I still enjoy a good cup of coffee…for me, it’s more comforting than drinking tea, despite the fact that I get jitters if I drink too much of it.  But, I also get pickier about coffee as I get older.  Too many places serve up really bitter coffee that tastes of burnt beans, while other places serve up watery brown liquid.  So when I find a coffee or espresso-based drink that I love, I’m really hooked.

Such is the case with Soufflés in Newburyport.  They’re located in downtown Newburyport and, while small, they use their space well to display the kitchen essentials and gadets, cookbooks, and other kitchen supplies that they sell.  They also sell some wonderful coffee drinks to go at the registers.  I’m sure they’re all good, but I’m so addicted to the iced mochaccinos there that I have yet to try anything else, though I’m sure I will expand my espresso horizons and try their hot drinks come winter.  They also offer several baked goods by the register including cookies, bars, and biscotti that are typically very good, and taste fresh (many are made by local bakeries).

Souffles’ iced mochaccino is a perfectly balanced blend of chocolate, espresso and milk so that the result is creamy, slightly sweet, with a pleasant espresso flavor.  They only come in one size but  you can order it with one or two shots of espresso.  Even with low-fat milk (they don’t usually offer skim) the result is rich and creamy – the perfect way to start a weekend day!

Izze isn’t juice, although they contain 70% fruit juices, and they’re not soda, though they do contain sparkling water for a bit of fizz.  They’re fortified, though I kind of ignore that fact (again, avoiding the hype).  Though they have 20 grams of sugar in a small 8.4 ounce can, the first ingredients are juice derived, which I like.  (Izze is also available in larger bottles now).

Better yet, the taste.  They taste like fruit, but they’re lightly carbonated and oh-so refreshing.  I’ve tried several flavors, but my favorites are clementine, pomegranate, and blackberry.  They contain a blend of juices, so the pomegranate, for example, might contain apple and white grape juices, but it tastes like what it’s labelled as unlike many juice drinks and flavored sodas. 

Given the high juice content, I feel Izze is healthier than many “juice drinks” on the market that contain little or no juice.  Case in points – V8 Splash drinks which contain 10% juice, and Jones Soda’s Naturals line that masqueraded as juice but contained little to no juice (and tasted horrible, to boot).

It might be an irrelevant side point, but I also like the cute cans that Izze comes in.  I guess I’m a victim of good marketing, but Izze is good, isn’t it? 

Peak Organic produces organic ales and sources local ingredients whenever possible.  The Pomegranate Ale that I tried hit all the right notes – it tasted like ale with noticeable fruitiness – not too sweet and fruity as some fruit-enhanced ales are, but not such an overpowering beer flavor that I couldn’t detect fruit.  It was spot-on and perfect with the flatbread pizza I enjoyed it with (deserving of its own entry). 

Knowing that Peak Organic is fairly local (Maine) to me and that they make efforts to source local, organic ingredients to produce their ales, and having tasted this one…I’m eager to try some of their other offerings, especially the Maple Oat Ale (with Vermont maple syrup!) and the Espresso Amber Ale (it’s the first Fair Trade certified beer in the U.S., and it inclludes Maine roasted beans).  I’ll be on the lookout for both of these!

In addition to drinks, the bar serves light fare, snacks, and sweets.  It’s a small but chic bar with a large outdoor patio.  We took advantage of the beautiful weather – a rarity this summer – and enjoyed some drinks and desserts on the outdoor patio.

I started with a Black Dahlia, a Noir Bar signature drink, which was fabulous.  It included vodka, pomegranate juice, bitters, lemon juice, and pureed blackberries.  It was served in a martini glass and the dark color makes for an exotic looking drink.  The Black Dahlia is refreshing with a hint of sweetness and just the right amount of alcohol – I’m inspired to try to make a similar drink at home.  The drink has a strong presence without tasting too sweet or too strong….so good, it could be dangerous!

Next, I ordered up a Naughty O’Pear, made with pear flavored vodka, pear puree and champagne.  It was much less sweet than the first drink, and much milder.  It was lighter and also delicious, though it was hard to beat the Black Dahlia.

