I'm blue...

We are very sorry to say the bluehouse on Fleet street has closed. Here is a link to a very sweet farewell from the owner. Goodbye from Fleet Street: Long Live Kenilworth!

We will miss you dearly bluehouse.

Teavolve - Harbor East

1401 Aliceanna Street
Harbor East
Baltimore, MD 21231
410.522.1907
website

We're not just coffee anymore!

We decided to check out Teavolve today. The perfect day for it - rainy and gloomy and if I was at home I'm be curled up with a good book and getting nothing done. SO what do we do...force ourselves to go somewhere and make the day productive!

Atmosphere:
Tranquil, relaxed and modern cafe. A great mix to get things done! Granted we are here on a rainy winter day but it turned out to be the perfect spot for us to go. There is sleek dark furniture that is comfortable but not so comfy you want to take a nap. Plenty of tables and some squishy booths in the back. Clean lines and abstract art, with ambient music that is unobtrusive but is enough to keep you focused. A great place for meetings.

The Coffee (or in this case The Tea):
Well for starters the DO have coffee for those of you who are not ready to dive into tea world. And I must say they made me the perfect mocha - not too chocolaty! We also shared a pot of lime blossom green tea that was smooth and refreshing. We took the waitresses advise on this one since they have so many to offer. Great selection!

Best Time to Go:
Rainy Days! Not sure about warmer weather but there seems to be plenty of space.

Food:
Great! Lots of healthy and delicious options to choose from and the prices were great. The seared tuna wrap was perfect and there were lots of other things we wanted to try. For you early risers the breakfast menu looked fantastic!

Wifi: Yes
Good and strong all day, but around 4pm it started to get a little fuzzy. Outlets are kinda sparse but if you get a table along the wall you are in good shape.

What we stayed for:
Coffee, lunch, afternoon tea, and a late afternoon mocha! whew!

The Daily Grind - Fells Point

1720 Thames Street
Fells Point
Baltimore, MD 21231
(410) 558-0399
website

Atmosphere:
The Fells Point Daily Grind is a one of a kind coffee shop - nothing can match it. Always bustling with people, it has a funky, ultra casual, lived in feel. There is local artwork on the wall and some sharpie poetry in the bathroom. It is one of our favorite places to go when we don't have a ton of things to do. On days when you have a ton of work we'd recommend heading someplace else. You'll be so distracted people watching you'll get nothing done! But if you find yourself going crazy staring at your office walls - head on down! You will leave with your brain packed with wild ideas and if you dive into the flyer pile you will know every band gig and art show happening in the fells point area.

The Coffee:
Always a great selection. A few piping hot house blends to choose from and all the specialty drinks as well.

Best Time to Go:
Get there early if you want a table!! And if you venture over there when you need to get things done - head for the "quiet room" in the back. It's a little darker and for some reason people don't answer their phones as much in this room.

Food: Yes
They offer limited options - breakfast (which they usually run out of at some point) some sandwiches and other snacks.

Wifi: Yes
Sometimes tricky getting an outlet. They have experienced issues with mac's (why just macs?) getting online, but hopefully they have fixed this!

What we stayed for:
A bagle with cream cheese and a super hot latté.
In the summer I've even stayed long enough for a second iced mocha.

One World Cafe

100. W. University Parkway
Charles Village

Baltimore, MD
410-235-5777

website

Atmosphere:
Cozy and relaxed. There are 6 or 8 tables at the front and a small area with a comfy couch and a couple chairs if you are feeling loungy. If you are having lunch you can snag one of the larger tables. There are also a few small tables along the sidewalk so you can get a bit of fresh air. They like it when you stay in the front room if you are going to stay all afternoon.

The Coffee:
Full coffee options and you can help yourself to refills. They also have a fantastic array of teas with helpful descriptions.

Best Time to go:
The morning or late afternoon is best. It gets a but crowed around lunch and dinner since they have a full restaurant and bar.

Food: Yes
A good sized menu including many vegetarian and vegan Options. They also have smoothies and lovely display of desserts.

Wifi: Yes
strong signal, lots of outlets

What we stayed for:
2 iced mochas - these are great, by the way, you can actually taste the espresso!
On a winter visit we shared a pot of tea. And yes, they actually bring you the pot!

Where NOT to go

A very unsatisfactory & tricky day!! We started at the evergreen for lunch. Unfortunately everyone else had the same idea! The place was packed. And no one seemed to be leaving. We gave it a bit but no tables were available. And so the rule for Evergreen stands - get there early!

And this is where things got tricky...

Since we were close we headed to Charles Village. Xando was the first stop. And to be completely honest it took me until I walked up to the door and tried to open it to realize that it was closed...for good! That was a disappointment. We had never really gotten around to a review of the place but it had always been a decent option. Lets hope for a great new coffee shop!

So next stop was Donna's on 31st (by Johns Hopkins) and it turns out their wireless is down. Honestly the last couple times we have stopped by they have had wireless issues. They are definitely unreliable! At this point we had been wandering around for about an hour and we were starting to feel the pressure of not checking email! ( The trials of being a freelance designer. Somehow we've been deluded to think every minute away from the computer and we might be loosing money! AHH!)

So we head to the Starbuck's in Charles Village. Little did we know that it's 10 BUCKS to get online there! Yet another reason to hate Starbuck's! So out into the January air yet again!

You will be happy to know that this story has a happy ending! And that is One World Cafe! A great place to go - great food, good atmosphere, strong wireless, and plenty of room.

Blue House

1407 Fleet St.
Fells Point
Baltimore, MD 21231
(410) 276-1180
website

Atmosphere:
Now here is a place you can actually get some work done. Not only is there a quiet friendly atmosphere but you are surrounded by great design. If you need a little inspiration just get up and wander around the shop. And if you happen to be headed to a friends birthday party later pick up a gift at the same time!

The Coffee:
They have a wide range Organic & Fair Trade coffees and teas. Espresso drinks and organic sodas. You can feel good about ordering what ever you get!

Best Time to Go:
Anytime. It always seems to have just enough people to not feel empty and there is a table or cozy couch waiting for you.

Food:
Bluehouse does have pre-made sandwiches and hot soup that will do the trick. There is a selection of organic sodas and sparkling water to go along with the great coffee's and tea's. The empanadas are fantastic although the could use some sauce to go with them.

Wifi:
Yes - strong and happy with plenty of outlets!

What we stayed for:
A sammy and a bowl of soup. At least 2 cups of coffee every time!

The Daily Grind - Canton Firehouse

1030 S. Linwood Ave.
Canton
Baltimore, MD 21224
(410)522-5046
website

Atmosphere:
Brand spankin' new! It doesn't have the funky lived in feel of the Daily Grind in Fells Point but it's a much needed addition to Canton Square. Clean and as of yet undiscovered by the masses of free wifi surfers you can easily spend the whole day either on the couch or at one of the tables.

The Coffee:
Serving their very own daily grind coffee - lots of options

Best time to go:
Anytime

Food: Yes
Limited options - pre-made salads and a few gourmet sandwiches. Food is good considering the small selection. The turkey, brie & apple is quite yummy!

Wifi: Yes
strong signal, lots of outlets

What we stayed for:
lunch and an afternoon latté