If there is one thing I like more than photography it is traveling, but sometimes I need help deciding which city to explore next or where to go in a new city. That is where the coffee shop thing comes in. While I was in college I began getting into the "coffee scene" of Philadelphia and took to finding new coffee shops around the city and suburbs to try out. (And somehow I have yet to go to every coffee shop). Then, at some point in in the last couple years I started using local coffee shops as a way to navigate new cities and explore all the different neighborhoods of a city.
Throughout 2016 I have visited over 30 local/independent coffee shops throughout eight different states, spread across the United States. I won't bore you by listing every single coffee shop but the eight states include: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware, Illinois, Washington, and Portland.
After drinking so many lattes and cups of coffee you would probably expect me to be able to tell which is best and which is the worst... and while I can tell how I rate each coffee shop I still do not have the technical knowledge to tell you technically which coffee is the best and worst. With that said though, I can usually tell within the first couple sips if it is a good latte based on the foam and creaminess. (HINT: the creamier the better)!
Some of the coffee shops I visited during 2016 that I would say are my favorites include: Gryphon Cafe, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Good Karma, Ghost Alley Espresso, Caffe Senso Unico, and Chicago Grind Cafe. Obviously, those are not the only good ones I have been to; this post would get way too long if listed every coffee shop though!
You can check out photos of many of my lattes, coffees, and a couple cups of tea below. I promise to do a better job of keeping a record of each coffee shop I visit in 2017 and take good pictures at each one.
