Fonté Cafe

It’s time for the “Monthly Grind”. This is where my sidekick Debra and I put the spotlight on a local coffee shop. Our visit this month takes us to Fonté Café to see what all the buzz is about.

Aztec Mocha

S & P Latte

November is a busy month for most people, with the holiday season starting and Thanksgiving dinner to plan. With that said I wasn't sure I would be able to to fit in a visit with Debra. With our busy schedules Debra and I were not able to meet up. So my friend Ryan stepped in for her on this visit...

Ryan actually picked this location. He has been telling me about it for a long time, so we thought it would be a great time to try it out. Located at 1321 on first avenue, across from the Seattle Art Museum and steps from the Pike place market. We walked on a very cold morning and arrived half frozen. I think being cold is what got me in the mood for something hot and in a hurry. I ordered an Aztec mocha which consisted of chocolate, cayenne, cinnamon, and black pepper. To go along with that I ordered the chorizo scramble. Ryan went on the more cautious side. He ordered the the S & P latte, it included carmel, smoked sea salt, and black pepper. To go along his latte he ordered the cheese omelet. The Aztec mocha definitely spiced things up for me. I have never had such a spicy flavor in my coffee. It literally took my breath away on the first sip! I have to say I really enjoyed all the flavors and that extra kick to it. The scramble was just as delicious...a mixture of spices, flavors, and heartiness left me wanting more. Ryan had nothing but good things to say about his latte and omelet. He was never has been a huge coffee guy, but I think after hanging out with me that has changed!

I felt like it definitely had that bar setting feel to it. Very comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. The staff was very friendly and our waitress was helpful in any of the questions we had. It is a bit on the smaller side of the cafes I have visited. 

Fonté roast their own beans, and was voted the best micro-coffee roaster in the Northwest,” by Northwest Palate Magazine. They also provide coffee to retailers, restaurants and luxury hotels including places like the Wynn hotel in Las Vegas, the Four Seasons, and many more.

Can't say enough great things about this visit. I highly recommend stopping in and trying some of their specialty coffee drinks and for a very tasty meal. I want to thank Ryan once again for stepping in for Debra and for picking a great place! You can visit their website at: http://www.fontecoffee.com/

Seattle Coffee Works

It’s time for the “Monthly Grind”. This is where my sidekick Debra and I put the spotlight on a local coffee shop. Our visit this month takes us to Seattle Coffee Works to see what all the buzz is about.

Still a little behind on the blogs but I am catching up! I got to pick our October visit location and it just happened to fall on Halloween. I have wanted to visit Seattle coffee works for a long time now. It is located on 107 Pike Street (between 1st Ave & News Ln) in downtown Seattle. It is very close to the Pike place market. It was really fun to see everyone dressed up in their costumes.

Ok enough about all that, let us get into the visit! Seattle coffee works does roast their own coffee and they have a variety of different blends available. They even had an Obama blend out. I really wanted to see the roaster, but Debra and I ran out of time. As we were deciding what to order, we both were offered a sample of freshly made french pressed coffee. I forgot what flavor the beans were, but it was very good and had a really unique taste to it. I ordered a mocha and also a small biscotti. Debra was a bit more hungry and ordered a sandwich. Now I know you all will be shocked, but Debra did not order tea this visit! I was pretty shocked myself...she ended up just having more of that french pressed coffee. I love giving her a bad time about ordering tea on our coffee visits. My mocha was excellent! It really had a nice taste and perfect balance of flavors to it. The biscotti was that perfect pairing to go along with it. Debra really enjoyed her pressed coffee and said that her sandwich was a great & simple lunch.

If any of you have visited Seattle coffee works you will know they have a variety of different brewing methods available. They have all the devices on display in the cafe. Some of them look pretty crazy. Their cafe is split into two sections. First is the Express bar where their standard drinks and food are served. You can also pick up some beans to go home with you. Now their Slow bar is their tasting room. I borrowed this description from their website:

"Come here to taste coffee varietals, test different methods of extraction, meet fellow coffee geeks, or celebrate a special occasion with a prized cup of coffee. This is a place to indulge your sense of curiosity and revel in the spirit of inquiry. There's so much more to coffee than meets the eye, and the best coffees and blends are yet to be developed. Partner with us on this journey of coffee innovation! Our Slow Bar is what makes us unique in the world of coffee. It's part ritual, part playground and part science lab. We will make you any cup of coffee to order."

I definitely plan on making another visit here soon! We simply just ran out of time for us to experience everything they have to offer. I hope you all get a chance to at least stop in a try a cup and maybe learn one or two things about coffee. Check out their website: www.seattlecoffeeworks.com

Soho Coffee

It’s time for the “Monthly Grind”. This is where my sidekick Debra and I put the spotlight on a local coffee shop. Our visit this month takes us to Soho Coffee Company to see what all the buzz is about.

First of all I have to apologize that I have neglected my blog for so long! I hate using the excuse that I have just been really busy and I haven't had time...but I really have been super busy!! No need to fear though, Debra and I have not been slacking on our coffee visits...we did make a visit to a new location each month.

