The Coffee Debate
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Knoxville feels like it was sooooooo long ago - but I vaguely recall referencing the whole Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf vs. Starbucks thing before I left. For those of you who are not familiar Coffee Bean, this is a west coast beanery that Angelenos seems to swoon over. Perhaps this is one reason that I will never be considered an Angeleno.
Let's start by discussing the actual act of getting coffee in LA. You can't just "pick up" coffee on your way to work. Unless you are one of a select few that either lives or works within walking distance of a coffee shop, coffee entails getting in your car, driving to your coffee shop of choice, finding a parking spot (that's an ESPECIALLY infuriating part that generally includes also having quarters), and then post-coffee ordering, getting back in your car and driving to work while trying not to spill the coffee that you are slowly sipping when the guy in front of you slams on the breaks. In NYC, you walk out your door, stop to buy coffee on the way to the subway, and then head on your merry way. Sure, there's an occasional spill from the guy who bumps you on the street or the times when the subway stops short (although I'd venture to say that most NY'ers get their coffee post-subway ride) but all in all, walking through a Manhattan morning with coffee is an enjoyable undertaking and is a much simpler task than in LA. I know people. I know that I'm totally and completely biased and you can all write and tell me that you think it's easier to get a coffee in your car. (And maybe it actually would be if someone got smart and made some coffee shops with a drive thru.) But I don't buy it for a single second. Coffee is easier
in NY.
Of course, I can't say that I'm thrilled with the influx of a Starbucks on every corner. On one of my recent visits, I almost fell down dead when I turned to see the green sign where the Blind Tiger Ale House once stood. This is NOT ok people. That was a tangent. Back on track...
In LA, there are two coffee monsters - the nation-wide Starbucks and the west coast Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. (incidentally, Coffee Bean also has many international shops in places like Israel, Australia, and Qatar. Go figure.) Anyhow...people out here LOOOOOOOOVE Coffee Bean. I've never done a study of any sort, but I think that Coffee Bean is more popular out here than Starbucks.
I would be lying if I said that there are certain things that I do, indeed, like about Coffee Bean. Their sizes are small, medium, and large. Their coffee is WAY better than the gasoline that Starbuck serves and by this, I mean their regular old, "Can I have a coffee?" They have delicious flavored Iced Teas. But that's where the goodness ends. Because Coffee Bean uses powder vanilla and chocolate to flavor their drinks. First of all, aforementioned powder is inSANEly sweet. Sickeningly so. Secondly, you start out with a mocha at the beginning of your drink, but you end with globs of sugary, granular chocolate powder at the end. Does that sound good to YOU?
So while I am in the minority, I remain a Starbucks enthusiast in a land of Coffee Bean connoisseurs. I'll take a grande non-fat mocha over a medium vanilla latte any day. Of course the last time I got either in LA was easily a month ago...because I had to drive to get there.
Posted byMeesh-elle my Belle at 1:30 PM
Labels: food and drink
Drive through Coffee at Dunkin' Donuts in Westborough is perfect!
Your sister and I drive thru all the time :-)
Love the blog, I read it every day keep it up!
aaaaaaah yes - the suburban coffee drive thrus. and considering that LA is just one big suburb, you'd think they would have caught on by now...
who is this?? all you anonymous commenters leave me hanging...i'd love to know who you are if you don't mind signing your comments...and thanks for reading!
Yeah, I'd like to know who you are too. Especially since we apparently spend alot of time driving to dunkie's and drinking their coffee.....
It's Tracey, sorry about that
Mwah!