KC Perky

Hi you coffee and tea fans!  I know I’ve been lax in my blogging duties… to be honest it’s been a little intimidating.  I decided to kick off my first blog with a place I really like, even if it’s a coffee place mostly.

Dunn Bros Coffee is a nice place to chill, fortunately for me it’s also a great place to work.  Since I work for myself, I’m always on the look out for a free wi-fi connection, quite music, and a good cup of tea to settle myself into an afternoon’s work.  Dunn Bros Coffee has that and more in their two locations (8975 Metcalf & 535 E Red Bridge Rd).  I prefer the Metcalf location with more room and tray tables for the comfy chairs, but the Red Bridge location is doing quite a business as well.

Dunn Bros Coffee also roasts their own coffee on site in small batches every day.  This affords you fantastic quality and freshness, whether you are having a cup in the store or buying beans to take home to your own Bistro.  Being a “Tea Chick” myself, I did not partake in the roasted goodness, but got a favorable report from the friend that I met there.  The tea while not being loose leaf is made by Mighty Leaf and tastes pretty good.  You might have to take the quality into your own hands however, since Dunn Bros like most coffee shops does not understand what it takes to brew a truly great cup of tea.  I’ve included some pointers below to help you out.
Read the rest of this entry »

Old-ish news: A Cup Above, on Barry Rd, has closed.

New-ish news: Friendly Bean Coffee has taken their place!

I suppose between this and Rev!, it means that my previous prediction was wrong: Church-based coffee shops are just as prone to failure as all their secular sisters, despite their 501(c)(3) status.

Hello Perkites and Perkoids.  Christmas & New Years have passed, and I’m still alive.  AND with a TON to post about.  Let’s get right to it:

Zombie Joe’s Coffee is opening soon down at 87th & Farley (near 87 & I-35).  Despite the font on their website, I am still inclined to go drink their coffee.

Drink a Latte has been open for about a month, just west of KU Med at 39th St & Rainbow Rd.  Very friendly, comfortable, and great wifi.  The coffee isn’t bad either!  Despite the plethora of coffee shops on 39th St, this shop stands a chance, mostly because of its location: on a high-traffic street and the closest shop to the hospital.

Coffee Break down near Rockhurst and UMKC is hosting an open mic night every second Friday of the month.  That makes the next event February 13th.  Go check it out.

Eljay’s Coffee House down in the River Market is hosting a ton of events, oft on Thursdays
- First Fridays with live jazz, including vocal jazz
- Improv Gym every Thursday night and some Saturday afternoons
- Currents Book Club every Thursday night
- Wine tastings every Thursday evening

The rumors are true, Waldo Coffee Cup may have passed away, but ‘One More Cup’ has picked up the slack and has brought coffee back to Waldo.  Can’t keep a good location down.

I’ve been tipped off to Stewart Town Coffee over in SE KC.  Anybody know if it actually exists?  5806 Brighton Ave, KCMO.

A new southland coffee meetup group just started yesterday.  No, not by me, silly.  By some fellow named Gene.  Bottoms up to Gene!

And last but not least, KCPerky had a baby!  ChiPerky.com is now up and running in Chicago, covering the scene there!  If you’re from Chicago or know somebody up there, show ChiPerky some love and subscribe to their blog :)

First off, remember the old Habitat shoe store on 18th, just a stone’s throw from YJ’s and around the block from Mildred’s?  They’re looking to put a coffee shop in there.  Don’t ask me.  But anyways, they’re doing market research.  Go tell them what you want in a shop there with this survey. [via]

In old news, Danny O’Neil of The Roastarie is one of the best coffee tasters in the nation.  Its true, the internet says so.  All that aside, I’ve been meaning to go tour the facilities of The Roastarie.  They have tours every Saturday at 9AM.  Its true, the internet says so.  I was thinking about organizing a KC Perky outing to go tour together.  Are any of the readers of this blog interested in meeting other coffee-minded people to go take this tour?  Shout back in the comments.

