Trixie's Travels...

One Last Stop

We flew in and flew out of the great state of Arizona but before I left I needed to hit one more coffee shop.

I grabbed my sister, Karrie, and off we went to search out and find Conspire Coffee.  

We didn't know what to expect and when we finally found it, Karrie wasn't to sure if she wanted to go inside.  

I, on the other hand, had been to a place like this when Hot Rocks and I went on our coffee tour and I was all game!

This is Conspire Coffee....

 

they use Cartel beans so you know that you will get a great brew and sure enough, I was not disappointed!

 

I would love to deliver coffee like this!  What a great idea.....

 

Inside were local artists wears and a very relaxed atmosphere with people reading or working on the computer....

If you are in the area - you will need to check out this bakery - it was DELICIOUS!

 

Well, that ends this coffee adventure and my internet access for a couple of days so until we meet again - Hear is to happy coffee days and other various things!

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Lux is Luscious

Only two blocks down the street from Lola is Lux Coffee Bar.  If you blink you will drive right past it.

It is right next to an eatery that looked to have standing room only. 

When I walked in there was mostly Gen Y aged people in there.  A great place to park it on the wi-fi and relax a little bit.

The coffee bar was held down by the gentleman in the picture below and when I returned my cup to the counter, he wanted to know what I thought of it.

It's a good thing when a barista takes pride in the product that they are serving.

The strength of my latte was a little stronger than let's say Cartel or Solo, but again the first sip was just as good as the last.  A consistent flavor all the way to the bottom of the cup!

I had to take a 1/2 # home for later!

Another Day, Another Coffee

...this time we are in the downtown Phoenix area.

Can you believe that this great little place is just down the way from the Heard Museum????

Look at this delightful cup of coffee....

Their counter was full of goodies to enjoy along side of this indulgence.

Wouldn't you love a sign like this?  

The coffee here at Lola is really tasty - strong & rich.  They roast their own beans and they too found their way into our stash to take home.

Go check it out - it's totally worth it!

 

Ther's coffee in them thar hills!

At least that is what I heard through the blogger grapevine!

My coffee search took us into the foothills behind Phoenix.... up into Cave Creek.  It's a quaint little one-road town with lots of hidden treasures. 

The place I was looking for wasn't anywhere to be found, but I did run into this place...

It is known as C4 and I bet you'll never guess why...here is a hint:

ANSWER:  Cave Creek Coffee Cafe

They roast their own beans and from what I hear from a newly transplanted local - they are award winning....

The kids loved the "porch" of the place. Doesn't she look so happy?

I need this for my house.... (I think I will make one when I get home)

 

and this, actually one for me and one for my sister...

 

I can't make this one though -

Do you think I could make one of these too?

I just like the way it looks - would it stand out at the new house?

Another bag of beans for home flew into the car.

I think I am up to about 6 #'s now of beans, good thing we like coffee and good thing it is GOOD coffee ~ I'll send out invites soon for coffee mornings and what not.....

Let's Experiment.....with coffee!

That's the feeling you get just from the name of this place!  It is a little difficult to locate but so worth the look!

So check it out....this is Cartel Coffee Lab.  

You are gonna look for a door like this one!

It is a place for the students by the students - let me tell ya!  To have a whole family plus one walk in off the streets was just slightly odd to say the least, but we were tolerated! HA!

It was also later in the evening and this place stays open LATE!!!

They roast their own beans here.  One of the first coffee shops that I went to, Sola in Scottsdale , uses beans from here.  They roast with a San Franciscan roaster.  It is a huge machine ~ Hot Rocks and I were trying to remember if Caffe Trieste in SF used this same machine or not. 

My picture of the roaster didn't turn out so hot so I can't show you what I am talking about...if you even give a hoot!

Hot Rocks met us here and had already placed our order prior to our arrival...

This was our third coffee for the evening and even with us ordering smalls, it was beginning to have an effect on our crew....

even the wee one had snuck in sips and was goin' a little wild.

There "menu" was simple and to the point.  LOVE IT! 

The set-up of the place had changed a little bit from the website pixs, but it was still totally innovative and fun!

BTW, if you want a cappuccino - it is made for a stay....can you get the hint?

This one turned out to be another "must return" and a bag of beans is comin' home with us!

Continuing with coffee....

After Gilbert, AZ we headed back to the Tempe area for a couple more coffee stops on my list.

Our second stop of the evening was Solo Cafe .

It is nestled in a small brick built shopping center which only adds to its

eclectic atmosphere.

The decor reminded me instantly of a kind of Edgar Allan Poe"ish" mood. 

Obviously, someone has a fetish for old records

as they were placed around the shop and I didn't confirm if they were actually played or not. Karrie loves Glenn Miller so I had to snap that one for her.

Ok, so the atmosphere is a check now what about the coffee????

All I can say is that it was freakin' delicious! 

They use beans roasted by Cortez.

It was smooth until the last drop and not a bitter bite at the end -

Yum-a-licious!

Two great brews in a row - could the third one possible hit the mark too???

You'll have to wait and see.

 

Good Eats, Coffee, Dessert in Gilbert and Beyond

Our itinerary for the evening was complete. 

I had sent the appropriate parties the directions to their iPhones and it was time to search out some new places.   

We raided Karrie's workplace and waited impatiently for her to get off work.  Hot Rocks couldn't meet up with us until later in the evening. 

In the car and off we went to Gilbert, AZ to seek out Liberty Market. 

The espresso bar was highly recommended by Arizona Coffee. I had planned for us to eat their also.

We had arrived to a quiet eating establishment with a few people working on computers, shuffling papers, etc.  At least it was quiet until we sat down ~ that always changes the atmosphere!

I love fun lighting fixtures, this one caught my eye...

I need that one in the house.

We opted for a pizza dinner but looking at the desserts in the glass cases, we knew that they were a must also.

 

The top pizza is their Margarita and the bottom is known as the White - yum!

Sis ordered their special of the day.  It was a deep dish pizza with ham, pineapple chutney and balsamic vinegar

- there was only a sampler bite left for Hot Rocks and even that was a HUGE sacrifice!

We couldn't wait to get to dessert ... what to choose, what to choose!

Sis occupied her wait time with Auntie's iPhone...they are so blessed to have a techie Auntie who has all the latest!

While the rest of us sent imaginary love notes to each other via napkins that were folded like envelopes. It was pretty funny to make up what the other person had supposedly written to you.

Three desserts were chosen...the bread pudding & chocolate chip banana bread

A divine slice of carrot cake without the raisins or nuts!

You would think that we hadn't eaten dinner the way these things were devoured!

But then, what we came for in the first place arrived....the coffee - o' sweetness to my soul!

Karrie ordered a cold one...

Mine was hot and SMOOTH to the last slurp, I mean, drop and I drank it so fast I didn't even take a picture!

This is what the espresso bar looks like....

Who knows why the picture is crooked - it's not like the place is built on a slant....

There is more to this story, but I need to gather the pictures from others ~ I'll give you a hint:  It's all potty talk!

More about this adventurous evening to come.....