Coffee Cafe

How crazy can a week get? It starts with buttered toast in coffee. Yes, we aren't kidding, and neither is Cognoscenti coffee. It's a note on their BENTI NENKA ETHIOPIA coffee bag, and we it's one of the craziest we've seen to date! But how does it taste??

We also experience some CRAZY in our personal lives. Myles is literally down for the next 8-12 weeks, and Jason gets hit with a surprise "bullet". Again - C.R.A.Z.Y.!!

And speaking of "crazy", we talk about COFFEE GRINDERS - why you should own a burr grinder, and why you should avoid a blade grinder. It will change your coffee life!

Plus, we each took our boys on a dad-and-son(s) camping trip. Myles and his boys slept with the rattlesnakes. Jason's son discovers his "adventure switch" and finds himself facing a "Free Solo" moment. Everyone survived, but it sure was close!

Get all the deets and join us for some toasty coffee and some extra crazy chats!

COFFEE WE'RE DRINKING ON THIS SHOW: Cognoscenti Coffee BENTI NENKA Ethiopian Notes of lemonime, Kukicha, Loquats and TOASTED BUTTERED BREAD

Kickapoo Coffee Ethiopian Works Notes of strawberry shortcake

OUR THOUGHTS: Butter... good. Toast...good. Buttered toast in coffee. GOOD!

And strawberry shortcake notes in Ethiopian coffee is like a nice dessert.

CAMPING: Leo Carillo Park (Jason's trip- north of Malibu, CA) Big Bear (Myles's trip)

When a French professional basketball player becomes a pastry chef, two things could happen. In this case, it's a slam dunk. LAURENT CORREA (aka Lou the French on the block), is back on the show. Since our last visit, his business has skyrocketed, and he's become a Los Angeles favorite. His pastries are out of this world amazing (just try his famous Almond Croissant)! He tells us how he and his wife Karima rose to the top with no marketing, and he even shares his genius pastry secret with us!

And his coffee is as "super French" as he is! He believes that coffee should be "coffee" and shouldn't be too fancy; although he's up for trying some Ethiopian coffee (which is usually as fruity as it comes!). We tell him what we think about his freshly dark roasted coffee (he's nearly 7 foot tall, so we're careful about it!).

Plus, we take a moment to talk about our week with the kids. All of Myles' boys are in Mary Poppins, and the play seems to keep following him around. Jason's boy decides to go "full kid" at age 9, and it's the coolest thing ever.

Join us s'il vous plait for some super French coffee, pastries and conversation!

LOU THE FRENCH ON THE BLOCK https://www.louthefrenchontheblock.com/ 4007 W Riverside Drive, Burbank

We're camping with the kids, but that doesn't mean we should settle for less than amazing coffee. Right?! So we brought our Aeropress coffee makers, some Alana's Colombian coffee and a burning desire to win; all for our inaugural head to head coffee showdown!

It's Myles vs Jason and the winner gets bragging rights!

Our judge is Chris Clark from Groundwork coffee roasters. He'll use his coffee expertise for a blind taste test to decide who makes a better Aeropress coffee! Myles is "free-flowing" his technique and Jason is going all "scientific", measuring and weighing the ingredients for his borrowed recipe from Aeropress World Champion, Carolina Ibarra Garay (Ep 46).

Who will have tastier coffee? Who will push their way to the top to become the Camping Coffee Aeropress Champion? Listen in to find out!

COFFEE WE'RE DRINKING ON THIS SHOW: Aeropress Competition: Alana's Coffee Roaster Colombia Villa Ines Tolima Caturra Notes of watermelon and Jolly Rancher

Chris Clark's "morning camping brew": Groundwork Organic Uganda - Bugisu Sipi Falls Project Notes of brown sugar, dark fruit and cola

Both coffee are DELICIOUS!

Want to try an Aeropress (we like it a lot more than a French Press!)? www.aeropress.com

Myles was on a family vacation in Armenia for a few weeks but has finally returned! Our short hiatus is over, and now we're back to our regularly scheduled podcasts!

