Great Cappuccino Along the Way


Although I don't drink coffee these days, I can make a good list of the best cappuccino I enjoyed along the way. Cappuccino was (still is) my favorite drink from coffee. I love the blended between coffee, milk, and foam at the end. It tastes really good. While sipping it, I can enjoyed the ginger cookies or something else. Perfect drink for a perfect moment. Hayyyyaaaaahhhh. Compared to other coffee drinks, cappuccino could be a little bit pricey. I guess because of the blended of milk and coffee. 


I'm making the ranking by excluding franchise coffee shops like Kayak, Panera, Peets, Illy, and others. Most of the list are locally-owned business (as far as I know). Great coffee does not mean that the coffee is great, but also the ambience.


So, here is the list:


Cafe Berlin, Columbia, Missouri, USA

Berlin Cafe Cappuccino


The best of all goes to Cafe Berlin's cappuccino. This cafe locates next to Wabash station. It's locally-owned and ran by a family (the same owner with Root Cellar grocery if I'm not mistakenly heard). Aside from good coffee and cappuccino, this place is well-known of its omelet and waffle. Therefore, this place is a perfect place for your brunch. It only opens over the weekend (from Friday evening-Sunday). 

I went to this place for the first time on my 31th birthday. I was so damn sleepy that morning after had a late night sleep and woken up early in the morning to have a Iedul Adha prayers. I enjoyed my birthday brunch with a couple of strangers I knew that day and one good friend. So, whenever I visited Columbia, I would not miss to stop by to this cafe. 

Pony Espresso, SSB 2nd Floor, University of Missouri, St. Louis (UMSL), St. Louis, USA

Shannon's


Well, I had this cappuccino almost every day. Shannon is my favorite and best barista all the time. This cappuccino was really my soul to keep my eyes awake during my evening classes. Shannon and her café are savior for me and most of my classmates. I took my friends who came to town to taste the cappuccino and they could not agree more. Thank you Shannon!




Smile Cafe, downtown Summerville, South Carolina, USA


It was coincidence to stop by at this cafe. It was Sunday and K's family brought me to the church with them. I was staying with them during Spring break 2012. So, instead of leaving me alone at home with Max, Fatty, and Little Miss, they were taking me as well to the church. After the mass, K's father was attending Sunday school. So, K decided bringing me to take a walk along the park and old houses to the town hall. All the stores close on Sunday since people would choose to go to church or spend their time with their family. 


I was so sleepy (always)... lol. K told me that there's a cafe at the corner but she was not sure whether the cafe opens or closes. We just headed there without too much hope. It opened that day! So, I grabbed a cup of medium size of cappuccino and macaroon. They're just SO DAMN GOOD!!! Bitter and sweet went well together. Hahahaha. 




Creamery, the Biltmore House, Asheville, North Carolina, USA

It is part of the Biltmore House Complex. Besides cappuccino, this place is mainly well-known of its bread pudding and ice cream. The chefs made the foods based on the Biltmore family’s secret recipes. Situated with Cedric Tavern and winery, this place was just so perfect!

The Hut, San Francisco, CA, USA

The Hut is part of Golden Gate Natural Reserve Area. I found this café coincidentally. I was waiting my three friends. Boring. So, I decided to walk around, and there she was, the café was there. I came inside, grabbed one medium cup, and enjoyed it in the cloudy and foggy day. San Francisco was just so gray.  

Common Ground, downtown Denver, CO, USA

Grabbed a cup there during my West Coast road trip in the cold morning. I found this café by myself. I had Peets one hour earlier. In fact, I haven’t finished my Peets. But I remembered that I was at the downtown and tried to find this café. Adrian was my barista. He gave me extra foam when he knew that I was going to take the picture from my coffee.

