With finals rapidly approaching, coffee suddenly becomes more important than Ramen noodles. Since State Street's coffee shops will be filling up quickly next week, there are three shops south of campus to be aware of. A group of Daily Cardinal food writers checked out Muddy Waters, Indie Coffee and Electric Earth to see what they had in the way of java.
The Coffee Cavalcade
Katie Ernest: Food editor
Kristen Gregory: Food writer
Ben Schultz: Former food columnist
Katie Will: Former food editor
Muddy Waters
1 N. Randall St.
6:30 p.m.
At the corner of Regent and Randall streets, Muddy Waters seems like a cozy nook. With smells of next-door Topper's Pizza wafting through the door, the coffee crawlers started their caffeine trip.
Kristen Gregory, former barista, sampled Muddy Water's three regular
and one decaf varieties of coffee. Ben Schultz, sticking with his
love of tea, went with a glass of a $1.75 Earl Green. Deciding against
chocolate and vanilla varieties, Katie Ernest instead chose the regular
chai. Katie Will ordered a Sexual Chocolate, a cocoa, white chocolate
and amaretto espresso drink.
We had high expectations for the Sexual Chocolate, but our taste buds weren't aroused. Instead, it had a reverse effect. \I'm kind of getting a cramp ... is that a bad sign?"" Will said.
The chai was too milky with not enough fl avor. The coffees were
self-served, and the four varieties offered something for everyone.
""The first sip of the Earl Green did not match the expectations from
the first wiff,"" Schultz noted about the tea.
Overhead at the coffee shop: ""I'm a creature of the night.""
Indie Coffee
1225 Regent St.
7:1 5 p.m.
Just down the block, Indie Coffee seemed a step up from Muddy Waters. With student film screenings and art-deco interior, it offered a little more variety.
Its menu, which included wine and locally brewed beer as well as croissants and wraps, was more complete than its neighbor, Muddy Waters.
After inspecting a row of tea flavors, Schultz chose the Monona (16 oz.) South African rooibos tea.
Ernest ordered the Mendota (20 oz.) a highly acclaimed vanilla chai and a chocolate-chip scone, while Will chose the Wingra (12 oz.) cappuccino. With only one option, Gregory purchased the Indie house coffee.
Schultz was pleased with the red
tea, which had a lingering taste and was smooth and fragrant.
The joe journeyers were surprised with the scone's lemon flavor which disguised the chocolate chips. Ernest was unimpressed with the vanilla chai, which was cold and too frothy. Contrarily, Will's cappuccino was at a perfect temperature and held a solid flavor throughout. The coffee was bland and Gregory remained dissatisfied.
Indie's seating was limited and their music distracting. Unlike Muddy Waters, the barista delivered the java squad's drinks.
Electric Earth
546 W. Washington Ave.
8:10 p.m.
Losing Will, the cavalcade traveled on to the final stop, Electric Earth, which immediately seemed like it had a bit more ambiance than the other two coffee shops. With outdoor seating, music that is conducive to studying and pleasant clientele, Electric Earth was the best of the three stops.
Ernest got another chai, which was brewed to the perfect temperature and had the optimal blend of chai and milk. Gregory chose a
Miel this time, but noted Electric Earth had plenty of brewed coffee
varieties.
Schultz opted for the Raspberry Cordial, which had a subtle sweetness that took a while to emerge. He also grabbed a BLT Supreme which had turkey and optimal bacon, but its bread was not toasted, effectively making it seem like just an ordinary BLT.
