Heartwood Roastery

I'm a coffee fiend.  It's not just a "I-have-to-have-a-cup-in-the-morning-or-I-get-a-headache" kind of thing...it's a "I-need-to-have-3-to-4-huge-cups-a-day-in-order-to-feel-like-myself" straight up addiction!  But since I drink my coffee black, quality is extremely important to me.  And trust me when I say that it's pretty hard to find anything great at the grocery store, let alone from a dreaded Keurig machine!  So when I find a local coffee roaster that makes ahhhh-mazing stuff, it's a pretty big deal.  I'm officially professing my love for Heartwood Roastery.

Yerba Mate: My Miracle Beverage

I have a major life announcement.  I found a miracle drink, and it's called Yerba Mate. Miracle is right: it has "the strength of coffee, the health benefits of tea and the euphoria of chocolate all in one beverage," according to the Guayaki Yerba Mate website.  Yes that's right, after being absolutely addicted to coffee for the last 8 years, I found a healthier substitute that still provides me with 85 mg of caffeine!  I've been drinking it in the late morning and late afternoon every day this week, when I would normally turn to the office Keurig machine, and it has worked wonders on my mood, energy level and productivity.  The benefits of this beverage may seem pretty unbelievable, but it's actually been produced and consumed in South American countries from the leaves of the rainforest mate tree since the mid-17th century.  The taste?  Very similar to a black tea.  Where can you buy this?  I found it at the Giant Eagle Market District in Solon after work on accident, but it is a little difficult to find in regular groceries stores.  Try your local Giant Eagle, or order it online on Amazon.  I swear your life will be forever changed!

LOOP Coffee Shop

Happy Sunday!  I hope everybody had a fun weekend.   I know I did, and now it's time to RELAX.  I had a busy Friday night trying out the new Barrio Tacos downtown for dinner with friends, which quickly turned into a late night at the Butcher and the Brewer on East 4th.  Then I was intending a quiet night in last night, but ended up having a tasty dinner at Market in Rocky River instead, with a little side-trip to 16-Bit Bar+Arcade afterwards for a few games of centipede.  Lots of fun, but I definitely woke up needing a big cup of coffee today, I'm beat!  That's why I'm at LOOP Coffee in Tremont this morning.  The coffee is the bomb, but the atmosphere is even better; think hipster coffee shop in Seattle meets indie music store.  Clean colors, abstract art, rows and rows of records and a full house of people working on their laptops fill the space.  Seems like the perfect backdrop for some serious blog-redesign work...