Kidd Coffee

Last Monday, the fearless Espresso Expressed team set out on a trek to Kidd Coffee in mason, Ohio. It's a quaint little place by the street with nice outdoor seating and a store front of windows. Walking in, it's a very cozy, perhaps too cozy, set up. It's got a few tables and a great lounge-like area with comfy sofas and a coffee table while a monstrous fireplace stands in the background. For business meetings, a private room is provided inside what used to be a bank vault. Wifi and a computer are also free for use.

Now, Kidd Coffee is a great place if it's not busy. Otherwise, it's kind of cramped, even with outdoor seating. There's not much privacy, if you want to sit down and discuss a serious subject or have a deep talk. But, to make up for it they have a good vibe, great service, friendly workers and decent coffee (although, compared to starbucks White Chocolate Mocha, the one I had didn't quite deliver, but it was good all the same). They also have a convenient drive-thru and an open mic night.

They have a very family-friendly atmosphere due to the fact that it's family owned and family run. And, partly because of that, it's a very comfortable place. It's nice to just get eaten up by one of those chairs and gaze out the big wall of windows to the patio with the large, gnarled tree lording over it and off to the street beyond.

While enjoying our hot beverages, Malcolm and I went over to ask one of the workers a few questions about how Kid Coffee is run. We asked her about her bean supplier but she said that was classified. Better luck next time, eh? So we moved onto what exactly makes Kidd Coffee so unique, apart from the obvious? Well, she said that, for one thing, they have a custom blend of coffee that is completely unique to their franchise. She also said that the down-to-earth and personal vibe of the shop helps to bring personal relationships with many customers.

So, how did Kidd Coffee get its start? The answer is simple. The owner lived in mason and wanted to have a place where he could get a quick cup of coffee that still retained quality. It seems that Kidd Coffee has done just that with their Carmel Machiato and White Mocha, along with scrumptious muffins, just to mention a few of their most popular items.

Over all, Kidd Coffee is a great place, as long as it's not busy. It's cozy and, be that what it may, it's still a decent coffee shop. So, feel free to drop by one of their seven locations, maybe for open mic night?

http://www.kiddcoffee.com/index.htm

Overall: 6.5

Taza Mia

"Fresher Coffee with Better Food" were the words that greeted us as we entered the Taza Mia, and things were looking up as we entered.

However, before we get into details, Espresso Expressed has an announcement to make, one of startling natures. Our crew of the three M's has now increased into something much bigger. Three M's and a J! We included a new member by the name of Joshua David Newman, and we think he'll do pretty good as an addition for us!

Anyway, as I was saying, things were looking up as we entered the Taza Mia. The place had an interesting look; while it was definitely not the homiest place in the world, it was a very unique looking place. Rather high techy look, but for this place it worked. Immediately upon walking in we were surprised to see that had an actual bean machine where they ground and worked their own beans! Upon asking, we learned that the workers there were all certified to actually brew their own beans and everything! It was very exciting, and one lady actually gave us a demonstration. It was good stuff :)

Upon looking around, the place was gorgeous. Like I said, not homey, but still awesome in it's own way! The walls were covered with local paintings that they were selling, and wherever they didn't have those, they had little tidbits about how coffee beans were grown and made, and all sort of random coffee trivia! It was truly lovely. However, nothing could beat the seating there. It was the most unique seating I believe we've come upon! They had nice cushy chairs, with revolving tables on either side that you could pull in front of you, or push off to the side! It was glorious, to an easily pleased aesthetic lover like myself. And in the center of the room was an awesome fireplace(which thankfully was not lit, because it was a hot day). Needless to say, the interior was awesome. Sadly, we were not able to snap any photos that day; if we ever go back, we'll get you all some :)

I feel like I've talked too much already, but there's much more to say! One of the more intriguing things about the place was that they had games and books for all ages(Amanda and I spent a good half hour playing Stratego(little does she know, I cheated it into a tie when I should have lost :O)). The coffee was rather good, as were the shakes; however, they were not spectacular. The service there was decent, but not quite as friendly as one would hope. As for location, it was an interesting location; a bit out of the way, but a very nice place right next to some good restaurants.

All in all, it was a delightful coffee shop; however, on our travels, it did not rank in the very top. After a careful discussion, we decided to give it a 6.5.