I always have trouble writing about a coffee shop I visit a lot.  I fear that my frequency has biased my opinions on a shop, that the good times with friends had there affect my opinions of the character of the shop itself.  I’ve finally come to realize, that’s OK.  As noted in the post Roman Coffee Shops, community is just as important as the other three axis of coffee (those being coffee quality, service, and atmosphere).  So with no further ado, …

Read the rest of this entry »

In a jealous attempt to keep up with this blog, the Coffee Map is back now too and getting better than it ever was before.  As you will see, it is now going to show if the shop has WiFi available for customers.  If you know a place to have WiFi and I don’t have it marked as such yet on the map, let me know, I’ll get it corrected.  The map now also has some tea listings!  We’ll get more as Karen gets rolling.  While I’m feeling ambitious, are there any other map-related requests any of you have?

What is a coffee shop at its core?

• Is it a place to get good drinks?  Yes.
• Is it a place to read, study, or work?  Yes. (…and you’re getting closer to the mark here…)
• Is it a place to socialize?  Yes.

Its no surprise that when AXE classified KC as THE worst city in America for singles, coffee shops were one of their measurements (among many):

“Cities that are home to the least number of coffee shops per capita leave few good places for young people to converge and trade stories after a fun night out”

Read the rest of this entry »

After a 2 month hiatus, we’re back.  And just in time for Halloween monsters to get their coffee.

Wait, “We”?

Exciting news– Not only do you get me back, but you also get two more caffeine experts!  Karen Looney has joined KCPerky’s ranks and will be bringing you all things Tea.  From tea houses, to tea etiquette, Karen knows her leaves and is going to help us all know them too.  Also, Matthew Bunyard, a barista and frequent guest on this blog has signed up to help cover the plethora of shops we have in this fair city.  You can learn more about these fine folks on the About page.

Things to look forward to:

• Updated Map
• WiFi Listings on the Map
• Tea Reviews
• More Coffee Reviews
• An Obama Presidency

OK, that last one was just me, but hey, its my blog, my perrogative.  See you at the shops and at the polls.

First up, UMKC student Laura Katzer did a roundup of coffee shops near campus, and she did a very good job.  Go check it out.

Next up, again, KCPerky is in need of a Southland Correspondent.  “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.”   I know you exist down there, KC’s Ad Club just started their Southland Coffee Fridays.

As many of you long-time readers know, my yardstick of a barista’s skill / tools is a mocha.  I feel I have finally run my course with that on this side of 75th St.  As new shops pop up, that will still be my go-to, but a new day has risen and its name is Double Shot Espresso.  Look out, all you demitasse, I will be sipping from you shortly.  Will I like long shots?  Will I like ristretto style?  How many baristas will even know how to make a ristretto shot?  Hard to say. Broadway Cafe’s got the early lead on those.  The goal is to find an espresso just like the ones I had in Paris.  Those things are fantastic.

Speaking of Parisian coffee experiences, those long, narrow sugar packets they use there fit so nicely on a demitasse saucer.  I’ve already found I have trouble balancing our wider packets on the tiny plate.

By the way, I’ve got half-written reviews for Scooters, Main Street Cafe, Broadway Cafe, Mildred’s, City Market Coffee Shop, and JavaLand.  Somebody kick me in the butt to finish them, please.

Financial planners often talk about the “Latte Factor” as an example of how to save a lot of money by cutting just a little thing from your life: your gourmet coffee.  With everybody thinking we’re in a recession, I’m afraid too many people are taking this to heart.  That plus the heat of the summer seems to be taking its toll.  Just yesterday I learned of two more shops that have closed.  River Rock Coffee Co in Parkville and Waldo Coffee Cup.  This makes 6 closings that I heard of in just the last 8 weeks, not counting Starbucks shops!

Are there a bunch of openings I’m missing?  Songbird Cafe is a great new shop, but I can’t help but notice that its the ONLY opening amidst this flurry of closings.