Greehouse Effect Coffee & Crepes, Salt Lake City, UT

I have been to Greenhouse Effect many times and it is possible I have even blogged about this location before, but that is because it is a wonderful spot to grab a coffee and chill alone or with friends... Speaking of spots, it comes up quickly if you are heading North on 900 East and is well hidden by lots of green foliage. There is a parking lot behind the building and access just to the North of the café. If you miss the turn, just park on the streets-it's probably the best option anyway as the parking spaces are tight. Luckily no one dinged my new Subaru after I parked it at the corner where the parking lot bends.


So I walk into Greenhouse Effect after passing a college aged man reading and smoking on the patio and a pleasant business man heading out the door and into a dimly lit entry . I have never ordered food here and so I asked for a recommendation for a savory crepe. The barista let me know that the Veggie and California are the most popular. She then let me know that her favorite (off menu?) is an avocado and black bean--I LOVE avocado and immediately chose this one. She said she'd check if she had the ingredients on hand...a moment later she came back and I was in luck :-)


Now, I am going to say something that may shock some of you, but I think I actually like avocados more than coffee... I know what you're thinking and although an avocado blog would be quite unique, I would then have to start reviewing busy lunch spots and then I'd have to find someone to tag along and then I couldn't tell you all about the books that I'm reading....


Anyways, so Greenhouse Effect features PLENTY of outdoor seating and about 5 indoor spots. I stopped in on July 28th at 11:30 am, when much of the patio was shaded with umbrellas and foliage which provided a comfortable atmosphere, even on a 82 degree day.


The plants are well maintained (applause here) and all over the patio. The interior wood floors squeak and the café currently features comic style art--though I was saddened to see that my favorite painting of a green alien girl holding a cup of coffee is now gone after several years of being on the back wall.


I do appreciate their "No smoking" sign on the door, though that did not stop 1 customer from living it up anyways.


The staff have always been friendly here. I have never had a complaint as far as service. But you should know it is a laid back, slower feel. Don't expect to walk in, pay, and get your double macchiato extra whip hold the espresso in under 4 minutes I would say.


As for menu, they've got a picture on their facebook page, but basically: coffee, lattes, chai tea, hot chocolate, and sweet and savory crepes. Speaking of, my crepe was very tasty and filling! When will I learn not to eat everything on my plate just because it tastes good?


Price: $9.10 total including $1.50 for a small 12 oz. mug of coffee ($0.93 refills available-not bad). Served in a ceramic mug and plate--real dishes :-)

Les Madeleines, Salt Lake City, UT

It always feels good to be out enjoying life when normally at this time of day I would be working.


Several weeks ago, I took a Tuesday off to get some errands done. First stop: the DMV. That alone is worthy of a day off and a treat.


Afterwards, I stopped at Les Madeleines, which is on 500 South, just across from The City Library, The Leonardo Museum and near the Matheson Courthouse. It is on the South side of the street and only has a tiny sign along the building, so watch closely for it or just park and trust me--it's there and worth the couple of dollars you'll have to spend for city street parking. Saturday features 2 hour free parking and Sundays are always free.



First, I will say that the staff was wonderful. While I was waiting in line, another staff member offered to get any pastries I wanted ready for me. After finding out I was staying, she placed my Kouing Aman on an actual plate (always appreciated) which keyed me to ask for my Chai Latte 'to stay' as well.

The cafe' is just the perfect size. It was clean, well lit and inviting with bar seating and several tables. As you walk in the entrance, to your left on the wall is a magazine rack with several options to peruse if you stopped by impromptu.  Water with floating lemons and ice, along with actual glass glasses, sit at the ready for your use.

The bathroom was clean and nicely decorated. The café also featured some neat pictures on the wall labelled by their city location (I perused the Seattle and Columbia pics).

PATIO VIEW

I chose to sit in their outdoor patio area, which was well shaded at 10 am. 500 South was a little noisy with traffic, but there were also periods of calm, allowing me to appreciate the chirping birds and chime of the nearby clock tower from the courthouse.