For dessert, I ordered a piece of Boston Cream Pie, one of my favorites.  The Noir Bar serves up a non-traditional Boston Cream Pie, and I have to admit that my expectations were low.  I assumed (wrongly) that since the focus was on cocktails, that the desserts would probably leave something to be desired.  What I received was a dome-shaped dessert covered in chocolate.  The inside was creamy and almost cheesecake-like in consistency, but it tasted like the custard filling in traditional Boston Cream Pies, only slightly less sweet.  The dessert was served with a side of fresh mixed berries including raspberries, blackberries and blueberries which were the perfect accompaniment to the chocolate sauce and creamy filling.  Mmmm!  I’ll be making a return visit to the Noir Bar, eager to try more of their signature cocktails and twists on old favorites.

When I heard that Cold Stone Creamery had introduced their own blended coffee drinks, Sweet Cream Lattes and Flavored Lattes, I was intrigued.  Cold Stone’s Lattes are avaible iced or blended and come in three sizes - Like It, Love It, and Gotta Have It (aka small, medium, and large).  I eagerly ordered up a small Raspberry Truffle Mocha Latte Light (the light is lower in fat).   The clerk seemed confused by my order and took a very long time for my drink to be made. 

When my drink was finished, I peered into the cup.  It was a pinkish-greyish color but it appeared thick and frappe-like.  I took a sip.  At first, it tasted like nothing…then, a horribly bitter after-taste.  I refrained from grimacing in the store, but when we left I scowled.  I thought that perhaps my drink hadn’t been well-blended enough, so I stirred it vigorously with the straw and tried it again.  Still, I couldn’t detect any chocolate or raspberry flavoring - it was thick and bland with a bitter aftertaste, probably from whatever coffee product was within.  I stirred it again and my husband tried it – sure that my face was an exaggeration - but he grimaced and asked if we should go try to get our money back (we didn’t).  I tried one more sip, just to remind myself that it was okay to throw away an entire coffee drink, and then tossed it.  I drink Starbuck’s Frappucino Lites often enough to know that a blended coffee drink should not taste like this.

I headed to a nearby Borders where I ordered a Cookies N’ Cream flavored JavaKula at the Seattle’s Best Cafe within the store.  Much, much better – it was sweet, with nice flavors of chocolate and coffee and lovely bits of chocolate cookie throughout.  A perfect treat for a summer afternoon – and, as a bonus, it got the taste of the Sweet Cream Latte out of my  mouth (which wasn’t sweet or latte-like at all).  I guess the moral of the story is to stick to Cold Stone for ice cream and coffee shops for blended coffee drinks.

It arrived in its pint glass, dark and thick and enticing.  I immediately smelled it; it smelled like a vanilla bean had been submerged in my lovely porter.  Mmmm.  The taste was complex with overtones of vanilla that carried through from start to finish.  The first detectable flavor was the vanilla, followed by  a barely detectable, fleeting coffee flavor with a mild malted flavor on the finish.  It was sweet but the flavors worked well together and didn’t detract from this tasting like a great porter – no mistaking this for dessert.  (But I do have a sweet tooth, so others might disagree!)    Atwater Brewery has several other interesting ales and stouts including a cherry stout…bottoms up!

I particularly enjoy Starbucks’ specialty drinks.  Their regular coffee is simply too bitter for me.  Every once in awhile I give it another try, I ask them to leave me a lot of extra room for milk or cream, but I still end up dumping half of the coffee in the trash so that I can mask the bitterness with milk/cream and sugar.  Palates differ greatly, though - my husband can drink (and enjoy) their coffee black.

On this visit to Starbucks I was hoping for a new seasonal coffee drink; I love the seasonal concoctions – Pumpkin Lattes, Eggnog Lattes, and possibly my all-time favorite, the Leprechaun Lattes.  When I want less caffeine and more comfort, I love the new Signature Hot Chocolates.  In the summer, I drink light Frappucinos.  So, I was surprised to walk into Starbucks after several weeks of Starbucks withdrawal to find that not only were there no new specialty coffee drinks but that the coffee menu had been taken over by (gasp!) teas.

Don’t get me wrong – I like tea.  But it’s generally not why I go to Starbucks.  I do occasionally order a chai tea latte, but like their coffee, it tastes as if it was overbrewed and the strong black tea flavor overwhelms the spices that make chai special.  The new menu at Starbucks features several Tazo tea latte drinks and tea infusions.  I will probably try one of these at some point, but I’m hugely disappointed to see tea taking over the menu.

Several hours after my Starbucks excursion I discovered that Starbucks is facing financial troubles and may be closing as many as 300 more locations (they closed several in 2008 already).  Which leads me to think…perhaps Starbucks should stick to what they do best?