KC Coffee ~ Caffeine Crawl Trail, Part 3

~ Coffee love through shops and roasters participating in KC's spring Caffeine Crawl. ~

Thou Mayest - Crossroads
​Last drink I had there: Pour over of an Ethiopia Kochere.

What do you suggest for new visitors?: A shot of espresso and a "smooth operator" pourover. An Heirloom pop tart (the flavors are seasonal), or blueberry corn muffin. - Bo Nelson

What's coming up that you are excited about? The "Equinox", a new, spring seasonal coffee released last week. - Bo Nelson

Mildred's Coffeehouse - Crossroads and Downtown
Last drink I had there: A cappuccino with espresso from Oddly Correct.
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What do you suggest for new visitors?: If you're coming to Mildred's for the first time, you absolutely have to have our "standard BRK". It's our take on a timeless breakfast sandwich. Eggs, bacon, and cheese on toast, but ours is pretty special. We have a second espresso machine installed in our kitchen to do one thing only - STEAM EGGS! What are steamed eggs? Well, they are the lightest and fluffiest scrambled eggs you will ever taste. We crack open two eggs, throw them in a cup and flash cook them in about 10 seconds with the high powered steam wands of our kitchen's Nuova Simonelli. Then we throw some hickory smocked bacon, swiss cheese, and our house spread between some toast and boom. I recommend it on marble rye with a little sriracha if you like to get spicy with your breakfast. 

For coffee, I like to recommend having a cortado with our housemade honey simple syrup. It's subtle in sweetness, and works well with our spring seasonal espresso from Oddly Correct. - Evan Ashby

​What's coming up that you are excited about? If you're feeling something iced we're pretty excited to offer a new beverage called "Hugo chai soda". It's refreshing, deliciously spicy, and the club soda adds just the right amount of bite. We make our own club soda, and then add in chai from our friends over at Hugo Tea Company. Give it a try, you'll be glad you did. - Evan Ashby

Second Best Coffee - South KC
Last drink I had there: Macchiato with a single origin espresso roasted by Second Best. 
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What do you suggest for new visitors?: For coffee folks, the same coffee (whatever the barista recommends) prepared both as an espresso and coffee to illustrate the nuances highlighted through extraction. For the non-coffee nerd spouse, a honey lavender latte. Pair either one with a housemade breakfast burrito featuring sausage from The Local Pig. - Leia Anderson

What's coming up that you are excited about? We have a new seasonal menu every quarter as the weather changes. Right now the spring menu is in full swing, but keep an eye on Instagram and Facebook for details on the summer menu as it heats up. - Leia Anderson

Blip Coffee - West Bottoms
Last drink I had there: I had a latte about a week before the fire, but excited to go back this week before the Crawl.
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What do you suggest for new visitors?: If you're coming in for the first time, we make a Japanese iced coffee that's light and sweet. It makes for a delicious way to get caffeinated when it's hot outside! - Ian Davis

​What's coming up that you are excited about? I'm excited to announce a couple of new partnerships that have developed over the past couple months. The first is that we are now an authorized dealer with Biltwell, Inc. So, for you motorcycle enthusiasts out there, everything from helmets, grips, and gloves just got a lot more accessible in Kansas City proper.
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The second is our developing partnership with Broadway Roasting Company. A long time Kansas City favorite, Broadway has led the way for businesses like Blip to succeed and we are excited to add their quality and work ethic to the mix! - Ian Davis

Mud Pie Vegan Bakery and Coffeehouse - 39th St.
Last drink I had there: A cortado with espresso from Oddly Correct.
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What do you suggest for new visitors?: That's a tough one. It's similar to when someone asks us what we'd recommend from the case. I usually rattle off at least 10 things I love before trying to narrow it down. So, here we are: on the baked goods end, when we have them, I would always go for a pesto stuffed pretzel. If you are looking for more from the savory side, I would suggest a cheddar bagel with a green onion cream cheese, a jalapeno sausage kolache, or any of the savory scones.  

If you are looking for something sweet, our new raspberry crumb cake is a nice option. The cocoanutz bars, salted caramel bars and cupcakes are always good options as well. Really, we recommend a box, or coming back soon.

As far as drinks, a latte (with one of our house-made milks) is our best seller, but our homemade chai and dirty South are really delicious as well. The dirty South is a chicory/coffee au lait, finished with a sprinkle of spices. We have also started making a spiced whipped coconut cream, which is a great topping on anything. - Ashley Valverde

​What's coming up that you are excited about? We are looking forward to getting the word out about our tea offerings, such as a variety of hot or iced teas, lattes and spritzers. We're also increasing our savory options, which pair very well with these slightly sweetened beauties. We're also going to be adding another barista to the bar to increase our speed along with help from our newest speed demon Mahlkonig espresso grinder. Exciting! - Ashley Valverde

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