Zokas is a company that is slowly but surely growing. They currently have 3 locations, each with it's own aesthetic. The two in the Seattle area are nicely tailored to the neighborhoods that they inhabit, rather than attempting to reproduce the feel of a different store with a different customer base.
Zokas cafe at Greenlake has a much more neighborhood and business oriented feel. You can still count on this cafe to offer a great study environment, but you're less likely to find a nice big table to spread your textbooks and notes out on, not to mention peace and quiet. That's not to say that this Zoka is loud; it's just more about being with people than the U-district location.
The soy cappucino I had here was pretty dang good but not the best I've ever had. I suppose that in all things, it really comes down to the barista behind the counter.
Zokas Coffee Roaster & Tea Company
Showing posts with label Mike. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mike. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Zokas University District
This place is great! The lobby is huge and conducive to study, hangouts, or whatever. Furthermore, they make the best mocha I've had in quite some time. The espresso here is great, and the mocha that they use is just the right level of sweet and bittersweet. High praise for the foam art too. Free wifi and unabashed music selections also make this place pretty primo.
Check it out, I say!
Check it out, I say!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Victrola Coffee Capitol Hill
Victrola Coffee is one of those places that is tailor-made for the neighborhood that it inhabits. If it wasn't there, it wouldn't be anywhere, and a cafe very much like it would be exactly where it is...or isn't. Wasn't? What I'm saying is, walking down the street, this cafe comes up like the inevitable wrong diagnosis halfway through an episode of House. That doesn't mean this is a generic coffee shop.
This surprisingly deep little coffee shop manages it's cavernous qualities by lighting it's depths with a soft golden glow that mitigates what would otherwise be an abyss of a retail space. With clever lighting, artwork and spacious windows, the abyss is translated into a fantastic coffee shop that manages to be large while maintaining a nice cozy atmosphere. It might have been the discussion I was having with my friend about my employer (Starbucks) but the barista did some truly impressive foam art atop the soy latte she was crafting for me. Too bad I ordered a cappucino. In any case, the beverage was fantastic, as was the environment.
Check out Victola Coffee's website for the ubiquitous claims of superior coffee knowledge and passion. Oh, there might be directions to the coffee shop too.
This surprisingly deep little coffee shop manages it's cavernous qualities by lighting it's depths with a soft golden glow that mitigates what would otherwise be an abyss of a retail space. With clever lighting, artwork and spacious windows, the abyss is translated into a fantastic coffee shop that manages to be large while maintaining a nice cozy atmosphere. It might have been the discussion I was having with my friend about my employer (Starbucks) but the barista did some truly impressive foam art atop the soy latte she was crafting for me. Too bad I ordered a cappucino. In any case, the beverage was fantastic, as was the environment.
Check out Victola Coffee's website for the ubiquitous claims of superior coffee knowledge and passion. Oh, there might be directions to the coffee shop too.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Russian Civic Center Swing
You know the scene: the crowded mass of writhing bodies. The sweat, the strangers. Yeah, the seamy underbelly that is our city's Swing dance scene. If you're under 21, there aren't too many well known options to get your fix. The most popular is probably Century Ballroom's Sunday night all-ages dance. The music is great and there's always an abundance of people to dance with. Unfortunately, that abundance of available dancers also means an extreme lack of space to...do anything. Thursday nights at the Russian Civic Center on the back side of Capitol Hill present a welcome alternative, though the lack of crowd has its cost.
The first thing I noticed is that this dance was a community thing. There was no bar, no low lights, no bouncer at the door checking ID's and stamping hands. This also meant that I could bring in my bottle of water without shoving it into a purse. At Century, you feel like you're somewhere doing something. At the civic center, you just feel like you're dancing, which isn't necessarily the most horrible thing ever, but it doesn't exactly feel like the wild night-life you'd always envisioned growing up in the boonies of Utah.
It's also harder to disappear into the crowd after an awkward dance. With an attendance struggling to reach 30 people, it's hard to find anything vaguelly resembling a crowd. If you've never been a single guy working the floor at a dance hall, you don't know what I'm talking about, but let me just make it clear that it is very important to be able to disappear if things go south, or if that girl that you really wanted to dance with finally escaped the clutches of the creepy old dude. Speaking of creepy old dudes, there are significantly fewer of those, making the dance hall much more high schooler friendly.
Long story short: If it's Thursday night and you just want to dance, the Russian Civic Center is a good bet, and at $5 a head, it's not too hefty wallet-wise. Plus, there's no creepy walk on Broadway late at night. But, it might be a good idea to bring a date, because the pickins are a little slim if you're hoping to work the floor.
Although we seem to usually be fans of making you do your own homework, I don't like to watch someone suffer, so here's a little website to help you on your way.
