Oh, To Find a Coffee Shop

By leigh
updated 2 months ago

With a daily caffeine intake that might send a moose into a coma, I spend a lot of time looking for good places to relax and recharge, or to get ideas for my newest project. Nothing is better for the inspiration than great surroundings and the artificial enlightenment of excessive espresso consumption. New to the Highland area, this quest has taken on significant importance. Unless I simply want to drop by a Starbucks, grab my latte and leave, it's vital that I find some real cafes to visit.

Up to this point, I’d call Cafe Caliente the best area cafe from a purely aesthetic perspective. Secluded spaces create a warm, intimate environment, best suited for singles settling down with a book or small groups looking for a quiet place to talk.

Drawn to old architecture and a slightly chaotic feel, I love this place. Rejecting the basic commercial feel of chain shops, the cafe is visually busy, awash in bright colors, varied furnishings and art. Simply walking through, I felt more inspired than I have in weeks.

Reasons to visit:

Free wi-fi
Lunch menu
Great hours
Creativity-inspiring environment

I like this place for its sheer flexibility. There’s the feeling that you could show up with a group of 10 for a business lunch and conference or just show up alone and still feel totally comfortable. There are a few books lining the walls, and a really well-crafted potted plant display sits right in the center of the main area, which provides the semblance of secluded corners without creating a cramped space.

Peter’s Perk is the tasty unique drink to try here; a blend of hot chocolate and espresso, it’s not overly sweet, though you can get whipped cream on top.

Reasons to visit:

Free wi-fi
Lunch menu
Really friendly baristas (and a free drink punch card)
Wine and locally-brewed beer (plus Guinness)

A combination cafe and lunch spot, Gallop Cafe is definitely suited to small groups of between two and four looking for a place to chat over a mug of coffee or a good sandwich and a glass of wine. The latte I had was really excellent, and I could see just stopping by for an espresso drink to go, but really there’s no great place in the building to curl up with a book or a laptop.

Reasons to visit:

(Sometimes) Free wi-fi.
Lunch menu
Alcohol – wine, beer and hard liquor

Ode to Caffeine

Wherever I go, first you are there
Ensconced in glass, ceramic or tin.
When I break my fast or take a late meal
You are my muse, my daily salvation.

I closed my eyes and in sleep dreamt a ‘mareSo fright’ning a sight to me did seem that
At night I woke, and wept for a land unreal -A world without thrice belov’d caffeine.

Without you I sleep through sunrise, then midday;
Mourning thy cheerful count’nance I cannot see.
In this morning a headache dost assail -
Waking alone, I’ll seek you out
and take you home with me.

Espresso at Home

The espresso you make at home will never, ever be as good as what you can get at a decent coffee shop. Unless you’ve spent the ten grand for a really good machine. Still, there are a few things you can do to help yourself out:

Buy fresh coffee from the store, the taste difference is huge.
Buy whole bean and a grinder. Whole bean coffee preserves taste longer.
Use fresh milk for cappuccinos and lattes, it just tastes better.

I first came here to listen to a band. Well, not a band, a hootenanny. Somehow, this word is always what comes to mind when I want to describe the whole Stella’s Coffeehaus experience. Small, welcoming and fun, the house is constantly filled with the murmur of myriad voices. Hundreds of used books of all types line the walls, broken up by pictures by local artists hanging up for sale. Kids in high school, college students from the University of Denver and neighborhood residents come to Stella’s to talk, relax and drink coffee.

Live music takes place on most Friday and Saturday nights, which can be a pleasure or a curse, depending on if you’re expecting it or not. One of the biggest impediments to visiting this place more often is simply parking. This part of South Pearl has a wide variety of independent bookstores, restaurants and boutiques, which draws crowds and complicates parking. Still, it’s a great place to get away with a date or a friend, with an atmosphere that encourages a step back from the hectic world outside its doors.

Reasons to visit: