and Edie Baker, are two of several friendly folks that will greet you from behind the counter. On our most recent coffee break, Edie explained that she lived in Auckland for eight years, and recently returned back to the states with a prize souvenir, her husband Andy (who is Kiwi). Together they have built Chocolate Fish Coffee to be a certified organic and free trade coffee shop.
So what’s with the name? A chocolate fish is a fish-shaped confection, it is indigenous to New Zealand and recognized as a “thank you” or “reward” for a good deed. Working diligently at a top PR firm is a daily good deed, right? We think so, and have rewarded ourselves with Chocolate Fish Coffee accordingly.
Coffee Talk
Last Saturday we found ourselves whiling away the afternoon at a coffee shop on the square in Sonoma. Between corralling our big boy and comforting the little one, my husband and I reminisced about our first introductions to coffee. For me, the love of the drink started when my great-grandma, Nanny, offered it to me when I was five. Now, before you gasp, you need to know that my ‘kindergarten coffee’ was a lot of milk and about a drip of coffee.
On the other hand, Nanny’s was just like herself – strong and no nonsense. She drank it steaming hot in a cream-colored chipped-up cup. The only school she knew was the old school; she was 74 when I was born and lived to be a remarkable 101.
As I was finishing my story, Tim looked at me and said, “Yeah, she would have slapped you for spending $4.00 on a cup of coffee,” in reference to the ‘jo in our hands. I laughed because I knew he was right. That’s when it crossed my mind that we could all do a lot worse than to live a good long life and be fondly remembered over a fine cup of coffee.