Millcreek Coffee, Salt City Airport, Utah, USA

I was back again to SLC for my connecting flight from Las Vegas to St. Louis. It was around dusk. After enjoying the beautiful scenery of Utah and SLC, we touched down at the airport. I was half awake because of lack of sleeping and tired. I saw this coffee shop, and I walked in. Grabbed one medium cup, and got also some bars of homemade chocolate. Their chocolate was just so great!

Ted’s Bulletin, Washington DC

I would say, Ted’s cappuccino was just so-so. But, this place was an epic. Founded years ago, this place is well-known for its burger. Even President Obama usually grabbed his cheese burger from this place. If you sit outside, you may see street musicians play some jazz next to Ted’s.

Intel's -downtown Chicago.

Aside from those cappuccino served by several different local stores, during fall break 2011, I enjoyed two cups of cappuccino in two different places. Good ones, though not the best one. One was “Intelegentsia” in downtown Chicago (closed to the Millennium Park), and another one was in Madison, Wisconsin. I forgot the name of the store in Madison. 

I forgot the name of the shop.. J

Madison was such a small capital town – and it was near to Thanksgiving. The stores at the downtown were about to close. With three friends, we were walking aimlessly – from one store to another to see cute stuffs. Then, I saw a coffee shop. So, we went inside and had some cups. Well, the store also served free bread crump. J

Visit to Doctor Huh's

I can still remember vividly to my first visit to Dr. Huh's clinic. It was Saturday 13th. Arlene took me there after my uncle dropped me outside XO Suki Ngesong. I could not remember how I looked at that time, but I do remember that I felt so weak and restless after poor sleep for several weeks (then people told me that my face looked so pale and white!).

I was taken to a treatment room. Arlene was there for me. Yani, Dr. Huh's nurse check my BP. She was shocked to find out that my BP. It was 150/100! She hurriedly called Dr. Huh. Dr. Huh came to the room and asked me to undress my t-shirt, then he carefully checked my pulse rate and heart beat. It was 115 in one minute. I could see his face so worried. Arlene explained that I'd been to a doctor and acupuncture before. Then Yani asked me whether I'd taken the medicine. I explained my situation with my previous doctor, then Yani asked me to take the pills and relax. "We'll see if your BP would go down.... "Initially, Dr. Huh refused to treat me to seeing my situation. They left the room. I did not know what's happening outside my room. I heard Dr. Huh also checked Rey's BP and heart beat. I was left alone in the room for 15 minutes, almost fell a sleep.

They're back, and checked my BP. My BP went down to 130/80. Then Dr. Huh started to treat me. He put 19 acupuncture needles in my body. Then, they left me alone again for 30 minutes.

After I was done with the treatment, Arlene walked in the room. She explained in a soft but clear voice: "You could get stroke if you came late for the treatment. You've been with high BP for a quite sometimes. So, the treatment may take around 2-3 months. You're lucky as your BP went down. As it was not, Dr. Huh might ask you to go to Emergency Room... " I was shocked, but felt a little bit relief. I can still be treated. It's OK if it's gonna take sometimes. Arlene also told me about the cost for the treatment. She needed to explain in advance since it could be consider a little bit costly. I said yes to the cost.

baked brie at Sixpence Cafe, Savannah.
(kinda miss this food)

If I recall the first visit to Dr. Huh's office, I was still quite terrified. But it's OK now. This visit is the beginning of the strict diet I'm currently doing. I need to see him twice a week for a treatment. Well, he does not only treat for my BP, but also for my acute gastritis. Also, he did a chiropractic to my back last Monday! :)

PS: I cooked Indonesian chicken soup today! It tastes really GOOD.

Salt and Coffee

deep dish pizza at Pi Pizzeria, St. Louis

It's been 10 days I'm on a strict diet based on Dr. Huh's suggestion. I can't eat something hot and spicy, sour, fried and grilled foods, and too salty foods. In addition, I can't drink alcohol, coffee, and drink from fermented rice and cassava. Some fruits must be avoided such as durian and jackfruit (no problem, I'm not their big fan). Also, I need to avoid all instant and processed foods (No problem at all). Besides all those foods, I can eat everything such as fruits, vegetables, meats, and fish.

