There’s a time in the day when nothing but a good old fashioned cup a Joe will do.
Imagine if you will one part of my average day: Up at 6:30, dress, eat, drive 20 minutes to drop the kid off at school. Drive 15 minutes for a one hour and twenty minute walk. Drive 10 minutes to the grocery store, shop for 32 minutes. Drive ten minutes home. Put away groceries, make the beds and then drive twenty minutes to the mall. Return unwanted items and buy unneeded ones. Drive twenty minutes back home, lunch, begin or finish the laundry, then back to school to pick kid up. Drive 25 minutes to take the kid to basketball practice, and in the middle of all of this driving… I need a little pick me up. My legal pleasure. The little cup of joy I call my beloved, soy latte. But my addiction reaches beyond just a mere cup of coffee. I’m looking for an experience. I want something different, a place where I can escape, slow down, read, pretend I’m in Europe, run into people I know, discuss politics and, get a wonderful caffeine buzz. Then I’m ready to get back on the road
If you’re looking for your own little getaway…
Bird Rock Coffee Roaster: Located in Bird Rock, an idyllic spot just 5 minutes drive south of La Jolla. A few years ago, BRCR sold their coffee at farmers markets and through the home delivery service. In 2006 Chuck Patten opened the coffee bar in Bird Rock. Roasting coffee in small 25 pound batches has a way of keeping the coffee flavor fresh, full bodied and really tasty.
I must say that when this place opened across the street from Starbucks, I thought, “They’ve got balls” and “It’ll never make it”.
BRCR has grown a strong clientele that supports the idea of drinking organically grown, locally owned, unique and, fine tasting coffee.
I like that they always use organic milk in the lattes and cappuccinos.
BRCR also supplies a special blend of coffee for one of my favorite restaurants, The Museum Café.
One of the highlights for me is the Friday mornings “Public Cupping”. It’s a time for true coffee connoisseurs to come out and taste coffee as you would wine. BRCR roasts a 1 pound sample of green beans offered from one of their coffee brokers and customers get to taste, swish and spit.
The truth is, you can always find a Starbucks, but the next time you stop for a coffee drink, I recommend thinking about where the coffee came from, who picked the beans and how much money goes to the farmers that grew it. Don’t you want to really taste the beans that are shade grown and bird friendly? I know I do.
http://www.birdrockcoffeeroasters.com/index.html
Next time…. A designer boutique to make a “project of”…
