chow with chaz

Tag: coffee

  • Chaz’s Not So Definitive Guide to Knoxville Coffee

    Chaz’s Not So Definitive Guide to Knoxville Coffee

    A Coffee Drinkers Coffee Shop

    Partial – Partial takes their coffee almost as serious as they take the community that they’ve built. Built on the backs of Murph and Shay, it is the Cheers of coffee shops if Cheers served some of the best coffee. They shine everyday, but they take it up a notch on Monday and Tuesday. This is their “slow days” where the menu is limited to Pour Over (the best) and espresso based drinks. Plan a little extra time and stop in. You won’t regret it.

    Remedy – I am partial to Partial because I love Shay, Murph and the coffee they served but Remedy introduced me to my favorite roaster, Radio. Remedy sources absolutely amazing coffee. Radio is legitimately my favorite coffee that I’ve had. They definitely seem lean lighter and fruitier which fits my palate perfectly. I don’t really get their lattes, their flavor pairings generally aren’t my cup of tea (pun intended), but I still spend most of my lunch breaks sipping on either of their drip offerings (two per day) or the iced coffee. I haven’t gotten a pour over here yet, but I will be doing so soon.

    A Coffee Drinkers Latte Shop

    Seed – My thoughts on lattes may be a bit controversial later on, but the only thing controversial about Seed is that they don’t have some of their drinks year around. If someone told me to take them to get the best latte in Knoxville, we would head straight to Seed. Their most recent seasonal drink was a Chocolate Chip Cookie latte. I’ve written about it before, so check out Chaz’s choice from a few weeks ago. It was phenomenal. My first fall in Knoxville they had a Strawberry PB&J shaken espresso that is one of my favorite coffee drinks ever. Go in, get a seasonal latte and enjoy your day.

    Awaken- Awaken has a fairly extensive latte menu, but everyone that I have had has been divine. The Born in The USA (I think, it’s been a while) was some sort of Strawberry Macchiato. I don’t fully remember as it has been a while, but I do remember loving it. I need to go back soon.

    Five and Hoek – This is another that really focuses on the flavors over the sweetness. Their Vanilla Bourbon latte is top notch and I believe year round. They also do banana bread seasonally that tastes exactly like banana bread. So good. I have had some other seasonal there’s and all (except the pumpkin spice) have been great.

    Honeybee – this makes the list solely for their pumpkin spice. I love a pumpkin spice latte and theirs may be my favorite. Their regular coffee is really good too, but I think the pumpkin spice is them at the A game.

    Nothing Wrong with Doing Food Better than Coffee

    Wildlove/Old City Java – I’ll mention Old City Java again in another category. These two are sister spots (I think). They both serve WildLove pastries and Counter Culture coffee. Counter Culture is fine coffee, with some releases being exceptional. These two shine for the pastries though. GO EARLY! They sell out. Basically anything you get will be delicious though.

    K-Brew – This is essentially (maybe actually) a local to Knoxville chain. Their coffee is good. I have no problem at all getting coffee there. That said, if I am getting coffee it is usually because I’m there to get a bagel. I really enjoy their bagels. They are a bit thick, but very tasty. I think they also shine with their sweeter bagels as opposed to their savory. A sweet bagel with savory…whatever the word is for the inside of a sandwich…is my go to.

    Wrens Bakehouse – by the name, they defintely lead towards the bakery. I don’t think they even have black coffee, just lattes. Their pastries are top notch though. If they have homemade poptarts when you stop by, get more than one. Also, walk across the street to Pratt’s Country Store and look around.

    Hope You Like It Sweet

    Jack’s – these will cater to a certain clientele and there is nothing wrong with that. They are the perfect shops for southern college towns. The lattes are sweet and T Swift is being honored. Jack’s is the picture of this. They get creative with their lattes and they do a good job. They do pack the sweetness though. This is not where I would recommend if you just wanted good, solid coffee. However, if you are craving a treat in a cup, then this place is great. Jack’s also has a terrific space. It is large with multiple rooms, which a a huge benefit because there are large groups chatting in the main space on most occasions. They also have a tremendous back patio.

    Cultivate – very similar vibe to Jack’s catering to the same clientele. It even goes so far as to have a flower shop in the back. Again, does solid lattes but “half sweet” will probably be your friend. I haven’t spent much time in the space, but they do seem to have a few rooms that close off which is really nice.

    I mean no shade with either of those. I think they are terrific spaces for people and both seem to be very successful. I am not their target market and that is perfectly ok.

