Kaldi's

Kaldi's Coffeehouse on 9th street and Cherry.
I went into Kaldi's expecting another run of the mill coffee house with some quaint decor and a few homey touches but nothing really spectacular. However what I found was something totally different. The inside is "green" using recycled carpets and reusable everything, they're dedicated to the planet (and don't ever get sick of telling you haha). The surroundings are comfy with enough seating to accomidate the rather large lunchtime crowd, there is a lounge area with couches and a TV in the back, I didn't make it back there but it looked very cozy. Even thought this blog is about drinks and devoted to beverages, i feel i need to take time out to compliment the food at Kaldi's. WOW. They have a wide variety of sandwiches, salads, and other café fare for whatever you're in the mood for and it is fantastic. My favorite part however was the pita chips, they have freshly made baked pita chips that come out with your sandwich and they're to die for. They're nicely spiced with a good crunch and tons healthier then potato chips or any other kind of deep fried side that usually comes with sandwiches. Ok, now that I've gotten that out of the way, I can move on to the drinks. With a wide variety of coffee drinks, a nice selection of smoothies, teas, and sodas, Kaldi's provides a great selection of beverages. The coffee is tasty but ordinary and they've got a very large selection for you to choose from and an in-house grinder so you can take away freshly ground beans for your at-home enjoyment. Overall I found Kaldi's very pleasant and comfortable, however with this blog being about drinks I have to give it just an average grade in that department but if you're in the mood for café food, definatly head there. I'd give it a C for coffee and an A+ for food, so overall it felt more like a café/restaurant rather then a coffeehouse.

Starbucks

I'll start with the old reliable, the one that millions of people around the world depend on for their morning cup o' joe. Starbucks. As the largest coffee chain across the country and world, Starbucks has a reputation of quality, service, and great prices. The Columbia Starbucks on 9th Street has a prime location for people working downtown and university students and staff. The seating is comfortable but crowded and tables are hard to find during the prime hours on the morning to early afternoon, when the students are monopolizing most of the tables feeding their caffeine addictions. Relaxing music is played at a comfortable level over the nice speakers in the ceiling occasionally interrupted by the baristas calling out the orders. The service is friendly and prompt and the prices are reasonable for the amount you get in the cup. Now the important part: the coffee. With a wide variety of regular coffee and some good decaf options as well, the black coffee is the some of the best around. Also with a wide variety of other specialty drinks, lattes, mochas, espresso, machiatos, and others, anything you can dream up they can make for you. The rotation of the daily blend of coffee is good and the variety is shown off when they switch up the coffee's of the day. The cool drinks are also a staple, with the frappacino available at grocery stores around the country. They have blended drinks and chai drinks as well. The food is very plain. A few pastries and bagels and things but nothing overwhelming. They don't really offer anything other then breakfast food so if you're looking for a sandwich or soup for lunch you're SOL.
Overall Starbucks offers a very competitive coffee shop experience. They do a very good job at rejecting the cookie-cutter look that many national chains end up having. It doesn't have the local feel that many mom and pop stores have but overall it's a great place to go and grab a quick cup of coffee to go, meet a friend for a latte, or study for an important exam. They offer good coffee for reasonable prices and are readily available for everyone around the country.

Caffeine Corner

Sampling the local fare at coffee shops around Columbia is just a hobby of mine, so this week I'll head to 5 neighborhood coffee shops and bring back reports of ambiance, cost, food, and of course, the coffee.

Kauldi's- 9th and Cherry
It's a Grind- SouthHampton
Panera- Both South Providence and 9th Street
Starbucks- 9th Street
Cherry Street Artisan- Cherry St

Another Round!

My life revolves around the drink in my hand. Whether it's my morning cup of coffee, a beer after a long day, or the sports drink after the basketball game, what goes into my cup, mug, or bottle is what fuels my life. I'll dedicate my entries to new and different drink recipes, new twists on old reliables, good hotspots for finding cheap good quality drinks, the benifits of specific sports drinks. With the body made up of 70% liquid, I've decided to dedicate 100% of this blog to refueling, rehydrating, and replentishing that percentage. Hope you enjoy!