Intelligentsia Coffee

Each time I visit Chicago, I try to make a stop at Intelligentsia Coffee. I first discovered Intelligentsia through my friends Doug and Randy who just started a media production company in Chicago called Advocate Creative. Doug introduced me to the coffee, but then, another friend introduced me to an actual Intelligentsia coffee shop.

What’s so special about Intelligentsia? Well, there is a degree of showmanship, and science that appealed to the analytical chemist in me. As I started my career, I worked as an analytical chemist at MylanPharmaceuticals, and so my world was filled with extractions, beakers, flasks, and balances.  Believe it or not, Intelligentsia is similar.

When they are brewing a cup of coffee, they use a pour over method for brewing to optimize extraction of flavor. The average pour over takes approximately 3.5 minutes to complete, and uses a specific weight of water and coffee (they literally pour the water over coffee grounds on a scale. They heat water to 210 degrees, and begin the pour over knowing that after filtration the brewed coffee will be at about 185-190 degrees.

Their shop is filled with coffee mugs, filters, beakers, and flasks, and no matter how you slice it, they brew a pretty incredible and flavorful cup of coffee.  If you like coffee and find yourself in downtown Chicago, I suggest giving them a try. And if you go on Tuesday, you can buy a bag of their coffee for $2 off and get a free cup brewed as well. I typically like my coffee with half and half or heavy whipping cream, but Intelligentsia is so rich and flavorful, that I enjoying drinking it without any additions.

Hope you get a chance to enjoy a cup!

Moxxee Coffee

A little over a year ago, I wandered into a Charleston coffee shop with my buddy Derek, his then girlfriend Becca, and my wonderful wife. Jamie and I were enroute from Atlanta back to Morgantown, and we crashed for the night at Derek’s house. Interestingly, I remember the trip vividly as one during which I reconnected with an old friend from Morgantown, met a dedicated supporter of Nuru who I had never met before, and launched Nuru’s first week long campaign with Sevenly clothing company.

All of these events happened in this newly opened coffee shop called Moxxee. Moxxee is a little different from the typical coffee house. For one, they custom brew each cup of coffee, and secondly, they do so by use of Clover machines. There aren’t very many Clover machines in existence, but they definitely make for a unique coffee experience.

When I returned to Charleston last week for Derek’s wedding, I had Moxxee on my list of places to go. I wanted to see how the first year of business had treated Moxxee. Did they still brew high quality coffee? Were they still dedicated to creating a quality space for connection, contemplation, and community?

Well, I was answered upon my visit with a resounding yes. I stepped into the space twice over the course of the weekend, and both times I was greeted with a long line of other people waiting patiently for their coffee drink. Every seat in the space was taken, and people were engaged in deep conversations all around me. I loved seeing this space even more alive than I had experienced it one year prior.

If you ever find yourself in the greater Charleston, WV area, and you like coffee, I highly recommend making a stop at Moxxee and enjoying a delicious cup of coffee, espresso, or even a specialty drink. I love to see local businesses like this taking off and creating another generation of quality locally owned and operated businesses in the great state of West Virginia.

Jay’s Daily Grind: Morgantown, WV

From time to time I like to write a review of a place where I’ve visited in my travels, enjoyed a good meal, or a cool experience. I recently realized that I don’t often write about some of my favorite local spots though. In some ways I just imagine that everybody already knows about these cool spots, but maybe I am wrong. Or I just think that I may never be able to share all of the great places I enjoy locally.

Either way, I want to tell you about a cool little coffee and sandwich shop in downtown Morgantown called Jay’s Daily Grind. They have a very simple website and they don’t have long hours. But, what they do have is some of the best coffee and espresso drinks I’ve had anywhere, an extremely dedicated and passionate staff, and a simple yet highly delicious menu.

