Coffee & Tea

I’m sitting in PJ’s coffee shop not to be confused with sitting in pajamas which I would totally be doing if TW’s car wasn’t unhappy.  But TW’s car IS unhappy and so it’s at the car doctor – not the dealer doctor because I refuse to step foot in that dealership ever again.  Instead, it’s at a repair shop a little way from PJ’s.

TW and I first went to PJ’s shortly after they opened last summer.  We were not overly impressed.  Today, I’m liking it better.  Besides it being incredibly convenient to the car doctor, it has not been crowded (though it is getting busier), it was not expensive, the spinach and feta croissant was excellent.  Also, the barristas wandering around in jester hats for Mardi Gras are amusing.  Also, eavesdropping on all of the women who have entered the shop for the first time, that is interesting.

One woman asked the chicks behind the register if they had to clean up after themselves.  One woman was having an orgasm over some caramel pastry that the manager convincer her to try.  There’s another woman speaking what sounds like Italian to another woman who is speaking only English.  The Italian woman will occasionally say something in Italian and the other woman will say NO I prefer English.  It’s a little weird.

Anyway, PJ’s has been nice.  There are worse places to hang out during car doctor visits.  I should know, I’ve experienced quite a few of them.

A friend sent me another Trader Joe’s gift box this weekend, yea for friends who live near Trader Joe’s!  Inside the box was a can of Illy coffee.  I love coffee.  And I’ve wanted to try Illy since Elaine blogged about it in December.

So this afternoon I cleaned the kitchen, cleaned the coffee pot and reached for the can.  I unscrewed the top and found a "pop top" thingy.  As I was pulling the ring, I notice the word "stop" in red letters.  But it was too late to stop …

Before I knew it, I was covered in coffee.  So was the counter.  So was the stove top.  So were the dogs. 

Upon closer inspection, the pop top suggests releasing the air SLOWLY from the can.  It does not say why you should release the air slowly.  I will tell you why.  Coffee explosion, that’s why. 

How does the Illy taste?  Pretty darn awesome, actually.  One of the best coffees I’ve had in quite some time.  I could get used to this coffee.  Except for the explosion part. 

So tell me, what do you think of the Coffee Conversations podcasts from Starbucks?  Kind of boring?

I am not a Caribou Coffee fan. I’m sorry, I’m just not. I’ve tried and I wouldn’t turn it down if it was the only coffee shop in town, I’m just not going to ever switch from Starbucks to Caribou (not that I could do that anyway, since we don’t have a Caribou in Gainesville, but you get my point, right?).


I do think Caribou’s decision to the Starbucks iced coffee coupons was brilliant and if I had a Caribou near by and drank iced coffee, I would head into their store and thank them. Starbucks has not shown itself to be a brilliant company of late and the whole email coupon thing was just ridiculous.


I can give props to Caribou Coffee for one other thing, and it’s something I’ve been meaning to post about for quite some time… Caribou Coffee Bars! I’m not a power bar, breakfast bar, cereal bar sort of person but these, well, these I truly enjoy. They aren’t a diet bar, people, so don’t buy them if you’re attempting to lose weight. Well don’t buy them if you are attempting to lose weight and find it difficult to limit your serving sizes when it comes to sweet treats. Which flavor is best, you ask? Both are excellent. Michelle prefers the Mocha but I have absolutely no preference whatsoever.


Go Caribou!

Can I just say I’m not impressed with the Starbucks Coffee Subscription? Yes, I can definitely say it because I am sooo not impressed. 

You don’t get a discount on the price of the beans.  Shipping isn’t free until you hit $49 and they aren’t offering any cute freebies the way Gevalia does and the way Boca Java does.  What’s the point?  The only benefit I could see, for me, would be the ability to order my "seasonal favorite", Gazebo, all year long.  But Gazebo isn’t even on the list today, while it is in season.  So no benefit.

I suppose if you live a zillion miles away from a Starbucks and you really like their beans but don’t want to be stuck with the one or maybe two types offered by your grocery store, then this would work for you.  But for the masses – I don’t think so.

Starbucks should do better.

I have been looking forward to summer for months. Since late January, actually. Summer officially arrived on Monday. Starbucks says so.
As much as I have enjoyed trying all of the Boca Java Bloggersfuel coffees, I have been looking forward to the arrival of Gazebo more. Last Thursday when Alex, a nice boy barrista I know, told me it would finally be in on Monday, I was THRILLED beyond belief.

TW and I happened to be standing at the counter waiting for our coffee on Monday morning when the delivery dude pushed his way passed us with his cart full of Starbucks boxes. It took me about 15 seconds and then I said MY GAZEBO is here! Little miss nutrition major barrista tried to ignore me and pretend like she didn’t know what I was TALKING about. She tried to PRETEND like she wasn’t going to rip those boxes open for me and sell me a bag right that red hot minute. She’s a mean girl and I will never dream about her and my sister going shopping together again – that will teach her, won’t it?

She was only mean for a minute and then she wiggled boxes around and wiggled more boxes around and found the one I needed. She ripped it open. She handed it to me. I bought it with my trusty Starbucks card (thus leaving me $2 short for our daily coffee on the card but what the heck) and I took my bag home happily.

I didn’t rush right home and make a pot. I finished the last of the Boca Java, a blend I did not really enjoy and TW hated the smell of. Today, however, I am making my Gazebo. And I am excited. What a perfect way to end June and kick off the very long and crazy month of July.

I wish Starbucks understood that summer doesn’t start in July for those of us in the southeastern part of the US of A. I wish Starbucks understood that and respected our needs and shipped our Gazebo in, oh let’s say, MARCH.

Now I’m off to enjoy my cup and listen in on a phone conference. Mmmmm summer.

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