Chronicling the search for the perfect cup.

The coffee diaries began when I realized that my home town lacked the perfect little cafe for a charming, leisurely stop for espresso. Having been inspired by Italy's cappuccinos and mastery of effortless, relaxed cafe culture, I sensed that this was not just a quest for the perfect cup, but for the ideal ambience to enjoy it.  This began the coffee diaries. It is a series with regular contributions about my coffee experiences, broken down by beverage, roast, flavor, ambience, and moment.

At first I felt conspicuous going into various cafes in the city with the sole intention of buying a latte, snapping photos of it, and jotting down notes in the diary. At times I do get slightly carried away during the process; particularly my knack to pursue latte art - the delicately arched cream leaves and tulips created by a barista virtuoso. The art is one aspect I crave. I've come to realize that I love this act of searching for the perfect cup so much that it is something I look forward to do on a Saturday morning; it turns into an event, rather than a simple completion of a bucket list task.

I am not a coffee snob, and I don't know a lot about single-origins and brew methods and roast types. But I am pretty sure I am learning and I am definitely enjoying these chronicles. I hope to someday cover cafes and coffees all over the nation - maybe the world! Check below for the posts individually or click here to see them all as a series. It's just one of life's little things (and chances are you enjoy it too). So if you see me around the Philadelphia area taking pictures of my latte, come up and say ciao. Join me in chronicling the search for the perfect cup!

Find a complete list of cafès below, from all of my travels.

gilli {florence, IT}  

elixr  {philadelphia, PA}

gryphon {wayne, PA}

capogiro {philadelphia, PA}

green line {philadelphia, PA}

rojo's  {lambertville, NJ}

nonno's {doylestown, PA}

small world coffee  {princeton, NJ}

la colombe  {philadelphia, PA}

greenstreet {philadelphia, PA}

source {hermosa beach, CA}

rojo's {princeton, NJ}

plenty {philadelphia, PA}

peregrine  {washington, DC}

ultimo  {philadelphia, PA}

scapegoat {hermosa beach, CA}

bodhi  {philadelphia, PA}

boro bean  {hopewell, NJ}

profile coffee & roasters {elysburg, PA}

the local market and kitchen {ship bottom, NJ}

malvern buttery {malvern, PA}

saxby's {lahaska, PA}