MoCa Coffee - Cleveland,Oh

MoCa Coffee

Address: 10435 Clifton Blvd Cleveland, Oh

Phone: (216)961-6799

Wifi: yes (free)

Outdoor seating: yes

Hours: Mon-Thu 6:30 am - 10 pm, Fri 6:30 am - 11 pm, Sat 8 am - 11 pm, Sun 8 am - 10 pm

Parking: street

I found Moca coffee on a random internet search for coffee houses in Cleveland. They don't have a website but they have rave reviews on Yelp, they have a Facebook page and are on Google +, so I thought we'd go and check it out while Chad was off from school. They have only been open a year but they are working towards being one of the up and comers in the Cleveland coffee scene.

Walking in the first thought in my mind was 'where is everyone?'. The decor was stunning. Dark floors and interesting and creative artwork on the walls, but no other customers. I knew we had found a gem the instant we walked up to the bakery counter that was immaculate, filled with bakery that was made in house...I repeat IN HOUSE. It ALL looked good. I ordered an iced vanilla soy latte and Chad ordered an iced Americano. When I saw the barista reach for the toddy I was fine with it, I actually do prefer hot shots but it's ok. When it came to me pure white I knew I was in trouble. During the time we were ordering and looking over the bakery area, Chad was chatting up the barista (of course) and he was SO nice and helpful. He took his job seriously and spoke about coffee like I love for baristas to speak about coffee, like they really love it. Like the coffee is actually flowing through their body, mixed with their blood. He was proud of the coffee shop he worked in and he was excited to tell us about the freshly made bakery and the coffee. Here is the rub, it's PHOENIX coffee. Now I am actually NOT a fan of Phoenix coffee. I think it's so great that they are a local roaster and they are keeping it local. I love that they do things for the community and that they promote local commerce. I just can't get past the taste of their coffee, there is this aftertaste that lingers on your tongue.

Anyway I knew right away that they toddy hadn't been brewed for long enough. I've done this a few times myself. You didn't brew the toddy until late and by the next morning you're out so you have to use the toddy that isn't done brewing yet so it's super weak and light. So light that it doesn't change the color of the latte. The only thing that kind of bothered me is he still served it to me. There was no color change when he added the toddy, my drink was pure white. But the 'I don't want to hurt anyone's feeling' part of me kicked in and I didn't say anything (this is my achilles heel). Chad really liked his americano and I REALLY liked my chocolate chip cookie.

We brought Noah with us and hung out for a little while having some family time. It was a nice day and we were able to people watch a little from our window seat.

The results? I would definitely come back, sure my coffee wasn't great but these reviews are about the overall experience and while the coffee is the big part of it, it's not everything. Next time I go I will request hot shots as opposed to the toddy and I am hopeful that it will be worlds better. This is one of those hidden Cleveland gems that I hope will rise in popularity, they certainly deserve to.

Air Play Sports (Sterling,Il)

Air Play Sports in Sterling, Il

Hours: Mon-Sat 7am-6pm

Address: 115 E 3rd st Sterling, Il 61081

Wifi: Unknown

Phone:815-564-2787

Outdoor seating: Limited

Chad's family lives in the town of Sterling,Il, just west of Chicago. Up until a year ago or so, there wasn't a coffee house in this cute little town. Which is a shame since there is such potential for a it. Enter Air Play Sports. They began as (you guess it) a sporting goods store. They sell various things but mostly frisbees and kites. Then about a year ago the owner decided to open up a coffee shop in his store. If anything, this place fills a niche. When there isn't any competition in the area,the chances are pretty good you will do well. Sure, a sporting goods store and coffee shop don't really go together but oh well. You call it odd, I call it eclectic. I've been there a handful of times with Chad when we're in town but this is the first review I've done on them. I've been putting it off on purpose because a place like this doesn't really fit into the normal coffee shop mold. They are in a smaller town, and the clientele is different than it would be in a bigger city. If you ask the barista behind the counter to put some latte art in your drink or ask them about microfoam, there is a good chance they will look at you like you have recently grown a second head. And really, I think that is ok. It's a small town, how many of their customers will even know if the milk isn't frothed correctly? (other than me) My guess is not many. But in the end you have to cater to your crowd.

First and foremost, the coffee isn't good. I'm sorry. I really am. I'm sorry to say that, but it just isn't. The barista behind the counter ground the espresso fresh for my latte (very nice!) but then I saw something that made my stomach turn. There was no tamping. NO. TAMPING. Ok, so the idea behind tamping is to create an area where the water can penetrate the espresso evenly. When the water comes out, it's under pressure and it needs to saturate something that is compact and hard or it will create a weak espresso shot. When you tamp there should be around 30lbs of pressure to press the grounds into the portafilter evenly. But I digress...there was no tamping, and because of that, my espresso came out like water. And the frothing of my milk? *shudder* Not good. Not. Good. I wanted to say something, but I didn't want to come across like a snob. So I drank my latte and I tried not to make the pukey face. When I went this last time, I went with Chad's mom and she got a latte as well. We ordered 4 thumb print cookies with caramel on the middle. What they lack in barista skills, they more than make up for in the bakery. Every time I get something from their bakery, I am always impressed. During the fall season they made this pumpkin muffin with cream cheese in the middle. I am drooling just thinking of it. A-MAZING.

