Thursday, September 20, 2007

Starbucks Goodness

Occasionally, I unapologetically splurge on coffee drinks. :) And my husband and I had a coffee date last night - a rare occurance these days! And Caffe Vanilla Frapuccino (Brownsburg makes the best!) & Pumpkin Spice Latte are my current favorite Starbucks drinks! I did not drink both last night - I opted for the frap since we have had our air conditioning off at home and it was a little warm yesterday. Anyone else love these drinks? Any other favorites?

10 comments:

Micah said...

Okay, I have a confession. I do not see what is so great about Starbucks. I think their coffee is bitter and way too expensive. Definitely over-rated in my opinion. I have always felt it was more of a "status quo" than a good coffee shop. Now, that being said, I'm prepared to be yelled at :), but everyone is entitled to their own opinions, right?

Catherine said...

I do like their frappucinos, and their pumpkin flavored things.

However, there is a really awesome coffee chain in DC/VA that is better - XandO (and that's "Ex-and-oh" not "zando"). They have really scrumptious frozen coffee drinks (and hot ones, but I like the frozen ones best) and then after 5 they will add alcohol to them if you want. And you can get s'mores to make at your table. It's a good place. Their bagels are square and they call them "squagels." And that is all I have to say about that.

Jenna said...

I don't drink Starbucks very often (in fact don't drink coffee very often) but I love anything pumpkin spice flavored (bread, cake and coffee included)!

Elizabeth said...

I don't go to starbucks very often anymore, but I like their white chocolate mocha. I am also a big fan of their orange/cranberry scones. Maybe the next time you can try them with your coffee.

Jen said...

I LOVE the carmel frap lights in the summer and hot carmel drinks or chai latte in the winter. I LOVE Starbucks. I guess I just love any type of coffee shop and since Starbucks has taken over the world there really aren't too many "mom and pop" one's.

Micah..you are SO unAmerican. :) But I totally agree...I think Starbucks is an accesory to complete your outfit. Like a name brand purse or cute shoes, holding a Starbucks cup makes you feel cool.

My favorite quote that sums it all up is....(from You Got Mail)

"Joe Fox: The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino."

I still love it.

EmilyAnne said...

The menu can be confusing; The length of the lines, obscene. But it is all worth it from time to time for a taste of a grande, nonfat, peppermint mocha with whip. Always hot, even when (as it has been for nearly four months) the temperature is hovering around 107 degrees outside. Maybe it's a little pricey, but on those really bad days, it's cheaper than therapy!

Anonymous said...

I agree with Micah that "their coffee is bitter and way too expensive." The key term there is *coffee* - I'm not a big fan at all. But their mochas and fraps - well, those are hard to beat, at least with any consistency. Sure, you can likely find a better coffee shop here and there, but - with a few exceptions - Starbucks consistently delivers an excellent product, and their growing popularity and density makes it easier to splurge.

And a splurge it is - even their mochas and fraps are way too expensive. But as long as I need that burst of energy, as I so frequently do no, I'll be stopping in.

The comment as Starbucks as a social status and their cups as an accessory - I'd never thought of that, but I can definitely see it. Certainly not why I like it, but I see the point. I guess I should just keep a cup and use it for all my drinks, eh? :)

Jenna said...

Reid and I just got back from our farmer's market (lots of yummy fresh produce). We walk there as it's only a few blocks away and on our way home we stopped at Milagros, our local coffee shop whose specialty drinks definitely rival Starbucks. And the best part about is that Milagros is a part of "La Puentes," our local homeless shelter. So, all of the proceeds of our coffee splurges go to help other people! Now that's coffee I can get into.

Anonymous said...

Well, I like Starbucks because it is something fun to do, and convenient. But, i must draw your attention to something combining your last few posts and this one.
Emily has been telling me that her store throws out EACH DAY nearly 50 empty plastic milk gallon containers. THEY DO NOT RECYCLE!!! That makes my little efforts to recycle 4 milk bottles, a few cans, and a measly paper each week look really stupid.
Why did I think that Starbucks recycled??? I'm guessing because some of their paper products say they are made from recycled material. Anyway, I seem to think that maybe these kinds of stores, with high-volumes of plastic (that can be recylced) should maybe be required to show a bit more "greenness".
My most-bought drink is a decaf misto with nutmeg on top. :)

Alaina said...

Micah - I do agree about their straight coffee; it's only good if you brew it at home at a normal strength.

Catherine - You're shop in D.C. sounds awesome - maybe you should franchise it here. :)

Jenna - I wish we had something similar where the proceeds went to a great cause!

Heather - Thanks for that information! That's terrible - I was also under the impression that they would recycle since they use a lot of recycled products. I wonder if that is nationwide or dependent on the particular location. Hmm...I'm going to look into this on their website...

Happy drinking coffee everyone! :)