Now for the best part--I ordered their signature pastry: Kouing Aman, which originated in Brittany, France. It has a crisp, sugary outside and a soft, flaky inside. Butter and honey flavours melt in your mouth.

The pastry was just under $5.00, which is typical for a Salt Lake City Bakery. 12 oz. Chai Latte, about $4.50. Rosemary cookies, $0.95 each.


Please post in the comment section what you think of this amazing pastry and quaint café after you've given them a try.  http://lesmadeleines.com/

Diva's Cupcakes & Coffee, Salt Lake City, UT. 2nd Visit.

Overpriced coffee cake + lukewarm latte + slow service = Nicole will probably not be visiting again anytime soon.

I visited Diva's Cupcakes again yesterday, this time with a friend from my bible study. I got a 16 oz. decaf hazelnut latte and a piece of blueberry pecan coffee cake which totaled $7.49 (versus about $6.04 at Starbucks, btw). I was a little surprised at the price and maybe should have taken the coffee cake off, but it is what it is. Service was a little slow because the same person who takes the orders also prepares the drinks and gets your pastries plated for you.

The biggest disappointment however was that my latte was not nearly hot enough, I'd say it was warm. Which means after about 2 minutes in a ceramic mug it was lukewarm. It tasted good, I just wish it had been served hot. The coffee cake was OK, a little dry. I did appreciate that it had fresh blueberries on it.

I would say the best part of this visit was my company. We were able to sit on the back patio for about 45 minutes to chat, before it was off to bible study.

Overall, I am still amazed with the back patio and it's feeling as if you've been whisked out of salt lake city and into someone's suburban back yard. However, I am just not impressed at all with their bakery- which is a shame.

Book Review:

On a side note, I do want to mention a book I just finished reading for all of you who can stomach a little more vampire culture. Blood Oath, by Christopher Farnsworth does have two vampires in it, who do avoid the sunlight, but this is where the similarities with Twilight end. Blood Oath is about the president's vampire who has been around for about 140 years. Cade does not sparkle and could care less if he is wearing designer threads. Instead he lives in a secret underground compartment below the white house and helps out in keeping the United States President alive in only the most serious of threats- those started by other undead creatures. I liked it despite the fact that there was no romance and more war action than dialog. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys science fiction novels and/or vampires.

Paradise Bakery & Cafe, Salt Lake City, UT

So I've actually been to Paradise Bakery & Cafe a handful of times, but knew it was definitely one to share. First thing to know if you are driving is there is a 2 hour parking limit per Salt Lake City, which Paradise Bakery has no control of. So I love this place because it has the feel and decor of your typical coffee shop, but it is HUGE! If I had to guess, I'd say there are about 30 tables and booths. In the back of the Cafe along the wall are two long open booths (one side is a booth with many small tables fitting one person on each side and a chair facing the booth) with places to plug in laptops if that is your sort of thing.

So the staff was very friendly and helpful. The woman taking my order asked if I wanted whipped cream I said "might as well" and she agreed- you can't really count calories when you get the Paradise Frappe [OK, so here is where I have to interject and let you know I dropped the ball on this one and forgot to write down the name of the drink I ordered- I know, horrible right?!] or whatever the drink is called- I'm sure I'm close, but they don't list their coffee drinks on their website.

So I wasn't really impressed with the book I brought with me. It's called A Delirious Summer by Ray Blackston. It's about this guy who teaches spanish in Quito, Ecuador to future missionaries (doesn't give a denomination but I would guess not LDS, just an FYI as I know that is my first thought when I hear the word missionary.) So this guy has 6 weeks vacation time until his next class and upon the advice and help of one of his students, decides to spend it trying to meet girls in Greenville, South Carolina. But I guess this is tougher than it sounds as all the girls "hop scotch" different churches (baptist, Episcopalian, etc.) trying to meet available men. I wont get into it much more than that. It's written by a guy, in a guy's perspective so to me the dialog is just really weird and the interaction he has as he comes in contact with different guys is foreign to me- like do guys really talk like this? I read to page 61 and just wasn't into it.

