coffee

san francisco – day 2

kdavis Leave a comment

thursday morning honestly arrived a little too early for my liking.  although brian’s bed is extremely comfortable, a few more hours of shuteye really would have done wonders.  well, there’s no room for whiners on this vacation, so we were up and at it by 7:30 a.m.  an early day indeed!

brian was going to take the later bus to work so that we’d have a little morning time together.  our first destination of the day was cafe st. jorge for a little caffeine and munchies.  this place was all kinds of adorable, and i’m sure i embarrassed brian with all my question asking and picture taking.  hey, there comes a time when one must be a shameless blogger, and that time for me is now.  this type of coffee shop is right up my alley, and if i lived here, i bet it’s where i would go to write and read.

brian went for a large black coffee and i had a small cafe au lait.  it was a solid au lait, a good thing since it is my favorite coffee beverage.

my cousin is such a stud!

my cousin is such a stud!

for eats i had the banana bread.  i didn’t want anything too filling since i was planning to eat practically all day long.  i wish it had been a little more moist, but the flavors and density you come to expect from banana bread were definitely there.

'naner bread.

‘naner bread.

brian went with his usual in the small granola bowl.  it was the cutest and most homey bowl i’d ever seen in my life, and i’m lucky he let me have a couple bites.  the yogurt wasn’t overly sweet, and the homemade granola was stupid good.  the fruit was fresh, and everything together in a single spoonful made for a very tasty breakfast.

IMG_20150423_075124~2

we grabbed lids for our coffees and began our morning hike.  brian had warned me about the hills, but, yeah, i quickly felt out of shape, and i run half-marathons for goodness’ sakes!  slowly my layers were stripped as we continued upward towards the heavens.  all that was running through my head was miley cyrus’ hit “the climb.”  remember folks, it’s about the journey, not the destination.

brian promised me the effort would be worthwhile, and after we were atop the city, i realized he was absolutely right.  the view from this high up is just gorgeous, a sweeping scene of san francisco and all its neighborhoods.  the breeze was cooling, and the ultimate feeling of relaxation set in as we took in everything.  ah, thank goodness for vacation days!

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a selfish morning

kdavis 2 Comments

i’ll be honest:  i’ve been quite the time hog this month so far.  july is my birthday month (ah, 26!), and i have spent my days doing just what i want.  we ran the peachtree on the fourth, spent last weekend in athens for a friend’s wedding (congrats, sam and nathan!), and i now find myself with a lazy weekend.  we’ve got more birthday celebrations tonight, but this morning was all for me.

although i’ve used the afternoon to catch up on cleaning house and tending to other domestic chores, i treated myself to an indulgent morning.  first, there was a haircut with the lovely master stylist karen at balance salon in dunwoody.  she’s just so great!  i then skipped right on over to an open table at café intermezzo.

café intermezzo has been around atlanta since december 1979, and it has created quite a reputation for itself in the many years between then and now.  this place is one where you can come for whatever reason.  to catch up with someone over coffee, to share a spoon and dessert with someone special, to spend time pondering and wondering about all that is (yours truly).  all are good and sufficient reasons to find yourself here, and café intermezzo is someplace that, when i leave each time, i hope to be back there again very soon.

this morning i had some writing and thinking to do, so i started my visit with a café au lait, a classic coffee creation.  i forget how delicious they are, and this one may have been the best i have ever had.  it didn’t need sugar.  it didn’t need anything except to be consumed in fast fashion.

coffee rings, like tree rings, right?
since 1979.
cafe au lait.

the lovely view from my terrace table.  relaxing and serene, yes?

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food was in order as well, and i figured i needed something substantial to get me through my busy day.  i was in the mood to get something out of my ordinary, so the salmon and cream cheese omelette was delivered in no time.  i had never tried lox and cream cheese.  there is no time like the present!  i took my first few bites, intrigued by the interesting flavor mixes.  the sweet cream cheese with the fishy salmon proved to be too odd a combination for me, especially so early in the day, so i was unable to finish it all.  but!  at least now i have tried and now i know, no lox and cream cheese for me, please.  i’ll probably stick with something more traditional next time.

wait, who am i kidding.  the next time i come i’ll probably get a huge slice of cake…and a bowl of gelato…and at least two cafes.  eh, par for the course!

on an unrelated note, it seems i like to take pictures of things of different heights.  like, all the time.

my morning was relaxing and inspiring and carefree.  sometimes we need to make sure we take care of ourselves so that we can pour into others as we are able.  treat yourself.  and if anyone asks, you can tell them i said it was okay.