The owner is super nice and accommodating, when we wanted to sit outside, he had his son (?) get us a table and chairs from the storage area. It's a family run place and you can tell their customers are very important to them. They are well known in the community.

Sure it's weird to have a coffee shop in a sporting goods store. But in the end the town of Sterling really needed something like this. They needed a little coffee place where you can meet your friends and relax. They need a place to get a latte and a pumpkin muffin and watch the cars go by. They need a place like this so girls like me have a spot to take their future mother- in- laws to sit and gossip.

I will be back to Air Play Sports again, if anything the bakery and the fact that there really is no where else to go in that area, will keep me coming back through the door when we're in town. The baristas could use some help, some training and some education on how to pull the perfect espresso shot. That would be the last thing that could really complete the package for them. The cherry on top of their sweet sundae.

Cravings Cafe Rocky River,Oh

Cravings Cafe
19701 Lake Rd
Rocky River,Oh 44116
440-895-0098
Wifi: yes
Outdoor seating: yes



Good Morning! After a longer than anticipated hiatus, I am back with my review on Cravings Cafe in Rocky River.

I actually had a groupon for this place that I had bought a few months ago, but since I am not often in the Rocky River area it took me a little while to get around to actually using it. So when a free morning arrived in my planner, I packed up the baby and Chad and we went out on a little day date to check out this coffee shop. When I first bought this groupon, I actually hadn't ever heard of this particular coffee shop. It's pretty close to Erie Island, Starbucks AND a Caribou that are all on Detroit. But it's tucked away on Lake Rd away from the main drag so maybe it has a loyal local following.



When first coming in we were warmly greeted by the young barista behind the counter. I ordered our typical drinks (Americano for him and soy latte for me) and waited. I decided to throw in a blueberry muffin and a orange Pelligrino while I was at it to try and eat up the $15 I had for my groupon. They had a few cold sandwiches to choose from but for $6.50 each, I passed. It all came to around $8.50 for everything which is pretty decent.

While I was waiting I got a chance to check out the decor. With bold red walls and black ceilings, it was definitely a dramatic look. The paintings on the walls were beautiful and I could tell the person in charge of the decoration had excellent taste. Hopefully that same person wasn't in charge of the music, because then my opinion would have to drop a bit. BBC Radio piped through the speakers and I have to say, wasn't exactly the right soundtrack to a relaxing morning in a coffee house.
Half the time the music sounded a bit like they were having some sort of inauguration and other times I got to hear about the war in Afghanistan. While informative...not my taste for coffeehouse tunes.

Chad's Americano was not good. Not. Good. I am not sure how long those espresso beans were ground before he ordered his drink, but if I had to guess from the taste I would say at least a day. Espresso beans should be freshly ground as your drink is being made so you can get the best taste possible. This espresso was stale. And weak. I'd say there was only maybe 3 shots in his large when there should be at least 4. My latte was a bit of the same with the stale flavor. I really do wish I could say it was a good. Mainly because the barista was so dang sweet and nice. I wish I could say the drinks she made for us were amazing. But I can't. And the muffin? I am pretty sure it was an Otis Spunkmeyer muffin with the wrapper taken off. Really? With ALL of the amazing local bakeries in town and you're going to serve us vending machine muffins? Lame.





Also there was something else going on that is worth mentioning. I can only hope something like this isn't a regular occurrence, but the owner was there talking about his finances at the front counter. Chad went up to get another 2 shots of espresso to try and help his ailing Americano, and apparently the financial records were out on the counter. That is just bad business. And while we sat there, on top of hearing the BBC's breaking news, we were treated with the news of how this guys is getting screwed by his vendors. The young girl behind the counter that he was talking to was trying to be helpful but my heart went out to her, really it's not her problem. And it's not OUR problem, I would have rather not hear about his financial woes. Because frankly, I don't care.

So overall I don't think I will be coming back to Cravings Cafe. Even if it was closer, I'd rather not spend my money on stale espresso. I do think if they tweaked just a few things then they could have a chance of going against the heavyweights of coffee in their area. They have got to get a better roaster, that coffee was tragic. It's best to stay away from the flavored coffees as well, as I noticed there were a lot of various flavors to choose from. Flavored coffee is for the 7-11 crowd. Not for anyone who wants to be taken seriously in the coffee world. And some better music selections. Also contact the local bakeries, I am willing to bet for just a bit more they could have an amazing selection of pastries. And lastly, keep your business issues to yourself. Your customers shouldn't be hearing them and it's in poor taste. The Cleveland coffeehouse scene needs more local businesses to step up to the plate and deliver, this place just isn't there yet.