Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Catching Up Over Coffee - January, 2017 at NIX in South Windsor

My sister and I decided a while back to meet up once a month at a different coffee shop in Connecticut in order to catch up and see the state. This blog series serves as a review of the coffee shops we visit. 

January, 2017 - Thirteen months after saying yes, and less than four months before the big day, it was past time for me to pick out bridesmaids dresses. I had gone once before with my best friend and narrowed my choices down to two, but I couldn't decide. I wanted to see how one of my other bridesmaids would look in the dress. So, I made an appointment at David's Bridal in Manchester with my sister. 



Unfortunately, it snowed all day the day of the appointment. Manchester is over an hour away from me, but I figured if I drove slowly and carefully, I would be fine. I was right. There were hardly any cars on the highway compared to normal rush hour traffic. My sister got to the appointment on time and started to try on the first dress. I made it there soon after. 

We video chatted with our other sister and decided to go with the second dress. I love how it works with my dress! 

After the appointment, we were planning on going to a cute little coffee shop in South Windsor, but they ended up being closed due to the snow. We did try calling and no one picked up but there was no message saying they were closed. We decided to drive over to the plaza to check. 

Fortunately, there were lots of little shops in the shopping plaza, including a few tea shops. Even the Ben & Jerry's served coffee and tea. By this time, we were hungry, so we decided to try NIX. We thought they had coffee and tea, but they only had regular Lipton tea. The food, however, was great!

I had the ahi tuna salad with a lemon vinaigrette and my sister had risotto and a side of mac and cheese, which she claimed was the best mac & cheese she has ever had. It did look good, but it was the last day of my Whole30 challenge, and I didn't give in!




Even though we didn't have coffee, we still had a great conversation and a great meal. It counts.

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This post is one in a series of monthly posts. If you are wondering why I am writing this series, head on over to Catching Up Over Coffee to read the explanation. 

Then, check out the other places we have visited so far: 
Catching Up Over Coffee - February 2016 at Focaccia's Cafe in Shelton
Catching Up Over Coffee - March 2016 at Half Moon and Mr. D's in Wallingford

Catching Up Over Coffee - April 2016 at Cheshire Coffee in Cheshire
Catching Up Over Coffee - December 2016 at Caffe del Mondo in Southington 

Catching Up Over Coffee - December 2016 at Caffe del Mondo in Southington

My sister and I decided a while back to meet up once a month at a different coffee shop in Connecticut in order to catch up and see the state. This blog series serves as a review of the coffee shops we visit. 

December, 2016 - So much for meeting up once a month for coffee! For four months in a row we were good, but then life got in the way. My sister and I saw each other now and then with the rest of the family, but we didn't go out for coffee just the two of us, so it doesn't count for this blog. 

We finally got a chance to catch up over coffee in December. My sister has recently taken up sewing after watching 10+ seasons of Project Runway. She bought herself a nice Brother sewing machine and has found that she has some skill. I asked her if should would be able to make my wedding veil and she said yes. We decided to meet up at Jo-Ann Fabric in Southington so that we could also go out for coffee in a different town as well. 

Before I headed up to Southington, I did a quick search online and found a coffee shop that was close to Jo-Ann Fabric called Caffe del Mondo. 

The Caffe was rather small and quiet with a few rustic style wood tables and chairs. A long bench was built into the side wall opposite the door. To the left of the door was a charming fireplace with big comfy chairs. 

For food, my sister could not resist the gingerbread cookie and I had the cinnamon twist. For coffee, she had an iced coffee and I had a Milky Way latte. This turned out not to be our favorite place. My food was dry and the coffee was alright but not great. The service was average. 



Would we go back? Maybe for a quick coffee fix if we happen to be back in the area, but I'm not planning a special trip. 


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This post is one in a series of monthly posts. If you are wondering why I am writing this series, head on over to Catching Up Over Coffee to read the explanation. 