oh, oprah

kdavis Leave a comment

mom, clark, and i rolled through the starbucks drive-thru recently to grab some refreshing treats before the braves game.  after placing our orders, i pulled forward to the window and was pleasantly greeted by the employee.  upon returning my card, she asked if we would like to try the oprah chai tea, a new creation made possible by the crafty hands at teavana.  never one to turn down a new experience, i cheerily replied, “why not!”  the employee recommended it over ice since the sun was out and warm that afternoon.  the chilled drink was sweet and spicy, just how i like my chai.  i highly recommend you give it a try in place of your usual double, skinny, sugar-free vanilla latte with whipped cream and nutmeg.

along with oprah-inspired chai, your cup will be hugged by an inspiring sleeve.  the sleeves are a part of oprah’s steep-your-soul movement, one that encourages us to pause and reflect during our day.  to no one’s surprise, i was hooked.  i’ve held onto the three sleeves we were given for nearly two weeks now because i like them so much.  here are the wise words that were shared with us:

“the only courage you ever need is the courage to live the life you want.”

“know what sparks the light in you.  then use that light to illuminate the world.”

“live from the heart of yourself.  seek to be whole, not perfect.”

whether it’s a stroll around the block or an actual mid-afternoon frappuccino break, take some time in your day to pause, reflect, and give thanks.  sometimes the days are so beautiful that our busy lives cause them to pass by.  inhale.  exhale.  smile.  repeat.

my name is kelsey, and i love coffee

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in high school and college, i had the fortunate experience of working in a coffee shop.  during high school it was at cambridge coffee in the lee branch shopping center of birmingham.  through my junior and senior years of college it was in the student learning center’s jittery joe’s.  i wouldn’t trade those shifts for the world, they were such a blast.  some of my best memories are when i played barista.  there’s a special camaraderie forged among you and your coworkers and the customers, and whenever i find myself at a coffee shop, i often reminisce about those days that seem so long ago and so far away.

at a coffee shop, you have several kinds of customers.  the people who like the smell of coffee but not the taste, so they order hot chocolates or mochas without espresso (hint hint, they’re the same thing); the people who only drink black coffee because they are “coffee purists;” the people who order fat-free, sugar-free lattes but absolutely want the whipped cream on top (they might be my favorite); the people who pronounce it “expresso” (there is no ‘x’ in the word!); the people who think a starbucks macchiato is a real macchiato (i promise you that it is not); the people who order large coffees five times throughout the same day (what do you DO?); the people who have been waiting in line for ten minutes but still do not know what to order when they arrive at the counter; the people who, after you announce a drink, repeat it right back as a question, as if you might be wrong; the people who order soy cappuccinos (i just, i can’t).

yes!  it’s true!  these people actually exist.  and in all honesty, the only reason i get a kick out of some folks is because i have the knowledge and expertise of what it is like to work behind that machine and counter, cranking out lattes and frozen, blended drinks for hours on end.  i hold nothing against coffee drinkers who don’t know what i know; i just like to smile to myself when they come by the counter.

regardless of what customers are ordering or who they might be, working in a coffee shop is an absolute pleasure, and if i could make a decent five-figure salary as a full-time barista, i’d be signing up tomorrow.  there is something special about seeing your regulars and calling them by name, catching up on their whereabouts and recent life events.  you have this strange, exclusive connection with the customers that they might not even share with the people closest to them.  believe me, if you will listen, people will talk.  but, considering that i am quite the people person, i have no qualms about it whatsoever.

someday i hope to start my own coffee shop or bakery or combination of the two.  i love coffee but would not call myself an expert; i’ll let someone else in the business handle that.  i want to be head baker at this establishment, deciding that morning just exactly what we are in the mood to make that day.  i want to be up in front with the patrons, sharing a friendly smile as they start their day or wind down their evening.  it’ll be an eclectic place, local art on the walls, a community bookshelf for the readers, funky tables and chairs that, although they do not sit quite level, are incredibly comfortable.

the staff will be warm and friendly, happy to have you in our shop and not irritated that you just had to stop by before that 10:00 a.m. meeting.  you’ll be able to bring your friends for a catch-up date but also spend alone time here as you read or write or people-watch.

is this a place you would come?  does it sound nice and inviting?  i hope so, because i keep my fingers crossed each time i stop for a cup that i’ll get to create that kind of space for my family and friends.