Stauf's Coffee- Columbus Coffee Trail Stop 2

Hey everyone!

Here's just a quick note for my readers from NC. For every person who commented "Oh you know it's cold there" instead of "Congrats" when I told you I was going to Ohio State-- Ohio is proving you wrong. Now I know this winter hasn't been typical, but its been beautiful. We've had consecutive days of 50-60 degree weather and sun, so HA.

That being said, Klaudia and I took advantage of a beautiful day last Saturday and went to our second stop on the Coffee Trail- Stauf's Coffee.

First, let me prattle on about German Village, because it's adorable. Unlike Short North, its spread out throughout a neighborhood rather than all on one strip down High Street. Its a longer walk from shop to shop, but much quieter. Plus, cobblestone streets are just the cutest. It's full of little artsy shops, restaurants, and a few local bars. Places to check out: Schmidt's (to eat), Helen Winnemore's (to shop), the Book Loft (to explore), and, of course, Stauf's (for your caffeine fix). Location: 5/5 Stauf's.

Stauf's. I don't even know where to start; I think I may be in love. 

Stauf's has the cutest building and a huge outdoor patio. Bonus points for extra seating and encouraging people to be outside on such a beautiful day! They lack the painted wall mural that we're used to for picture taking, but the building is honestly just beautiful. I love their signs, and the lines and columns on the exterior.

The inside is two large rooms with a teeny tiny hallway in between. The first room is packed full of stuff, and feels a little cramped when they get busy- which I'm sure they do often. They show off a shiny antique coffee roaster and burlap bags of beans as you walk in. The rest of the room is full of coffee and tea to explore and take home. You can take home bags of whole beans, or they have a grinder right there for you! Their coffee bar is also in the first room.

The room smells amazing, thanks to all these fancy beans

Once you get your drink (they were super speedy), you can walk out onto the patio or head into the back room. The back room is large, airy, and full of seating. There's chairs by a fire place, bar seating, and plenty of tables. Stauf's was busy, and the room was nearly full, but it didn't feel cramped at all, and wasn't too loud to study. Plus, their wi-fi was great! Overall, Stauf's hits the nail on the head with their space. 5/5 Stauf's once again :)

Peep the fireplace behind my adorable roomie :)

Their coffee continues their perfection. So. Good. Klaudia snuck down to Stauf's before I got the chance, but came back with me last weekend. Both times, her coffee was great. She had a Milky Way Mocha (yummm) the first time, and ordered an iced Mocha the second time, as it was much warmer. If you haven't noticed by now, Klaudia drinks pretty much just Mochas. But we don't judge. I got an iced Latte, which was also fantastic. Stauf's has found the perfect way to mix drinks so the richness of their coffee is complimented but not overwhelmed by whatever else is added. Our one complaint: we got disposable cups, even though we specified we were 'for here' and not 'to go'. Klaudia had this experience both times. If it seems like a petty complaint, that's because it is. Stauf's is, like Mary Poppins, "practically perfect in every way". 4.99/5 Stauf's.

Accordingly, their food was also awesome. They had the same Latte Muffin as Cup O' Joe, as neither makes their baked goods in house. Few coffee places do, but a good selection is always appreciated. And of course, Stauf's had just that. Klaudia had a blueberry muffin, and I had a cranberry-orange scone. Both earn 5/5 Stauf's.

Here's a picture from when Klaudia went without me- Milky Way Mocha, Mexican Hot Chocolate, and Latte Pecan Muffin. Also check out the Columbus Coffee Experience card!

Stauf's has my heart. It's a little further away from campus than the other places we have been, but certainly well worth it. Not only can you have some great coffee and food, but you can study in peace and explore German Village after! If you're visiting Columbus, this is for you. Overall, 4.99999/5 Stauf's.

And, since I wanted to break out my nice camera, German Village is adorable, the weather was beautiful, and Klaude and I wanted to get dressed up... here's some pics of us just being girls :) 

Why yes, I will take your senior pictures or head shots! Until next time, folks.

Stay caffeinated!

Erin

the Post Office

In my blog description, I promised to share my struggles with coping in the scary adult world. Boy do I have a story for you! I decided to branch out a little from my coffee shop reviews to do a review ( read: exposé) of one of my first adult experiences. This experience took place in none other than the bureaucratized hell that is the United States Post Office.

Before beginning college, I received only the occasional package- perhaps a present from a family member, or an irresponsible online purchase. In college however, packages are a commonplace. Its a pretty disappointing week if I don't get a box of goodies from someone I know.