It is a problem to have a strict diet?
Yes, and No.

Well, it's not about the kind of foods you eat. I get used to avoid some kinds of foods since I had been a semi-vegetarian for more than two years. But the problems lie on the "can't eat hot & spicy and sour" :P. I'm a big fan of something spicy and sour, especially during the PMS (Pre-Menstruation Syndrome). My mouth wants to crave or eat something spicy and hot; something that really makes me mouthwatering... :)). As a foodie, I like foods with rich flavor. I don't like something too salty, but I love something tasty! I can imagine, how food in a plate could be tasted really really good or not. Also, as a foodie, I've traveled to several places in and outside Indonesia and tasted traditional and ethnic foods. I love foods in general. Food is not just something you can eat to make your tummy full, but it's an art. It's hard to how tell that food is an art. But it is. During my study time in St. Louis, kitchen was my sanctuary place and food blogs could light up my hard times.

Avoiding fried foods sometimes become a huge problem too. Well, since I was a kid, like most Indonesian, we grew up with fried foods, like tempe goreng, tahu goreng, ikan goreng, bakwan, kerupuk, etc. All those fried foods make everything so delicious. We don't use to with everything boiled and steamed.

My favorite cappuccino at Kayak's Coffee

Prohibiting drinking coffee and al is no longer a problem. I quitted drinking coffee and al (this one, I swear, I will NEVER touch it again). Coffee was my favorite drink. I was well-known as a coffee lover. Wherever I traveled, I always looked for the best coffee shops in town. As I traveled in Indonesia, I always bought coffee as souvenir for friends, family, and myself. During my time in St. Louis, I drank 2 to 3 cups each day. And people were really astonished in a way I made my coffee (two  spoons of grounded coffee for one medium cup). Crazy was not it? :P.

For al, I was an occasional-social drinker. I usually drank at home (I took red wine all the time), and I drank outside, like in a pub or friends' houses whenever I felt convenient with people around me. For me, quitting this one is NOT a PROBLEM at all.

Since my food is so specific, no one would have enough time to cook for me (I live with my aunt and she's busy working during the day. She does not have much time to cook. She usually just buys ready foods or cooks something simple or cooks in the evening for the rest of the family members). So, I need to cook by myself!. Well, I love it, although cooking all natural would make my brain confusing. What should I cook? What spices I should put on the foods? That's a big problem. They foods usually come up with plain and tasteless, LoL. In order to create a fresh foods and a little bit rich in flavor, bandeng is my savior. I can make asem-asem bandeng, it's the most glorious food these days.

All people around me take a pity look on me.. :)). Yeah, am I miserable? Not really. As I avoiding those foods (especially grilled and fried), I could see that my skin becomes lighter). And, I would have this kind of strict diet for about 3 months.. :)).

Wish me luck, guys.

PS: I should  have told you, that I lost a few pounds due to this diet since I also have difficulty in craving snacks. I crave no snack...

Recent Life: SICK

I've been sick for several days. I got hypertension. One thing that I was really afraid of since years ago. Now it happens.

Deep in my heart I was still curious why. Yeah, why? I exercise regularly and I'm a semi-vegetarian. But nothing is impossible.

I did and planned everything well... It seemed like "I won't get sick since I follow the rules of healthy life... " But many things were missing: I never have time to take enough rest. I was just too busy with working, meeting (other) people, and having fun outside home. I did not have enough time for just doing nothing and being with my family. I've been away from them too long.

Now that I'm sick, I'm back to my family. And I see how these things really have roles in my phsycology.

I don't think I can write more this time. My brain needs a lot of rest!

Lama Tidak Menulis. Apa Coba?

Aha, iyaaaa... aku lama tidak menulis. Apa alasanku coba?

