If you don’t live in Michigan or don’t intend to travel there anytime soon, please stick with me on this post! You never know what you’ll find. Also, don’t forget my Wine Lovers Accessory Package Giveaway! Enter to win before Monday, July 16th by 11:59pm CST.

But for now, let’s talk coffee!

I never liked coffee until a trip to France changed my mind. {Before that, it just seemed liked dirty hot water to me.} It’s when I tried espresso for the first time that I changed my mind. Sure, you could say that it was all about the ambiance. There’s nothing like having un café in a café in France, right? However, this new-to-me, oh-so-tiny beverage had a punch and packed flavor. {And you know how I feel about that, right? The blog is titled Season It Already! for a reason.} While I don’t drink straight espresso on a regular basis, to this day, I still can’t drink weak coffee. Why bother if it’s not strong!?

Therefore, the first time we discovered that the small town of Gladwin, Michigan, had a coffee shop called Northern Espresso, we were more than delighted. It’s a haven for a real coffee fix while visiting family there!

You can get all of your typical espresso drinks here as well as Italian Sodas, biscotti and a few other fresh-made baked goods. It’s a cute little place:

Northern Espresso (Source)

We liked going there for the free Wi-Fi to get a little work done while we’re in town. On our first visit a few years ago, we had no idea how a place like this could make it in such a small town. However, it is still going strong! In fact, so strong that on our visit this year, it was difficult to find a seat. We were able to sit at the high-top bar facing the window and found that we actually liked it even better than a table. {Note to self for next time!}

However, because of the increase in traffic in this small place, it has become very loud. Some locals were having a discussion at a table and they were so loud that I couldn’t even concentrate on what I was doing. They were talking with staff behind the counter while seated across the coffee shop, too. Sometimes they had to yell over the espresso machine. I don’t know about you, but when I’m in a coffee shop, I want to be able to meet someone to chat; but I also want to be able to read or play online without much distraction either. I couldn’t find this happy medium this time around. 😦 Of course, it’s not their fault. Perhaps it’s just the size of the place or maybe the acoustics in the room?

I may try to find another more quiet place with Wi-Fi next time in Gladwin when I want to get some work done; however, I’ll still be going to get my caffeine fix at Northern Espresso! Small, medium and large regular coffees were just $1.00, $1.25 and $1.50 respectively. You’re not going to find prices like that at a coffee shop anywhere in the Twin Cities. Espresso-based drinks are more than reasonable as well.

We are delighted that Gladwin has a true coffee shop with such a friendly staff and hope that it continues to thrive. Thanks, Northern Espresso!

What is your favorite coffee-based drink?

Don’t like coffee? Then, do you have a morning beverage of choice?