Coffee Around Connecticut

This past weekend, being alone with all my own thoughts had no appeal. I'm an introvert and I confess I need my alone time, but I haven't had much of that over the last 15 years. Marriage and kids filled my life to overflowing. My cup ranneth over. Sometimes I wonder if I became an introvert as a result of having 15 years worth of being literally, physically connected to a bunch of little people 24-7.

Nonetheless, this last weekend I had an abundance of free time, a la custody arrangement, so I dove in head first to my coffee hobby by touring and tasting coffee for almost the entirety of one day. How many coffee shops can you meaningfully visit in a single Saturday?

I chose four, and it was perfect. Any more and I would have sprouted rocket boosters from my feet, and any fewer and I would have always wondered if I could have gone for just one more.

I began my morning by hitting 2 Wheels in Colchester, Connecticut. It's close to home, so it was a great place to start my morning, get a quick cuppa, and perk open my tired mom eyes. It was brand new and they hadn't even had their baking ovens arrive yet, so I had to skip the morning muffin and jump straight into a dark creamy mug of espresso... I selected a Con Panna, because I had no idea what it was, it had a unique European sounding name, and I was feeling daring.

The owner of the 2 Wheels Coffee greeted me himself, corrected my pronunciation of Con Panna gently, and checked on me personally as I shared with him my plans for the day, my love affair with coffee and my new hobby of learning and trying all things java. I was impressed by his friendliness and I even ended up applying for an evening barista position to learn more. Why not put my quiet evenings to good use and become skilled at making great coffee?

The Con Panna was a dreamy take on espresso. Underneath it all it was a rich, decadent, chocolately espresso, but on top... on top, it was all cream - whipped cream - melting into the espresso underneath. I sipped slowly and savored every taste, absorbing the moment, the scents, the flavor and texture on my tongue. I've never been coffee tasting like this before, and I wanted to see what my novice tastebuds could detect.

I decided I wanted to take a cupping class after that visit, and I was excited to hear that the owner had the vision for exactly that - a cupping class for amateur coffee tasters like me!

After enjoying my first coffee of the day, and taking in the sleek, modern, and dare I say, masculine coffee ambiance at 2 Wheels, I headed back into the cold day and onto something new.

A little while later, I stopped in at Story and Soil Coffee in Hartford, Connecticut. I don't venture into downtown Hartford all too often. It's not my favorite place in the world. I don't think it's anyone's favorite place in the world. However, this day, I made the exception because I have heard such good things about this little coffee shop, and I tell you it didn't disappoint.

Thankful to have found a great parking spot on the street and right across from this adorable little green facade, at a free-on-weekends street spot, I felt favored before I even stepped inside. However, crossing that threshold was like leaving the harsh, cold, New England world and arriving somewhere else entirely. It felt like something between a RomCom movie set, the 80s, and home.

Small, live plants hanging from a trellis on the wall, folksy music on a classic record player, a large family style table where I'm sure love at first sight, as well as deep philosophical conversation, has transpired, and their unique baked goods made this one of my favorite coffee stops of the day.

I ordered a Spanish Latte, unsure what to expect, as well as a Turmeric Monkey Bread, which was entirely dessert, but made me feel like it might be a little healthy too. Don't tell me it wasn't. My yellow tinted fingers beg to differ.

I sat in the window seat, looking outside at downtown Hartford, which seemed warmer and chicer from inside Story and Soil. Next to me sat a man who appeared to be writing a novel, and it was under these quite unique circumstances that I took my first sip of what has now become my favorite treat coffee - the Spanish Latte. Like a normal latte, but so much better, this warm little cup of heaven is made at least in part with evaporated milk with notes of vanilla and cinnamon.

I breathed in the last moments of Story and Soil, letting the peacefulness, the warm energy, and the cool millenial vibe absorb into my pores before I reached into my bag for my keys and headed back into the icy reality of November in Hartford.

Onto my next coffee shop!

Next, I decided to seek out some funky little shops in Middletown, Connecticut, certain there were several unique coffee destinations on Main Street alone. I stopped in at Perkatory first, but not without some difficulty. Determined, I pulled into the funny little alley between Bob's Auto Services at the directions of GPS.

Perkatory isn't the coffee shop for the faint of heart. It is hard to find and doesn't look like much on the outside. In fact, my first thought was, "Huh? Well this is different. Is this a coffee shop?" I was pleased to find Perkatory as a definitive reason to never judge a book by its cover. It's hidden alley location, small sign and dirt parking lot left a lot to be desired, but what I found when I crossed through the glass door was something altogether different - a large, vibrant, albeit edgy coffee shop already decorated for Christmas, while still featuring a skeleton at the bar with his face in the Halloween candy dish.

Edgy is the best descriptor of Perkatory - and it's name truly reflects this cafe's personality. Excellent coffee roasted on premises, I ordered the double Americano, black. This strong, bold, coffee was also delicate in its own way. No bitterness, no bite, but also no silkiness. The pumpkin muffin also lacked in texture. Instead, I found it almost chewy and a little dry, a bit like an overpriced grocery store muffin. Perkatory wasn't my favorite, but no hard feelings. I'll give it another try, another day.

Last, but certainly not least, I wrapped up my Coffee Around Connecticut tour at Qawa, also on Main Street in downtown Middletown, Connecticut. Walking into this cafe was like walking into a little feminine paradise. It had the feel of a spa, baked goods and of course, coffee. What else does a mom like me need? Ok... a massage, yes, a massage would be lovely, but they did not offer that, and that was perfectly ok.

Succulents on each sleek white table, and a wall of faux succulents made the cafe feel fresh, cool and contemporary while retaining a natural essence as well.

I ordered the Spanish Latte once again. It was a hard decision because I had already had one earlier that day, but decided to try another because it was just so good. Unfortunately, I found the Qawa Spanish Latte perfectly okay. It was good and I didn't remotely struggle to finish, down to the adorable heart in the bottom of the mug, but it had neither the richness of texture nor flavor of the Story and Soil spanish latte.

All in all, Qawa will be a great place to meet a friend for coffee, but it wouldn't be my coffee first pick. Still, I am sure I will make it back there to give some more coffee styles a try.

By the end of the day, I was bzz bzzz buzzing from caffeine. No decaf for this girl! And aside from a couple baked goods I had all but forgotten to eat. So what's a girl to do, after a caffeine rush? Go get a kitten of course. Wouldn't you?