MORE COFFEE COMES TO LAKEWOOD >>>

Usually, those entering the City of Lakewood via Custer Road grabbed their morning coffee from a shack in front of a carwash or from a young woman frothing skim milk in a bikini 20 yards down the road.

This morning, at the corner of Lakewood Drive and Custer Road, Starbucks Coffee finally moved in under the sign that's been hanging since March. The new fancy coffee joint with a drive-thru opened in a mini-strip mall anchored by Sound Glass across from H&L Produce. Cheery apron-clad barista Tajana handed out free pastry samples to motorists idling in front of the Chevron station.

No word yet if Starbucks will try to compete with neighboring Hot Chick-a-latte's "White-T Tuesdays." campaign.

NEW >>>

When Caffe Dei hit the scene last year, foodies raved about the bakery's vegan approach and tasty coffee. Foodies still rave.

A week ago, the spot made a change. They changed bakers. The maybe too-big-for-their-britches baked goods supplier out of Seattle made too many tardy drops. They're out. Caffe Dei now serves tasty goods from Blazing Bagels, also out of Seattle. This morning I munched on the new blueberry scone - a thumbs up treat that's sweet, salty, doughy and moist. 

Also, Dei's coffee bean supplier periodically drops off mystery blends. Today's mysterious blend produced a smooth Sasquatch, which is Dei's cappuccino and Americano love child. Try it.

Oh, and Bremerton artist Dave Ryan, also known as Manicore, has another show hanging in the Sixth Avenue coffee house. Love his wacky pop culture art.

OK, that's it.

Caffe Dei

8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
2607 Sixth Ave., Tacoma
253.572.2550

YOGURT AND COFFEE - A NEW CONCEPT >>>

Neighborhood:  Ft. Steilacoom Park

Address:  8520 Steilacoom Blvd. SW, Lakewood, 253.292.1260

Hours:  6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week

Standard Cup of Joe:  $3

Bean Source:  They grind Dillano coffee.

Crowd:  Everyone from eigth to 80 for the coffee and yogurt.  "We'll serve anyone and provide a great coffee and or yogurt experience," says owner Jesse Roberge.

WiFi:  Oh yeah.

Noshing/Sipping:  Traditional espresso drinks.  Also, six types of yogurts with more than 25 different toppings are available.

Bonus:  Spotless place with a courteous staff imbued with the attitude of providing the customer with a great experience.  Roomy, nicely lit and a fireplace welcome those who want to sit with friends and talk.

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

T-TOWN'S SATELLITE CONNECTION >>>

Neighborhood: Division, Sixth Avenue, Downtown

Address/Phone:

2811 Sixth Avenue, Tacoma, 253-753-5858

817 Division Ave., Tacoma, 253-753-5858

112 Market St., Tacoma, 253-753-5858

Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday-Sunday

Standard Cup of Heaven: $2-$3

Bean Source:  Stumptown Coffee - some would say the very best in the world - is used in making the very best coffees and espresso.

Crowd: College students, dinners at Masa's and folks looking for a quiet spot to read or blog.

Wifi: Of course

Noshing/Sipping: There are cookies and breads for sale.  Also, you can pick up Coca-Cola in the bottle for $2.

Bonus: Nice, quiet area to sit and enjoy the ambiance of the Satellite to visit and/or read.  Pictures of satellites adorn the walls; neat little toys are also showcased.  As to the mochas, they are simply the best I have ever tasted.

The Satellite:  Besides the Sixth Avenue location, there are two others in orbit in T-Town - one at 817 Division Ave. and another at 1122 Market St.  

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

NAMED AFTER A DOG >>>

Neighborhood:  Downtown T-Town by UWT campus

Address/phone:  1911 Pacific Ave.; 253. 572.4060

Hours:  6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday & Sunday.  Also, open until 9:00 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month

Standard cup of bean juice:  $3

Bean Source:  Caffe' D'arte

Crowd:  Business people, college and art students, visitors to the Washington State Historical Museum and folks, like me, passing by.

WiFi:  Yes

Noshing/Sipping:  Muffins, cinnamon rolls, sandwiches, soups and soft drinks are also available.  Great selection of espressos and coffees; Pumpkin Spice lattes are a big draw.

Bonus:  Named after Kaity Rawson's dog, Clancy, the architecture, décor and light, airy feel of Clancy's Coffee is worth a visit.  Artwork by Lisa Brown adorns the walls.  Baristas are polite and very knowledgeable.  The mocha I had was superb.

LINK: More "Keeping Up with the Coffeehouses"

BRIGHT PLACE WITH GREAT BEANS >>>

Neighborhood:  Cooper Point Pavilion, West Olympia

Address/phone:  1600 Cooper Pt. Road, SW, Olympia, 360.754.6222

Hours:  7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday

Standard Cup o'Joe:  $1.50 - $2

Bean Source:  Eclectic in focus, coffee beans come from most regions of the world and are roasted in small batches at the store.

Crowd:  Business people, college students, moms, and people who think they are important.

WiFi:  Ya think?

Noshing/Sipping:  Local, natural and gluten free foods are available.  Assorted cookies and muffins tempt the eye and nose.  Nice selection of drinks.

Bonus:  A nice view, conference room, polite baristas and a large seating area for customers are plusses. 

Mud Bay Coffee's website boasts the following:  "Coffee ... it's what we do."

They do it well. 

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

WARM SHOP WITH CHARISMA >>>

Neighborhood:  The heart of Olympia

Address/phone:  203A Fourth Ave., Olympia, 360.943.1434

Hours:  8 a.m. to 6: 00 p.m. Monday through Friday

Standard Cup o' Joe:  $2

Bean Source:  Batdorf & Bronson

Crowd:  Middle class professionals and some Evergreen State College students with a sprinkling of seniors.