I’ve personally made Jay’s part of my routine when I am looking for a location where I can write, think, talk, and engage in aspects of work that do not require me to be online. Jay’s shop doesn’t have wifi, and personally, I really like that aspect of the place. This little coffee shop has been present in Morgantown since the early 90s, and is definitely a local favorite.  Many university English professors choose to have conferences with students inside the shop, and it’s also a popular stopping point for a morning cup of coffee for workers who commute on foot to the university.

They specialize in the basics for folks on the go, and if you happen to purchase one of their delicious sandwiches to go, it comes in a brown paper bag (complete with chips and a pickle) and not some #2 plastic.

Beyond the quality of the food, the staff at Jay’s typically know their customers’ name by the second time they visit, and for their regulars, they know the beverage or food of choice as well.

Jay’s is a great place for food, coffee, and conversation, so if you are passing through Morgantown, or looking to try a new locale, check them out. They are just off campus downtown on Willey St. across from White Hall. And who knows, maybe I will see you there too!

Dutch Memories

Dutch Memories, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

As I was driving back from Michigan, I found myself behind this coffee truck. It brought back memories of being in Amsterdam. You see, as I left Amsterdam the first time, I brought back vacuum sealed packs of this coffee for everyone (along with chocolate and other sundry yummy gifts).

I don't know if it is still true, but back then, this was the official coffee of the church in Amsterdam--they brewed it for any social/church functions. Well, this and Max Havelaar.

Anyway, there's a strong possibility we may be taking a team to Amsterdam in March of 2009. If you are interested in being part of that team, email me, or comment on this here blog.

It's been a long time sense I've been able to visit and support my friends in the Netherlands, and I'm looking forward to being part of what they are doing. Will you join me?

Sozo Smiles

Sozo Smiles, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

I took this photo a couple of weeks ago at sozo. I just thought it really captured what we are all about down here. Actually there were about a half dozen conversations just like this happening all over the shop, and I thought--wow--somebody should document this for posterity's sake. So there I was, camera in hand . . .

What we are shooting for here is a living room environment, a home away from home, a place to come before, after, and between classes to hang out.

Sozo is a place for coffee and cereal for sure, but it's also about connecting. From the free wifi that many use to check and update their emails (and a few use to blog), to the conversational environment that emerges as people come into this comfortable space and begin to relax and enjoy one another's company.

That's what sozo is really about--it's about connecting. It's about smiling and laughing. It's about tears and compassion. It's really about people. Without people there would be no sozo--we would just be an empty storefront in downtown Morgantown.

We all long for community, for a place that's safe, and a place where we can share our ideas and our time with others. I realize not everyone who reads this lives in Morgantown, but every one of us have the same longing. May you find a space for connection, for community--and if it happens to have fair trade, shade grown, organic coffee, then it's all the better!!!

Sozo Coffee Shop

Sozo Coffee Shop, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

It's a beautiful day in Morgantown, and I had an incredible night's sleep in spite of an onslaught of allergies all week.

Right now, I'm sitting in sozo, a coffee shop we were able to open not too long ago in downtown morgantown. It's sooooo cool to see this space getting inhabited by people from all over town--kind of a dream come true.

You know, our space is really about three things and they all kind of wind into one big goal of making our world a better place, but here's the skinny.

We are a coffee shop located at 473 High Street Morgantown, WV. Our goal is to provide a space for people to experience community, to enjoy creativity and the arts, and to pursue making this world a better place..

First off community. There’s something about a coffee shop that allows people to relax, to be themselves, and to spend time talking, laughing, and crying with friends.

Then, the arts. We host art installations on a periodic basis, and host an open mic every Friday night. We also have a variety of local, regional, and national acts make their way to our stage and perform here.

And finally, making the world a better place. To start with, we offer a variety of fair trade, shade grown, organic coffees, so simply by having a cup of coffee here you are helping to make the world a better place. We also recycle. Last year, hundreds of pounds of paper, plastic, aluminum, and glass were recycled because of sozo's work toward being a green business. Lastly, we host a number of special events that showcase local, national, and international non-profit organizations likeInvisible Children, International Justice Mission, and Nuru International.

