Have anyone else noticed the SacRag crew seems to spend a lot of time in coffee houses?
My favorite — when I can get a parking space — is Tupelo, on Elvas. Free Wi-Fi, clever coffee drinks I never order (espresso and Jolt cola? Argh!) and great morning roast, which I do order. Plus, most mornings you can see the same people, which really gives the place a nice neighborly feel. So far, Tupelo is holding its own against the Starbucks next door, and I think it’s the funky, arty ambience that helps.
One of the regulars is a true East Sac fixture, former city councilman Josh Pane. He’s there most mornings, a little grayer than I remember, but friendly as always. Doesn’t work the room much, but happy to strike up a conversation.
Tupelo also attracts the serious bikers and runners post-workout (Runnergirl, where are you?) and, on the patio, the dog-walkers. Friendly dogs, friendly people, great coffee … what’s not to like?
Also on the coffee front, anyone else tried Pacific Roasting on Fulton/Hurley? Liked the fireplace, the free Wi-Fi and the smattering of nice leather club chairs. It’s a chain, apparently, but a small one. The coffee was good and the counter staff friendly. I’ll have to go back for further evaluation.
The Sac Rag 
Indeed, if Tupelo was a little closer to where I live I’d be there all the time. I heard it rumored that Chris Pendarvis’ Naked Lounge in Chico actually killed a nearby Starbucks. Whether or not that’s actually true, I’m happy to hear it’s holding its own against that brand new ‘Bucks.
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my latest favorite is temple at 10th and j/k. maybe i’ll write a short review sometime. these guys have 10-15 different beans to choose from, crazy! it is like a friggin’ wine bar, but for coffee!
(i’m a chocoholic, but for booze!)
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I feel a little uncomfortable participating in a blog that doesn’t slavishly glorify Peet’s at all times. Try to not let this little side adulation get out of control or anything.
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I’ve only been to Tupelo’s once, but I thoroughly enjoyed the Mexican Hot Chocolate. A return trip might have to be in the near future for me.
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Peet’s coffee has that distinct taste one gets used to then starts craving. I love sipping it with bites of their olallieberry scone, the pieces dissolving like melted butter on my tongue, in a harmony of flavors.
I like temple a lot too. Good quality coffee and tea, though the last couple of times I’ve brought clients there we had to wait a while before finding seats. That’s the best complaint an owner could hope for I guess 🙂
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Tupelo is great as is its sister Naked. Thank goodness we get to talk about some serious coffee business here! Try the Bowl of Soul. Perfection!
I’ve heard good things about Temple but I can never find parking so I go on over to Naked or Tupelo instead.
Yay for independent coffe houses!
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At the corner of Manzanita and Cypress in Carmichael, you’ll find my favorite Starbucks. I like all of the other ones too. The independent companies that you romanticize wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for Starbucks’ creating the mass appeal of $4 coffee through their brilliant marketing and management.
You are all a bunch of bourgeois snobs trying to prove your superiority through your appreciation for boutique coffee. Bleh.
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Boy, obdurate, you sure are stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing, almost hardened in feelings. My guess is you are resistant to persuasion or softening influences.
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The Wall Street Journal had a page 1 story making the very point that the market for coffee houses was made possible by Starbucks, and that some indies thrive near the great chain by tweaking the coffee house formula, typically with and indie feel and different (sometimes better, sometimes counter-intuitively worse) service.
Me? I like Starbucks just fine. Also Peet’s, Java City, Tup and all the rest. I’m in it for the caffeine, baby. But given my druthers, I do like to see locally owned businesses thrive. These folks are our neighbors!
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Tupelo is wonderful, possibly better than Peet’s. I asked somewhat what they wanted for a gift last year and they said of all possible gifts that they wanted coffee from Tupelo Coffee Roasters. That was my introduction to their coffee. I did have to park down Elvas somewhere.
BS
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Wow, Obdurate, I had no idea that I was being such a bourgeios tagg, I mean “snob”, when I was in high school in the mid-’80s and enjoying quality coffee drinks at Flour Garden in Auburn, then at Strada and Cafe Milano in Berkeley in the late ’80s/early ’90s — way before I even heard of Starbucks, let alone being able to find it on every street corner.
I don’t hate Starbucks; in fact, I got mildly addicted to the peppermint mocha for a while, and I recently discovered the cinnamon dolce latte. But my drink of choice is the drip coffee from Peet’s, mostly from force of habit and not from the “brilliant marketing and management of Starbucks.”
FP: we saw the aforementioned Josh Pane at the McCormick & Schmick’s VIP (see, there I go being all snotty again) opening party last night. I’d have mentioned to him in passing that he was on the SacRag yesterday, but it would have taken too long to explain the SacRag and who I am to him. It just didn’t seem like the appropriate time to butt in to whatever conversation he had going on. I used to see him at the Lyon Village Peet’s quite a bit too. To answer your running question & why my posse of runners doesn’t hang at Tupelo, we can usually be found up on the trails in the Auburn & Foresthill area, so we hit the java joints up there when we’re finished (and not on the injured list, as I am currently, from a non-running related incident.)
