If you’re in Old Town looking for breakfast and a spot of espresso, try out the Little Bird Bakeshop (website).  The service was polite; the scones were perfectly crafted and flaky; and the coffee was better than one might normally expect from a bakery. The espresso had a nutty quality to it with a light mouth feel and almost no lingering aftertaste.  All the syrups are made in house out of all natural components –  the bakery is dedicated to bringing only the best and purest, ingredients to their products.   The prices were commensurate with what you’d expect from a high quality bakery.  We enjoyed the cultivated old-tyme atmosphere and the spacious seating.  It was a nice spot to relax before we started the day.

The only critiques my wife and I had was that their mocha wasn’t sweet enough (it tasted like they used straight dark chocolate cocoa powder) and the espresso macchiato I ordered was a little muddy.  Of course, sweetness tends to be a matter of personal preference.

Made a recent visit to Genoa Wine and Coffee (website) after we got done with our grocery shopping at King Soopers at the crossroads of Timberline and Drake. It is located in the same parking lot and attached to a little strip mall.

Our first impression of the exterior did not inspire confidence in the quality of the coffee but we decided to try it out anyway.

We entered to find ourselves pleasantly surprised by the unique menu selection, decor, and relaxing atmosphere of this Italian themed coffeehouse/wine bar.  There was plenty of comfortable seating with several quiet individual tables to meet someone for a romantic glass of wine or an amicable conversation over coffee.

Though the menu includes a few different food options, I opted only for the bottomless cup of joe – the 12oz was only 2.12!  They had beans from  LaVaZza on brew and I went for the dark roast.  It was pretty decent, a bit smokey with notes of cherry and sour apple.

My wife ordered a the “coccotella” – a con panna mixed with chocolate and Nutella. She reported the espresso being very tart but in such a way that complimented the rest of the drink.  We liked that the cashier took the time to bring our drinks to the table we were sitting.  The staff was friendly and competent.

Probably the most interesting part about this shop is its fusion with the wine bar – this gave the location a uniquely Italian accent and made it a viable option for a visit later in the evening.  The wine prices looked reasonable, with five dollar glasses of their wine of the day.

All in all, we enjoyed our experience and hope we can make it a part of the northern Colorado disloyalty card.

After completing an exciting trip to the DMV I noticed that, behold, there was a giant “COFFEE” sign directly across the street.  Of course, I would not be a coffee crawler if I did not try it out! I went in to find I had entered the domain of Everyday Joe’s coffeehouse.  It had a nice steampunk, artsy vibe to it with spacious seating and a stage for live music.  I learned that this coffeehouse was not-for-profit -meaning that every barista there was a volunteer! (They do a lot of great things for the community, check out their website for more info.)

Pretty cool, but I still needed to try the coffee to be persuaded. I opted for the espresso macchiato and noticed that they were brewing Novo coffee – a good sign!  Side note: the staff were friendly and very polite and made sure to verify I wanted a traditional macchiato.

The espresso came out as expected: a delicious, full-bodied, nutty, Novo espresso blend.  Unfortunately, the macchiato was not prepared with exacting standards, the foam was muddy and not much of that to boot.  However, it was a new barista and he was working for free.  All things considered; it was a good cup of coffee!   Stop by, plan a meeting, put up some art, Everyday Joe’s does it.