Soundtrack:  Jazz, easy listening

Wifi:  Absolutely

Noshing/Sipping:  Traditional espresso drinks with made-on-the-premises donuts and cookies.  Also, soft drinks and sandwiches are available.

Bonus:  Very comfortable seating to enjoy one's brew and newspaper.  Owners Charles Lampard and Travis Shetler provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

C & D Gourmet Coffee:  Lampard and Shelter have been in business for the past 18 months, and they say business has been good.  They've clearly taken the time and effort to learn market demographics and stay on top of how to serve the best mochas.  What's more, they take the time to get to know their customers.

Outside on Fourth Avenue, the life of Olympia moves by.

LINK: More local coffee houses

SMALL TOWN, BIG TASTE>>>

Neighborhood:  Downtown Milton

Address/phone:  2416 Milton Way, Milton, 253.943.5248

Hours: 5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Saturday; 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Sunday

Standard Cup of Brew: $2

Bean Source: The omnipresent Dillanos Coffee and its incomparable taste

Crowd: Middle age to seniors, some high schoolers, soccer moms and Dads

WiFi:  You have to ask?

Noshing/Sipping:  Breakfast and lunch are always available.  The most popular mocha is called "the Snakebite," a mixture of white chocolate, white coffee and coconut.  Yikes!  There is also a drive-thru for those on the run.

Bonus:  Milltown Caffe offers a warm and friendly ambiance that clearly has a small town feel to it.  The lighting, the wooden tables and the friendly service are nice touches. 

LINK: More local coffee houses

SMALL ON SPACE, BIG ON FLAVOR >>>

Neighborhood: Proctor District

Address/phone: 2420 N. Proctor St., Tacoma/253.761.3663

Website: Click here

Hours: 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday

Standard Cup o' Joe: $1.45-$1.85

Bean Source: They roast their own blend espresso in small batches from 100 percent Arabica beans. The espresso is a real treat - rich and a bit nutty, thick but not so roasted as to make you feel like the beans have been burned (like, ahem, the coffees served by a certain national chain we know).

Crowd: Undercaffeinated shoppers lured in by creative specials on the espresso bar's blackboards, jazz trumpeters, neighborhood walkers and those same two guys every morning on the patio.

Soundtrack: The sweet sound of top-shelf wine crossing the barcode scanner, kids scavenging the candy bins, expensive jewelry rattling in the artisan cheese section and the occasional "Why it's Grey Poupon."

WiFi: Nope

Noshing/Sipping: You may tip or sip traditional espresso drinks, Italian sodas, hot or cold chai, 16 teas and fruit smoothies, or nosh on Gelatiamo Gelato out of downtown Seattle, wrapped cookies by Alternative Baking Company, four different kinds of biscotti, and oh lord the pastries.

Bonus: Morgan, Jenny and the other barista's have listed their favorite espresso drinks for the fall on the espresso bar's blackboard, complete with cute ghost drawings. Pumpkin Cream white chocolate mochas with pumpkin syrup, Citrus Ghost white chocolate mocha with Orange and vanilla syrup, The Muffin Man's Gingerbread Latte and many more. They also serve drinking chocolate - a 2-ounce steamed milk with bittersweet chocolate - that's kickass.

Oh, they also have a special parking spot in front of the espresso bar's side entrance for expecting mothers.

The House:

It's freakin' minuscule. It's smaller than a Starbucks bathroom. Customers sitting at the two tiny rectangular high-top tables could easily get slapped upside the head by a loaf of French bread. It's an espresso bar in the strictest sense. But it's also much, much more. Factor in relatively ambitious drink specials, some congenial barista banter, 11 tables outside on the patio and a design so cheerful it could cure seasonal affective disorder, and you have the perfect spot to grab a quick cup of delicious coffee and a croissant.

SMALL SHOP WITH BIG FLAVOR >>>

Neighborhood: Sixth Avenue

Address/phone: 3918 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.761.5116

Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday

Standard Cup o' Joe: $2-$2.50

Bean Source: They hand roast their coffee in small batches out of their store.

Crowd: undercaffeinated engineers in the morning, quiet book readers, band members, service industry, fashion designers

Soundtrack: Arcade Fire, The National, Radiohead

WiFi: Yes

Noshing/Sipping: Traditional espresso drinks with a French Press option. They sell six blends by the pound including their popular Ethiopian Harar. Regular, organic and decaf beans range from $11 to $16. They do not sell food.

Bonus: Valhalla presents a bake-off inviting the public to enter original dessert recipes using one or more of the Valhalla beans. The contest judging begins at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 16 inside Sanford & Son Antiques in Tacoma. Drop by Valhalla on Sixth Avenue for an entry form.

Oh, another bonus is that they serve damn delicious coffee ... from TACOMA!

The House:

The rapid growth of Valhalla Coffee Company, which includes shipments overseas, forced A.J. Anderson to relocate his operation from his embedded situation at Mandolin Café to the small storefront on Sixth Avenue. He, along with co-owner Byron T. Betts and head roaster Stephanie Powell think in terms of flavor profiles and uses adjectives like "robust, rich, and acidic" to describe their product. They want people to realize that coffee is not just a cup of black liquid but a complex and important commodity. They would know. Together they bring 31 years of general coffee, espresso and equipment expertise to their business.

The roasting magic can be heard, smelled and seen while lounging on their black couch, one of three small tables or the wooden counter littered with coffee books about coffee. Burlap coffee sacks pile high on the floor and well as drape the painted brown walls as art. Photographer Shawn McManus has a beautiful piece titled Titlow on display, too. A fan spins frantically trying to keep customers cool during the roasting process.

LINK: They've been called vikings

LINK: Byron T. Betts was in the Tacoma Files