Saturday, November 1, 2014

things to do in dallas - coffee shops, pt 8.

This is the 8th installment in an ongoing coffee shop series.
For more, click here or here.

La Famiglia Caffe (North Richland Hills)
I drove out to NRH one afternoon to meet Peter for dinner when he got off work, but went a little early so I could also spend some time with his mom. We decided to grab coffee and I used my handy dandy Yelp app to guide us. We ended up at La Famiglia Caffe because it was close, Deborah had seen it around before, and we were both curious. Inside was much nicer than the outside - an unsuspecting shopping center - might lead you to believe. It was cozy and bright. They had multiple syrup options for flavored coffee as well as lots of baked goods and gelato. I was SO tempted to get a scoop of salted caramel with a shot of espresso poured over and a dollop of whipped cream because I saw that on Yelp and WOULDN'T YOU? But I stuck with my vanilla latte because I am boring. It was a fabulous cup of coffee and the atmosphere lent itself to sitting and chatting for a while. We were both very pleased and I could definitely see us visiting again together.

Espumoso Caffe (Oak Cliff)
This small Bishop Arts coffee shop serves up coffee with a Latin twist. I got a toffee crunch latte - they had lots of flavors to choose from! - but I'm pretty sure they forgot the syrup, ha. It was a decent latte, but truth be told, that's not what I was there for. I knew they had acai bowls and I really had my heart set on that. The frozen acai layered with granola, fruit, and honey is absolutely delicious and, as far as I know, isn't found anywhere else in Dallas. The menu is larger than most, filled less with coffee and more with baked goodies. Empanadas, paninis (including Nutella and banana!) and traditional Spanish treats fill the display cases. The service is friendly and the atmosphere lends itself to chatting with friends, but is not the best place for studying. Definitely worth checking out.

Fourteen Eighteen Coffeehouse (Plano)
This coffee shop had been on my list for a while, but it's about 40 minutes away from where I live, so I needed to have a good reason to make my way up there. Luckily, a sweet friend of mine who lives in Plano just so happened to be that good reason. I'm so glad we got to check this place out! The owner was my cashier at the counter and was seriously friendly. She talked me into a special drink they had -- the Purple Haze. It was a lavender and vanilla latte, so I didn't feel like I was cheating on my usual order too much. It was so tasty and creamy. I absolutely loved it. The atmosphere was exactly what a good coffeehouse should be -- quiet, but welcoming. Excellent for studying, but also for chatting for 3 hours. Yup, 3 hours. Also, added bonus, they get their coffee beans from Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters! Hurray, local! Definitely check this place out if you live in far North Dallas (or even if you don't!).

6 comments:

  1. This is such a great idea you're doing--visiting coffee shops around the city. I need to look into this! I've got my favorites but maybe I'd find a few more faves! Also, we used to live very close to Oak Cliff (I went to college at Dallas Baptist University and my husband went to med school at UTSouthwestern--small world!)

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  2. I have found so many great coffee shops because of this! I also couldn't believe how many coffee shops Dallas is hiding! It's awesome. I don't think I'll ever run out of material! :)

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  3. The first thing I ever do in a new city is find a great coffee shop! Love this. =)

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  4. Oh my word, me too! I'm all about Starbucks - don't get me wrong - but I love a good, cozy, local shop!

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  5. THANK YOU for this. I've just move to Dallas and love coffee shops, but hate searching out my favorite. Can't wait to try your picks!!

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  6. Yes! It's my favorite "research". ;)
    Ascension and Davis Street Espresso are probably my favorites!

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