PJ's Coffee

We now have a PJ's Coffee in our neighborhood. I stopped in to give it a try with their classic combo--a chicory cafe au lait with beignets. Beignets are rare in this neighborhood, but I've had them at the Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. 35 years ago. Would these hold up? Absolutely. I came in at 2 in the afternoon, and they made the beignets fresh. Light, crisp and tasty, with plenty of powdered sugar (Cafe du Monde gave me a ridiculous amount, like a half a cup). The beignets were well coated and there was more than enough sugar to sweeten the coffee. Also plenty to get on my pants--beignets are messy things. The coffee was good, I would say the chicory was on the light side which might suit this area better. Also got a flat white which was just fine.

The place is inviting inside. There are outlets at every table, encouraging you to stay awhile. The seating area up front where you'd wait for a to-go order is very comfortable. Lots of nice coffee-themed decor. There are two identical any-sex restrooms, so no gender-based waiting. They were clean and ready when I was there. Service is friendly. They have lots of other pastries, and list sandwiches on the online menu, thought I did not see them on the in-store menul.  The only other place I've seen beignets in this neighborhood is Walk-Ons (those are good also). If you like beignets you need to try this place.

My Yelp Review

Agape Cafe

I stopped in to try this new coffee shop on a busy Saturday. Got a mocha latte, a sausage and egg frittata, and a chai latte to go.

The mocha latte was done with whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle, so was nice and sweet--almost more like a hot chocolate experience than a coffee, but very good. Nice and rich. The chai latte was also on the sweet side but quite fine. The frittata was a disappointment--dry and not much flavor, I would get something else last time.

The shop is very attractive, with a large world map on one wall and murals on the other. The furniture is quite comfortable. They have lots of games for families, and several tables were playing. It's inviting to stay for awhile, but BYO power--the only outlet I found was at the to-go waiting table. The restrooms (gendered but identical) were clean and ready.

The cafe bills itself as a brunch place, but they do have small sandwiches in addition to the frittatas and baked goods, so one could make a light meal there. The baked goods appear to be their strong point.

As is apparent from its name, the cafe is Christian themed, stepping into the niche that the Sweet Inspirations tea room and Heavenly Cups (both now gone) filled. Hopefully they can overcome the awkwardness of the location--I find the strip mall they are in hard to access. Things look good for them so far.

My Yelp Review 

Brazil Plus Acai Market

I stopped in to check out this new Brazilian market in our neighborhood. I got an acai bowl and a coxinha (chicken croquette) with cheese. Chased it with a guarana soda.

The croquette was quite good, a unique experience. Shredded chicken, potato and cheese wrapped in a pastry coated with cornmeal and baked. At first I thought it was a bit soft, but the more I ate the more I liked it, it grew on me and I can recommend it. My acai bowl was made with a base of acai sorbet. I selected granola, caramel, and condensed milk for my toppings. The bowl was delicious--I'm not a huge fan of whole acai berries, but this sorbet was excellent. The server (the owner, I think) and I talked about cupuacu fruit, another base on the menu. It's a white, chocolaty fruit. You write your choices on a menu sheet, and I asked for cupuacu, but I got acai. Not sure he actually had cupuacu. But I was happy with it. The interior is very inviting, tasteful furniture and seats to linger if you wish. I did not see a public restroom. Service was friendly and enthusiastic. It's great to have this option in our neighborhood.

My Yelp Review