Haute Chocolate Cafe

Well, this goes against my initial plan to stick close to home for the time being, but I just had to visit when I saw the name of this place: Haute Chocolate. If they're going to put in that much effort to come up with a cute name, it at least deserves a look, right? Well, this place definitely did deserve a look. It was pretty easy to find actually. There seems to be an area of West Reading close to Wyomissing that's really progressive, focused on catering to artists, and trying to be a safe haven for local small businesses. It really reminds me of Midtown here in Harrisburg. It's quite heartening to see that sort of thing in these small industrial cities that make up most of eastern-central Pennsylvania!

The cafe itself really isn't coffee-focused as much as it is snack-focused. They have a huge selection of hot chocolate including a pure-cocoa blend that tries to be close to the Mayan and Aztec chocolate experience (apropos, given the name of the cafe). I also took a pic that you can see below of their massive selection of what appear to be fresh breads. To me, fresh bread is something that adds to a coffeehouse. There needs to be some kind of food to sort of "ground" it, and nothing compares to fresh bread. That also adds sort of a European air to the place...which is of course where the coffeehouse culture truly came into its own. Another thing that adds atmosphere is their modernist-style, colored plastic chairs and tables they have scattered about.

The only real negative of this place was the fact that the selection of coffee and coffee accessories seems a bit limited. I didn't ask for a specific flavor, but there didn't appear to be much of a choice. The coffee was good, but if it had been nearly as exotic as their cocoa and breads it would have made the little place even better. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to save room for some hot chocolate next time! Be sure to check this place out when the snow starts falling.

Atmosphere: Three and a Half Mugs
Coffee: Three Mugs

Here are the breads...
And here is the seating...

Cafe Di Luna

Well, if you live in Harrisburg (or anywhere in PA for that matter), you're probably aware that it's been quite a rainy and dismal time recently. Well, I had a Thursday afternoon off from work, so I decided to spend that rainy afternoon going to a local cafe that I've been meaning to review ever since I started this blog. I'll just warn you ahead of time that the review will be quite positive indeed. I come here pretty often actually. It's in the same part of town that my primary job is, kind of in the epicenter of Harrisburg's Midtown "bohemian" scene.

The woman who runs the place is named Ambreen Esmail. If you love coffee and conversation she's definitely someone you should meet. The thing is, she's just as serious about her coffee as professional mixologists are about their liquor. It's a rare thing to see someone not taking for granted the subtleties of coffee bean flavor and the influences thereof. So anyhow, I just ordered whatever was "on tap" that day (a Colombian blend) in lieu of something fancy...but at this place, normal coffee feels pretty fancy because you know that whatever it is, it's blended by someone with over 10 years in the business. Experience really does count.

Ambreen's lived in NYC, and it shows in the ambiance. What I mean is that it's artsy without being kitschy and serious, but with time made for whimsy. The only thing that could really be improved is the surroundings. It's in the middle of the Midtown Renaissance area, and while it's great to have this place here, it would be even nicer if it were off the beaten path a bit more. If it were just a few blocks away from the center of commerce one could really calm down from the pace of the city. I don't know, maybe I'm just an anxiety-prone person. Either way, this place is an island of both sanity and genuine art in a place that is desperately starving for it.

Coffee: Four and a half mugs
Atmosphere: Four mugs

Here are some pics of the place...