CAFE REVIEW:

Small Paradise Frappe: Good, but mild. After the first sip I really couldn't taste the chocolate flavor. Almost tasted watered down. I guess it could be because I asked for skim milk, but it really was just a light flavor. So the frappe has Godiva chocolate flavoring and half a chocolate chip cookie blended into it, with about a 1/4 size chocolate chip cookie added to the top for garnish.

Chocolate Chip Cookie: Regular cookie size, $1.37, awesome! I LOVE their chocolate chip cookies!!!! When you order a sandwich it comes with one of these as well. These cookies are reason enough to come to Paradise Cafe. I can't put my finger on what that special ingredient is (ginger maybe? or molasses?) but they are so many times better than your average store bought chocolate chip cookie. And bonus for me- the cashier gave me the other half of the cookie she used for my drink, in addition to the one I bought. Last time I had the Paradise Frappe I got the medium size and did not get part of a cookie back so not sure if she was being nice, or if that is normal. Either way- great for customer satisfaction!

Cleanliness: Ok, there were a couple of slightly dirty tables and mine did have some large crumbs of food underneath. But as far as the order area is concerned- clean.

Service: Good, as I mentioned above.

Atmosphere: not too loud, cafeteria style ordering and they do bring your food to you if you order a sandwich or salad. Comfy and welcoming. I felt no rush and even put my feet up in the booth.

Would I recommend: Yes, most definitely. My husband loves their caesar salad. I love their turkey cranberry sandwich and of course- don't leave without getting a chocolate chip cookie! Hours: Mon-Sat 6 am-9pm, closed sunday.

Paradise Bakery & Cafe
618 East 400 South
Salt Lake City, UT

Coffee. Soda. Cookies. Cake. Breakfast Croissants. Sandwiches. Soup. Salad. Pasta Salads.

Reference: www.paradisebakery.com

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you've been here before or have any suggestions!!

The Bad Ass Coffee Company of Salt Lake City, UT

Ok, so although I've lived in Salt Lake City for over a year now, I have not ventured to The Bad Ass Coffee Company until now because to me it sounded like a biker's coffee shop. I always pictured going in there and seeing a bunch of biker dudes in their harley gear. Not that there is anything wrong with that, one of my favorite customers at the bank is a harley guy and a member of B.A.C.A. (do a google search if you don't know what B.A.C.A. is, a charitable group that I give to on request, even when I'm strapped for cash).

But I am getting way off subject....

So yesterday after work I needed to kill some time between work and my evening bible study (which I'll be attending on Tuesdays, so expect a fairly regular Wednesday posting) and I decided to go to The Bad Ass Coffee Co., the only other thing I knew about it is that while passing it once on state street, my sister-in-law said that she had always wanted to go there because of the name (despite the fact that she does not drink coffee or tea). So I park my car in the parking lot, noting their hours (M-F 6 AM-7 PM, Sat 6 AM-7PM, and Sun 7 AM-6PM) and happy that I will be able to stay long enough to kill just over an hour of time.

I walk in and immediately note the tropical feeling of the shop. The walls are lined with light, one-inch thick wooden boards, on either wall in the dining area there are grass covered awnings. The tables are immaculately clean with the shop's emblem in white tile on the tables. And my favorite part- at the center of the dining area is a fake palm tree that comes just a few inches short of reaching the ceiling! The trunk appeared to be made of stone (I have no idea what it was, a grey material- I should have went over and touched it). Around the tree was actual sand held in place by an approximately 8-inch high bamboo fence. And now I have to tell you that none of this was in any way cheesy- it was a very pleasant and relaxed atmosphere.