Debra got to choose the spot in September. She picked the Soho coffee company in the central district of Seattle. It is a small little corner building next to a city park and a school. Once inside we felt very cozy and it had that coffee house feeling. I ordered an iced mocha since it was still somewhat summer time. They serve Stumptown coffee and it was very good! Debra ordered an herbal tea, it's got a pretty fancy name to it. They call it "Find Serenity" (free your heavy soul)...it includes St. John's Wart, orange peel, borage, chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, and stevia. Now that's what I call a cup of tea! I did give Debra a hard time because she had ordered tea the last couple visits. The Coffee Buzzed felt she needed to be drinking coffee. Debra loved her tea and couldn't stop raving about it. I can safely recommend it to any future guests.

The staff was very friendly and also very helpful in helping us make our drink decisions. We just sat and enjoyed our drinks while getting to chat and catch up. I could tell from the other guests that this was a local hangout for them. It really felt like we were in the neighborhood coffee house. In conclusion I would recommend it to any locals in the area. On their website and blog, I had read that a "New Transformation" is in the works. Can't wait to visit again and see what's new at Soho!
http://sohocoffee.blogspot.com/

Oddfellows Cafe

It’s time for the “Monthly Grind”. This is where my sidekick Debra and I put the spotlight on a local coffee shop. Our visit this month takes us to the Oddfellows Cafe to see what all the buzz is about.

Sorry it's been so long since I posted anything. I was worried I wasn't even going to be able to fit in a visit this month. This also was a special month for me since I was celebrating my birthday!

Debra and I picked Oddfellows Cafe as our August visit. The cafe is located on Capitol hill at 10th and Pine. I had a hard time finding parking when I got there and ended up parking a couple blocks away. If you have ever been to Captiol hill you know there is never parking anywhere!

Debra met me there and had already ordered my lunch and a coffee. We sat in the back area of the cafe. It was this cute little corner outside and uncovered. About 4 or 5 tables set out, a beautiful mural painted on the wall, and some ivy and flowers along the wall. It was a nice day out which made it even more enjoyable to sit outside. I had the BBQ pulled pork sandwich with a salad and coleslaw on the side. Let me just say I definitely recommend it! Debra tried the B.L.A.T sandwich, a combination of bacon, lettuce, avocado, and a tomato. She did her normal ice tea again, but said it was a bit watery. I had a iced mocha which is my normal drink to order at a new place. I did read from their website they like to only use organic and Eco-friendly food products.

As a birthday surprise, Debra got me a bag of beans of the Starbucks "Tribute blend". She also ordered me a grinder and it is being shipped to my house. I can't wait to get it! I know its sad I don't have a grinder already. Let me tell you, Debra already gave me the lecture...

When we were leaving we got to look around more of the main dinning area. It really is a interesting place. It feels like being back in your grandmother's kitchen when you were a kid. It had that rustic, aged, and raw feeling to it. But on the opposite side, I felt very comfortable and the atmosphere was very inviting. I also had read on their website that ninety percent of the furnishings and fixtures are from salvaged, recycle, and re purposed materials. Even their menus to the coffee supplies are recycled. You can tell that the environment is very important to them.

We both really enjoyed Oddfellows Cafe a lot! If you are ever looking for a great place for lunch or a relaxing cup of coffee this is your next stop. Check it out and see what all the buzz is about...

Roy Street Coffee & Tea

It’s time for the “Monthly Grind”. This is where my sidekick Debra and I put the spotlight on a local coffee shop. Our visit this month takes us to the Roy Street Coffee & Tea to see what all the buzz is about.

This coffee shop is known as a “secret” Starbucks. The store is owned by Starbucks, but you won’t see its brand or logo anywhere in the store. The purpose is to try and make a connection with the local community. Besides coffee, it offers a selection of Pacific Northwest beer and wine. All baked goods and other food items are brought in from the local area. What isn’t used is given back to the food banks.

Starbucks chose to construct this coffeehouse using reused and recycled materials. For example: Some of the wood used in construction came from an area barn and a fallen tree. Most of the light fixtures came from local salvage yards that were rewired and refinished. The bar was constructed using slate from Garfield High School and the steel from a local shipyard.


The style is very rustic and modern. Yet it did have a warm and welcoming feel to it. Several different lunch choices are offered. Even the tomato soup is inspired by local chef Tom Douglas. For a sweet treat, you can find an assortment of goodies to pair with your beverage. Not like a typical Starbucks, you may also pick your bean and brew type.

I personally like that Starbucks is thinking about the environment. Also I think making that connection to the local community is an important reasonability. We both enjoyed this visit very much. I would be happy too recommend it to a fellow coffee fan.

I'm now a blogger!

So this is my first blog post ever, but I am very excited to join the world of blogging! I thought I would start with a little background of how "Coffee Buzzed" came to be. A couple years back I started a little fascination with coffee, since then it has taken on a world of it's own. I am pretty sure it started from me having to drink a mass quantity of caffeine just to get me through my very early work day. I began to drink more coffee outside of work too. My friends and I started going to local coffee shops and hanging out. There I always met new people and really enjoyed using coffee as a social tool to make new friends. I also meet with a friend once a month and we try out a different coffee shop in town. Afterwards I like to write up a brief description on our experience. I also like to post different news stories or web articles about coffee that I find interesting. I was posting them on my personal facebook page. But someone then suggested I make a separate page and devote it to just my coffee addiction. And from there "Coffee Buzzed" was born! Not long after I started the facebook page I joined twitter. There I found a whole new world of followers just as addicted as me. Since joining I now have around 270 followers, and have made some really great friends. It's fun to see what people post, from the history of coffee to some of there personal stories. I hope who ever reads this post and the ones here on after enjoys reading what I have to say. Thanks for reading!