Monarch and the Milkweed

Monarch and the Milkweed

111 St. Paul Street

Burlington, Vermont 05401

Oh boy! I stumbled upon this gem purely on accident. I believe the story starts out as I was parking on St. Paul Street in hopes of dropping off a form at Burlington City Hall which is directly across from Monarch and the Milkweed. I turned around and saw what looked like a neon colored led light of a monarch illuminating from the window of a storefront and instantly I knew I had to visit.

I added Monarch and the Milkweed to my list of cafes that I needed to visit, but it wasn't until recently that I actually visited the cafe and you better believe I'll be back again. It was by far the most incredible food experience of my life. The food delivered on my plate was carefully plated as if it was in an art gallery and the cappuccino was the perfect amount of foam and espresso. Yum!

I arrived early on a Wednesday morning and lucked out as the weather was particularly sunny for a crisp Fall day. I chose to sit at the counter facing one of the two large glass windows of the cafe so I could do some people watching while sipping on my cup of joe. The cafe is rather small, but has an adequate number of seating options and all have access to the windows. The space is very bright, hip and modern. 

The coffee options are a bit limited, but they cover all of the bases of what one would expect from a coffee shop. I can't fault them on that. The prices for the food items are a bit high as breakfast sides (eggs, home fries, etc) are $4.00 each. However, the eggs and home fries were made flawlessly. What makes Monarch and the Milkweed so great is that it's known for its' high-quality pastries. I ordered a raspberry torte and it was finger licking delicious (pictured below). I believe in the next few days I went back and bought at least three more....and you should too!

There is plenty of parking across the street and around town, but it will cost you a couple of quarters. The cafe is truly exceptional and also has a lunch and dinner menu along with fancy cocktails and draft beers. The cafe is to die for...literally. 

Atmosphere: 5/5

Seating: 5/5

Coffee: 5/5

Food: 6/5 lol 

21/20

A++ Superb establishment!

Black Cap Coffee

Black Cap Coffee

144 Main Street

Stowe, Vermont 05672

A few months ago I ventured outside of Chittenden County into neighboring Washington County as I had heard raving reviews about a little coffee shop. Black Cap Coffee is located smack dab in the middle of downtown Stowe, Vermont and features a large coffee menu as well as a few pastry and sandwich items. Black Cap is known for their specialty coffees and all those featuring exotic flavor shots. The decor is very homey and there's couches and tables aplenty throughout the space. 

The shop also features a room that is full of refrigerated coolers featuring some of the best craft beers in Vermont and beyond. How great is that, coffee and craft brews in the same space! Black Cap has outdoor seating as well and the baristas will deliver your drinks if you choose to sit outside. Now if beer, coffee and comfortable seating wasn't enough, there's a section in the corner that sells little Vermont knick-knacks and creative cards.

I can't speak highly enough about Black Cap. This is a really terrific space and has adequate parking out front to top it off! Okay time for my rating!

Atmosphere: 5/5

Seating: 5/5

Coffee: 5/5

Food: 5/5

20/20

A+

Next time you're in the Stowe area this is a must stop coffee shop!

Tight Squeeze Coffee Shop

Tight Squeeze Coffee Shop

125 College Street

Burlington, Vermont 05401

I stumbled upon Tight Squeeze Coffee Shop when I went to Onyx Tonics for the first time. Tight Squeeze is located directly across the street from Onyx and on a clear day, you can see Lake Champlain as you enter/exit the shop. Tight Squeeze, like the name is exactly that. In fact, the shop is no more than the size of a household kitchen. It is nestled snugged inside an office building and is next door to a hair salon that prides itself in all things Montreal, Quebec.

