Gigi's Cafe
822 W 36th St
Minneapolis, MN
612-825-0818
www.gigisuptown.com

Hours

Monday - Saturday: 6.45am - 10pm

Sunday: 7.30am - 10pm

Wow! What more is there to say about Gigi's. Gigi's has grown over the past few years to include a fantastic menu featuring a superb wine list, while offering some good brews. Oh yeah, there is great OFT coffee's and pastries that truly are better than any other coffeehouse in the Twin Cities (that I have sampled anyway).

Gigi's is a place where you can stop for a cookie and a coffee, or bring your sweetheart for a romantic evening by candlelight. The decor is very tastefull and they feature a sidewalk patio that is nearly always crowded.

The hours are very consistent and the bathroom is ALWAYS clean. This is a top notch place where everything is well thought out and done right. Without a white glove treatment, there is not a whole lot to knock about Gigi's. South Minneapolis should be proud to such a fine establishment anchoring this neighborhood in Uptown.

Cars-R-Coffins
3346 Lyndale Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612-822-4130








WiFi






Cuppa Joe $1.35
Latte $2.50

I have visited a lot of coffee shops in the Twin Cities and other parts of the country. Cars-R-Coffins (CRC) is hands down the absolutely most innovative shop in the Twin Cities. Until now my favorite coffeeshop has been Websters Bookstore Cafe in State College, Pennsylvania, because of the quality of the coffee (true shadegrown organic fair trade, handpicked from the forests of Columbia) and because of the melding together of coffee and books (and great variety of used and affordable books).

CRC may overtake Websters on my all-time favorite list. CRC melds together bikes and coffee...and does it well!

I was thoroughly impressed by the thoughtfullness and cleanliness of the shop. I have to admit that it was my first stop in for some java (I usually make multiple visits before I blog a shop). As a man who would prefer that his bikes sleep in the same room as himself, nothing could feel more natural than to drink a cup of Peace Coffee with an old Schwinn, or a custom road bike, hanging above my head.

To top it off, you can purchase yourself a bike as easily as a delicious molasses cookie (gotta have one...just like my Gramma Leese would make).

If you hear a lot of those annoying click-click, or persistent squeaks coming from your derailuer, and your brakes are wearing thin, Hurl (the owner) will tune up your bike for a small fee.

Come on! Is that cool or what?



























The "garage door" opens up in the summer and some cozy tables are set up on the sidewalk, so you can relax after a jut around the lakes on your bomber, while you sip your latte.

After Hurl posts the hours on the front door (thats just standard procedure, or so I thought), there will be no qualms about who has the most inventive coffeeshop in the Cities. DO NOT feel that you cannot stop if you are not a biker. CRC is a great place to visit. After all, I parked my Saturn/coffin outfront for my delicious black coffee. The only thing better would be to get a good book, have a great cup of coffee and get my Burley tuned up in one trip!

I only regret is not stopping sooner!

Harvest Moon Coffeehouse
5101 Minnetonka Blvd
St. Louis Park, MN 55416
952-922-BREW (2739)
http://www.harvestmooncoffee.net

-WiFi

Cuppa Joe $ 1.45

Latte $2.55

Note: My obvious bias is that Harvest Moon is my "local" shop, although I live a couple of miles away.

There is not enough wonderful things I can say about the Harvest Moon Coffeehouse. It truly is the cleanest-of-the-clean. The decor is modern classy and they offer a patio for those nice warm summer mornings to relax in the sun after a nice brisk bike ride on the SW Corridor and around the Chain of lakes.

If I could fault Harvest Moon, it would be the limited FTO coffee offered. For a local shop as popular in the St. Louis Park community as Harvest Moon, they certainly could go with Peace Coffee or another local roaster of FTO.

With that judgement aside, the atmosphere is warm and friendly. You can sit is a variety of cozy seating with low classy music that doesn't blare you out of the shop, as many other TC coffeeshops do.

The owners are local (and very nice also) and are committed to their community, with local art, local entertainment and a nice large space offered in reserve for your knitting club, environmental organization, or monthly neighborhood meetings.

Harvest Moon offers a limited, but enticing sandwich and soup menu that doesn't steel your wallet. My kids and I truly love the quesadillas.

As with any successful local shop, Caribou Coffee (sucks) and Starbucks (double sucks), have moved in within blocks of Harvest Moon like a couple of money sucking leeches whose only goal is to unfairly outcompete the locals, send your money out-of-state, and in the end offer you only corporate choices. Support Harvest Moon Coffeehouse. It is worth the stop!

UPDATE!
The Harvest Moon Coffeehouse has extended their Fair Trade options to include an evening FTO and two choices in the daytime, instead just one available choice. Thanks Harvest Moon!

Anodyne Coffeehouse
4301 Nicollete Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55409
612-824-4300
www.anodynecoffeehouse.com

















Reg latte - $2.25 plus tax
Cuppa Joe - $1.61 with self-serve refills for 50 cents on the honor system!
A trusting lot aren't they...


Anodyne's is certainly a praiseworthy establishment that takes its menu very seriously. Coffee is organic Fair-Trade from Peace Coffee. Soups are made from scratch, along with the granola, waffles and pastries. Organic ingredients are used and available. My kids enjoy the donuts!

Anodyne's Coffeehouse is a community oriented shop. The art is local and jazz is available from 7:30 to 9:30PM every Tuesday evening. Friday nights are reserved for local musicians from 8 to 10PM.

You'll find seating for most types of comfort levels. My tush prefers a cushion, which is readily available at Anodyne's. In the middle of the dining area is a long table that feels awkward, and frankly, looks awkward, but provides a bingo-like community atmosphere. The lighting is sufficient, but barely, and I wouldn't advise trying to study with the music blaring.

Anodyne's decor is industrial-trendy and very original. It has some corrugated galvanized metal and other crafty reused materials which gives it a part-diner feel. The industrial trend continues in the bathroom where the floors and toilet were clean, but they need to ask one of their pierced baristas to wipe the half-inch thick dust off the pipes and dirt stains on the walls. If you go, please don't add to the icky graffiti on the walls - have you no shame!!

Anodyne's Coffeehouse is a wonderful experience, from the toys for the kids to play with, to the great menu, community orientation, and the comfy seating. But if I could share my pet peeve with management - please buy "sugar in the raw" packets and not in bulk. Do you know how difficult it is to properly measure sugar on a spoon? My coffee gets over sweetened every single time.

UPDATE!
Anodyn's has repainted and cleaned up part of their men's bathroom...thank you Lord!! And they now offer Sugar in the Raw for those of you sugar packet neurotics like myself...