The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 2,600 times in 2013. If it were a cable car, it would take about 43 trips to carry that many people.
Where in the US: Lawrence, KS
Where in Lawrence: 914 Massachusetts St
What to have here: Cupcakes, of course! Here are some pictures.
The shop smells of sugar and butter, and you might go mad from the amount of sugar packed into each cupcake. The cream is very, very sweet, and I need a lot of water when eating the cupcake, so good thing that there is cooler at the back of the shop. The cupcakes look and taste pretty good. My personal favorite is the carrot cake cupcake! Love the moist carrot cake underneath that sinful vanilla cream. The other stand out for me was the pumpkin cream cheese cupcake, but it is a seasonal flavor so they don’t have it all the time.
Website: http://www.billyvanillycupcakes.com/index/lawrence/home
Where in US: Lawrence, KS
Where in Lawrence: 638 Massachusetts St
What I had:
Pumpkin spice latte! It was fall so this is a seasonal drink. Loved the coffee and biscotti, and especially the relaxed atmosphere of this cafe. Pretty crowded with people studying or just chilling out with friends. Also, I spotted a sign – 20% off all drinks if you bring your own mug. Will definitely be back soon!
Website: http://primatazza.com/
Where in the US: St Augustine, FL
Where in St Augustine: 35 Hypolita St (about mid way St Georges St from the Fort)
Here’s the shop sign:
Cafe del Hidalgo seems like a nice cafe along the main (pedestrian) shopping street, St George’s St, in St Augustine, but I was there for the gelato. I had 2 scoops – tiramisu and cream – on a waffle cone. Great for a hot day and the perfect companion while you stroll down the street and browse touristy souvenir shops.
The ice cream was not too bad, a pretty decent Italian gelato, but doesn’t compare to the ones I had in Italy. The young guy at the gelato stand was really nice and gave huge samples, but when I returned there was a grumpy old man giving out tiny samples. So if you see the old guy there, walk around a bit before going back 😉
Where in the US: Daytona Beach, FL
Where in Daytona Beach: 214 South Beach St
It’s a pretty big and roomy cafe! Nice random decor.
What I had:
1. The first time I visited, I had a salted caramel latte with a pumpkin spice cupcake and was immediately hooked. I love coffee places with such a chill atmosphere! I knew that I would be back at least once more while vacationing in Florida.
2. The second time I was back, I had a beach day latte, one of their speciality lattes. Did not disappoint! It was Christmas Eve too so there was some Christmas caroling going on too, what a great platform for these kinds of local events! If I were a “local” I would totally spend a lot of at Sweet Marlay’s. Great coffee, free wifi, a friendly barista, what more can I ask for in a coffee shop?
Where in the US: St Augustine, FL
Where in St Augustine: 15 Hypolita St (I stumbled into this shop almost purely by accident, by wandering off the main pedestrian shopping district in St Augustine (St George))
Here’s the shopfront (to help you spot it):
Inside the shop – very clean and cute looking decor!
What they sell:
1. Macaroons! (USD 1.85 each)
2. Cookies! (USD 1.80)
I had to do all I can to stop myself from buying the entire shop! All of their baked goods looked amazing. I treated myself to a peanut butter and chocolate macaroon, and a soft ginger molasses cookie. Both were stupidly fantastic. Wished I bought at least 10 of each. A must-stop when in St Augustine if you love macaroons and cookies.
Website: http://bonamiconfections.com/
Where in the US: St Augustine, FL
Where in St Augustine: 26 Charlotte St (a stone’s throw away from Castillo De San Marco)
Here’s the cafe itself:
It literally is a wooden shack! Nice sitting area outside.
What I had:
A snickerdoodle latte with key lime pie. Both were excellent! The coffee was a tad too sweet for me, but otherwise it was very good. It was recommended by the barista so I gave this flavor a shot! I especially loved the key lime pie – the honey drizzled on the top was a nice touch to complement the sour lemon-y cream. Great rest stop after checking the fort out.
Where in the US: Lawrence, Kansas
Where in Lawrence: 4931 West 6th St, Suite 130
What I had:
1. Texas Beef Brisket (USD 13.49)
Very well-marinated, soft and flavorful beef brisket! Awesome BBQ flavor. I love it when beef is marbled with fat and then it is cooked to the point that the fats melt and makes the meat so soft. Beef should never be hard. You get to choose two sides – and I almost always get corn on the cob for one of them. The corn, corn muffin and spiced rice (with pulled pork) were all excellent. This was way too much for one meal so I packed half home and they still tasted great after heating them in the oven for a couple of minutes.
2. Bread Pudding and Pecan Pie for dessert! (shared with everyone of course)
The pie was way too sweet, but I love pecan yum. The bread pudding, on the other hand, was amazing! Surprisingly soft and melts in your mouth with excellent vanilla ice cream. Has inspired me to give it go myself soon – shall post my attempt in the other blog when I do so.
Website: http://www.famousdaves.com/Lawrence
Where in the US: Lawrence, Kansas
Where in Lawrence: 3300 Bob Billings Parkway (a mere 15 minute walk from my apartment, so it is a lot more quiet than the coffeeshops downtown – I like!)
Here’s the latte (USD 3.03) and blueberry scone (USD 1.50) that I ordered:
The latte was really good! Milk was well-steamed and coffee perfectly roasted. The scone was slightly disappointing, but I came in on a day where the scones were on offer at $1.50, so they might have already been a few days old.
The selection of teas on the shelf next to the counter looked very interesting, with varieties coming from Japan and China even. I look forward to coming back for some brewed tea for a change.
Didn’t really appreciate the radio playing in the background (radios always distract me while reading), but free wifi and power outlets and excellent decor and artwork on the walls (and you can buy ’em) more than makes up for that!
Website: http://sconeladyscoffee.com/
Where in the US: Lawrence, Kansas
Where in Lawrence: 10 East 9th St (downtown branch)
What I had:
Small latte with 2 percent milk is my drink at every single coffee shop. No sugar.
This latte was excellent! At only USD 2.85, this is also one of the cheaper lattes I had around Lawrence. I liked how the milk was steamed perfectly, hot enough to bring out the coffee flavors, but not too hot as to scorch your tongue at the first sip.
Was looking around the cafe, it is pretty small, but very clean and cozy with wifi and power outlets (a huge plus for people like me who like to work in coffeeshops). The barista was friendly and all-smiles. The coffee beans are organic. Nice jazzy music in the background. I gotta be back soon for another cuppa.
Website: http://www.zsdivine.com/
Cynthia's Guide to Growing Round in Europe and USA 