Tight Squeeze is a "to-go" coffee shop as there aren't any seating options within the confined space. The shop offers a variety of specialty coffee drinks and has an assortment of Barrio Bakery baked goods on display on the counter. I decided to get a large (16 oz) cup of coffee as I planned on walking to the waterfront afterwards and needed something to keep my hands nice and warm. The price is pretty expensive for a cup of coffee. I paid a whopping $3.00!!! Across the street, a 16 (oz) cup of joe is $2.50. Tight Squeeze uses the coffee roasting company, Earthback Roasters out of South Burlington, Vermont and offers a few kinds of blends each day. I selected the dark roast as it's my favorite.

I liked the abundance of natural light that floods through the windows illuminating the space. The barista was also very sociable with a warm and bubbly personality. Tight Squeeze offers good coffee, but for a saturated coffee market such as Burlington, it doesn't seem to hold it's weight particularly well.

Atmosphere: 5/5

Seating: 0/5 (no seating available)

Coffee: 4/5 (priced a bit high)

Food: 5/5

14/20

C-

Speeder and Earl's Coffee

Speeder and Earl's Coffee

412 Pine Street

Burlington, Vermont 05401

Speeder and Earl's has two locations in Burlington. One is on Church Street, but their flagship operation is located on Pine Street in Burlington. I went to their flagship operation early on a Sunday morning after I left work around 9 am. There was a steady number of people constantly coming and going into the store. The shop has a few tables, artwork from local artists on the wall and a lot of natural light. However, the location feels like the kind of place where you wouldn't want to stay for a long period of time as it seems to lack a warm and intimate vibe.

Coffee can be purchased by the pound or to-go style cups. The price is probably the best that I've seen in Burlington as a large (16 oz) cup of coffee is only $2.00. There are 6-7 different coffee dispensers on the counter that feature a wide variety of coffee styles including flavored and decaf. There are also a small number of baked goods on the counter as well.

The coffee isn't bad, in fact it's quite good. I had the Colombian Espresso blend which is a dark roast. The coffee roastery is located in the back of the building and they usually sell a few kinds of coffee that you can't find in stores. I plan on going to the Church Street location within the next few weeks and comparing the two. Also, FUN FACT: in the Vermont building at the Big E they used to exclusively sell Speeder and Earl's Coffee, but I haven't been in a couple of years so it may have changed.

Atmosphere: 4/5

Seating: 4/5

Coffee: 5/5

Food: 4/5

17/20

B

Muddy Waters

Muddy Waters

184 Main Street

Burlington, Vermont 05401

I waited awhile before I chose to review Muddy Waters. This coffee shop has long been considered one of the "kings" of Burlington coffee shops along with Uncommon Grounds on nearby Church Street and Maglianero on Maple Street. 

I decided to head to Muddy Waters around 8 am on a Saturday morning about 30 minutes since they had opened. To my surprise, there was already a line! Another 5-10 people were sitting throughout the shop with either there laptops or cell phones out. Immediately upon entering the space, I had a very "life is good" feeling vibe come over me as the shop seems to breathe positivity. The theme of Muddy Waters is a pseudo jungle/rainforest cafe feeling as there is a bamboo tree protruding from the space with vines overhead and a variety of plants hanging throughout the shop. The ceiling is made of tin and the walls are brick with wooden beams scattered around the space.

It has to be one of the coolest looking coffee shops that I've ever been to. Muddy Waters is a fixture in Burlington. All kinds of people spend time at Muddy Waters over the course of the day and I believe they have live music in the evening on select days. Besides coffee and tea, Muddy Waters has smoothies, fresh juices and beer. Their food selection is also pretty awesome. Besides cookies and cakes, they have soups and sandwiches. They also sell t-shirts, coffee beans and tea. 

I decided to order a double chocolate chip cookie and a cup of Sumatra Vienesse dark roast coffee. Muddy Waters has three coffee options: light, medium and dark roast. They use a coffee dispenser for the coffee and the drip method for their brewing. The dark roast that I had was perfect. Top notch coffee that only cost $2.00 for a 12 oz cup. I believe the largest they sell is 14 oz for $2.25. They even offer discounted refills ($1.00 for a 8 oz cup and $1.25 for a 12 oz cup). The cookie was equally amazing! I sat in a lounge style chair facing the front window and could see all the hustle and bustle on Main Street. There are plenty of seating options available. From tables off to the side that have an intimate feeling, to tables out in the open. 

