{ Coffee Thirsty | Refill }

i just got the news via email … the news w/ a friendly Valentine’s Day invitation to stop by The Javaroom for their first day of serving wine + spirits …

that’s right … it seems as Starbucks slips in my eyes, introducing the ‘warmed’ breakfast sandwich to their bag of tricks … The Javaroom takes a step up + continues to epitomize a delicious cafe retreat in the very heart of Chelmsford … a warm heart for coffee + nightlife at that … here is an excerpt from The Javaroom email announcement …

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A sample of what you’ll sip: ** A Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, a Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir, an Italian Pinot Grigio, a German Riesling…and for those interested in something warm, a Cafe Mudslide, a B-52 Mocha, a Spiced Chai Lullaby, and many more! **

We will debut the new liquor line on Valentine’s Day, this coming Wednesday. Please bring your sweetheart all day long for drinks, decadent cupcakes from the famous NYC Magnolia Bakery (you may have heard about them from Sex and the City) and other food fare. Pianist Richard Schubert from Methuen will entertain us from 7:30 to 9pm with standards and show tunes from the 30s, 40s, and 50s, as well as swing and jazz.

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i know, i know … at this point you must be thinking ‘jeez, what does this guy WORK for The Javaroom? he writes an entry about them everyday’ … and while i do tend to write prolific accounts of morning coffee visits, music, and the comings + goings of the morning crowd, i can assure you that i DO NOT work for The Javaroom … but i do believe in the owners, the staff and this fantastic cafe that stands for all of the best for local business and for the big picture regarding a superior coffee drinking experience …

stop by if you can make it … it’s this Wednesday … Happy Valentine’s Day …

On our commute to the office (aka as ‘living hell’ or ‘the place you go to chew on tinfoil’), my friend Vincent and I try to stop somewhere for some quality brew to ease the pain of another day in the working life. We try to steer clear of the chain coffee shops. This place has so many independently-owned coffee shops/cafes/roasting houses where you can get some great coffee.

Some mornings, we would stop at a place called Sitka and Spruce. The place is from all accounts quite a nice little restaurant. For awhile, they were serving coffee in the mornings there to bring in more business. We started going there. Boy, were we in for a treat.

Every time we went there, it looked as if the place were closed. As we made our way into the place, the gloomy darkness of the place would envelop us. It was cold too, with concrete floors….a cold, cold room indeed. We always wondered if there was anyone in there, or if someone had come in overnight with a machete and massacred everyone with a vengeance over some trivial disagreement.

Inevitably, someone would always make their way out from “the back”. Usually, it was this youngish, trendy alternative-type who would emerge from behind amidst a cloud of apathy topped with an onion-skin cap. He was standoffish and engaged at the same time in his own way. He would take our order…usually two double-short lattes to go. God protect the poor soul who dared drink their coffee in that dark and cold cavern of despair and coolness.

The guy made a mean cup off coffee for sure. You could tell that despite his nonchalant air, this guy was serious about making coffee. When it came time to pay, it always seemed a bit too expensive. Other days we would return and place the same order from a different person, and the total was alway like a dollar less. But we never questioned this. You should never question anyone who makes such exquisite coffee…even if they are wearing an onion-skin cap.