Le Coffee & Moore - Specialty Coffee outside of the Metropolis

Source: The Pilot

"Most importantly, the beverage has to be perfect every time. If it’s not, we throw it away and start over." - Rochelle Boone of Le Coffee & Moore.

In my North Carolina hometown of four years, the Sandhills, there is a paucity of quality of coffee.  Generally, you have Cactus Creek roasters and that's pretty much it.  So I was delighted when a family member sent my a copy of the local paper, The Pilot, spotlighting a new coffee house opening up called Le Coffee & Moore.  For those not in the know, the Sandhills area is in Moore county, which accounts for the pun :-).  The link for the article is here and the cafe's website here (Still Under Construction).  What struck me was the fact that Boone traveled  to Portland, Oregon, went and took classes at the America Barista & Coffee School, and set up shop in a market not known for coffee love.

An interesting twist to the cafe is a board-room like table.  The article states, 

"The conference room, which harks back to her banking days, features a table with seating for eight, a dry-erase board and a television that can also be used for PowerPoint presentations.  “I wanted to attract business people as well as students with laptops,” Boone says. “Business people are always looking for a place to take clients. I’ve almost got the whole month of March reserved.”

Generally, cafes have space for groups to meet, but to actively market it as space for businesses to have meetings in a relaxed environment is clever.  Buying drinks, scones, and other caffeinated treats, works quite well.  I am curious to see if it somehow cordoned off to make sure that the meetings and other customers don't bother one another.

Unfortunately, the article doesn't say what coffee they serve, but I am optimistic that it is quality, especially being so close to Durham-based Counter Culture Coffee.  If you're in the area, be sure to check them out, and send me an email.  I would like to know how it is!


  

  

   

Back From Vacation/Visit to Cactus Creek Roasters

Hi all, I apologize for the short interlude in posts. I had gone on vacation to visit some family for the last time in the summer. Now it is time to prepare for Graduate school: Year Two.

When I down in North Carolina, I visited Cactus Creek Coffee, a local roaster with the motto "Grown Globally, Roasted Locally." Catchy! I should have thought of that. You know it was going to be a great coffee place because it had the roast first, cafe second look. You know, the concrete floors, the roaster in the background, the sacks of green coffee, with a few tables placed around.

I talked to the barista/roaster running the store, and struck up a conversation on espresso because I was/am looking for classic espresso glasses. Unfortunately they did not sell them, but he offered an espresso shot right away when I mentioned I loved espresso. I surmise that many people in that area of the country may not like straight espresso.

They offered a wide array of single source and blended coffees with a noticeable section of specialty decaf coffee, which is nice for the, well, geriatric crowd in the Pinehurst area. It is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. They know their stuff. Best part about it, was when I left the store the guy shook my hand and said it was a pleasure to talk coffee with someone who knew their stuff. *toots his own horn*

Oh yeah, they offer their coffee at around 9.35 lb, not bad! Better than the prices here in DC.

Check back in a few days, I will be reviewing the coffee from the 35 North Coffee Company I received a few weeks ago.