Then, check out the other places we have visited so far: 
Catching Up Over Coffee - February 2016 at Focaccia's Cafe in Shelton
Catching Up Over Coffee - March 2016 at Half Moon and Mr. D's in Wallingford
Catching Up Over Coffee - April 2016 at Cheshire Coffee in Cheshire

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Catching Up Over Coffee - April 2016 at Cheshire Coffee in Cheshire

My sister and I decided a while back to meet up once a month at a different coffee shop in Connecticut in order to catch up and see the state. This blog series serves as a review of the coffee shops we visit. 

April, 2016 - This month, my sister and I decided to meet about half way from our homes, which turned out to be Cheshire, CT. There is a coffee shop in this town fittingly called Cheshire Coffee. I had been there a few times before, but not with my sister, so we figured this would be a good time for her to try it. 

This coffee shop is located in a stand alone building and has it's own parking lot, something we don't see too often around here. 

Inside, the place is spacious yet cozy. There are photos hanging on the walls, big comfy chairs scattered around, and some tables for those who want to eat and work. The people are always so nice on both sides of the counter as well. 




For food, I had the turkey wrap with smoked Gouda and asparagus. My sister had a chicken panini. This is the second or third time I had this wrap and I will probably have it again next time I go. I also had the caramel macchiatto while my sister had a flavored iced coffee. I don't remember exactly which one, though. 
Everything was delicious and tasty. Would we go back? I know I would!
We weren't done with our day yet...

As an added bonus, we visited a well known ice cream shop called Sweet Claude's . Boy did it live up to its reputation! Even in the light rain, there was still a line, and we found out why. The ice cream was so smooth, thick, and creamy. Delicious. In a state full of top notch ice cream, it's hard to stand out. Very few are as well known and respected as Sweet Claude's. My only regret is that this was my first time visiting. 



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This post is one in a series of monthly posts. If you are wondering why I am writing this series, head on over to Catching Up Over Coffee to read the explanation. 

Then, check out the other places we have visited so far: 
Catching Up Over Coffee - February 2016 at Focaccia's Cafe
Catching Up Over Coffee - March 2016 at Half Moon and Mr. D's

Monday, January 30, 2017

Catching Up Over Coffee - March 2016 at Half Moon and Mr. D's Bakery Wallingford

My sister and I decided a while back to meet up once a month at a different coffee shop in Connecticut in order to catch up and see the state. This blog series serves as a review of the coffee shops we visit. 

March, 2016 - My sister and I actually have one more sister who lives in Wallingford. We all met at her place and chatted for awhile before the two of us headed out to chat at our March coffee stops. 

We actually decided to go to two places this month - Half Moon Coffee and Grille Cafe and Mr. D's Bakery. These two places are practically next door to each other. First we had dinner at Half Moon, and then went to Mr. D's for cupcakes and coffee. 

We weren't really impressed with Half Moon, though it wasn't bad. The clear winner was Mr. D's Bakery. To be fair, it's not really a competition. Mr. D's offers cupcakes, ice cream, toys, and candy, which are much more exciting than coffee. As we walked into Mr. D's, my sister said something to the effect of wanting to move in and never leave!

One of the first items that draws your eye as you walk into the store is a carousel horse. 

There are actually a couple of these around the store, but the others can be missed, believe it or not, because they are surrounded by bright, fun toys, and cupcakes.

Oh, the cupcakes! I don't know how anyone could have just one. My sister and I each ate one there and brought a box of six home for later (and to share).


We each had another medium coffee while we ate our carefully chosen cupcakes. A few unoccupied tables were tucked out of the way in a corner near the front window, where we were able to enjoy our treats and take a more careful look at our surroundings.

Below are some photos of the rest of the store.

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This post is one in a series of monthly posts. If you are wondering why I am writing this series, head on over to Catching Up Over Coffee to read the explanation. 

Then, check out the post from January, 2016: 
Catching Up Over Coffee - February 2016 at Focaccia's Cafe