    A Great Environment with Coffee

    Beard Brother’s – I absolutely love Beard Brothers. It has the coolest feel of any of the shops. See my review blog for the full breakdown. Their coffee is not necessarily my favorite though. It leans a little bit darker than I like. It is still good coffee and the environment makes it completely worthwhile. They also have very tasty lattes.

    Commonplace – I’ve spent more time here than any other. It was the closest to me while I was on my job search, so it is where I went. Their coffee is decent coffee. Nothing mind blowing. It is such a great space though, so much so that they rent it out. It is in an old bank. The old vault was my job application headquarters as it was quiet but still had the coffee shop vibe. Crew was also always incredibly kind, and it was nice to be seen as a regular.

    I Don’t Know Where to Put You

    Vienna – I like Vienna. Their coffee has a very different profile to me than anything I’ve really had. You leave there smelling like it as well. Vienna coffee may be the only coffee in the world that you could hand to me and I could tell you who roasted it. It is that unique. The space is also a restaurant, so it is a bit loud. They do have some comfy couches though.

    Mia Piccola – I have only been once, so I can’t speak too much on it. It has done well enough to expand to a new shop quickly, and people that I know really like it. I need to give it another shot.

    Capybara – This one is not in a very convenient spot for me, so I have only been a hand full of times. The few lattes I have had have been great.

    Potchke – not a coffee shop, just a casual Michelin recommended restaurant. They do serve coffee and various coffee drinks. Their drinks are almost as good as their food, which is a very high bar. Just ask Michelin.

    There are some newer coffee shops that I have not tried, but they are on my list.

    U-Brew – you do your own pour over. Not sure how I feel about paying to do that, but I will give it a shot.

    Primo Passo- I don’t know much about it, but their social media looks good!

    Intrepid Nitro – They specialize in nitro cold brew. That isn’t my favorite style of coffee, but I would like to give this place a go.

    Treetop – Their latte flavors sound really good, but my first and only experience there was not good. I would like to give it another shot.

    Remedy
    Potchke
    Seed
    A Cute Girl at Partial

  • Chaz’s Choice #1

    I am going to attempt a new weekly series where I highlight the best thing I had that week. Some weeks will obviously be better than others. Some may include my own cooking which I will include recipes for that. It could also be cocktail or a coffee…because I decided to start this on a week where I didn’t really have anything new or exciting food wise (because we’re all getting healthy in the new year) PYSO crossover!

    Best thing I had this week is something that I have mentioned before in a blog and I have had it a few times since and its always great. That is the Chocolate Chip Cookie Latte from Seed Coffee in Knoxville.

    https://www.seedcoffee.co/

    The first time I had it I got it hot. It was so silky and smooth. It’s legitimately like you are drinking your grandma’s chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven. I am assuming that it is made with real chocolate (and other real ingredients) because nothing about this drink tastes artificial. That can sometimes be the case with flavored lattes. The shops in Knoxville do a really good job with their homemade syrups (shoutout Murph and Shay of Partial). I have since also done the drink iced and I think I may even like it better. It feels like such a treat, but does not leave you feeling bad after like some other sugary lattes. I have also only done this drink with whole milk. I generally ask when ordering a latte what they recommend with a drink. They recommended to stick with whole milk and I was not disappointed at all. I had been leaning towards Oat mostly because of the calories saved, but I do love the creaminess that oak provides. I do think this may deter from this drink though. I think the silky smoothness of it is already perfect.

    Seed also probably had my favorite coffee drink ever (outside of a Vietnamese iced coffee) in their PB&J shaken espresso. If anyone from Seed reads this, please bring back the PB&J!!!!! That is all to say, it is not surprising that Seed got the inaugural Chaz’s Choice. They do coffee drinks really well, and if you ever make your way through Knoxville then you should definitely check them out. If you are disappointed, then the next drink is on me. Cheers, love you all!

    PS: New Year’s Revolution…take some dang pictures of these things.  

  • Beard Brothers Coffee Review

    I visited a new coffee shop today; it is actually my second time but I ordered wrong and didn’t hang out the first time. Today I am at Beard Brothers Coffee in Maryville, TN. I had heard great things about them from a friend, so today I finally checked it out. When you walk in, it has the looks of an antique hunting cabin. The furniture is all antique, there are old pictures on the wall, taxidermy deer, and an assortment of other antiques. It is such a unique but also very welcoming atmosphere. The atmosphere feels especially warm as there is still snow on the ground. It truly looks like a place where you could just walk out back and roast marshmallow.

