Coffee Cravers

I have a passion for coffee. Make no mistake about it, I am no expert, but I am a committed end user! My recent visit to the original Starbucks store in Seattle was like a pilgrimage to Mocha Mecca. I am not only a mocha monster, but I enjoy flavored coffees and lattes in general. Although I love Starbucks, Caribou, Seattle's Best, Pete's, Tully's, and the other chains, I am particulalry fond of visiting small, unknown, and privately owned coffee shops. Ironically, there are more of those in Seattle than here in the Chicago area, where there is a Starbucks within walking distance in every direction!

So why have I created this Squidoo lens? I guess I would just like to celebrate coffee, whatever form this celebration may take. You see, my beloved wife is a teetotaler, venturing into a chai latte every now and then, but totally eschewing my favorite beverage. She loves me and accepts me, even buying me an espresso machine recently, along with my favorite flavored syrups. But she does not imbibe in nor embrace the beautiful brew. She does get a kick out of hearing me place my order, however.

So I am hoping to create a little community, a friendly coffee cult, as it were, where we can celebrate and share our mutual passion. I would like us to share the unique coffee experiences and the places we have visited, the places where you have had the best mocha, caramel latte, Americano, or machiatto. You need not be a coffee officiando. I'm sure not. I'm just a drinker, and drinkers are welcome here, as well as those with deeper expertise who would like to share. If you own a coffee shop, or are a barista, you are especially welcome to join us and share your expertise and your whereabouts for those, like myself, who are always on the prowl for that secret coffee hideaway. Sole proprietors are struggling in this economy, and I would like to support them.

I'm not sure what more I am expecting at the moment, but I suspect the mission will evolve as we proceed. If you love coffee, you are in the right place. Viva la Java (Did I say that right?).