The first thing I noticed is that this dance was a community thing. There was no bar, no low lights, no bouncer at the door checking ID's and stamping hands. This also meant that I could bring in my bottle of water without shoving it into a purse. At Century, you feel like you're somewhere doing something. At the civic center, you just feel like you're dancing, which isn't necessarily the most horrible thing ever, but it doesn't exactly feel like the wild night-life you'd always envisioned growing up in the boonies of Utah.
It's also harder to disappear into the crowd after an awkward dance. With an attendance struggling to reach 30 people, it's hard to find anything vaguelly resembling a crowd. If you've never been a single guy working the floor at a dance hall, you don't know what I'm talking about, but let me just make it clear that it is very important to be able to disappear if things go south, or if that girl that you really wanted to dance with finally escaped the clutches of the creepy old dude. Speaking of creepy old dudes, there are significantly fewer of those, making the dance hall much more high schooler friendly.
Long story short: If it's Thursday night and you just want to dance, the Russian Civic Center is a good bet, and at $5 a head, it's not too hefty wallet-wise. Plus, there's no creepy walk on Broadway late at night. But, it might be a good idea to bring a date, because the pickins are a little slim if you're hoping to work the floor.
Although we seem to usually be fans of making you do your own homework, I don't like to watch someone suffer, so here's a little website to help you on your way.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Zak's Burgers, Ballard
By some standards, entirely far too much of my life has been spent in search of the perfect burger. When I say perfect, I don't mean pretty dang good. I mean the quentissential burger, the burger that embodies and epitomizes all that is burgerdom. Because my tastes in burger zen tend to run in the more expensive direction (at least relative to most fast-food standbys), I tend to reserve my pilgrimages for days when life is at its most bleak. Today is one of those days, for I am a geek without one of his beloved gadgets. Today I mourn the passing of my iPod touch to the heartless, clasping world of greedy Shoreline Community College Students*.
And so I journeyed to a new burger joint in search of the perfect burger. My quest took me to Zak's, a burger joint on Market St. next to the movie theater. Walking in the door, I was greeted by a blue bathtub with crayons and a stack of menu's crowned by a sign that read "Take a menu. Find a seat. We'll follow the menus." Yeah, it's that kind of place. There's no attempt to maintain traditional formality-unique considering the sit down and be waited upon format that the restaurant otherwise adheres to.
I shuffled in, snagged a booth and glanced at the brief menu. Nothing too crazy here: just good old fashioned burgers with a few extra choices for adventurers. A very unSeattle touch is their featured menu item: The Big Johnson. Yeah, it's huge, and the anatomical allusion made is probably in reference to the confidence you will feel having defeated such an epic beast as this. Tonight, however, was not a night for such madness. I was on a mission.
One of the great things about burgers is that no matter how you slice it, there isn't that much to burgers. Anyone that pretends differently is taking themselves a little too seriously. Burgers are not about fancy. They are not about goat cheese, or julienned carrots atop lightly glazed chicken breast nestled between two warm buns. NO. Burgers are about beef. And America. But I digress...
My bacon cheeseburger was absolutely fantastic. The extra toppings were not filler, they were present and demanded my respect while still melding well with the meat and cheese. A nice unique touch to this burger was the super thick chunks of bacon that appeared occasionally. These chunks were in addition to the standard bacon slices. The result was a varied burger consumption experience the made each bite a tasty adventure. Huzzah! A step closer to burger Nirvana.
The fries were also truly good. I tend to be a purist; I eat my bread without butter, I don't salt my eggs, and I usually don't put ketchup on my fries. I believe that a food should stand on its own. Zak's fries validate my belief with a unique flare: they're perfectly crispy, ever so slightly breaded and they have a nice zing that might be seasoning salt, or maybe even vinegar. Either way, it's all good.
The restaurant is decorated in a way that's a little reminiscent of a 50's style diner but minus the 50's. There's random stuff on the walls with no real uniting them beyond funky kitsch. Although this decorating style is in some ways a copy of many burger chains, Zak's has separated itself by building its collection, rather than hiring a designer. What I mean is that the arrangement is homegrown and on the boarderline of sparse. It's nice, and it's got character, even if it's shooting for something that does not. A tagboard sign on each table announces that free food will be rewarded to anyone that contributes to their decorating venture. Furthermore, free five gallon buckets are available upon request. Yeah, I have no idea either...but free stuff is cool I guess.
*A quick P.S. to the punk that snatched my ipod: I will find you, and you will pay sucka!
And so I journeyed to a new burger joint in search of the perfect burger. My quest took me to Zak's, a burger joint on Market St. next to the movie theater. Walking in the door, I was greeted by a blue bathtub with crayons and a stack of menu's crowned by a sign that read "Take a menu. Find a seat. We'll follow the menus." Yeah, it's that kind of place. There's no attempt to maintain traditional formality-unique considering the sit down and be waited upon format that the restaurant otherwise adheres to.
