PositivelyPittsburghLive, Pittsburgh Coffee Houses

This show originally aired live on January 5, 2009 at 7 PM on the TalkShoe internet network. Archived version is available at: http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/18520 or at:
http://www.positivelypittsburghlivemagazine.com on its unique PositivelyPittsburghLive™ radio channel.

The editorial calendar for January, 2009 for PositivelyPittsburghLive™ is Pittsburgh Warm Ups and Pittsburgh Area Winter Sports
This epsisode: Pittsburgh Coffee Houses

Terra Jones
Amani International Coffeehouse and Cafe
507 Foreland Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15212 (North Shore, Pittsburgh)
412-322-0647
Terra has always had a vision to incorporate the idea of art as a freedom of expression.  Terra has done this through a partnership with the Pittsburgh Public School to bridge art and coffeehouses.  She has also fulfilled her desires of someday being a business owner and giving youth the opportunity to be employed under her.  As an employee of Terra’s, the children learn much more than ringing at a cash register.  Terra is purposfull in making sure the young people understand what it take to make a business run successfully.  Which includes but is not limited to small business management, marketing, career development, and customer service. 
Continental breakfast catering just like panera
·         Over 1500 square ft. of space
·         Great for meetings, office parties, baby showers, birthday parties, small music events
·         Custom catering packages for your event
·         100 space parking lot attached to the coffeeshop
·         Peaceful tranquil atmosphere
Terra’s Mantra - Uniting Cultures With One Cup. Amani’s has a warm Eclectic Urban Feel and a Warm inviting environment reminiscent of a Soho coffee shop and right in the middle of Pittsburgh.

Cafe Vita
424 Allegheny River Blvd,
Oakmont 15139
412.828.5506
Co-Owner: David Ariondo
Café Vita is in the Center of one of the few last walking communities in the Pittsburgh area surrounded by stylish shops and service businesses. David Ariondo says he is definitely a foodie, and without any formal culinary training he would advise anyone wanting to take their business in the direction of Café Vita, they REALLY need to love food.
Besides being a meeting place in the community, Café Vita has ramped up the food by offering panini sandwiches and soup, then expanded to salads, burgers and even crabcakes, tilapia and grilled vegetable platters.  For breakfast they now offer omelettes, french toast, and side dishes, and are now offering Sunday brunch. Café Vita also has a crepe day once a quarter. The Tuscan Kitchen theme started out in 2004 as a coffee shop and has now evolved into a full blown café.

Enrico's Tazza D'Oro - Cafe and Espresso Bar
1125 N. Highland Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
412.362.3676
Enrico’s Tazza D’Oro is a European style café and espresso bar – a cultural oasis. We specialize in the craft of making exceptional coffee and espresso in the true European tradition.  We opened for business in June of 1999 and we are located in Highland Park on North Highland Avenue.   Our location is not a typical coffee house model.  Tazza D’Oro is nestled in a residential neighborhood very close to Highland Park and the reservoir and the clientele are walkers and bicyclers.

Prior to opening, Amy spent 1.5 years travelling the country and Canada trying to find an exceptional coffee roaster.  Batdorf and Bronson, which is located in Olympia, WA. chooses only the best 1% of the all the green coffee grown in the world.  They take exceptional care in the art and craft of roasting these beans.  Through Batdorf and Bronson, Tazza D’Oro is able to access Relationship Coffee, Fair Trade Coffee, Certified Organic Coffee, Bird Friendly Coffee and Shade Grown Coffee.  Their roastery and offices uses 100% renewable energy and they have received numerous awards from the State of Washington for their green business practices.  Tazza D’Oro is absolutely fanatical about their coffee! 

Open for ten years, Tazza D’Oro prides itself in its exceptional service staff. trained.  Each staff member is required to become a certified barista.  A certified barista is required to know and accomplish the fine art of espresso preparation, espresso drink preparation/presentation and extensive knowledge about all the coffees we carry and serve.

Fresh Cup Café Laura Kacy
210 West Main St. Saxonburg, Pa 16056
724-352-8181
http://www.thefreshcupcafe.com/

The Fresh Cup Cafe- a hybrid breakfast lunch cafe, small tearoom in the back. Laura is learning about coffee but is a tea officianado and we know soon she will be an expert on coffee also. Laura came from a part time business of doing portable tea parties in her business Home is Where the Tea Is! The Fresh Cup Café is located in the Mainstay B&B in historic Saxonburg.
 
Atmosphere is casual, comfortable, homey but not country.  A mix of wooden chairs and a combo of square and round 2-3 person tables that make it quite intimate. Theme- classic European and casual. Fresch Cup Cafe retails fabulous teas at this time, not coffees. The Fresh Cup Cafe often collaborates with the Mainstay B & B on events. Laura Kacy speaks national and collaborates nationally with renowned tea experts. The Fresh Cup Cafe is a member of the local tea association for area Tea Rooms.

Your Inner Vagabond and World Lounge, Andrew Watson
4130 Butler @ 42nd St
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15201
412-683-1623
http://www.yourinnervagabond.com

Your Inner Vagabond opened in February 2008 as an alternative to both modern coffeehouses & smoky bars. Your Inner Vagabond has late-night hours often until 2 AM, a Middle Eastern & Mediterranean menu and beverages from around the world.  Patrons can enjoy lounging on couches in a sumptously appointed environment reminiscent of Renaissance gathering places. They can enjoy nights of live music & film, playing board games or surfing on free Wi-Fi.
Andrew and wife AJ Schaffer for the last 6 years have run a 15th century-themed coffeehouse at Pennsic War, a two-week Rennassance Faire type event held annually near Slippery Rock.

These cosmopolitans are originally from NJ but have traveled all over the world. They cycled across Europe a few years, ago and got the idea for YIV hanging out in the traditional coffeehouses in Morocco & Istanbul. Despite their newness and radically different business model (they don’t open until 4 PM and stay open late, YIV recently won Best Coffeehouse 2008 in City Paper's readers poll.