1811 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh 27608
Hours: Sun-Sat 7am-12pm
How do they look:
If a cool liberal arts professor had just enough money to open a coffee shop to showcase there hidden love of dinosaurs and great coffee, The Third Place would be it. What a sweet mix and division of a place to work; 3 semiprivate workspaces, a place to lounge; 2 comfy sofas, and catch-up; tables to dine with friends. First JJ, made my burrito and all three of my coffee beverages. Shane, who rung up my order was great because he made helpful suggestions to customers. If he did not know an answer to someone’s question, his response was “I’ll find out.” The man playing the character I describe as the cool liberal arts professor, that would be Dave. He runs the place. Dave and I swapped stories about our travels. He told me about something naughty he did at the post office in Vatican City. I told him about my favorite city in Japan.
How does it taste:
I ordered the following:
Large Hot single origin pour-over with oat milk: This Bolivian AIPEP (What's AIPEP? see bottum of page) was graceful, smooth, and creamy. It had a nice long finish. The flavor was bright and complex even in oat milk. Single origin coffees are an experience that start with your nose, then to your tongue but sends soothing tingles everywhere.
Double Butterscotch Breve: I would not choose this drink for myself, but JJ extoled its virtues and popularity, so I ordered one to taste. It was mildly sweet versus wildly sweet. The butterscotch syrup reminded me of the butterscotch from my childhood. Nostalgia and coffee are seldom far from one another.
House-made Cold Brew: Dave makes the 24-hour cold brew himself and built the machine that adds the nitrous oxide. In the end the nitro cold brew tasted mostly like tap water.
Breakfast Burrito: Components were scrambled egg, spinach, bacon, avocado, and siracha sauce all wrapped in a sundried tomato shell. This generously proportioned creation was so delicious! Every bite was a hot juicy chewy joy. I did not get to my breakfast burrito until after I had left Third Place and it was the best part of my car ride home.
Whose beans do they use:
Third Place Coffee uses Larry’s Beans. I have sung the praises of this Certified B Corporation before and meant every word of it. Larry’s Beans find creative ways to use their product to help local teachers, marginalized farmers, and kids on top of providing high quality coffee beans. Check out Larry’s Beans on their site, www.larryscoffee.com
Good to Knows: Third Place takes phone orders and does curbside pickups. They offer to keep your card on file.
What is AIPEP?
AIPEP is a cooperative that represents approximately sixty farming families. This coffee is certified organically grown. Although it is described as "100% Fair Trade" on the front of the bag, judging by the absence of trademarked seal it may not be certified Fair Trade by Fair Trade USA, the sole American certifier for the Fair-Trade Labeling Organizations International (FLO). Instead, it bears the seal of the Fair-Trade Federation, a membership (rather than certifying) organization devoted to "providing fair wages and good employment opportunities to economically disadvantaged artisans and farmers worldwide."
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