Cafe MoCA

Well hey again! We're back, minus one. This time it's just Malcolm and Matt because Mikey had some other thing to do; obviously he has messed up priorities.

This week, we journeyed to a little coffee shop in East Walnut Hills on the corner of Madison and Woodburn, called Cafe MoCA...

The location is just downtown on a corner and everything gave a good, chill, walk right on in vibe. I'd say the biggest downfall of the setting and everything was the whole place was just so big and open and there really wasn't much privacy for a group or anything. Aside from that it was mostly pretty awesome. There's free wi-fi, a little free parking lot right behind it, a few outdoor tables and a huge selection of food and drinks. The Carmel Machiato was exceptionally good. Another totally awesome thing about the location and setting was that there was a huge cathedral right across the street so you could clearly hear that church bells every now and then. Also, the service there is awesome and they have really good interaction with the customers. It's definitely a place to go back to and just hang out at.
This time we started a 3 or 4 question interview with the employees. We managed to catch one of the girls working there during a lull in the day and ask her a few questions:
~What makes Cafe MoCA different from all the other coffee shops? There are TONS of coffee flavors and different food you can get (their menu is pretty huge).
~Why did you pick this location for the shop? Little shops and stores and businesses were starting to spring up all around and it just seemed like a really central location for a good coffee shop to get business, especially during lunch break hours.
~Who is the bean supplier for Cafe MoCA? Seven Hills Coffee Co.
~Which is your most popular drink? The Chai Tea Latte (we decided to give this one a try...it was INCREDIBLE. So creamy. WAY better than Starbucks'!)
~Which is your most popular meal? Either the Chicken Tuscany Panini or the Spicy Cajun Panini

All in all, it was a fantastic little coffee shop. Great food, great coffee, great service! If you ever get the chance, definitely pop in for a visit!

After a tough decision, we gave this a 7.5

The Metropole

Hello, big, scary, world… This is the guys’s from Espresso Expressed and we are writing our first blog whilst listening to a mix by Urban Outfitters (LSTN #5)

On June 8^th, 2009, Mikey Evans, Matt Evans, and Malcolm McCoffee began their escapade to scavenge and pick apart different brilliant ideas from other coffee business owners to ultimately design the best coffee shop the world has ever experienced, and ever will.

Our first visit was a little coffee shop in West Chester, by the name of The Metropole.

Upon the arrival at The Metropole, their was a mixed vibe between us three. I, (Malcolm McAfee) felt that the coffee shop was extremely convenient but difficult to find. Mikey Evan’s felt unsure about it from the looks of the place but was excited to get inside and dive into the adventures that coffee has to offer. Finally, Matt was skeptical of the idea of a coffee shop class all together, but his mind was quickly changed.

The building had an aged-house-look, and the inside felt the same as the outward appearance. The inside was much like your grandmothers house: quiet, private and homey. The friendliness of the service was decent, but it didn’t make you feel real welcome. The drinks were pretty good, but typical. But their peanut butter Macchiato was exceptional. The rooms inside of the coffee shop were actually all separated by the hallway, which was nice because that made it secluded, and you felt quite secure with your coffee and conversation. However, the hall was quite thin, which made you feel smooshed. We also did not like that the espresso machines were automatic, and we exclaimed that, “It’s espresso, not expresso… So it doesn’t have to be fast.” They also had a nice back patio with flowers, chairs and tables, which made for a lovely atmosphere outside, but there was ugly trailers beside the building, from another company.

Overall, the coffee shop was good, we just hoped it would have been manual espresso machines, and that the sign was larger so we could find the shop more easily. But the homely and private feeling of the secluded rooms quickly overshadowed the cons of the shop, and made for a great first experience.

After heavy discussion, we decided that, in our expert opinion, The Metropole was an 8/10. We highly recommend you stop by if you can :)

Check their website out here!

Official

So, we have officially been Expressed, Espresso style! Well, not entirely. We've still got that whole posting thing to do, yet to come. But we visited our first coffee house(The Metropole), and man was it nice! Look forward to filling you guys in all about it in the weeks(hopefully days, but that's doubtful) to come!


-Mikey

Beginnings

SWEET!!!