And, when you're 483 miles from your loved ones, you get to send packages too! I honestly loving sending packages more than I love getting them. Its a great excuse to buy anything you please in Target's dollar section without feeling guilty.

A month or so into college, my poor boyfriend got a cold. Not exactly a surprise when you live in close quarters with a bunch of other guys, but still truly tragic. Well, being the great girlfriend I am, I hit up Target and boxed up a bunch of 'get better soon' goods. That was the fun part.

I realized soon after that I was ill-equipped to send a package. I had received many a package, but I had never sent one! I didn't have any tape to seal my box, and I didn't even know where the closest post office was, or how much it would cost me. I did exactly what you're supposed to do- I asked my RA. She told me where the post office was, and sent me to the front desk in my building to ask for some tape.

This is when things get suspicious. The people at the front desk 'went to look' for some tape for about 12 seconds before informing me that they didn't have any. "Don't worry", they assured me. "They'll have some tape behind the counter at the post office you can use."

So, I trekked to the post office, the top of my box flapping pathetically in the wind. When I got there, I waited my turn in line and asked the man behind the counter if he had any tape I could use, and where the address labels were for the box. He narrowed his eyes at me before jabbing his finger twice, first at a rack of tape for sale, then at the labels, which were on a table behind me.

I pursed my lips a little at his rudeness, but picked up a roll of tape. "You can pay for it when you pay for your box," he said. I nodded, and stepped out of line to pack up my box.

"The next person who is actually ready, please step up!"

I packaged my box silently, seething. I couldn't believe anyone would have the nerve to say such a thing. This was not the end of my outrage.

I brought my taped up box back to the man, terrified of what he would say next. He weighed my box, and the price popped up on the card scanner in front of me. I handed him my roll of tape. He scanned it. $3.96

THREE NINETY SIX! FOR A ROLL OF TAPE! I had been robbed, hustled, and cheated by the United States government. And they wonder why no one sends real mail or packages anymore!

My day was ruined. I moped around my dorm, feeling the emptiness of my wallet and the cold grip of betrayal on my heart. But time does heal, and eventually the pain faded.

I ventured back to the post office a few weeks later with Klaudia in tow for emotional support. Contrary to my hopes and prayers, the rude man was there. As we waited in line, I watched a poor soul approach his register. "Do you have some tape back there I could use?" the man asked. I shook my head, full of sadness for this man who was about to be crushed by bureaucracy.

The post office man reached down under the counter. "Of course we do!"

My eyes bulged out. The vein in my neck started to pulse. My fingers twitched. Klaudia began laughing.

I left that day a changed person. I had entered the post office a few weeks before a young girl with an innocent trust in the fairness of government. I left a woman, a battled hardened warrior from my fight against the bureaucracy. I learned a valuable lesson that day. The adult world is a rough place. Government is not your friend. But, nonetheless, if you ever want a package from me....

None of these pics/ gifs are mine :)

Cup O' Joe- Columbus Coffee Trail Stop 1

Hey again! In yesterday's post I mentioned that Klaudia and I were embarking on the Columbus Coffee Trail over the next few weekends. Here's the link if you wanted to check it out: Columbus Coffee Trail. I'm super excited to explore Columbus, snag a free t-shirt, and most importantly, taste some great coffee!

Since Fox in the Snow (see last blog) isn't a participating shop in the trail, Klaudia and I have named it an honorary inductee. Our first real stop on the CCT  an easy one- Cup O' Joe in Lennox Town Center. COJ is close to us, and conveniently located right by Target! The location is truly prime for OSU students.

Cute wall murals are always a plus!

Although the location is great, the shop its self had nothing on Fox in the Snow. Fox in the Snow received 5/5 foxes for their shop, but Cup O' Joe only gets 3/5 Joes! The most notable feature is their fireplace, but even on a chilly February day, they hadn't turned it on! The seating inside is limited, but they do have a nice patio for when it is warm out. Also different from Fox in the Snow, COJ had WiFi! But it was slower than molasses most of the time, especially because the shop was crowded.

Now let's get down to the stuff that really matters: coffee. Klaudia ordered a mocha again, and it was delicious! Not too sweet, but still had the chocolate flavor we all crave. I ordered Cafe au Lait, made with their seasonal Winter Wonderland coffee. The brew was rich and flavorful, but I just didn't like the flavor of milk in my coffee- entirely a personal preference.  Coffee is good, but not great- 4/5 Joes.