He took some time on his trip to be our "Coffee Café roaming reporter", to investigate how coffee is different in Armenia. What did he discover? Well, remember all those coffee machines we used to have here in the States? You know, the one where the coffee cup popped out, then it would fill with "coffee"? Well, we now know where they all went! But don't worry, there's also plenty of great coffee in Armenia, and Myles got to try A LOT of it. He shares his adventures and interesting finds with us.

Myles also tells us about the adventures with his boys. He survived the 15 hour plane ride, but apparently, in the Armenian city he was staying in, snakes are rampant! So you can imagine how that could be fun when you have three kids! Let's just say, Myles got in a little trouble. Back at home, Jason's son was at Grammy camp and discovered texting. Guess who he texted every 5 minutes!

We're drinking some tastey Brazilian coffee. As a bonus, we're also having a Colombian coffee with notes of watermelon and Jolly Rancher (the candy). Guess which we preferred! Grab a cup and join us. We promise a good cup of coffee, some laughs and coming soon, more podcast episodes too!

COFFEE WE'RE DRINKING ON THIS SHOW: Alibi Coffee Company Brasil Capim Branco Notes of caramel, chocolate, nuts and strawberry

Alana's Coffee Roaster Colombia Villa Ines Tolima Caturra Notes of watermelon and Jolly Rancher

OUR THOUGHTS: Alibi's Brazilian coffee is what you expect - chocolatey and nutty - and what you don't expect - a dash of strawberry. TASTEY!

Alana's Colombian... who knew watermelon and jolly ranchers in coffee could taste so good! Fruity with a nice acidity. So good!

Call us crazy, but we thought it would be a great idea to have our kids on the show to talk about the most important holiday of the year: Father's Day (don't tell our wives we said that)! Good thing we're drinking a lot of coffee - it's vital to our survival before putting the two nine-year-old boys together if front of a microphone. Either way, we'll share the details about this amazing coffee with you!

And guess what, our anti-coffee kids also want to talk about coffee. But first, we need to see how much they really know about us; what we do for a living, our hobbies, our favorite drinks and more (the answers will surprise you - they did us!).

Join us and our kids for a few cups of coffee and an interview you'll never forget!

COFFEE WE'RE DRINKING ON THIS SHOW: Doma Coffee Roasters Ethiopia - Organic Gedeb Notes of raspberry, jasmine, toffee OUR THOUGHTS: Fruity, smooth, perfectly balanced and bold. We LOVE it! domacoffee.com

Philz Coffee is no ordinary coffee shop. It's all about flavor and caffeine popping pour-overs -- there's no need for an espresso machine here! You get to choose from over 15 unique coffee blends, and the barista prepares your cup to perfection for you (including milks and sweeteners). It's no wonder they call their coffee "cups of love"! We chat with GINA GLENBOWSKI, store leader of the Hollywood, CA café, to talk all about this unique approach to coffee, and how it took Phil (yes, there really is a "Phil") 7 years to create the perfect coffee bean blend, which started it all. She also gives us some inside info on some amazing SECRET MENU options.

But don't worry, if you love lattes, sweet coffee drinks or just black coffee that seem as strong as espresso, Philz has you covered with something you may like even more! From the perfect pour over creation to cold coffees (including their popular Mojito coffee, which is out of this world delicious), they have something for everyone in a inviting, family-feel cafe.

And while we're tasting several of their blends and are highly caffeinated, it's the perfect time to talk about our week! Myles rips a page out of a Jack Black movie and is on the "case of the missing dog poop". He describes how he used his fatherly skills to solve the mystery. And Jason's son asks for an axe -- what could go wrong with that?

We're in Hollywood, but there are over 51 Philz cafes throughout the country! Join us for several cups of incredibly tastey coffees at Philz!

PHILZ COFFEE www.philzcoffee.com 6430 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

The magic of Copa Vida (Spanish for "Cup of Life") is how they roast their own beans and serve you amazing coffee in three unique ways: "Go", "Enjoy" and "Experience"; each are designed to give you the perfect coffee experience - and it really works!We chat with STEVE CHANG (Founder, President, CEO and most importantly, the "Certified Professional Appreciator"!), and he tells us his secret recipe to making them one of the top coffee shops in Los Angeles and why you have to try it for yourself!