    Now the coffee. With an atmosphere like this, I would come back even if the coffee wasn’t my favorite. Did not have to worry about that though. They have an assortment of coffee and tea options with some very unique lattes. My first drink here was a Mexican Mocha which was basically a mocha with cayenne. I don’t like spicy drinks so that was on me but I panic ordered. Happens to the best of us. Today I got a black coffee. They had two roasts, a light and a medium. The barista had to brew the medium which he said was his favorite, but patients isn’t a strong suit of mine so I went with the light roast. This is the one my friend told me about anyway, so I was glad to get to try it. Holy mackerel it is delicious. I am not super good with tasting notes but I will give it the ole college try. The initial note is your typical coffee note, just that tad bit of coffee bitterness, not off putting at all. The coffee finishes with this delicious dark Hershey chocolate note that just makes me want to keep drinking it, which I will do because as I always do, I ordered too large of a drink. Hello jitters!! I’m going to come up with my rating system right now (subject to change):

    I am going to give the Atmosphere 4.85 chomps out of 5.

    I am going give the coffee 4.5 chomps.  

    That leaves Beard Brothers with a 4.68 chomps out of 5.

    I highly recommend it if you are in the Maryville area.

  • Coffee Shop Chronicles

    Coffee shops have food too so we’re going to include them on chow with chaz. Coffee shops are some of my favorite places on earth. My love story with coffee started like most…I thought it was gross. I would try my mom’s and hated it!! Eventually I matured, some would argue that, but I had my first 8 am class in college. For some reason, these were so much more difficult to wake up for than being at school by 7:45 my entire life. Anywho, I figured it was time to try that awful beverage. So I dove right in with the most intense coffee you can find, a white chocolate mocha. Holy moses this was delicious. As of writing this, it has probably been over a decade since I had one. I eventually started drinking it with cream and sugar and finally evolved into feeling as cool as possible…”room for cream and sugar?” “no thanks.”

    In college, I would do all of my schoolwork (which if you knew me, wasn’t as much as it should have been) at Milledgeville Starbucks. During grad school, hours a day were spent there. I spent much of my twenties still being drawn to Starbucks. As I developed a love for different roasts from places all over the world. This led me to trying various coffee shops around Athens and new ones whenever I visited a new city. I developed an infatuation for these places. The variety of beans matched the varieties of coffee shops there are out there. My Sunday afternoons in Athens, were always spent at one of the many coffee shops. Sometimes the local chain of Jittery Joes (caremello and spiced dirty chais!), 1000 Faces or Choco Pronto which still roast some of my favorite coffee I have ever had to Local which had the largest variety of coffee of any place I had been. It wasn’t necessarily the coffee that drew me to these places though, it was the places and the atmosphere. Anytime you walk into a place and hear “the usual?” it just makes you feel at home.

    It may seem crazy, but one of my biggest worries when I was moving from Athens to Knoxville was leaving behind those places that had grown very dear to me. I was quite worried that I wouldn’t find that in Knoxville. Again, I totally understand if that is bizarre to you, but these were my sanctuary’s. If you’re reading this, then you can probably figure out that I love to write. (You’ll see at the end that I just paused right there to take a picture for the blog…from the coffee shop in which I am writing). Theres a 98% chance that any blog of mine that you have read was written from one of these shops. If you have received a text from me just checking in, its probably because I was sitting in a coffee shop just reflecting on life. To me, these places truly become a home away from home. Back to those worries, as you could probably guess from the picture and words above, I have found those places in Knoxville. I don’t get “the usual” question but I do get “oh you’re changing it up today” or “Chaz with 1 Z”

    As I searched for my footing in this new city, Partial has become that place in the city that feels like home. At this point, I can safely say that I have been to A LOT of coffee shops, and I can also safely say this is my favorite. The shop opened not longer after I moved here. Kelsi and I tried it a few times but would go to others as well. I still venture out from time to time, Wild Love Bakehouse has incredible pastries to go with their coffee, KBrew is my Knoxville version of Jittery Joes, Seed has my favorite fancy coffee (what I call anything outside of just regular coffee) in their PB&J shaken espresso, Commonplace which is in an old bank and that makes for a really cool atmosphere, and several others throughout the city that offer tremendous drinks as well as environments. Partial is something different though. Shay and Murph have created a shop like no other. Everyone who walks in feels like family. Kelsi jokes that its our Cheers. It really does feel that way.

    That was a lot of words. If you read them all, God Bless You. I hope you find your place where everybody knows your name. New cities and life changes can be hard, but they can also be incredible. I hope yours are incredible.