I couldn't find a single thing wrong with Muddy Waters. Trust me, I looked! Therefore I have to give them the perfect 20/20 as this is the kind of coffee shop that you want to go to again and again.

Atmosphere: 5/5

Seating: 5/5

Coffee: 5/5

Food: 5/5

20/20

A+

Maglianero Cafe

Maglianero Cafe

47 Maple Street

Burlington, Vermont 05401

So quick story before I delve into this review. Maglianero Cafe was the second coffee shop that I visited when I first moved to Burlington back in August. I really enjoy how they mesh coffee with art and the theme of a bicycle bar. I was amazed by that then and the ever changing art gallery is still very cool to this day.

I went to Maglianero again on a Friday morning around 9:00 am. There were a small handful of people already in the cafe, but I was the only person in the order line at the time. The first thing that "pop" out as you enter the space, is how minimalistic it is. The walls are white, high ceiling, minimal furniture and plenty of windows. The coolest part about the cafe is that it operates as an art gallery. In fact, during my time in the cafe, there was an artist who was installing his pieces of art to exhibit at a further date. The cafe has an additional room off to the side that is referred to as a reading room. It's a very small book den. All the books in the room can be purchased at the counter OR you can bring your coffee in the room and spend your entire day lounging around and reading their vast selection of books.

Okay back to the review, Maglianero has a variety of baked goods from local bakeries at the counter which is a plus. Seating is in abundance with a variety of formats including: large tables, small tables, high-chairs, rocking chairs, plush chairs, etc. Depending upon where you sit, there are views of Lake Champlain which is an added bonus. I enjoy how Maglianero changes their coffee selection each and every week. Their website usually lists what coffees they have each week, where the beans come from and the story behind the beans. You can even buy a bag of the beans at the counter and a small display shelf in the front of the store. The coffee comes from Counter Culture Coffee Company out of North Carolina. Counter Culture is known for their high-quality coffee beans. Maglianero Cafe makes all the specialty kinds of coffee that you would expect from a coffee cafe (lattes, cappuccino, espresso, etc.) as well as either drip or pour over coffee.

I chose a coffee of the week called "baka" which is a single origin light roast blend. Maglianero only seems to have light roast coffee which I have seen at a few other coffee places in the area (Onyx, Nomad). I'm sure that it's because of all the subtleties that one can experience with a lighter body versus an earthy, roasted darker body/roast.

Okay now here's the kicker: the PRICE!! Maglianero's prices for a cup of coffee are borderline outrageous. For example, my 12 oz cup of pour over coffee cost me $4.85!! Yes, that's not a typo. For a 8 oz cup of drip coffee it costs $2.00, 12 oz is $2.75 and 16 oz is $3.25. I feel like the price of the coffee and the fact that i'm a dark roast coffee snob will hold me back from going to Maglianero again. I know that Maglianero is often described as one of the "kings" of the local coffee scene and I can see how one would view them in such a high regard, but the price is a serious detractor for me. Perhaps it's the lake views that makes Maglianero so special or the ability to view high quality art while sipping on coffee.

Atmosphere: 5/5

Seating: 5/5

Coffee: 4/5 (light roast only and a high price point)

Food: 5/5 (great selection of baked goods)

19/20

A

Gold Ladder Coffee

Gold Ladder Coffee

30 Susie Wilson Road

Essex Junction, Vermont 05452

I was skimming the Burlington Free Press when I discovered an article about a new coffee shop in the area that was serving nitro coffee on tap. I immediately added this shop to my list of coffee spots that I needed to go to. I present you with: Gold Ladder Coffee! 