During this whole venture I feel like I've really been learning the value of team, and of doing things together. It's an amazing space, and it's value comes from the people who inhabit it, and the many hands that contribute to it's successful mission.

If you find yourself in downtown Morgantown, come on in and be a part of all we are doing at sozo. Hope to see you real soon!

Floating for the Fourth

Oceanside Pipeline, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

I took this photo while I was staying in Carolina Beach helping out with GCM's Leadership Training (LT) program. I took the photo while I was floating across the Cape Fear River on my way from Fort Fisher to Southport on a Ferry.

Speaking of floating, I feel like that's a lot of what I've been doing lately. Tonight after speaking to our summer canvas group at sozo, I'm going to float down towards Winchester, VA to connect with my friends Brett and Amanda Jo Huffman and spend the night at their place.

From there, I will float on towards Springfield, VA where I will participate in a rehearsal and wedding for my friends JR and Christy. In the middle of it all, I may float into DC to see some fireworks too! After the wedding and reception, I'm going to attempt to float towards columbia, MD to attend a church that Great Commission has in the area and sharing with them a little bit of the vision of our coffeeshop here in Morgantown, Sozo. Then I imagine I will be floating back towards Morgantown.

I imagine you might be floating somewhere to celebrate the fourth, or perhaps some people are floating towards you. Wherever you are, be safe, and make sure to take time to reflect on the ultimate freedom that was won long before the revolutionary war in the United States. The war that was fought on a cross in 33AD and the victory that was won as our King marched forward three days later. Now that's worth some fireworks and more if you ask me!

Global Village, Raleigh NC

Global Village, Raleigh NC, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

About a month ago, I had to run a friend of mine to the Raleigh-Durham Airport early in the morning. On the way back from the airport, I stopped in Raleigh to grab a quick bite to eat for breakfast and a cup of coffee. That's when I found the Global Village coffee shop.

This place had a great atmosphere and a ton of concrete furnishings. It also specialized in fair trade, shade grown, organic coffee. (Kind of reminded me of another place I know.)

I love coffee shops. From the corporate simulacra feel of a Starbucks, to the local vibe of places like The Grind in Carolina Beach, there's something special about the slowed down pace and community feel of these spaces.

As I sat in this space, I waxed a bit nostalgic for sozo, our little coffee shop in Morgantown. It's pretty amazing when I think about it. When I started college, I never envisioned myself being part of opening a coffee shop. I never pictured myself working with a Leadership Training program in Carolina Beach. I never pictured myself even becoming a Christian.

When I take time to sit and reflect, I am amazed at the beautiful life God has given me. Sure, there have been rough spots, but whose life doesn't have rough spots. The one thing I've grown more and more confident of through the years is God's goodness. He has always carried me. Even when I didn't know Him, He protected me from harm that could have come my way. Even when I've been in dangerous situations, He has always journeyed with me.

I don't know what you are going through today, it may be worse than anything I can imagine. You may have read this blog and found it a bit trite, given your circumstances. But God is GOOD; it's His nature. And He listens. Just like He listened to David in the Psalms and Jesus on the cross, the Father listens.

Maybe He listened to some people half way around the world who were suffering injustice, and as a result He stirred folks like the folks at Global Village and other places to consider fairly traded coffee. Call out to Him from wherever you are! He is GOOD!

Yucca Moth

Yucca Moth, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Yesterday afternoon, Susan, one of the owners of The Grind, a coffeeshop in Carolina Beach with great coffee and free wifi saw this beautiful moth and pointed it out to me.

This photo doesn't quite do justice to the delicate nature emanated from this little creature. I tried to identify it online, and the closest I could come was to say that it was a yucca moth.

It looked like something spiritual and pure in contrast to the landscape of the tourist filled beach community. It appeared clean and light, not damaged or burdened a bit by the cares of this world.