So when I walked in I noticed the barista talking to a gentleman holding a coffee, which was awesome to me because this gave me a minute to look over the menu. Although I do want to mention that as soon as I walked in the barista greeted me with an Aloha :-) So I'm still looking at the menu, which has a LARGE list of traditional and signature lattes, and barista walked over to me and asked what I'd like. I replied "this is such a large menu" so she asked me what I like and made a suggestion of a white mocha latte, which I said I would take iced (all of their drinks can be made hot, iced or frozen).

While waiting for my latte the gentleman who had been chatting with the barista began casually talking to me. He told me he worked near by and Bad Ass Coffee has become his new favorite coffee shop. He was very nice and VERY enthusiastic about the place and even suggested I tell my friends (which I am now doing). I also noticed sitting near the register samples of their carrot cake, so I had a bite and it was very good (but thankfully I've never had a bad piece of carrot cake). So she finishes making my latte and I also decide to get a bag of their Gourmet Sweet Cinnamon Almonds, which according to the bag is "Made by Sir Walter Candy" although it does have The Badd Ass Coffee logo on it. The barista rang up my order and said "you have a nice day!" in a way that made me believe she truly wanted me to have a good day, and wasn't just saying that as a fair well salutation.

So I took my items and headed over to a booth in the corner, although I later noticed that there is outside seating along state street (that could be interesting), more booths to the left of the kitchen area, as well as a corner featuring a television, a couch and two comfy chairs (wicker patio furniture that fit perfectly with the rest of the decor).

CAFE REVIEW:

Iced White Chocolate Latte: $3.50, 16 oz, Great. I loved that you could taste the white chocolate flavor, the espresso, and the milk.

Sweet Cinnamon Almonds: $2.00, 3.2 oz, Yummy. Coffee/Espresso and cinnamon are a great combination. At home I love to sprinkle a little cinnamon in my brewed coffee. When you place one of these almonds in your mouth you immediately taste the perfect mixture of cinnamon and sugar coating. I really like these and it took a few minutes to realize what they remind me of- Golden Grahams Cereal, only better of course.

Service: Excellent, there was only one barista on duty, but she was awesome and super friendly.

Cleanliness: Looked clean to me! As I mentioned, every table was clean, the bar where orders was placed was clean, no complaints.

Atmosphere: Bright, cheerful, very open but inviting. I also noticed that instead of the usual folk/coffee shop music the barista was playing radio stations of her choice and I noticed songs by The Killers, Jack White, Rihanna, Gwen Stefani, and Kati Perry (I lover her new California Girls song by the way).

Exterior: A little worn, but clean and more inviting than many of the other businesses along State Street. And you can't miss the Ass above the door along the State street entrance.

Would I recommend? Definitely, I know I will be back again if for nothing more than to try one of their signature lattes or see what creation the barista can come up with for me.

The Bad Ass Coffee Company
3530 S. State Street
Salt Lake City, UT

Coffee. Tea. Espresso. Pastries. Breakfast Sandwiches. Lunch Sandwiches. Bagels. Packaged Biscotti. Nuts. Trail Mix. Fruit Parfaits.

Reference: www.slcbadasscoffee.com

Book Review: First I have to tell you that I completed "The School of Essential Ingredients" by Erica Bauermeister. I read this for my book club (please email me if you are a female and interested in joining a SLC book club by the way) and I am VERY glad I did. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cooking and/ore eating. And by "enjoys eating" I mean someone who savors their food, taking slow bites and noticing the different flavors- rather than just gobbling away).

So right now I am reading a book called "Nicolae" by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, the third book in a series called "Left Behind." I really liked the first two books of the series but so far I just cannot get into this book. There are like 9 more to go, so I hope the series gets better. Basically the series is the authors' fictionalized idea of what might happen when the end of days are upon us- the rapture, the antichrist, the seven scrolls, etc. It's been a great series that has really strengthened my faith. I wont go into any more than that as that is not what this blog is about- but this is the book I am currently reading, so I wanted to share.