"Aku sibuk" Itulah alasanku. Aku sibuk dengan tugas-tugas kuliah. Aku sibuk dengan urusan ini dan itu. Aku sibuk dengan membaca banyak artikel. Aku sibuk dengan semuanya. Aku sangat sibuk sehingga aku tidak sempat menulis di blog. Aku juga sudah lama tidak menulis di baltyra.com. Aku juga sudah lama tidak menulis note di FB. Aku juga sudah lama tidak meng-update dotcom ku. Aku sudah lama ini tidak ini dan tidak itu.

Aku sudah kehilangan sifat usil dan pikiran aneh-anehku.

Kinda miss those feelings. Aku harus menulis lagi.

Hi Entahlah

Entahlah, apa yang sedang aku rasakan saat ini. Ujian Mikroekonomi nanti sore. Well, ini adalah ujian kedua. Kabar buruk dengan ujian pertamaku. Aku tidak ingin ujian keduaku menjadi kabar buruk bagiku. Aku ingin sebuah kabar bagus setelah beberapa saat terakhir ini didera dengan kabar kurang bagus. Aku sedang ada di Lab Econs, by the way. Ruangan tumben agak lengang. Mahasiswa PhD Econs yang biasanya ramai berdiskusi di ruangan pojok, sedang dalam kondisi tenang dan larut dalam kertas kerjanya masing-masing. Seorang cowok sedang presentasi di papan putih di pojok. Yang lainnya duduk di sekitarnya. Tetapi tidak terlalu keras suaranya. Agak lengang.

Ada James, teman yang kebetulan enrolled dua kelas yang sama denganku, sedang larut dalam komputernya. Mungkin dia sedang mengerjakan tugas Statistik. Kadang-kadang dia berbicara dengan orang di sebelahnya.

Sialan, gw mulai ngantuk nih. Seperti ini aku butuh kopi segar setelah ketemu dengan Professor Kosnik sore ini sebelum ujian. Aku benar-benar butuh kopi. Oh kopi, oh teman baikku, oh kekasihku *lebay ahhh..*

Sudah ahhh...

Night @ Surabaya

Jam menunjukkan 22.10 WIB. Aku masih terduduk dengan manis di ruangan direktur. Berarti, aku hanya duduk di ruangan ini dan memanfaatkan komputer dan internetnya, hehehehe.

Acara sudah besok lusa. Tapi, entahlah... tidak seperti tahun-tahun sebelumnya yang sangat ramai dan meriah, tahun ini mendadak menjadi agak adem. Setiap tahunnya, kita bagaikan Sisiphus, yang menaikkan batu ke atas gunung, lalu kemudian didorong lagi turun dari gunung. Besoknya, ketika matahari terbit, dia akan mengulangi hal yang sama.

Tidakkah kita berpikir, bahwa pada umumnya manusia adalah Sisiphus. Mereka selalu melakukan hal yang sama setiap harinya. Kadangkala juga mengulangi kesalahan yang sama. Manusia yang tidak pernah belajar dari kesalahan-kesalahan yang ada. Kadang, memang seperti itu.

Saat-saat malam, dan mengetik di kantor, mungkin akan menjadi hal yang sangat aku rindukan. Bekerja di "jam-jam aneh", kadangkala juga sangat menyenangkan. Keindahan kota ini sebenarnya akan bisa dinikmati hanya pada malam hari. Kota ini berubah sebagaimana layaknya kota kunang-kunang. Kota yang sangat indah...

10 tahun hidup dan besar di kota ini menjadi hal yang sangat menyenangkan. Yah, sebagai kota besar, kota ini tidak terlalu mengecewakan. Aku akan pasti merindukan Surabaya. Semuanya yang ada di kota ini. Makanannya, tempat-tempat yang biasa disinggahi, teman-temanku, dan semuanya deh.. bahkan sedikit kemacetannya.