Of course it is a moth and probably is quite destructive to the yucca seeds on which it feeds. But there's something about it that seems other-worldly and out of place when seeing it. It drew me kind of like a moth to the flame (forgive me for that one).

I wonder if that's what we look like when we live for Christ? A familiar form, but something about us is different, intriguing, engaging. Just a little early morning thought as we each strive to reflect the glory of the risen Son in a world looking for something of lasting beauty.

Sozo Stories

Sozo Stories, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Friday Morning, I stopped by sozo one last time before departing for Wilmington, NC. I was dropping off the award we had won from Mainstreet Morgantown, when I witnessed an interesting conversation between Sam, sozo's day time manager, and a guy who I had seen in the business next door to our space on a few occasions.
This gentleman was talking to Sam about Jesus. He was testifying to the greatness of Jesus in his life and his desire to give Jesus everything. He talked about how Jesus had changed Him, and makes his ultimate free gift of eternal life available to all. He continued talking about how Jesus would never leave or forsake anyone. So as I was listening, I couldn't resist stopping to take a photo of this storyteller.

I was encouraged by hearing this brief snippet of a story of faith as I walked out of sozo for the last time in a while. What a pleasant gift to receive on a Friday morning early in the day. (Another pleasant gift I received was a delicious sample of a smoothie Sam had blended just before I walked through the door. Yum!)

Best New Signage

Last Wednesday, Ryan Huffman and I attended the Mainstreet Morgantown Annual Meeting at the Hotel Morgan. Ryan works for The Sign Factory, Morgantown's premier sign and graphic design company. Over the last year, the Sign Factory staff have been tremendous partners in our endeavors at sozo. The reason the two of us were invited to attend this annual meeting was because sozo, our coffee shop on high street, won an award for the best new signage in downtown Morgantown.

My friend Trey designed the sign, but Ryan and I were encouraged to accept the award on behalf of the sozo team. Trey is an incredibly talented individual, and God has given him an amazing eye for design and innovation. It's a real joy to work alongside of someone so talented. Actually, our whole team at sozo is tremendously talented, and it's really cool to see how the last few months of this coffee shop have come together.

Receiving this award from many influential leaders in the city of Morgantown was a huge step for us as a team, and one that we are really excited about. We are looking forward to becoming members of Mainstreet Morgantown, and see the award as a testament to the great work we've been able to do in the city already, as well as a milestone to encourage us toward even greater steps of faith in the future.

As I walked up to accept the award, I couldn't help but think about the long hours of work that many of us put into the build out of the space. I couldn't help but think of the countless volunteer hours that have shaped the space both morning and evening. And of course I couldn't help but reflect on the fact that no man is an island, what we can do collectively always will exceed our contributions as individuals.

Dr. Martin Luther King once said "Any man who believes he can go through this life alone is sleeping through a revolution." I can't help but think how God has spoken to me personally through this coffee shop endeavor about the value of team and the powerful impact that comes from working together.

May we not live such isolated lives that we miss out on the great endeavors that we can be part of for the glory of God.

Listener Project and Holy Eyes

Saturday night we had a couple of really interesting bands playing at sozo. It's really cool to see what my good friend and coworker Cameron King has done with regard to the concert scene at sozo. I spent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights in the space taking in a variety of events, from a night of social activism with the people fromBead For Life to our weekly open mic on Friday. I am simply blown away by the events and opportunities we have been a part of over the last few months. I may do a future blog post on some of the amazing local artists who have been featured at the space, but for this entry I want to let you know about a couple of great bands I was able to hear Saturday night. Listener Project and Holy Eyes.

