Happy returns! SoHo Bakery and Cafe is back open, and better than ever. I can reverse my removal of them from the top ten list.
Short, short version: new owners, new menu, same great coffee. Also, the decor is much better too. Now it looks like it belongs in downtown rather than Liberty :)
The forecast was accurate. Magazines and Coffee is throwing in the tamper. They should have raised the alarm more than three weeks ago if they really wanted us to help.
This sign on their counter says they will be closing on Friday the 2nd.
Maybe I should stop putting good shops in my top 10 list. They keep closing.
I’d like to take this opportunity to send out a warm welcome to KCPerky’s new Southland Coffee Correspondent, Jennifer! In her own words:
I recently joined Scott in this adventure to explore coffee shops beyond Starbucks. Don’t get me wrong I like Starbucks but there is definitely better coffee houses out there. I am helping out in this great adventure to go to the shops in Johnson County. I know that I’m here for a good time.
Everybody say, ‘Hi Jennifer!’
Think that coffee shops with art showings is as close as coffee and art come? Hardly! There are many shops in town that will offer art ON your coffee. Hardly a revolutionary idea, but this video adds a whole new perspective to the world of art on coffee:
For less exciting (but still good) latte art in KC, visit The Roastarie, Broadway Cafe, or Espresso dell’Anatra. Readers: Where else have you seen good coffee art in KC?
//update: the company in question that makes this is OnLatte
Green this, green that. Every publication under the sun is writing something about being green. So why not KCPerky saying how to greenify your coffee?
For our purposes today, we won’t be talking about the chances of global warming being real, and we won’t be going into a detailed account of what you can do in your own life to significantly slow it, despite China and pundits. We will be talking about waste management. Specifically, those cups and sleeves you keep using on your to-go coffee. I have two products that will get you set right…
Remember 3 weeks ago when I told you all to drink more coffee from the Top Ten Shops? Because the best shops in town keep closing? This is your opportunity to make good on that. Magazines and Coffee (currently #9 on top 10) is in trouble and might close soon.
[Deirdre Hanlon-Jones's] sales are about evenly divided between magazines and food, but her profit is higher on the food. Still, she doesn’t want to give up the magazines and become just another convenience store. She’s beefed up the lunch offerings with such items as vegetable parfait with carrots and sliced cucumbers that can be dipped in hummus or ranch dressing, and hot lunch specials such as red beans and rice, beef cooked in wine for 24 hours, and macaroni with three cheeses.
So help me keep a good shop open, and drink more coffee from MAC. As if my caffeine addiction isn’t bad enough already… Maybe just have more lunches there.
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Know how places will sometimes subscribe to magazines and just leave them laying around? Or maybe if they’re Magazines And Coffee, carry more mags than Barnes & Noble? The new cafe, Rev!, doesn’t subscribe to any. Particularly, not Rev! Magazine. I am shocked and appalled, I tell you, SHOCKED.
Personally, I was excited that Rev! finally opened. That “Coming Soon: Crossroads Coffee House” banner taunted me for way too long. Back on March 24, they finally opened. And a solid opening it has been. Right from the first week, their coffee has been good, the service friendly, and the atmosphere quite pleasant. Plenty of power outlets around for using their WiFi. Extra bonus points to Rev! for having the little coat hooks on the wall near the tables. Reminds me of the handy under-bar coat hooks at McFaddens. That’s right, check under there next time. SO handy.
Rev! managed to get open for the first big First Friday of the year (May 4) and have a good gallery showing. Word is that next month they’ll have live music on top of the art. Certainly a solid addition to the overall Crossroads scene.
Good Morning, bean heads. How much coffee is there in KC? Enough to fill these huge coffee pots.
There is a SUPER-massive coffee map update pending. Hold on to your seats, because its going to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 more shops as well as map functionality additions. Its taking a long time to verify the listings as well as just get it all organized properly, so it might be a bit yet.
So, with this many new shops, and many of them being much farther south than I usually am, I have realized that there are way too many shops in town. Especially for just one man to drink from all of them and keep the listings up to date. Therefore, I am seeking somebody who lives /works in roughly the OP/Leawood area and is as crazy as I am to join me is my exploration. Email me if you’re interested.
Brandon Briscoe of The Roastarie wrote a very nice article on coffee tastings over at Tastebud Magazine here in KC.
Go check it out: Tastebud: Drink Beans
Even more turnover! Java Time at Union Station is no more. The Bistro at Union Station has picked up its duties in a small way with this little cafe next to their main dining area. Creative geniuses came up with the name of the new shop… Union Cafe. The coffee is much like the name: so-so, but gets the job done. The cinnamon rolls on the other hand… fabulous.
KC Perky Map Updates