Add an extensive tea menu and an in-house chef that has developed one of the most amazing Avocado Toasts on the planet (not to mention their Croque Madame), and you have every reason you need to visit one of their six Southern California locations (don't worry, they're growing fast and may be near you soon!)

We visit both their roastery and their Pasadena café location to experience how it all comes together. And while we enjoy their famous Cortado and their "Experience" Alaka Natural Ethiopian pour over, we also talk about our week. Myles helps his 8-year-old with an art project and is awarded a sympathy tap on the back. And he shares what happens when his 6-year-old is Assistant Principal of the day. Jason's son pushes his way into the world of Spiderman but reconsiders when Spidey and MJ kiss and keep kissing (you should've seen his face!).

Whether you're in a hurry on your morning commute and need coffee stat, or you want to enjoy the perfect cup of single origin coffee, join us at Copa Vida for a freshly roasted cup of life!

COPA VIDA www.copa-vida.com PASADENA: 70 S. Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA EAST VILLAGE | San Diego: 905 J St., San Diego, CA CARLSBAD | San Diego: 5600 Avenida Encinas, Carlsbad, CA SORRENTO VALLEY | San Diego: 11055 Roselle St, San Diego, CA MARINA | San Diego: 655 W Broadway, San Diego, CA CARMEL VALLEY | San Diego: 5550 Carmel Mountain Rd, San Diego, CA

Give in to the dark side or fight for the light side! Either way, this is the Dark Roast vs Light Roast episode (because why wouldn't we tie into the amazing Star Wars Episode 9 teaser trailer?!)

Join us and we'll tell you which roast will give you the greatest jolt of caffeine; why you should choose one over the other; and which is best straight up or for your coffee drinks.

And while we are learning the ways of coffee, Myles tells us how he avoided the complete destruction of his home by his four-year-old (it's a good thing he's not a Jedi). Jason's son uses a Jedi mind trick to make him think hiking in the mountains is fun! And they both talk about how Star Wars has infiltrated their lives.

This is the episode you've been looking for!It's Star Wars and coffee!!

WHAT WE'RE DRINKING ON THIS SHOW: Light Roast: Groundwork Columbian Dark Roast: Groundwork Black Gold

Local art is a focal point at M Street Coffee, but their true art is the coffee, which uses their custom blend organic coffee (roasted by Groundwork). We stop by this very popular spot to enjoy both forms of art and tell you why you should do the same.

And while we enjoy our coffees, we chat about our week with the kids. Two of Myles' boys get sick at school at the same time and have to come home. Myles keeps them in bed resting and writing poems. Jason's son turns nine and has his first sleep over in his own home. Little did Jason know that his plan was stay up all night with his friend!

We're trying FIVE different drinks (with a side of fresh banana bread) and have a lot to say about each of them. Grab a cup and join us!

M STREET COFFEE 13251 Moorpark Street, Sherman Oaks, CA www.mstreetcoffee.com

How good are you at tasting coffee? It turns out, it's one of the most difficult things for anyone to do.

Rebecca Smith, the head educator at Groundwork Coffee in Los Angeles, invited us for a cupping class to help strengthen our tasting abilities. We're sharing what we learned with you, so you can better taste and appreciate specialty coffee (and it's really worth it!).

Plus, we're doing the "Flavor Fun Challenge" (we know... the name needs work!)! We each brought a bag of coffee to cup, and we're going to find out if we can pick out the tasting notes from our respective coffee club coffees. Who has the better palate - Jason or Myles?? Let the games begin! BTW, cupping is one of the most basic ways to brew coffee, and it's how the pros taste coffee (you use two spoons to skim the coffee off the top!). From there, they decide what they purchase to roast, and it also is how they pick the tasting notes the put on the coffee bag.

We also talk about our week: Jason deals with a game-time meltdown and gives you a mostly-unknown rule that shortens the game of Monopoly. Myles shares some tips about training his new puppy to potty!

Grab your coffee and join us!

LINKS TO OUR MENTIONS: SWEET BLOOM ROASTERS http://www.sweetbloomcoffee.com UNITY ROASTERS http://www.unityroasters.com TRADE COFFEE http://www.drinktrade.com LA COFFEE CLUB http://www.lacoffeeclub.com/