The first band, featured in the video above is Listener Project. This group comes out of Arkansas, and they call their genre of music "talk music." They are definitely a unique sensory experience. While at sozo, the group used a trumpet, a bass, the human voice, some loops, and even a washing machine for creating their distinct sound. I had never heard anything like them before, and I really enjoyed their show. While they performed, they had images from an old cartoon playing in the background that added to the eerie and idiosyncratic style they brought to the stage. If they come to your town I recommend checking them out. They are humble, colorful, and provocative. The song above explores the way products are marketed to us with a claim to meet our every need and our every whim, but in the end they never satisfy, and so we should want our money back. I like the idea, because it ties in nicely to our recent h2o message (I tried to get the band to come to h2o, but they were rolling out of town before it started). Anyhoo, give em a listen if you like music and a message that's a little off the beaten path. They are definitely innovators.




The other band, Holy Eyes, is on a two week tour here in the states. They come out of Holland, around Utrecht. Actually, as I talked to these guys I recommended that they check out the church my friends are part of in amsterdam, Zolder50. When I pray for churches and for communities, I find myself praying with fervency for my friends in Amsterdam. So Holy Eyes has more of a hip hop sound, and they rap about faith and life, and try to share lessons in their songs. They bring a lot of energy to their shows, and they rap in both dutch and english. (If you've never heard a bi-lingual rapper, it is a beautiful, but largely unappreciated art form). For all of my friends at the zolder, you should definitely check em out. And if they come to your town before the return to the Netherlands, go to a show and support 'em.

Music is a powerful medium for carrying a message. And these folks bring such a rich and eclectic performance to their music that it can almost feel like an Andy Kaufmann-esque experiment with music with all of the tension, humor, and thought provocation.

Check em out and give em a listen, and let me know what you think!

Glaciers and Icebergs

Over the past few days I've been reading and thinking about glaciers and icebergs. I've never actually seen either, but I am just finishing a book by Eugene Peterson called Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places and during the closing pages of the book, Peterson talks about an article he read about glaciers and the environment.

So I decided to go online and read a bit about glaciers. A glacier is a river made of solid ice. It is formed as snow slowly accumulates over time. A little bit, day by day. Patiently, the snow falls. Maybe one day it is two or three inches. Another day is a dusting. And yet another day is two feet. Slowly, the sheer mass of snow causes it to compress and solidify. It becomes solid ice, and over time, the ice gets thicker and thicker. One day the ice is 50 feet thick. And then, it begins to move. Gravity begins to pull this huge mass along as it seeks to find sea level. Nothing can stop it or get in its way. In Peterson's words it is the most powerful force on earth. Glacial ice is the largest source of freshwater on the planet too by the way.

And when a glacier gets to the ocean, bits of the glacier break off and become icebergs. Icebergs are interesting because you only see the "tip of the iceberg". 90% of an iceberg lies beneath the surface of the water. So icebergs have all of this potential that no one really sees, and yet they are extremely massive and powerful.

So I was thinking about icebergs and glaciers, and then I started thinking about us. It's really easy for us to get impatient. As I think about the nearness of the opening of our café, sozo, I get really excited about it, but I also would love for everything to be in place--right now. That's not how glaciers work though. Glaciers are part of a patient process--and once they get started, they are unstoppable. I think that's what the community of faith should look like, a patiently flowing ice river that changes the landscape. My buddy Sam told me that Glaciers carve a U shape out of the valleys where they flow. Wouldn't it be something if God took all of that mass of the faith community, and all of the mass of a project like sozo, and used things like that to begin a transformation of the whole community for the better? Or what about your community--what would it look like there for that kind of transformation to take place? Are you willing to wait for it and work for it?

And more specifically, what about you? I was thinking that as individuals, we are often like icebergs. We are mostly submerged with about ten percent of us available for the world to see. Yet we have all of this potential that's hidden below the surface. What if you began to live out your potential and live out your calling in such a way that the world around you began to take notice? Just some thoughts I've had in recent days about water, and us.

16 oz of delicious goodness

tea-w-legs, originally uploaded by Elan Photography.