I shuffled in, snagged a booth and glanced at the brief menu. Nothing too crazy here: just good old fashioned burgers with a few extra choices for adventurers. A very unSeattle touch is their featured menu item: The Big Johnson. Yeah, it's huge, and the anatomical allusion made is probably in reference to the confidence you will feel having defeated such an epic beast as this. Tonight, however, was not a night for such madness. I was on a mission.
One of the great things about burgers is that no matter how you slice it, there isn't that much to burgers. Anyone that pretends differently is taking themselves a little too seriously. Burgers are not about fancy. They are not about goat cheese, or julienned carrots atop lightly glazed chicken breast nestled between two warm buns. NO. Burgers are about beef. And America. But I digress...
My bacon cheeseburger was absolutely fantastic. The extra toppings were not filler, they were present and demanded my respect while still melding well with the meat and cheese. A nice unique touch to this burger was the super thick chunks of bacon that appeared occasionally. These chunks were in addition to the standard bacon slices. The result was a varied burger consumption experience the made each bite a tasty adventure. Huzzah! A step closer to burger Nirvana.
The fries were also truly good. I tend to be a purist; I eat my bread without butter, I don't salt my eggs, and I usually don't put ketchup on my fries. I believe that a food should stand on its own. Zak's fries validate my belief with a unique flare: they're perfectly crispy, ever so slightly breaded and they have a nice zing that might be seasoning salt, or maybe even vinegar. Either way, it's all good.
The restaurant is decorated in a way that's a little reminiscent of a 50's style diner but minus the 50's. There's random stuff on the walls with no real uniting them beyond funky kitsch. Although this decorating style is in some ways a copy of many burger chains, Zak's has separated itself by building its collection, rather than hiring a designer. What I mean is that the arrangement is homegrown and on the boarderline of sparse. It's nice, and it's got character, even if it's shooting for something that does not. A tagboard sign on each table announces that free food will be rewarded to anyone that contributes to their decorating venture. Furthermore, free five gallon buckets are available upon request. Yeah, I have no idea either...but free stuff is cool I guess.
*A quick P.S. to the punk that snatched my ipod: I will find you, and you will pay sucka!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Beth's Cafe
If you're a newcomer to Seattle and you've never been to Beth's, your friends may hate you. That's okay though because now I'm your bff and I've got your back.
Remember that feeling you have every time you find yourself choking down a meal at Denny's? No, I'm not talking about the nausea, nor am I talking about the burning smell of old people in your nostrils. NO! I'm talking about settling! That sneaking feeling you have that you're missing out on something amazing. That something amazing is Beth's; an incongruous little joint on Aurora that you've probably driven past hundreds of times without really seeing it. Walking in, you'll immediately notice the crayon drawings that plaster every inch of wall space. Just roll with it. Order yourself a bottomless cup of coffee and anything from the menu: the food is absolutely bomb. Also, Beth's is open 24/7 and odds are good that if you go in at any sane hour, it will be almost empty. For an adventure in unique characters and creative seating arrangements, try going at 2 AM- the bar right next door keeps things interesting.
Remember that feeling you have every time you find yourself choking down a meal at Denny's? No, I'm not talking about the nausea, nor am I talking about the burning smell of old people in your nostrils. NO! I'm talking about settling! That sneaking feeling you have that you're missing out on something amazing. That something amazing is Beth's; an incongruous little joint on Aurora that you've probably driven past hundreds of times without really seeing it. Walking in, you'll immediately notice the crayon drawings that plaster every inch of wall space. Just roll with it. Order yourself a bottomless cup of coffee and anything from the menu: the food is absolutely bomb. Also, Beth's is open 24/7 and odds are good that if you go in at any sane hour, it will be almost empty. For an adventure in unique characters and creative seating arrangements, try going at 2 AM- the bar right next door keeps things interesting.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Cafe Fiore Queen Anne
There was a time, not too long ago, when my social life was almost non-existent. It was during these months that I discovered the joys of Cafe Fiore, a great little coffee shop that lies just down the street from the rest of Queen Anne's retail madness.
Fiore has a unique interior design that would be hard to replicate. From the metal tree that climbs to the ceiling in front of the bar, to the well-loved wooden table that dominates a corner of the cafe, the space is equally conducive to an afternoon of study or a meeting with a friend. Best of all is the chilled-out neighborhood vibe that makes you forget that you're only about a mile from the heart of downtown Seattle.
Extremely talented baristas, free wifi and an all organic menu round out this great little cafe.
Fiore has a unique interior design that would be hard to replicate. From the metal tree that climbs to the ceiling in front of the bar, to the well-loved wooden table that dominates a corner of the cafe, the space is equally conducive to an afternoon of study or a meeting with a friend. Best of all is the chilled-out neighborhood vibe that makes you forget that you're only about a mile from the heart of downtown Seattle.
Extremely talented baristas, free wifi and an all organic menu round out this great little cafe.
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