August First

August First Bakery

149 South Champlain Street

Burlington, Vermont 05401

August First is a neat cafe/deli/bakery located in downtown Burlington, Vermont. Parking is a bit difficult as it is metered street parking and spaces can be limited depending upon the time of the day. The assortment of homemade baked goods is astounding and there is both a breakfast and a lunch menu. 

Coffee selection is limited compared to other shops in Burlington as there is only one type of drip coffee; however the coffee that I did have was extremely tasty. August First is entirely laptop and wifi free which encourages people to be mindful of others. 

The space is very open as it was a former garage at one time. The exposed brick and bookcases create a cozy vibe. There are a lot of seating options as well both indoors and outdoors. It's a really quiet spot to read a book and enjoy a tasty pastry or sandwich. 

Atmosphere: 5/5

Seating: 5/5

Coffee: 3/5

Food: 5/5

18/20

A-

Scout and Co. (Victory Circle)

Scout and Co. (Winooski)

1 East Allen Street

Winooski, Vermont 05404

Last year, I reviewed a Scout and Co. location in Burlington's South End. This year, I am reviewing another one of their locations located in Winooski at the top of the traffic circle There are currently three Scout and Co. locations in the Greater Burlington area, each shop with its own unique spin. 

This location makes its own ice cream and there is a coffee roaster that also shares the space (Vivid Coffee Roasters). The space is full of bright, natural light and has several cozy areas to relax and enjoy your java. The aroma of coffee is quite heavenly as you first enter the shop and the ice cream selections add to the excitement! The ice cream flavors tend to be unique, but tasty (avocado, bacon etc). The coffee is freshly roasted and there are several specialty options. Besides ice cream, there is an assortment of baked goods. 

Atmosphere: 5/5

Seating: 5/5

Coffee: 5/5

Food: 4.5/5

19.5/20

A+

The Cosmic Grind

The Cosmic Grind

104 Church Street

Burlington, Vermont 05401

When you're walking down Church Street, you may discover the tightly squeezed location of one of Burlington's newest coffee shops, The Cosmic Grind. There used to be a Speeder and Earl's location that called this very spot home. The Cosmic Grind features incredible galactic artwork painted on the walls and has a tin ceiling that provides extra charm.

Seating is limited as there is only enough room for a handful of people; however there is outdoor seating (weather permitting). The coffee menu is expansive and perhaps has the largest selection of specialty coffee drinks in all of Burlington. The Cosmic Grind carries coffee from Big Jay Roasting Company (Montgomery, Vermont) and provides several different roasting options. The baked goods tend to be in short supply, but provide a tasty option to go with your java. Recently, The Cosmic Grind has started to make CBD infused coffee drinks.

Atmosphere: 5/5

Seating: 3/5

Coffee: 5/5

Food: 3/5

Bonus: 1/1 (Extremely good customer service)

17/20

B

Nomad Coffee: South End (Burlington)

Nomad Coffee 

208 Flynn Avenue

Burlington, Vermont 05401

You may recall one of my first postings on this blog regarding Nomad's mobile coffee stand. A few months ago, Nomad branched out and established their first brick and mortar location in Burlington's South End. Nomad: South End is located in a brick building in which Howard Center's headquarters are located. It is a little tricky finding Nomad as there is no sign outside of their door.

Once inside, I'm immediately hit with that absolutely to die for roasted coffee aroma. The space is open, bright and has a few seating options. The exposed brick and pipes gives way for an industrial vibe which I really like. The chalk board above the kitchen is easy to read and is split in two as one side is for drinks and the other is food related.

By the way, Nomad: South End has FOOD! and really, really good food at that. Nomad has a lunch menu that provides the customer with three options: Beef, Chicken and Vegetarian. I paid $12 and received one of the best meals I've ever had in Burlington (pictured below). A quick heads up for you foodies: Nomad is a stones throw away from City Market: Flynn Avenue. City Market is known for its lunchtime treats, I'd dare to say that Nomad is a hidden culinary secret!

Pictured: (chicken and gravy w/ brown rice, roasted vegetables and toasted walnuts w/ a side salad = YUM)

The coffee is roasted by Burlington's own BRIO Coffeeworks which is also located in the South End. I had the New World Mokka Java Blend and it was fantastic. Nomad's space was quiet as I was the only one in the dining portion of the room.The extended coffee menu is the same as their mobile coffee stand in Essex Center and both locations have an ample supply of baked goods. 

Atmosphere: 5/5

Seating: 4/5

Coffee: 5/5

Food: 6/5 

20/20

A+ (This is my new favorite lunch spot!)

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-