Ok, I normally wouldn't blog about something like this, but it is soooooo good. I'm currently in Ann Arbor Michigan at a conference. But, on my way to the conference I stopped at a Starbucks in Canonsburg, PA for a little java for the journey.

So I asked them the big question--are they serving chai eggnog lattes yet? The answer was YES!!! This is like my all-time favorite seasonal coffee drink. Literally it just tasted soooo good when it hit my lips.

It tasted so good that I had to call someone. So I called my mom, just to tell her how good this drink tasted. I was in pure ecstasy with one drink. I highly recommend this drink if you get the opportunity to partake of it.

And while I am on the subject of delicious drinks. Is there anything that you have ever eaten or drunk that has taken your tastebuds into a virtual party? As I slowly sipped this drink (you don't want to drink it too fast--it's hot, and plus you want to savor the flavor), I thought to myself, I bet there are lots of chai eggnog lattes to be drunk in heaven. I can only hope.

But now we see in a glass dimly. So that means that whatever we enjoy in the present, things are going to be even better when the Kingdom is fully realized. I'm looking forward to it for sure, but in the meantime, I've got two months to enjoy these chai eggnog lattes!!!

See ya in the funny papers!

This morning, our new cafe downtown made it in the campus newspaper. We were on the front page. THe guy from the Daily Athenaeum here at WVU came in yesterday afternoon and took a bunch of pictures. He had a really cool tattoo on his left shoulder, and I would love to see more of his photos, because this one was really great.

Anyhoo, it is pretty sweet that we were able to get some free publicity directed around this new space. And the picture says so much about how relaxed and connecting this little cafe is.

It couldn't have come at a better time either. This week, we are showing a film, "Invisible Children", Thursday night @ 7PM, and we are formally opening the artspace portion of the cafe this Friday during morgantown's annual artwalk.

Although I probably won't be around for much if any of this stuff, it is pretty cool to see this little space at the top of high street start to come to life, and find some resonance within our campus community.

Pleasant Painting

Pleasant Painting, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Thursday night, we began to put finishing touches on the walls, as we transformed the atmosphere through the use of paint, lights, and prayer. Jeremiah was among the many smiling faces who spent lots of time in our little café space this week.

Sacred Sunbeam

Sacred Sunbeam, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Wednesday night, we gathered to pray and plan for the future of the new space. It has been cool to gather and pray and dedicate this space. Very much prayer has gone into this space, and very much celebration as well. Actually, on the night of this gathering, one of the people present made the comment—“we’re planning to be in here Friday? That’s pretty ambitious!”

Ambitious indeed.

Sozo deconstructed

Sozo deconstructed, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Well, there has been a lot of work going into the development of so.zo. This little image gives a good idea of our starting point. It’s hard to believe that we got it finished in time for open mic Friday night. There was a professional crew doing demolitions on the space, and when I talked to them Tuesday afternoon when we started, they were convinced it would take them at least a week, but it could take up to a month to restore the space—we had 3 days to restore it and inhabit it.

So.Zo

So.Zo, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Last week we signed a lease on a storefront along high street in Morgantown. Eventually, this will be the home of a cafe/coffeehouse/cereal bar, but for now it is a pretty empty space.
Over the course of this week, we will be slowly transforming this space to prepare it for the debut of an open mic Friday night.
Whlle it is hard to say goodbye to the dream and vision we had for the waterhouse, we could potentially do more, and do it better in this new location.
It's fun to jump into new projects too. I will have to post some pictures as we make progress in this new space.

Goodbye Starbucks

Goodbye Starbucks, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Saturday morning commenced the long trek back to West Virginia for me. Before the last of us Mountaineers left O-town, we had to make one last stop in Starbucks. This was one of my stomping grounds for the summer, and a primary place of contact for meeting people.

Behind my right shoulder is Kateland. She was one of my favorite Barista's over the summer and a great new starbucks amigo! I made friends with quite a few staff, but she was one of the very few working when we left Saturday.