We were tickled by this week's story of kids being accidentally exposed to strippers on a Colorado golf course. But with all due respect to the fundraising caddies at this event, maybe a charity tournament like this one isn't the best place to meet someone, caddy or player.
Instead, why not head to one of these hot spots in nearby Boulder? We've even given each locale a possibility-of-seeing-kids rating so you can avoid any gaffes!
Walnut Brewery :: Taste a uniquely named microbrew like "Devil's Thumb Stout" or brandish your cigarette case at the bar. Kids? Only if you're in the restaurant section. 1123 Walnut St.
Catacombs Bar :: Stake out a pool table at one of the first bars in the city to serve liquor. You might meet someone tattooed and long-haired. Kids? Doubtful, though it sounds like a fun dark place to explore. 2115 13th St.
The Laughing Goat :: Bring your laptop and your scruff or enjoy a live show at this Starbucks-free cafe. Kids? Probably, as the place has its own MySpace page. 1709 Pearl St.
New Yorkers are supposed to be over celebrities--a harder proposition thanks to Gawker Stalker. But when Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler ducked into a Manhattan Starbucks with his girlfriend this week while staying at the Trump International Hotel, he ran afoul of a crazed fan... of Jesus!
That's right, there are nuns in SoHo, and one of them jumped up and down when she spotted Tyler in "her" Starbucks.
Seems like another great reason to check out our Starbucks Alternatives series: No screaming nuns! Even better that these shops don't feature has-been, Croc-wearing rockers.
Philadelphia isn't one of those towns that's overflowing with quirky coffee shops, but it's worth a ride out on the SEPTA train to hit up Milkboy Coffee, an always-happening cafe in the Mainline suburb of Ardmore.
Set between Haverford, Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore, the spacious venue is always buzzing with studious types--probably thanks to the free WiFi and 10 percent student discount. Evenings are a little more lively, offering live music, indie movie premiers, art openings, book readings and DJ nights. The drinks menu is limited to java, but like many of Philly's finer venues, you can bring your own booze.
There's also a smaller offshoot of Milkboy about two miles up the Mainline in Bryn Mawr; it features live acoustic performances. Both locations serve breakfast and a menu of sandwiches and grill items.
We love our Starbucks Alternatives, but sometimes we do enjoy the Green Monster. Our very own Hunter Walker just checked out a unique bit of coffee gadgetry for us.
This weekend I had the opportunity to check out the infamous $11,000 coffee maker at a Starbucks on Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The coffee machine, known as the Clover, is seen as such a revolutionary piece of Java technology that Starbucks purchased the company that makes it back in March to prevent it from popping up in too many independent cafes.
Remember that scene in "Pulp Fiction" where John Travolta is shocked by the $5 shake at Jack Rabbit Slims? Better add River Maiden Artisan Coffee to his list of places to miss: The cafe serves up a $15 cup of Panama Esmeralda.
The ultra-rare beans that River Maiden uses are also available by the half pound for $100. One customer interviewed by CNN swears by the stuff:
It is very complex. It's wonderful. This one has some tropical fruit things coming through, notes of pineapple and a little bit of mango.
But not everyone's a fan. Another customer says she'd need a good reason to spend 15 bucks on a coffee:
Maybe if it was in Turkey or some place, but not off the streets here.
This quirky North Boston cafe is about as far from a corporate coffee shop as you can get.
Owner L'angelo--who goes by one name--named his place after his two favorite dances, and that should give you a hint to Flamepoeira's artsy sensibilities. The sandwiches are all named for famous artists: You can go for the classic Da Vinci or the eclectic Dali, but you'll get more props from the staff if you venture for the avant-garde Warhol or the screaming hot Munch.
The espresso is strong and the WiFi is free, but this isn't the place to put on the earphones and dive into work. The lounge-y open room inspires conversation, and the cafe draws a crowd of artists and activists who are quick to slide in next to you and talk your ear off about the eclectic artwork on the walls, Barack Obama's election chances or the virtues of fair-trade coffee.
What do raw mushrooms, inflatable palm trees, Gorgonzola and coffee have in common? That's what we were asking ourselves Saturday when we made a caffeine pit stop at the Louvre's underground Starbucks--and found a full-fledged free-sampling luau in action.
Apparently the bizarre celebration was a promotion for a new Hawaiian coffee flavor which, according to Parisian baristas, goes exquisitely well with two of Hawaii's delicacies, raw mushrooms and pungent cheese. Huh?
It's a story well told, two guys sitting around, reminiscing about some killer concoction they had overseas one night. Like any good tete-a-tete, a challenge is laid forth and from it, a blessing to all mankind. In the case of The Buena Vista, on Fisherman's Warf in San Francisco, it's the Irish Coffee for your Aunt Pauline to drink without looking like an alcy.
Born in 1952, the Irish Coffee was a collaboration between owner Jack Koeppler and international travel writer Stanton Delaplane, and it's based on a drink served at Shannon Airport in Ireland. The pair toiled over getting every component just right, the crux being the float of smooth airy cream on top. Maybe if the US wasn't so inherently puritanical we'd all be sipping Irish Coffees every afternoon instead of soy half-caff jerk drinks?
The Buena Vista has yet to go chain on us and the original Irish Coffee still remains the best. Yes, it's located in one of the craziest tourist sections of the city, but it's still worth a stop to drink up some real history.
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by egw
