This morning’s adventure was to try three questionably open places.
KC Coffee Map minus 2.
Nothing warms my little coffee heart as much as a coffee shop that has a personality. Like having Fedora Thursdays, where all customers wearing a fedora get 20% off their purchase. Like offering 10% off any purchase for students who bring in ‘B’ or better tests. Like naming their WiFi connection “Nighthawk’s Free Speech Network.”
It is then that much better when an interesting shop attracts a regular clientèle who is equally as interesting. Nighthawk’s Coffee in Mission, KS appears to be the breeding ground for KC’s hipsters. Yes, those ubiquitous snobs who populate every other KC coffee shop, this is where they go while they’re still in high school. I call them hopsters because they’re still too wired and hopped up to sit still and snub you. None the less, just listening to their conversations is fun and interesting. I digress.
Desperate to find a good, open shop in KCK after Tuesday’s disappointment, I headed over to The Q Coffee Shop. Located at 1744 Quindaro, The Q is the friendliest little shop I’ve been in since Eddie Delahunt’s Coffee &. Not just did the proprietor, Rosie, greet me enthusiastically, but just about every one of the other 6 customers at the time also were eager to engage in conversation! Another treat here is the tri-fold menu’s quotes about coffee. My favorite was “Don’t make fun of coffee, some day you will be old and weak too.” That and President Regan’s quote, but I won’t give away all the good jokes :)
Black Coffee is an interesting little place. Down on 9th Street, it is way more stylish than the rest of its surroundings. Although I am a mostly mocha man, this place specializes in some pretty righteous coffee blends that are intended to be taken black. Not to mention, the barristas are always good conversation. 
For example, today I found out that Seattle’s Best Coffee (that chain inside of Borders’ Book Stores, 5 locations in KC metro) was bought out by Starbucks a year ago. Interesting that Starbucks would be making such a huge acquisition just a year ago and be wanting to downsize so much right now. Oh well. Such is the life of Big Coffee.
One way or the other, Black Coffee is a nice little joint, and their sandwiches at lunch are pretty good too.
This morning’s coffee adventure was set to take place at Blue Goose Cafe over in KCK, but it was not to be found! Unfortunately, 852 Minnesota Ave appears to be inhabited by a McDonalds now. KC Coffee Map minus 1…. :(
Most anybody who follows KC coffee at all has probably already heard that the Starbucks in Westport is closing. No, this isn’t a part of the national initiative to close Starbucks branches. This is pure competition. Somehow our little David, Broadway Cafe, beat down the Goliath enough to get them to leave. Hooray for local coffee shops!
Eljay’s Coffeehouse just opened last Thursday in the River Market (412 Delaware) in the same place that The Cup and Saucer occupied a few years ago. Leah and Joy (L and J, ElJay) are both excited about this new venture, and are confident it will hold its own where Cup and Saucer didn’t. Leah’s not just confident, she’s also friendly, generous, and perky! Their first day open, it was free coffee for everyone. How can you beat that? Oh, my mocha was spectacularly rich. Free and wonderful. Mmm!
It was from Leah that I heard the rumor that City Market Coffeehouse is closing. That would be a crying shame, I do so love the CMC. BUT, upon checking it out, the barista at CMC said that no, they weren’t closing, it is just a nasty rumor. One probably started by Eljay’s. Little did he know how close to the probable truth he actually struck.
<— This is you, KC.
You love coffee.
I love coffee.
I am here to help guide you.
There are a ton of KC coffee shops and there are a number of good local bean producers. I’ll be focusing more on the prior, but will still touch on the latter too. Facts, gossip, and bold-face funny fabrications are all par for the course. Haters of sarcasm should get their own coffee blog.