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I’m sure you all liked the band before they were popular, and were a fan of the team before they won. You had your tattoo before it was mainstream. The glue residue on your bumper isn’t from the Kings sticker that you tried to remove because they suck now.
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Obdurate,
Your argument is flawed. Bourgeois snobs don’t watch sports. Also, when in the last 30 years have tattoos been subversive? Perhaps the tramp stamp has gained mass appeal of late but otherwise, pretty old hat.
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Once again, if we’re not talking about the superiority of Peet’s then perhaps we should just move on.
And who said anything about tatoos? Dude, are you ok? Do you have any numbness in your fingertips or asymmetry in your facial features? SOMEBODY GET A CRASH CART!
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Actually, Obdurate, it just happens that many people who post and comment here enjoy supporting local businesses, so long as they offer quality goods and decent customer service. This is a topic that has been discussed several times.
As a non-tattoed, sports-watching, SUV-driving, pierced only once in each earlobe, patently uncool hard-working tax-paying citizen who relishes in guilty pleasures like People magazine and the Madonna CD I’m currently blaring at my desk, I can say with 100% certainty that I’m not out “to prove you were there, that you heard of them first.” (Free beer to whoever identifies this lyric first & if we ever have a ‘rag happy hour!)
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…as long as the soda cans are red, white and blue ones.
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Sac-Eats gets the beer!
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How do you afford your rock ‘n roll lifestyle?
I love Mocha Thai from Naked Lounge!
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Obdurate,
I don’t think anyone is arguing that Starbucks doesn’t have brilliant marketing. I once worked for Starbucks when the corporate strategy was the far off in the distance “2000 stores by the year 2000” if you can believe that. But you can’t deny that Starbucks is kind of the fast food coffee. Their popularity stems from the fact that consuming their coffee drinks don’t actually require that you like the taste of coffee. They also appeal to people who want to purchase dressed up bears, overpriced mugs painted to look like Easter eggs, cds, dvds, magazines, candy and — holy moly — I might just take back that fast food comment and say that Starbucks is the Mega-mall of coffee. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
Some people out there just prefer to drink coffee that tastes like coffee, and purchase their other miscellaneous crap at the various locally owned miscellaneous crap stores around town.
Can’t we all just get along? 🙂
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Ohhhhh, the M&S opening! I’m jealous! I stay at the Omni when I’m in San Diego, and Mc&S is the Omni’s house restaurant there.
Story:
I love the handcut chips at the SD MC&S, but when I tried to order some with dinner, I was told they were only for lunch.
“I bet I could get them if I were Tony Gwynn,” I said.
“Probably,” agreed the waiter. “But you’re not Tony Gwynn, and they’re only for lunch.”
So … try the hand-cut chips with your sammie. If they’re as good as the Tony Gwynn version in San Diego, they’re d-lish.
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I really don’t care about the coffee debate; I usually make mine at home. But am I lobbing a grenade here when I ask why, exactly, is Starbucks any less our neighbor than Tupelo or any other store? All of these businesses exist to exchange goods for currency, not for checking on us when sick, collecting our mail, bringing in our trashcans or any other neighborly-type stuff. My personal opinion is buy your coffee wherever suits you, but let’s not pretend we’re being more or less noble in making the choice.
And p.s. RunnerGirl I’m sorry to hear about your injury! Get well soon! 🙂
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Ok, so it’s settled then? Peet’s has the world’s best coffee. Good, let’s leave it there.
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Heymeg,
While Starbucks employs your neighbors, profits still leave sacramento. So some folks would rather support a local employer who will blow his profits on candy at the Candy barrel store and on Kings merchandise.
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Not to mention: It’s the small-business entrepreneur who makes America great!
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If you shop at Starbucks then the terrorists have already won.
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do your Tupelos serve coffee beans from all those coffee groves in Elk Grove? do they buy paper cups from that paper cup factory in Arden Arcade?
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I tasted coffee once: I didn’t like the taste. I don’t like the smell of coffee. I drink diet soda, (the kind that contains caffeine), every day.
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I like Tupelo in theory, after all- they’re open after the Starbucks next door closes. And the ambiance there is nice, but their prices are just too high for bean-based drinks. I’ve actually been known to buy at “The ‘Bucks” (yep, I’m another addict- identify the quote FTW) and bring to Tupelo. I’m sure that will label me as evil, but I go where the lowest prices are. Viva la Capitalism!
Still, I’m happy to see Tupelo still sticking it out this long. The free WiFi helps, but there is absolutely NO comfortable seating there. Their modern leather couches challenge me not to spill my hot beverage, since I have to sit in a reclined position for any back support.
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tupelo is great, naked lounge is amazing, temple is also exceptional….but did you guys know the naked coffee guy named temple coffee and the owner of temple was a long term employee of theirs….learned from the best.
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