So the story behind this place is really cool. The coffee shop is located in a former laundry cleaner location and is next to a bagel shop. The owner of Gold Ladder used to work in the bagel shop and roasted coffee beans there. The bagel shop is in fact his father's business.

I decided to make the drive to Essex on a Tuesday morning after I left work. I really like the location and there is a lot of parking which adds to its charm. All of the coffee that they sell is roasted in the shop as the roastery is in the back of the building and can be seen as you enter the front door. The aroma of freshly ground coffee fills the room and it's rather heavenly. There are plenty of seating options as can be seen in the image below.

Another really neat thing about this shop is that all of the artwork is made by the owner. I was fortunate enough to talk with him as he greeted me to his shop. The pastries come from local bakeries and the coffee is either drip or pour over. There are a variety of specialty coffees that they serve besides a regular cup of joe. A large coffee (16 oz.) is $2.70 and a medium (12 oz.) is $2.50 and there are three blends offered each day. I ordered a fair trade Nicaraguan blend and they used the pour over method. The barista made it right in front of me as I picked up a 1 pound bag of their "San Francisco" blend which is a dark roast and a cinnamon roll to go. There are only a few choices in regards to their food items which is the only negative.

I really like the space. Natural sunlight pours in as there are plenty of windows, several seating options, all of the coffee is roasted by the owner who has been in the roasting business for nearly two decades and the coffee is GOOD, very good. This place ranks right up there with some of the heavyweights of Burlington. Good job Gold Ladder!

Atmosphere: 5/5

Seating: 5/5

Coffee: 5/5

Food: 4/5 

19/20

A

Barrio Bakery

Barrio Bakery

197 North Winooski Ave.

Burlington, Vermont 05401

On a snowy Monday morning I trekked from work to the lovely and unique Barrio Bakery. The bakery is located in a multi-colored building on the main floor and features a main dining area on one side, and the bakery kitchen on the other. During evening and night time hours, it becomes a pizza shop called, Pizza Barrio.

Upon arriving, I immediately get a very "Portlandia" TV show vibe about the space. The shop is a mix of regulars waiting for their early morning croissants and espresso's and newcomers like myself who are trying to capture the aura of the space. There is free wifi and plenty of seating options. Music from pandora plays in the background as they seem to feature indie/world music. There is a display case of baked goods that they are selling and above that is a chalkboard featuring the variety of specialty coffee that they are offering, panini's and specials of the month. For a large (16 oz.) coffee it costs $2.50 and comes from Vermont Artisan Coffee from Waterbury, Vermont. It is regular drip styled coffee, but unlike most drip coffees, it isn't acidic or bitter. Rather remarkable if you ask me.

Barrio Bakery has a very rustic look inside mixed with modern comforts and makes you want to grab a book and stay awhile. Really liked this place and will definitely be back!

Atmosphere: 5/5

Seating: 5/5

Coffee: 4/5 (only one roast of coffee)

Food: 5/5

19/20

A

Leunig's Petit Bijou

Leunig's Petit Bijou

Corner of Church and College Street

Burlington, Vermont 05401

On a particularly cold and snowy Thursday morning I had the pleasure of walking to Leunig's Petit Bijou, a French styled coffee and sandwich kiosk in the downtown district of the city. Petit Bijou, meaning "little gem" in French is situated across the street from its' larger restaurant, Leunig's. 

I decided to order a mocha latte and two chocolate chunk cookies. It was a bit pricey as the latte was $4.50 and the cookies were $2.50 a piece. I believe a large coffee is $3.25 (16 oz) if I read the sign correctly. I really liked the shop's set up as baked goods are all on one side of the kiosk and can be seen in the image above. On the front facing side, is the menu which features specialty coffee items and sandwiches and salads which appeared to be decently priced at around $10.00. 