FOOD! Although I seek out coffee shops to try their drinks, food really does matter. If I get hungry in the middle of a 3 hour study sesh, I want to have some sweet options ready and waiting! Cup O' Joe had a great selection. Klaudia ordered a Latte Pecan muffin. It was a great muffin, with a rather creative name- it was dotted with mini-chocolate chips and definitely tasted more like chocolate than coffee. Not that we minded- it didn't last long! Muffin gets 5/5 Joes!

A cup o' Joe and a chocolate chip pecan muffin

Cup O' Joe was a worthwhile stop on the coffee trail! Unfortunately, they didn't have any of the cards that you have to get stamped to document your visit if you're on the trail, so we're not sure if this one will count. Either way, I won't complain if we have to make an extra visit. COJ is a great place for coffee or food, but I'd recommend hopping over to Barnes and Noble to study there. No doubt it would be less crowded and have faster WiFi. Over all, COJ gets 3.5/5 Joes!

Thanks for reading! More coffee trail stories and other fun posts coming soon.

Coffee and Columbus

Since coming to Ohio State, one of the things I've missed most about Durham -aside from the people in it- is the coffee!  Coffee shops are hands-down my favorite place to study, chat with friends, and of course get my caffeine fix. My personal favorite is Bean Traders- if you're a Durhamite and you haven't checked it out, stop reading right now and go get a cup of coffee. Trust me, its phenomenal.

Typical BT date with the best friend. Missin' these days more than ever!

Around campus, options are limited. Starbucks doesn't come close to the taste or experience of locally brewed, locally owned coffee shops. There's only so much Starbucks you can drink without going into diabetic shock from the amount of sugar even in a grande. Besides, Starbucks is always unreasonably crowded with sorority girls and wanna-be hipsters. Campus coffee (if you can call it that) is similarly packed with sugar, and the service is even slower. My glimmer of hope, a little 'coffee bar' just of campus, turned out to be relocating. So began my search for the best local coffee in Columbus.

Coffee is a great opportunity for an Instagram post. I frequently scroll by pictures of latte art, selfies in coffee shops, and the especially offensive red Starbucks holiday cups. Fittingly, when I was trying to think of anywhere I had heard of to get local coffee in Columbus, I recalled an place I had seen in an Instagram post- Fox in the Snow Cafe.

I dragged Klaudia (that's the roomie for those of you who don't know) out with me on a particularly beautiful day. A sixty degree day in Ohio in January is more than enough reason to venture out. We took the bus and walked a short ways to Fox in the Snow, which is located a few blocks east of High Street in the Short North.

Their back patio features their totally Insta-worthy logo. So cute!

Fox in the Snow was simply adorable. The interior is lit by an entire wall of windows, and an old garage door turned window in the back gives a view of an outdoor courtyard. The shop is small, but has plenty of seating, mostly in the form of wood tables. It was bright, clean, and beautifully decorated. Klaudia gives Fox in the Snow 5/5 foxes for ambiance.

But...the coffee was meh. The mocha I ordered looked beautiful, but tasted nothing at all like chocolate. Perhaps I just ordered the wrong thing, but I wasn't impressed. Certainly it was no Bean Traders. True to the Klaudia Bucher rating system, this coffee receives 3/5 foxes.

Here's a picture of my beautiful, yet highly disappointing mocha

On the other hand, we ordered a doughnut. And it was FANTASTIC. Probably one of the single best things I have ever eaten at a coffee shop, and absolutely the best doughnut I have ever had. It was close to the size of my hand, and glazed perfectly so it wasn't too sweet or soggy. They had a variety of other pastries too, and they all looked delicious. 6/5 foxes from Klaudia.

Overall, Fox in the Snow was cute. They didn't have WiFi, so its not the ideal study spot, but its a great place to chat with a friend. Their employees were beyond kind. The prices were a little expensive (3.50 for coffee, 4 for giant doughnut), but it was worth the trip. Maybe next time I'll have better luck ordering their coffee. Overall, Klaude and Erin give 4/5 foxes.

But good news- although Fox in the Snow didn't meet the criteria for the best coffee in Columbus, I may be right on track. Introducing the Columbus Coffee Experience! The city of Columbus features eight of its best coffee shops for residents to try out. Visit four and try their coffee, and you can get a free t-shirt from the city of Columbus. Klaudia and I went to one today (post coming soon!) and we're planning on hitting up at least three more, if not all eight! I'm so excited to explore Columbus and try the best coffee it has to offer.

For now however, campus coffee will have to do.