Coffee Park City

Given my injury situation (see Senior Ripper…Ripped):

1. My physical activities are taking much less of my time;
2. I have more time for work (is that a good thing?);
3. I have more time to write blog posts; and
4. I have more time for my non-active passions, including, among other things…

COFFEE!!!

As many of you know, I’m a bit of a coffee snob. I look at roast dates before I buy a bag of beans, I’m very particular about brewing techniques, and I will never reheat coffee!

I’ve even been known to roast my own.

But, as it turns out, we live in a coffee mecca. There are fully four local roasters in Park City, and several more in nearby Salt Lake, so, in the end, it’s not really worth the effort to roast my own.

In addition to the roasters, there are many quality cafes in town that take their coffee very seriously (is there any other way?), so I have many options when the spirit moves me to leave the house for a change of scenery, with Piper, who is welcome at each of them (two, in fact, allow dogs inside the café, but with Piper, that would be pushing it!). So while the coffee offerings did not figure in to our decision to live here, as it turns out, it was an unexpected bonus.

Here is a short rundown of some of our favorite spots:

Ritual Chocolate

While primarily an artisanal chocolate factory (and a great one at that), they have dedicated the front portion of the space to a retail café, where they sell their chocolate products, and serve high quality coffee and chocolate drinks, as well as a limited offering of baked goods. Robbie and Anna, the owners, take their chocolate and coffee VERY seriously. Their “house” brew is roasted by Pink Elephant Coffee, one of the local roasters who are located directly across the street. They know what they are doing, and it’s what I most often buy for my home brewing. Ritual also brings in “guest” roasters from all over the country, including Tandem Coffee, from Portland, Maine, a favorite of ours when we’re visiting Gail’s family cottage on the coast, northeast of Portland, and where the café is run by a former Ritual café manager. Ritual is a welcoming place. The baristas always make you feel like you’re a regular, and there are comfortable tables and chairs to hang out inside and, in the warmer weather, on the deck. I often bring my laptop and hang out doing work for a change of venue. It’s a little bit like the bar Cheers, where everyone knows your name!

Speaking of the deck, Piper has become the house dog there, holding court (and scaring off UPS and Fedex delivery drivers!). She gets constant attention from the customers, and she’s in her element.

Pink Elephant Coffee Shop

In addition to their roasting business, Pink Elephant also operates two cafes; one on iconic Main Street in Old Town Park City, and the other at The Market, one of the major grocery stores in town. The Main Street location is situated on the top floor of Prospect Boutique and Billy’s Barber Shop. It’s a small, but cozy space where again, they take their coffee (and juice) very seriously. It’s what I love about Pink Elephant and Ritual; they know how to bring the most out of a cup of coffee, and they are not satisfied if they fall short. I tend to visit this café somewhat less often, as I can’t leave Piper in view, and I’m not comfortable leaving her unattended on the street for long. Although there are comfortable tables and chairs in the café, where one is welcome to “hang”, it doesn’t work for me, so I more often visit when I want a “fly-by” quality coffee on Main Street.

Stoked Coffee

Stoked is roasted in their home roasterie in Hood River, Oregon. They have a magical location, also on Main Street in Old Town Park City. The café itself is quite small, with some high-top tables and stools. But it opens up to a large gallery space with tables, chairs, easy chairs and artwork. A wonderful environment for working, chatting, meeting or just relaxing. The coffee is high quality and brewed with care. And they let me bring Piper into the space.

Hugo Coffee

“Where the wi-fi is free, the coffee is strong and dogs are always welcome.” (from their website)

Located in the Park City Visitor Center, just off I-80 at the entrance to Park City, Hugo is a welcoming space in a modern building with a back-drop of the 2002 Olympic ski jump venue. Lots of tables, chairs, comfy chairs and light makes for a great place for meetings and work. Hugo roasts their own in a nearby roasting facility, and Piper loves to hang out on the deck just outside.

Park City Coffee Roaster

Park City Coffee Roaster is the granddaddy of them all. They have been roasting coffee in Park City since 1997, and supply many of the restaurants around town, and help support many of our non-profits. Their café has ample space to sit and work or play, including a cupping room that can be used for informal meetings when cuppings are not scheduled. There are plenty of places outside for Piper to happily hang. Since it, and Hugo, are located closest to our home, they are go-to places for Piper and me when we don’t want to make the longer voyage into Old Town.

Campos Coffee

Located at the base of Park City Mountain Resort, Campos is an Australian roaster with a local roasterie in downtown Salt Lake City. They roast and serve terrific coffee, and their spaces, both in Park City and Salt Lake, are welcoming, comfortable and attractive. In addition to great coffee, their food offerings are the best of the bunch (IMHO). The Park City location is a great place for a coffee break before, during or after a ski day. And when we visit when we’re not skiing, they love Piper! Several years ago, Gail and I were in Bermuda for a wedding of a daughter of good friends. On Sunday, the morning after the wedding, we visited a café in Hamilton for breakfast. A couple sat down next to us and saw the Deer Valley hat that Gail was wearing, and struck up a conversation. Turns out they were the owners of Campos. She is Australian, he is Bermudian. Why they are in Utah is anyone’s guess!

One final point about coffee. You may think this is an odd topic for Senior Ripper. How does it relate to “Tales of Discovery from Near and Far”? I came across this article this week, “Caffeine Boosts Endurance and Strength” in the Road Bike Rider Newsletter, a very useful newsletter for cyclists. Lots of good information. It’s nice to know that one of my vices may actually be good for us and our adventures!

As you can see, for coffee lovers, Park City has a wide variety of tastes and venues. I recommend you try them all!