ChocolaTea

If anyone knows me well, the first thing they know is how much I love tea. Tea became an obsession of mine when I was just a young girl. My mom made me “sick tea” consisting of orange pekoe tea, milk, and honey. My sister and I still joke about who’s going to inherit my great grandmother’s tea cup set. I have a strong case against her because of my love for specialty and fair-trade teas.

I first stumbled upon ChocolaTea last summer while driving to Centre St. for work. As I walked in, the clean, bitter tea leaf aroma excited my senses. My eyes were busy examining a few of the dozens of tea blends they have stacked on wooded shelves. All of ChocolaTea’s are organic and most are fair trade. I can spend an hour just deciding on which tea to go for. After purchasing about four little Ziploc bags of loose leaf teas, I knew this would be my new favorite place to spend my time and cash.

Yesterday, I showed Jeff the tea shop and he understood my fascination. After a long day of doing stressful errands like taxes, my stomach felt upset. I asked for something soothing and on the mild side and ended up with a Dragonwell green tea, with crushed ginger. Naturally, Jeff ordered their strongest blend of Costa Rican coffee. My tea did wonders for my nervous stomach and my soul. Jeff’s, on the other hand, was luke warm which is not what you want on a cold winter day.

Cosa Rican Coffee

Of course I couldn’t leave without a fair supply of loose leaf tea, so I selected my favorite type of tea, an Earl Grey; however, this blend had Lavender flowers added-perfect combination! Earl grey always has a strong, Bergamot flavor with sweet undertones. It’s wonderful infused with some steamed milk because the sugar in the milk provides a dessert flavor without the horrible sugar-brain and calories. Next on my list was a decaf orange pekoe black tea infused with flecks of real caramel. This one is also excellent with a little milk and honey, a step up from my mom’s “sick tea” recipe from my childhood. The last blend, I could not leave without; its ingredients are: flowers of chamomile, rosebuds, lavender, and spearmint. “Peaceful” was a fitting name for this combo of healing flowers. One cup after a stressful day knocks me right out. Instead of using Tylenol PM or other sleep aids, I opt for safer and healthier alternatives to sooth my soul and calm my thoughts.

Chocolates and Treats

The atmosphere at ChocolaTea is exactly as it should be-clean and cozy. There are tables with bar stools for the bloggers, or couches and ottomans for the conversationalists. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Jeff couldn’t stop inquiring about a novelty in the bakery. They had chocolate covered bacon! Being a vegetarian, I did not go near it, and Jeff was tempted but opted to pass until next time. They did have rows of pies, cookies, cakes, and chocolates that are hard to turn down. I saw a mom with her little red-haired boy; it reminded me of a Norman Rockwell painting. They were deciding which candy to choose from and he preferred to try a new candy every visit to this store. Now that is what a candy shop should be about, once a week or so, indulging in a small, but exquisite piece of quality chocolate. I overheard that he didn’t want to try the chocolate covered potato chips this trip, instead he went for a more traditional sweet treat. The experience reminded me to cherish what we put into our bodies, like they did in the old days when tea, pies, and sweets were a special treat to enjoy with loved ones and less about the instant gratification of fulfilling an urge.

ChocolaTea
7642 S. Westnedge Avenue,
Portage, Michigan 49002
(269) 903-2447

Global Coffee

Earlier this week, Andrea from Global Coffee visited this blog and invited Aimee and I in for a free cup of coffee. I’m definitely not one to turn down a good cup of coffee and the fact that both Aimee I drive right past the coffee shop on the way to work made the offer too good to turn down.

The free cup of coffee offer goes from 7-9 AM until the end of the month. There is a rumor that the coffee deal may be extended past that. Global Coffee is located inside of The Point which is off of 10th street between M-43 and H Ave.

Global Coffee Menu

When I first walked in I was impressed with The Point. It has a large open space that is a great place for the community to get together. After walking past a receptionist table I looked to my left and found a very nice and new little coffee shop. There are several tables with chairs in front of the coffee bar.

I really enjoyed the cup of coffee that Andrea served me. The coffee had a very good and consistent taste and was very flavorful with a clean coffee scent. Usually I prefer a very dark roast. The Guatemalan coffee that I tried was more of a medium roast which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I asked more about the coffee and I learned that the coffee beans are roasted locally in Grand Rapids. But the beans themselves are from Guatemala. I have heard of fair trade coffee before, but I had not heard of direct trade. It turns out that the Grand Rapids coffee roasters have a direct relationship with a family that grows the coffee in Central America. It’s nice to know that your money is going to a local company, and that beyond that, it is giving a small group of coffee growers a fair wage. Direct trade cuts out the traditional middleman which allows for the coffee growers to make a better income for their family.

Boxed Water

Global coffee also had some very tasty breakfast foods like scones, muffins, croissants and more. They also had my favorite bottled juice, Nantucket Nectar. Inside the beverage cooler I saw what I thought was a quart of milk. When I asked about it I was surprised to learn that it was water in a box! What a great idea. Save the plastic bottles and use easily recyclable boxed water. The water in a box is also cheaper to ship as the containers can be broken down. And to stay with our local theme, Boxed Water is also a company that is based in Grand Rapids.

I really enjoyed my coffee and conversation with Andrea from Global Coffee and I will be back. I like how they are using their space at The Point. Inside are some copy machines, and there is free Wi-Fi so that people can gather to do some work, study, or just check their Facebook status. Just outside the door is a UPS drop box which comes in handy for the people in the local neighborhoods. Also inside is a fitness area with weights, machines and cardio equipment. There is a large open area where the community is welcome to gather to play cards, have dances, or other activities. In the basement are class rooms where Financial Peace University classes are held along with other community programs. There is also a large gym where there is an open gym for basketball, local sporting events, and other athletic activities.

So if you are up for a good cup of free coffee, stop by Global Coffee and see for yourself all of the great things to do at The Point.

Global Coffee
2595 North 10th Street
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49009
269.350.5496