Since Church Street was covered in snow, there weren't any places to sit and enjoy the old-fashioned sport of people watching. I quickly walked back to my apartment as my face nearly froze entirely. Luckily, I had a nice cup of hot coffee to warm up my hands. The location is ideal in the warmer months as there is plenty of benches on or around Church Street and it's a relatively quick walk to the picturesque waterfront. 

Atmosphere: 5/5 (It's on Church Street!)

Seating: 3/5 (depending upon season)

Coffee: 4/5 (only one roast of coffee)

Food: 5/5 ( great selection of food items for such a small place)

17/20

B

Scout and Co. (Innovation Center)

Scout and Co. (Innovation Center)

128 Lakeside Avenue

Burlington, Vermont 05401

Scout and Co. is a local coffee chain in the Burlington-Winooski area. Currently they have three locations. Each location features a different menu of food items. The Lakeside Avenue location has both a breakfast and lunch menu and an assortment of baked goods. 

I went to the Lakeside Avenue location at about noon on a Tuesday. I parked in the gigantic lot in the back of the building and entered the Innovation Center entrance. Scout and Co. is located on the first floor and there is plenty of signage that helped me find its exact whereabouts. There were two people in front of me who were waiting for their espressos and lattes. I was astounded by the vast menu including cheeseburgers and tacos. One of the chefs was making a Cubano sandwich and the aroma was heavenly. The price point was around $10. 

I chose to buy a chocolate chip cookie and a large coffee of the day which was a single origin Mexico Chiapas dark roast. They only had one coffee available at the time and a few specialty coffee items. The grand total for my cookie and coffee was around $5. The store has a very modern vibe as there are exposed pipes above that are painted in bright colors. The ceiling is easily 50 feet tall with plenty of glass windows that allow an abundance of natural light to the space. There are also plenty of seating options.

I felt that the Innovation Center location was more of a cafe/deli vibe than an actual coffee shop as there weren't a lot of coffee items listed.

Atmosphere: 4.5/5

Seating: 5/5

Coffee: 3.5/5

Food: 5/5

18/20

A-

Uncommon Grounds Coffee & Tea

Uncommon Grounds Coffee & Tea

42 Church Street

Burlington, Vermont 05401

It doesn't take too long to know that Uncommon Grounds is a landmark in the city of Burlington. Uncommon, as it's referred to by locals is undeniably the most popular coffee spot. Frequented by both hipsters and college students alike as well as tourists, this local coffee shop also roasts their own beans. The coffee roaster is on display as soon as you walk into the shop. Usually there is a line at Uncommon and the shop smells of delicious roasted coffee beans. 

Uncommon was the first coffee shop that I had ever been to when I first became a resident of Burlington. The location alone sets them apart as they are located on the most famous street in all of Vermont. The store sells a variety of locally made pastries and they also sell beans in 12oz bags that they have just recently roasted. If your looking for coffee making supplies, Uncommon also sells them too! The neat thing about Uncommon is that their coffee of the day list is featured on the chalkboard above the counter and usually has 4 different kinds of coffee from light to dark roast. 

The seating layout only features single tables that are usually full by midmorning as customers can be seen on their laptops and other devices. However, it has a very warm and intimate vibe at Uncommon and everyone is welcomed. Uncommon has been named as the best Burlington coffee shop for the last several years by the local seven days magazine. These guys are truly the kings of Burlington coffee!

Atmosphere: 5/5

Seating: 4.5/5

Coffee: 5/5

Food: 5/5

19.5/20

A+

Nomad Coffee

Nomad Coffee

3 Main Street

Essex Junction, Vermont 05452

Next up on the coffee list……NOMAD!! These guys aren't located in Burlington, but have been receiving quite a lot of praise from the local media and therefore I had to check them out. Nomad is a mobile coffee shop and it's quite a neat concept for a coffee shop. When I arrived on a Sunday morning there were plenty of open parking spots in front of the shop as it's located on a main thoroughfare. The shop had just opened at 9am and I was the first in line. I love the glass display that can be seen above on the left side of the cart. In the glass display, are all the pastries that are for sale. I was fortunate enough to purchase the last maple cream muffin that was made by a local cupcake vendor.