Thank-you for reading and please feel free to post a reply!

Red Moose Coffee Company, Salt Lake City, UT

I actually found this coffee shop on my way to visit a new to me Starbucks location. But while sitting at a stoplight, I noticed to my right Red Moose Coffee Company. It looked inviting, so I decided to go there instead.

The first thing I noticed is that although the time was 5:15 pm, the parking lot was nearly full. I walked inside where I noticed at least three employees, all ready to help me. After pondering the menu of 11 hot coffee options for a moment, I settled on a 12 oz. Milky Way latte and then looked in the display case holding their 6 bakery options and decided on a Strawberry White Chocolate muffin. The man who rang my order asked if this was to stay and if I would like my drink in a mug, to which I replied yes. I do enjoy using actual mugs and plates when possible, but I rarely think to request on my own, so I appreciated his offer. I also took note that the girl who got my pastry out of the case did wear a disposable glove.

Once I received my coffee and muffin I chose a table near the middle of the dining area and pulled out my copy of "The School of Essential Ingredients" by Erica Bauermeister.

Cafe review:

Strawberry White Chocolate Muffin: $2.49, Approx 10 oz, excellent. The strawberries were obviously fresh and not dried, which is always a delight.

Milky Way Latte: $3.50, 12 oz, ok. I give this drink an ok because while it was actually good as far as lattes go, I did not taste what made it a milky way. It actually tasted more like a hot chocolate drink, which is good if you prefer not to taste too much espresso flavor.

Service: Excellent, no complaints.

Cleanliness: Dining area appeared clean. All empty tables had been wiped down. Women's bathroom was clean and freshly painted, although the tile could certainly use some fixing.

Atmosphere: Very inviting and homely. As soon as I walked in I knew I would feel comfortable spending at least an hour there, although my visit was cut short when I noticed they close at 6 pm Monday - Saturday. There is an area with a couch, two armed chairs, and a coffee table, which seemed very inviting for a small group. On the walls, a few paintings and pictures of moose were displayed and appeared to be for sale.

Exterior: I was quite impressed. The building was freshly painted, grounds were very well trimmed. Three outside tables, including two shaded by some trees in the late afternoon.

Would I recommend? Yes, definitely.

Red Moose Coffee Company

1693 South 9th East

Salt Lake City, UT

Coffee. Tea. Espresso. Soup. Sandwiches. Salads. Bakery. Ice Cream. Wi-Fi.

Reference: www.redmooseroasting.com

Book Review: So far I am really enjoying this book. I am currently on page 148 of 240. The basic synopsis is about restaurant owner Lillian, who also offers a cooking class on Monday evenings at her restaurant. Each chapter focuses on one of the 8 students and tells of their life story, or how they came to enrolling in Lillian's class. The story line of the classes themselves is fit neatly into each chapter, from the point of view of that chapters' featured student. I think the author does a great job of fleshing out the characters, despite the short amount of space each is given within the book.

Introduction

First I would like to thank-you for taking the time to visit my new blog!

As you can see from the title, I will now be known on this blog as Daisy, the Coffee Princes. Daisy because it is my favorite flower and always makes me a little happier when I see one. Coffee because this will be the focus of the blog, more specifically coffee shops. And Princess because I can be dramatic, self centered, and like to think that I will never grow old (at least not by heart nor attitude). Oh, and my favorite color is pink.

So onto the purpose of this blog. One of my favorite things to do to relax and get away from the crazy and hectic world of life is to visit a coffee shop. I must forewarn that until now I have been an avid Starbucks visitor. But I hope to expand my horizon and yours by venturing to many different coffee shops in the Salt Lake Valley.

My goal is to visit at a minimum, one new coffee shop per week. I will always go inside to order my coffee and when possible, I will enjoy my coffee and snack at the cafe to allow more time to observe. I am also an avid reader and usually visit coffee shops alone, so I will also share what I am currently reading and a brief review of what I think of that book.