I like the setup inside the cart as they had to be quite creative in how much stuff they could fill in such a tight space. There is an espresso machine directly behind the counter and the barista who happened to be the owner chatted with me about how much he likes using it. I wanted to know how long he has been in the coffee business and he informed me that Nomad was his first experience working in the coffee business. He also prefers to brew using the pour over method. I decided to select the coffee of the day to go along with my muffin. The coffee was a light roast Guatemalan single origin from Brio Coffee Roasters. For seating, there is a few benches located next to the cart, but I decided to head back into my car and enjoy my treat at my apartment.

Nomad has a menu on the far left of the stand that includes a variety of specialty coffee drinks and hot chocolate and tea. There were about 5-10 different pastries on display and directly in front of the stand was a small chalkboard sign that featured their special for the day that passing by motorists would be able to see. 

Atmosphere: 4.5/5

Seating: 4/5 (depending upon the season)

Coffee: 4.5/5

Food: 5/5

18/20

A-

Onyx Tonics Specialty Coffee

Onyx Tonics Specialty Coffee

126 College Street

Burlington, Vermont 05401

After I left work on a cool and crisp Saturday morning, I went on a brief stroll through Church Street and then headed onto College Street in search of Onyx Tonics. Now I have heard several good things about this establishment. In particular the impressive reviews it has received in such a short time of its existence. Upon entering Onyx, I was impressed by the amount of natural light that illuminated the coffee shop. The large glass windows really make the space "pop".

Onyx has a very contemporary vibe and the artwork is simply stunning. I was greeted my a friendly and knowledgeable barista who also happens to be the owner. This guy knows coffee. He was very informative on where the beans came from, how they were roasted and knew the intricate tasting notes of each coffee. I asked for him to recommend me something to drink. I believe at the time, all the single origin coffees were of a light roast. He used an aeropress to brew the coffee and had several different tools at his disposal (french press, chemex, pour over, etc.) in order to get the most out of "the bean". 

Onyx is a professional coffee drinker's kind of place. Really well done! There was even a delivery of Miss Weinerz specialty donuts that arrived as I was sipping my coffee. The donut was fantastic might I add. As I was leaving, I decided to get a large coffee to go and was tempted to purchase one of the12oz bags of Brio and Heart Coffee beans that were for sale. Perhaps next time. Anyways this place is exceptional. The atmosphere is open and inviting. The seating selection includes window, outside, countertop and table or bench and there's a lot of places to sit. The coffee selection is vast and includes cappuccino, lattes, espresso's, drip and specialty brewed. The barista is very warm and welcoming and even asked me my plans for the day as I was leaving. There are tasting events that they host and Onyx has free wifi. I'll definitely be back!

Atmosphere: 5/5

Seating: 5/5

Coffee: 5/5

Food: 4.5/5

19.5/20

A+

Burlington Vermont: A Coffee Experience

For my first post I want to explain the reason behind this blog's existence. I am a self proclaimed coffee fanatic who loves to explore coffee shops, bakeries and all businesses who share a mutual respect for "the bean".

Burlington is a small city in Northern New England that has a very "Portlandia" vibe as it's a mecca for hipsters, outdoor adrenaline junkies, social justice warriors and hippies. In order to truly experience the culture, one must frequent the spots where the community gathers. One such place is the coffee shop. Each post of my blog will be about a coffee shop that either I stumbled upon, saw an ad on seven days.com or was recommended to check it out by a colleague.

I will share a picture of the coffee shop as well as highlight the pro's and con's according to my personal opinion. I plan to rate the coffee shop based upon its atmosphere, seating, coffee and food selection. Let us begin!!